A 30-Minute Pulse and Hop Workout for Added Intensity

Adding pulses and hops to your workouts can take your fitness routine to the next level. Pulses—small, controlled movements—help target and strengthen specific muscle groups, improving endurance and stability. Meanwhile, adding hops introduces an explosive, plyometric element that boosts power, agility, and cardiovascular fitness.

Together, these techniques increase intensity and challenge your body in new ways, per the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Perfect for building strength and coordination, pulses and hops can bring fresh energy to your workouts while delivering results. That’s why Or Artzi, CPT, a lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors, created this pulse and hop workout to elevate your exercise routine.

Join the club

If you’re following along with our January 2025 Good Moves Club Winter Challenge (sign up here if you haven’t already!), this is the workout for day 19 week 3. You can follow along with Artzi and the full-length workout below. This efficient workout includes a warmup and six strength-based exercises.

The warmup

Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Complete one round. 

1. Walkout

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. Hinge forward at your hips and reach toward the floor.
3. Keeping your feet in place, walk your hands forward and come into a high plank so that your shoulders are over your wrists.
4. Pause, engaging your core.
5. Walk your hands back to your feet, then return to standing.
6. Repeat.

2. World’s greatest stretch (alternating sides)

1. Start in a high plank with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
2. Step your right foot forward and place it outside of your right hand.
3. Keeping your hips square, lift your right hand toward the ceiling, rotating your chest toward your right leg. Allow your gaze to follow your fingertips.
4. Pause, then return your right hand to the floor and extend your right leg back to plank position.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Continue alternating sides.

3. Cat-cow pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)

1. Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. Align your elbows and shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Slowly arch your spine, dropping your belly toward the floor. Look up as you draw your tailbone toward the ceiling (cow pose).
3. Slowly transition into a rounded spine, tucking your chin toward your spine as you tilt your pelvis forward (cat pose).
4. Continue alternating between cow and cat poses.

4. Deep squat with thoracic twist (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands clasped in front of your chest. 
2. Inhale, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that’s comfortable).
3. Exhale, pressing evenly through your feet as you place your left hand on the floor and lift your right arm up to the sky while still in a deep squat.
4. Twist your torso toward your right hand, reaching for the ceiling.
5. Pause, then return your torso to center. 
6. Repeat on the opposite side. 
7. Continue alternating sides.

5. Hamstring sweep (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down by your sides.
2. Bend your left knee slightly and step forward with your right foot, flexing your toes up. Your right leg should be straight.
3. Lean your torso forward until it’s nearly parallel to the floor, reaching your arms behind you.
4. Then, sweep your arms forward and up so your biceps are next to your ears. You should feel a stretch in the muscles behind your right thigh.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Continue alternating sides.

6. Jumping jack

1. Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides.
2. Jump your legs out to the sides while lifting your arms up over your head.
3. Finish the rep by jumping your feet back together and returning your arms to your sides.
4. Stay light on your toes and keep a soft bend in your knees as you jump.
5. Repeat.

The workout

You’ll need a bench, couch, or chair and access to a wall to complete this workout. Perform each exercise one time through, then rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next round. Do 2-4 rounds total.

• Beginners: Do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
• Intermediate: Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise.
• Advanced: Do each exercise for 60 seconds, then move on to the next exercise.

1. Surrender

1. Kneel on the floor, sitting your butt on your heels. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
2. Step your left foot forward, placing it flat on the floor. Your left leg should be bent at about 90 degrees. 
3. Then step your right foot forward, placing it flat on the floor. Your right leg should be bent at about 90 degrees and you should be in a squat position. 
4. Step your left foot back so your left knee touches the floor. 
5. Then step your right foot back so your right knee touches the floor and you’re in a high-kneeling position.
6. Repeat, this time leading with your right foot.

2. Forearm plank walkup

1. Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and your elbows directly beneath your shoulders (palms flat on the floor). Keep your feet flexed with the bottoms of your toes on the floor.
2. Keep your forearms parallel to each other.
3. Press into your forearms and palms and rise up on your toes so that only your forearms, palms, and toes touch the floor. Your body should hover a few inches off the floor in a straight line from shoulders to feet.
4. Squeeze your core and your glutes.
5. Look at the floor to keep your head in a neutral alignment.
6. Lift your right forearm off the floor and press your right palm into the floor. 
7. Lift your left forearm off the floor and press your left palm into the floor. You should be in a high plank position.
8. Lower your left forearm to the floor, then lower your right forearm to the floor. You should be back in a forearm plank position. 
9. Repeat, alternating which arm you start with.

3. Side-lying oblique leg lift with bent knees (each side separately)

1. Lie on your left side with your feet stacked and your left elbow under your left shoulder, forearm along the floor.
2. Raise your right arm toward the ceiling. 
3. Bend both knees slightly, then lift both legs up off the floor as high as you can.
4. At the same time, lower your right arm to meet your feet and tap your right toe.
5. Lower back down, then repeat.
6. Do all reps on one side before switching sides.

4. Wall sit

1. Find a wall and rest your back flat against it with your feet slightly out in front of the wall. Make sure your feet are about shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms straight out in front of you.
2. Bend your knees and slide down the wall so your thighs are perpendicular to the wall and your knees form a 90-degree angle. You may need to adjust your feet distance from the wall to make that 90-degree angle at your hips and knees, but only slide down the wall as far as you can comfortably go.
3. Engage your muscles, including your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Also make sure to keep your core tight.
4. Hold for time, then push through your heels to stand back up.

5. Chair triceps dip with pulse

1. Sit on a solid surface (like a bench, chair, or couch) with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Put your hands on the surface, and walk your feet forward until your butt is off of the surface.
3. Bend your elbows and bring your butt toward the floor as much as your range of motion allows.
4. Push your hands into the surface to straighten your arms halfway.
5. Then bend your elbows again fully and bring your butt toward the floor as much as your range of motion allows.
6. Extend your elbows all the way back to the starting position.
7. Repeat.

6. Single-leg skater jump with hop (each side separately)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. 
2. Leap to the right, pushing off of your left foot and landing on your right leg only. Your left leg should tuck behind your right calf.
3. Jump across to the left and land on your left leg. Your right leg should now be tucked behind your left calf.
4. Standing on your left leg, hop straight into the air.
5. Repeat.