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25-Minute Sweaty Standing Workout: Abs + Cardio (Stronger 25, Day 4)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | July 22, 2023

Sculpt, strengthen and sweat with this 25-minute standing workout. Each exercise is performed from a standing position, with options to scale the intensity of each move up or down to meet your fitness level. Three circuits combine strength exercises, power exercises and cardio exercises to create an effective total core and cardio workout.

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This is DAY FOUR of our Stronger 25 Program.

woman performing a bicep curl hold and dumbbell press out

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Build core strength, burn calories and train like an athlete with this sweaty standing workout: cardio and abs.

This is the fourth day of our Stronger 25 Strength Training Program. Yesterday we hit the lower body with a combination of strength, power and isometric exercises.

Today’s workout ups the intensity with an additional cardio component – ending each circuit with a sweaty standing cardio exercise.

Each circuit in this standing workout focuses on moving in a different plane of motion. We’ll move through the sagittal plane (front/back), transverse plane (top/bottom) and frontal plane (side to side).

Training in multiple planes of motion is an extremely functional form of movement – allowing you to move better and prevent injuries in your daily life.

Two women performing a windmill exercise as part of sweaty abs standing workout

Standing Workout FAQs

Are Standing Workouts Effective?

Yes! Standing workouts are extremely effective for both beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts. Standing workouts require the small stabilizing muscles throughout your core to turn on as they support your body through different movements.

What Are The Benefits Of Standing Workouts?

Standing workouts allow you to build strength and burn calories, all without getting up and down from the floor. Standing core exercises also tend to be more functional (or mimic your real-life movements) than mat core exercises, such as crunches. Standing workouts are also great beginner workouts and beneficial if up and down motions cause nausea or lightheadedness.

two women performing a dumbbell toe tap as part of standing workout with core and cardio

25-Minute Standing Workout: Sweaty Abs (Stronger 25, Day 4)

Strengthen and sweat with this functional cardio and core workout. This workout combines standing ab exercises with standing cardio exercises to burn calories and increase core stability.

Each circuit in today’s workout includes one strength training exercise, one power exercise, and one cardio exercise. These different types of movements are designed to compliment each other, targeting the muscles in the core from multiple angles to create strength and definition.

I suggest doing these standing abs exercises once a week as part of a well-rounded fitness routine.

Workout Equipment:

A medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 8-25 lbs. We used 10-20 lb dumbbells in this workout.

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Woman performing a single leg deadlift swing wearing flat white shoes

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Standing Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 3 Circuits (3 exercises per circuit)
  • Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. Complete as many reps as you can in the timed interval.)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x2 Sets
5 Cardio and Core Exercises for Toned Abs (No Planks)!

Workout Outline

Circuit One: Sagittal Plane
1. Strength: Uneven Overhead March
2. Power: Single Leg Deadlift Snatch
3. Cardio: Dumbbell Toe Taps

Circuit Two: Transverse Plane
1. Strength: Windmill
2. Power: Landmine Row and Rotational Press
3. Cardio: Lateral Crossover and Three Fast Feet

Circuit Three: Frontal Plane
1. Strength: Single Leg Deadlift and V-Reach
2. Power: Single Leg Deadlift and Swing
3. Cardio: Dumbbell Skaters

two women performing dumbbell skaters as part of sweaty abs standing workout

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon HIIT Abs Workout

5 Standing Exercises

Uneven Overhead March

Targets: Back, shoulders, stabilizing shoulder muscles and core.

Holding a weight on one side of the body makes the load ‘uneven’ which requires additional core strength.

Two women performing an overhead march with forward/backward motion as part of standing workout

How To Do Uneven Overhead Marches

  1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip).
  2. Extend your right arm, pressing the dumbbell straight overhead. Front rack the dumbbell in your left hand at your left shoulder. Perform a slight pelvic tilt to engage the core.
  3. Slowly and with control, lift your right knee up to find a 90-degree angle, right thigh parallel to the mat. Hold for a second, then slowly lower it back down to the ground, stepping forward.
  4. Repeat, this time lifting your left knee up so that your left thigh is parallel to the ground. Hold for a second, then slowly lower it to the ground, stepping forward.
  5. Continue alternating left and right foot, performing four steps forward.
  6. On the fourth step, reverse the movement, this time stepping backwards with each step.
  7. Continue this pattern, alternating four steps forward with four steps backwards.

Single Leg Deadlift Snatch

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, shoulders and deep transverse abdomen muscles (core).

The single arm dumbbell snatch is a compound exercise that works the full body and improves coordination, power and strength. 

Two women performing a single leg deadlift and snatch as part of standing workout

How To Do Single Leg Deadlift Snatches

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand at your side (palm facing in).
  2. Balance on your right foot while floating your left foot off the ground, left knee bent and left thigh parallel to the ground.
  3. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbell down the front of your body. As you hinge, extend your left leg behind you, performing a single leg deadlift.
  4. Then, drive your hips forward as you ‘snatch’ the weight overhead with your left arm. Keep the dumbbell close to your body, drawing it up the midline and finishing with your left arm extended straight overhead. Left knee drives forward to power the movement, ending with the left thigh parallel to the ground.
  5. Slowly and with control, lower the dumbbell to your shoulder, re-racking the weight.
  6. Then, lower the dumbbell to your hips, returning to starting position.

Modification: perform a staggered deadlift snatch instead, keeping both feet on the ground.

Windmill

Targets: Obliques, abs, upper back, outer glutes, inner thighs, hamstrings, upper body and shoulders.

The windmill is a full body exercise that strengthens the entire core as well as the shoulders. This move is especially effective for the obliques (sides of the torso).

two women performing a windmill exercise

How To Do Windmills

  1. Start in a wide stance, holding a dumbbell in your left hand, directly above your shoulder.
  2. Rotate your right foot out 90 degrees so your right toes are pointing towards the top of your mat, then pivot your left foot slightly inwards (about a 45 degree angle). Right heel is aligned with left arch.
  3. Focus on creating and maintaining length through your waist as you hinge at the hips, sliding your right arm down your right leg. Keep your left hand directly above your left shoulder, maintaining a straight line with the dumbbell. Range of motion will look different for everyone
  4. Then, squeeze through your obliques to pull your torso back upright, returning to starting position.

Modification: perform this exercise with just your bodyweight.

Landmine Row and Rotational Press

Targets: Back, shoulders, chest, triceps and core.

Landmine rotations are an effective way to build deep core strength, speed and agility.

Two women performing a landmind row and press as part of standing sweaty ab workout

How To Do Landmine Rows and Rotational Presses

  1. Start standing, feet hip width apart, core engaged, holding a dumbbell in your right hand.
  2. Pivot so that your toes, hips and shoulders are all facing towards the right, left foot now in front of the right foot.
  3. Hinge at the hips to lower the dumbbell towards the ground.
  4. Then, pull from the right elbow to row the dumbbell up towards your hips.
  5. As the dumbbell nears your right hip, pivot your toes, hips and shoulders, rotating towards the left. At the same time, transfer the dumbbell from right hand to left hand.
  6. Press the dumbbell away from your body, extending your left arm fully to perform a rotational press.
  7. Then, reverse the movement. Bring the dumbbell to your chest and transfer it to your right hand while pivoting your body to the right, returning to starting position.

Modification: omit the dumbbell transfer, instead performing a weighted landmine row and then pressing the hand without a weight overhead.

Dumbbell Skaters

Targets: Legs, glutes (outer gluteus medius), hips, calves, quads and core (for stability and balance).

two women performing skaters with dumbbells as part of standing workout to target the abs

How To Do Dumbbell Skaters

  1. Start standing in an athletic stance, feet hip-distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell vertically between both hands at hip level.
  2. Push off your right foot to bound laterally to the left, landing in a loaded skater position on your left foot. Left knee bent, right leg tracking behind your left foot in a skater position. As you bound, “chop” the weight over your left hip, engaging your core to keep your torso from rotating.
  3. Then, drive off your planted left foot to bound laterally back to the right. Landing softly on your right foot. Right knee bent, left leg tracking behind your right foot in a skater position. This time, “chop” the dumbbell over your right hip.
  4. Repeat, alternating the skaters and dumbbell chops on each leg.

Modification: Omit the dumbbell, performing bodyweight skaters instead of weighted skaters.

Stronger 25 Feature Image. Woman performing an oblique crunch and knee drive.

Stronger 25: FREE Strength Training Program

A 2-week, strength training program designed to help you feel stronger in just 25 minutes a day.

If you liked this back and bicep workout at home, download the FREE, 2-Week Full Body Workout Plan.

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2 comments

  1. What an awesome new workout! I loved the new moves – great balance challenges to get that core focus and engagement. Terrific to have another standing workout too, especially for those times when not at home when you don’t want to go on the floor somewhere. Thanks for all of your fantastic work on NML!

    • Sarah! So happy to hear you loved this workout — NICE WORK! Yes, lots of balance challenges in this one. Thanks for following along and keep up the great work! -Lindsey

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