Hate Running? This Cardio Workout Builds Endurance While Burning Fat | All & About

You don’t even need any equipment and you can do it on your lunchbreak.

The multistage fitness test – better known in school sports halls as the dreaded “bleep test” – is a system devised to estimate your aerobic capacity. But sub in a barrage of bodyweight moves and it becomes a cardiovascular conditioning tool that requires little more than a couple of square metres of floor space on your lunch hour.

The test involves following an audio recording of a set of timed “bleeps” (which can be found on iTunes, Spotify or YouTube), working each time the audio sounds. In this case, that means performing one rep of each bodyweight movement. Complete these exercises as quickly as possible while maintaining proper form, moving seamlessly between them to create a “flow” on every bleep. After the last movement, stand tall, breathe… and wait for the next bleep.

Keep going until you can’t manage a complete flow in the interval; the last rep you successfully performed is your score. Make a note, and aim to beat it next week.

1. Press-Ups

Begin by assuming a plank position, with your feet together, your body straight and your palms on the ground below your shoulders. Lower your body, touching your chest to the floor, then explosively press with your arms, returning to the top of the movement.

Press-ups

2. Mountain Climbers

As soon as you’ve completed the press-up, draw your left knee towards your right elbow, engaging your core . Perform the movement under control, but with intent. Return to the plank position, before immediately repeating the move on the other side with your right leg. Stand up.

Mountain climbers

3. Jumping Lunges

Now, step one foot back and sink into a deep lunge, with your left knee almost touching the floor Explode upward, switching legs in mid-air to land in a lunging position with your left leg forward. Repeat the jumping motion, this time finishing with your right leg in front.

Jumping lunges

4. Squat Jump

Stand tall, with your feet at shoulder width. Lift your hands and sink your hips to knee level into a squat position. From here, jump upward explosively, aiming for as much height as possible . Make sure that you hit the ground with soft knees to avoid injury. Wait for the beep, and return to the press-up.