Workout of the week: 20-min functional partner workout

12th February 2024

ALL LEVELS / functional partner workout / 20 minutes

Equipment: Medicine ball & partner

Love and exercise go hand in hand — literally. They both release endorphins, the hormones responsible for that feel-good sensation after working out. Among other things, these two also turn our faces red, and they make our hearts beat faster. That’s why we thought a partner’s workout on this Valentine’s day would be a great idea. But don’t worry, you don’t need a significant other to perform it. Just bring a friend along and have some fun!

This functional partner workout results from a partnership between our two personal trainers from EVO Fitness in Vienna, Mariahilfer Strasse: Hannah Braun and Johannes Auer. It consists of 6 exercises, each to be performed for 30 seconds. Try to rest as little as possible between each exercise because you’ll have plenty of time to rest in between rounds: 60 seconds. This workout has 3 rounds, which should account for 20 minutes total.

Plank with clap
Plank shoulder taps and claps
Sit-up with medicine ball and pass
Russian twist medicine ball pass
Squat and pass
Squat jump and pass

Grab a partner and let’s go!

WORKOUT SETUP

6 exercises
30 seconds each, little to no rest in between
3 rounds
60 seconds rest between rounds.
20 minutes
Equipment: Medicine ball

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

Medicine ball = bag with some weights, such as books, cans of food

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

3 rounds

1 – PLANK WITH CLAP

30 seconds

Get into a high plank position, with both heads facing each other. Make sure you’re close enough to reach and calp your partner’s hand.
Clap hands with your partner diagonally — that means you’ll both use the same hand to clap with each other.
Engage your core and reach your right hands, clapping.
Go back to the high plank position.
Now do the same with the left hand and repeat the whole process for 30 seconds.

2 – PLANK SHOULDER TAPS AND CLAPS

30 seconds

Once again, get into a high plank position, with both heads facing each other, making sure you’re close enough to reach and calp your partner’s hand.
Engage your core and perform a shoulder tap on both shoulders individually. With your right hand and without balancing, touch your left shoulder. With your left hand, your right shoulder.
Clap your right hand with your partner.
Go back to the high plank position and repeat for 30 seconds, alternating the clapping hands.

3 – SIT-UP WITH MEDICINE BALL AND PASS

30 seconds

Lay down on your back with your feet facing each other. One of you will start with the ball.
Both should then perform a sit-up by curling up your upper body, but only one holds the ball at chest level.
When you reach the top, pass the ball to your partner and do the same — now without the ball.
Repeat for 30 seconds.

4 – RUSSIAN TWIST MEDICINE BALL PASS

30 seconds

Sit down next to your partner, and balance your body weight using your hips.
Make sure your torso is at a 45-degree angle to the floor and your back straight.
One of you should hold the medicine ball at chest level, perform 3 twists touching with the ball on the floor before passing the ball over.
Your partner will wait for your pass in an ab hold. After receiving the ball from you, they’ll repeat the 3 touches and hand it over again.
Repeat for 30 seconds.

5 – SQUAT AND PASS

30 seconds

Stand face to face with your partner, both with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet slightly pointing out.
One of you should be holding the ball before starting.
Keep your chest proud and look forward.
Squat at the same time — one of you holding the ball at chest level — pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
Come back up and throw the ball to your partner.
Repeat for 30 seconds.

6 – SQUAT JUMP AND PASS

30 seconds

Once again, stand face to face with your partner, both with your feet shoulder-width apart and your feet slightly pointing out.
One will start with the ball, and both should keep their chest proud and look forward.
Squat at the same time — one of you holding the ball at chest level — pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
At the end of the movement, jump as high as you can before doing another squat.
Once you’re in the starting position, throw the ball to your partner.
Repeat for 30 seconds.