WORKOUTS

Here Are “The Best No-Equipment Cardio” Workouts

March 16, 2024

Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, is a fundamental pillar of any fitness routine. It strengthens your heart, improves lung capacity, and boosts overall health. But hitting the gym or investing in fancy equipment isn’t always an option. The good news? You don’t need a single piece of equipment to get a fantastic cardio workout.

This article equips you with a variety of no-equipment cardio exercises, helping you design personalized workouts that fit your space and preferences. We’ll delve into high-intensity interval training (HIIT), bodyweight exercises, and even explore dance-based workouts. So, lace up your sneakers (or stay barefoot!), crank up the music (optional!), and get ready to sweat!

Cardio! That dreaded word, whether it’s Low-Intensity Steady State (LISS) cardio or High-Intensity Interval Training (HITT) cardio.

Most people prefer LISS as the name suggests, it’s very low impact and very low intensity but done for a period of time (45 minutes to an hour prior to meal 1 is most bodybuilders preferred option).

And HITT is interval training which alternates short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods, during which a person’s heart rate reaches at least 80 percent of its maximum capacity.

There are many debates out there as to which is preferred and as to which burns more fat but I won’t delve into that today.

So if you’re bored of the treadmill at the gym, jogging outdoors in the cold, or fed up of rowing machines or even the legendary elíptical machines, then check out my list of the best no-equipment cardio workouts around.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):

HIIT workouts alternate between short bursts of intense exercise and periods of rest or active recovery. This style of training maximizes calorie burn in minimal time, making it ideal for busy schedules. Here are some HIIT exercises you can do anywhere:

Jumping Jacks: A classic for a reason! Jumping jacks elevate your heart rate while engaging your core and legs. Aim for 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by 30 seconds of rest or slow jogging in place.
High Knees: Mimic running in place by bringing your knees up high towards your chest. Maintain a fast pace for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.
Butt Kicks: Similar to high knees, but focus on kicking your heels towards your glutes. Keep your core engaged and maintain a quick pace for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
Mountain Climbers: Get into a high plank position and alternate bringing your knees towards your chest as if running in place. Maintain a strong core and fast pace for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.
Burpees (Modification Available): Squat down, then jump back into a high plank position. Do a push-up (modify by dropping your knees if needed) and jump your feet back to squat position. Stand tall and jump explosively with your arms raised overhead. This is a full burpee, but you can modify by eliminating the push-up or jumping portion. Aim for 15-20 seconds of burpees followed by 30 seconds of rest.

Building Strength with Bodyweight Exercises:

These exercises utilize your own body weight for resistance, building strength and endurance alongside cardio benefits.

Squats: The king of lower body exercises! Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat down as if sitting in a chair. Keep your core engaged, back straight, and heels flat. Aim for 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
Lunges: Step forward with one leg, lowering your body until both knees are bent at 90-degree angles. Push back up to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 lunges per leg.
Push-ups (Modification Available): Get into a high plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your elbows close to your body. Modify by doing push-ups on your knees if needed. Aim for 3 sets of as many repetitions as possible with good form.
Dips: Find a sturdy chair or bench. Sit on the edge with your hands gripping the sides beside you. Lower yourself down until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees, then press back up to the starting position. Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Plank: Engage your core and form a high plank position with your forearms on the ground or hands shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight and hips in line with your shoulders. Hold for 30-60 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Repeat for 3 sets.

Dance Your Way to Fitness:

For a fun and dynamic cardio experience, turn up the music and unleash your inner dancer! Here are some ideas:

Freestyle Dance: Let loose and express yourself! Jump, spin, and move your body to the rhythm. Focus on having fun and letting your energy flow.
Zumba (No Class Needed): Find Zumba routines online and follow along at home. These high-energy routines incorporate dance moves with cardio bursts, making for a fun and effective workout.
Shadowboxing: Mimic boxing movements without a partner or equipment. Jab, cross, uppercut, and footwork drills can elevate your heart rate and improve coordination.

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Additional Exercise for The Best No-Equipment Cardio Workouts

Skipping / Jump Rope

Now I did say you don’t need any equipment and you can actually simulate a jump rope without actually needing a jump rope.

Simply simulate the arms as if you are holding a rope and jump accordingly while being in sync with your arms (as if you’re jumping over a rope).

Now according to the Cooper Institute Aerobic Test, jumping rope for ten minutes is the equivalent of doing a 30-minute run.

Now, if you want to burn more calories you cannot go wrong with this exercise, and if you jump rope faster this will lead to a more intense workout, as a 180 lb individual jumping for 10 minutes at 100 skips per minute will burn approximately 126 calories, based on the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET), and in this case the MET is 8.8.

Now if you want a more accurate reading then there are many calorie calculators online that can assist you or use the formula below:

Calories burned per minute = (MET** x bodyweight in Kg x 3.5) ÷ 200

**MET – Metabolic Equivalent of Task

*MET for 100 skips or less per minute: 8.8

MET for 100-120 skips per minute: 11.8

MET for 120-160 skips per minute: 12.3

Can be done with or without a rope.

Shadowboxing

Another no equipment cardio routine you can utilize with minimal space is shadowboxing.

And many boxers shadow box to improve foot speed, agility, hand-eye coordination, and technique but this can also really get the heart rate going.

You can take on a:

square stance (literally square on with feet shoulder-width apart)
fighter stance (feet staggered, with arms raised to cover the face)
Fighters stance with footwork incorporated

Now if you are right-hand dominant you are classed as ‘Orthodox’ and if you are left-hand dominant you are classed as a ‘Southpaw’.

The main punches are the:

Jab

Cross

Left hook

Right hook

Left uppercut

Right uppercut

As this is for fitness purposes rather than getting into a ring you can just do straightforward punches or make your own combo or stick the traditional combo below:

Jab, Jab, Cross (1.1.2)

Jab, Cross, Left Hook (1,2,3)

Jab, Cross, Left Hook, Cross (1,2,3,2)

Jab, Jab, Cross, Left Hook, Right Uppercut (1,1,2,3,6)

Jab, Right Uppercut, Left Hook, Cross (1,6,3,2)

Now if you want to figure out the calories you have burnt then MET breakdown below will help you figure out your calorie output.

MET for boxing

Boxing, punching bag. 5.5

Boxing, sparring. 7.8

Boxing, in the ring, general. 12.8

Alternative: Add small dumbbells and hold them while punching, this will add an even more increased shoulder burn.

Box Jumps

Box jump, or in this case, if you don’t have a box or bench or stool you can utilize then the stairs will work just as well.

This is an exercise that will help develop your explosive power, speed, and even your strength.

As it’s a plyometric exercise, also known as plyos, it is beneficial for producing power and strength simultaneously. Plyos generally involves a stretch followed by a contraction of the muscles (so a jump being a prime example).

And if you actually incorporate box jumps directly after a set of squats, Post Activation Potentiation (PAP), occurs, and this is essentially the pairing of a heavy strength movement (back squat) followed by a plyometric movement, which in this case would be the box jump.

According to Daniel Lorenz, DPT, ‘PAP is a phenomenon by which the force exerted by a muscle is increased due to its previous contraction.

Fatiguing muscle contractions impair muscle performance, but non-fatiguing muscle contractions at high loads with a brief duration may enhance muscle performance.

So the muscle fibers that were not recruited in the squats essentially are raring to go and post heavy load should enable you to have a better performance, ie able to jump higher.

Based on a 185 lb person, the calories burned can range from 311-444 per 30 minutes.

An alternative to box jumps: Jumping over a bench. You can have more stability by placing your hands on the bench and jumping from left to right over the bench itself. (If you do not have a bench use something similar which you can jump over, a box, a crate, a railing, etc).

Other suggestions

Cardio workouts that require equipment

Other cardio workouts I would have high on my list are:

Swimming – An awesome all-body cardio workout that is easy on the joints but helps build strength and endurance. It’s great if you have access to a pool or gym that has one. The alternative is the closest lake (kidding).

Battle ropes – again if you have a set already or have access to them at your gym this is a great all-around cardio workout that manages to hit pretty much all the major muscle groups.

Barbell thrusters – yes It does involve a barbell and weights but you don’t need to go heavy for it to really kick in. Another great all-body exercise that will improve your cardiovascular endurance.

And below is a list of plyo cardio exercises you can do at home in a small space:

Skaters

Burpees

Tuck Jumps

High Knees

Mountain Climbers

Now that’s enough cardio for today. Happy holidays but more importantly happy lifting!