BeWOW: The Most Challenging One-Mile Run You’ve Ever Done

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Ready to get your heart racing?

This week, you’ll be tackling a cardio-and-strength circuit, which you’ll repeat four times. By the end of the workout, you will not only have completed a ton of reps of exercise, you’ll have run a full mile to boot. Neat, right?

You’ll start with 20 reps of one exercise, 18 of another, 16 of something else, all the way down to two reps of the final exercise. Then comes the quarter mile sprint. Complete the circuit four times as fast as you can, with no rest between exercises and a one-minute break between circuits. Good luck!

BeWOW: Cardio-and-Strength Circuit

20 kettlebell swings
18 crunches
16 ski jumpers
14 tricep dips
12 squat with overhead press
10 lunge rows on each side
8 medicine ball sit-ups
6 burpees
4 plank rows on each side
2 pull-ups
.25 mile sprint

Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for video how-tos.

Kettlebell swings: Standing with feet about hip-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of you both both hands. Bend your knees into a squat, swinging the kettlebell back through your legs as you drop down and forward to about shoulder height as you stand. Repeat in a fluid motion.

Crunches: Get in sit-up position, with knees bent and hands behind the head. Without pulling the neck, squeeze your abs and sit halfway up. Hold for a beat, and return to starting position.

Ski jumpers: Start in a skier’s stance (like a squat, but bent forward at the waist slightly). Using your arms for momentum, jump up and to the left, landing on both feet. Jump to the right. Repeat.

Tricep dips: Sit on a bench or chair with your hands gripping the edge, fingers forward. Scoot your butt off the edge and walk your feet out a few steps. Drop your body and bend your elbows until they’re at 90 degrees. Push yourself back up until your arms are extended all the way.

Squat with overhead press: Hold the weights at your shoulders, do a squat.  As you stand back up, press the weights over your head.  Return them to your shoulders as you squat back down.

Lunge row: Standing with your left leg forward in a lunge and left forearm on thigh, row a weight with your right arm like you’re starting lawn mower. Switch to opposite side lunge for left arm.

Medicine ball sit-ups: Do a full sit-up holding a heavy medicine ball or a weight, holding the ball/weight at your chest. For an added challenge, reach the ball up to the ceiling as you sit-up.

Burpee: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, lower to the ground, bring your feet back in, and stand up.

Plank row: In a push-up position with your hands on free weights, row one weight up and back, keeping your hips square to the floor and squeezing your shoulder blade. Lower and repeat on the other side.

Pull-ups: Suspend yourself on the pull-up bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Pull yourself up, keeping your body as straight as possible, until your chest reaches the bar. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. (If you’re struggling with pull-ups, try these alternatives instead.)

» Get more BeWOW workouts here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.