Heart-pumping plyometric workout

I haven't always been a meathead. In fact, when I first began my fitness journey, I was more of your classic "cardio bunny."

Throughout childhood, I was an active kid by default. From age 4 to 18, I was a competitive dancer, gymnast and cheerleader—high-intensity sports that require a lot of jumping, flexibility, stamina, throwing/holding girls in the air, flipping your body weight—built-in cardio whether you really want it or not. Throughout college, I continued taking classes and teaching at a local dance studio, and I also cheered competitively for an all-star gym.

When I graduated, all of my team sports finally ended, and I realized the college lifestyle (don't act like you didn't enjoy late-night pizza, too) had caught up to me. It wasn't long before I fell into the treadmill trap—thinking an hour of steady-state cardio on the treadmill would help keep me "fit." I became an avid runner and completed countless 5Ks, 10Ks and a few half marathons before realizing I actually didn't enjoy running. Don't get me wrong; I think running is a great sport and it works for some people...but it doesn't work for me. I decided to put my running shoes to rest. When I worked at Men's Health magazine, I got my first taste of strength-training and absolutely loved it. The rest is history.

Now, you'll never catch me on a treadmill, unless I'm doing weighted lunges, sprints, walking on the steepest incline or running backwards. (Yea, that last one gets me a lot of weird looks.) But steady-state cardio? Nope.

I'm fairly confident in saying I might be the only self-proclaimed meathead who actually loves a good cardio session. Most of my weight-lifting friends wouldn't be caught dead doing straight cardio; and my friends who are runners tend to stick to the pavement. But me? I love both—strength-training and cardio. I love challenging myself with weights and watching my body become stronger. (Not to mention, I felt like a total beast the first time I could squat and deadlift more than my body weight.) But I also love completing a cardio session that leaves me gasping for breath and dripping with sweat. Yes, I might just be a freak.

My current training split has two cardio days per week. My weight-training includes active recovery and short rest periods, so I'm never just lolly-gagging between sets, but I have two days where I only do cardio.

One of my cardio days is pure plyometrics—jump-training with bursts of power and speed movements where I exert maximal force during a short period of time. I love plyometrics because I have to use larger muscle groups to give 100% right off that bat—and these workouts send my heart rate soaring through the roof. I basically want to die within 15 seconds, so I must be doing something right.

A few weeks ago, I looked over the workout I was supposed to do, then took it upon myself to get creative and add a few extra exercises into mix. What can I say? Sometimes you just really want to kick your own rear. (And do a little extra abs/core work while you're catching your breath.) So that's just what I did. I'm no certified trianer but, If you're in the mood for an awesome sweat sesh, I recommended the following:

Heart-Pumping Plyometric Workout 

• 15 Straddle jumps on a bench (When you land your straddle out, control it on the way down, don't let your butt plop onto the bench so you can fire up to jump onto the bench for the "in" mountain) into 20 mountain climbers (hard count—right and left leg counts as 1)
  (15-20 seconds rest after the mountain climbers, repeat 4 times)
  
• 20 seconds of battle ropes (alternating arms right and left) into 15 kettlebell swings (use medium weight, drive your hips forward on the swing up)
  (45 seconds rest after the KB swings, repeat 3 times)
  
• 15 single-leg power step-ups per leg (keep one foot on the bench/step and drive the other leg up and you jump straight up into the air), into 15 stability ball pike-ups(45-60 seconds rest after the pike-ups, repeat 3 times)
  
• 10 High box jumps (We're talking high–I used 11-12 risers)
  (1 minute rest, repeat 5 times)
  
• Speed ladder drills—3 times hop-scotch style (Squat outside the ladder, up straight inside—down and back counts as 1, so you technically have six total) into 10 slam ball tosses (get some air and use a moderate weight; I try to hit the lower part of the ceiling)
  (1 minute rest after the tosses, repeat 3 times)
  
• Sled push down a long stretch into 10 burpees (My gym has a track, so I do it down one of the straightaways)
  (1 minute rest after the burpees, repeat 2 times)

If you're giving 100% and going HAM on every single power move, I can almost guarantee you'll be drenched afterward. Good luck, and have fun! You'll thank me later.

Stay sweet [sweat] and sassy,

Kat