Hitting the health club with your partner, child, or a friend can make your fitness efforts more enjoyable, while also strengthening your bonds and keeping you accountable. But what if your go-to exercise regimens are different?
This quick set of movements-for-two can serve as an ideal finisher to your workout or be incorporated as a segment in your routine, allowing you and your partner to spend time sweating together while still performing the rest of your respective workouts around your preferred endeavors.
These moves are intended to get your heart beating and strengthen your muscular endurance. Perform each movement back-to-back for a total of four rounds, resting as needed.
Equipment needed:
- Medicine ball
| Movement | Duration | Rounds |
| Plyo Lunges With Medicine Ball Toss | 30 seconds | 4 |
| Wall Sit With Medicine Ball Pass | 30 seconds | |
| Partner Isometric Lunge Hold and High Knees | 60 seconds (30 seconds split) |
Plyo Lunges With Medicine Ball Toss
As demonstrated by David Freeman, national digital performer brand leader at Life Time and co-host of the Life Time Talks podcast, and Sarah Winchester, personal training leader at Life Time in Frisco, Texas.
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with a slight bend in your knees, core engaged.
- Take a step forward with one foot to get into a lunge position: Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with your front knee directly over your big toe, and your back knee hovering above the ground with your rear hip over your rear knee.
- Explosively push your front foot into the ground to jump vertically.
- As you’re in the air, switch leg positions, bringing your back leg forward to land in the bottom position of a lunge. As soon as you land, throw the medicine ball to your partner.
- Continue to repeat, switching leg positions at the top of each jump as you land and pass the medicine ball back-and-forth.
Wall Sit With Medicine Ball Pass
As demonstrated by Christa Mills, PT, group training coordinator at Life Time in Fort Worth, Texas, and her daughter, Kadence.
As demonstrated by Christa Mills, PT, group training coordinator at Life Time in Fort Worth, Texas, and her daughter, Kadence.
- Stand about two feet away from a wall with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Lean back against the wall and slide down, bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Your knees should be above your ankles and bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Keeping your lower back and hips flat against the wall, twist to tap the medicine ball against the empty wall to the side of you that’s opposite of your partner.
- Twist the opposite way to pass the ball to your partner.
- Your partner should tap the ball to the wall on the opposite side of them, then pass it back to you. Repeat.
Make it harder: Sit farther apart from your partner on the wall so you have to toss the ball back and forth.
Partner Isometric Lunge Hold and High Knees
As demonstrated by Chino Ramos, performer, and Ze’ Pierce, performer and studio manager, both at Life Time in Mount Laurel, N.J.
While one partner completes an isometric lunge hold, the other partner will do high knees.
- For the isometric lunge hold:
- Facing your partner, stand tall with your feet hip width apart, core engaged.
- Step forward with one leg to get into a lunge position: Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with your front knee directly over your big toe, and your back knee hovering above the ground with your rear hip over your rear knee.
- Stretch both your arms straight out in front of you toward your partner with your palms flat and facing the ground. Hold.
- For the high knees:
- Stand facing your partner with your feet hip width apart. Lift one knee up to your chest.
- Switch between driving your left and right knees up to hit the height of your partner’s palms, moving at a sprinting or running pace. Keep your core engaged and stay upright. Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Switch positions and repeat. In the isometric lunge, alternate your forward leg for in each round.
