Trainer Halves Workout Time

The idea of combining strength and cardio exercises, known as hybridized fitness, is becoming more popular due to its effectiveness.

As a certified personal trainer who loves working out, I usually prioritize taking my time over being efficient, to avoid injuries. However, my packed schedule recently pushed me to try Kathrin Kunz's 30-minute hybrid fitness routine.

Kunz's program is compact but comprehensive, targeting almost all muscle groups. To begin, you'll need a mat, two moderately-heavy dumbbells, and a bit of courage. The Amazon Basics adjustable dumbbell, priced at $49.99, is a great option.

How to Perform Kathrin Kunz’s Hybrid Workout

These weights, which we feature in our best adjustable dumbbells list, offer a total weight of just over 37 pounds when combined with plates, handles, and collars.

They’re ideal for this workout since you can adjust the load based on your fitness level. Kunz's routine resembles a HIIT session, with exercises and rest periods timed accordingly.

Start with a five-minute warm-up. Then, exercise for 40 seconds and rest for 15, repeating each of the two sets of four exercises twice.

Follow with a cardio-based finisher including 12 exercises done for 30 seconds each with 15 seconds of rest. End with a five-minute cool-down.

Kunz uses two dumbbells weighing 7.5 kilograms (16.5 pounds) each. I opted for 5.4 kilogram (12-pound) dumbbells.

My Experience with the Hybrid Workout

It Lasted Longer than 30 Minutes

Labeling this as a 30-minute workout is a bit misleading—completing the warm-up, circuits, and cool-down takes over 40 minutes.

However, unlike many workouts that skip warm-up and cool-down, Kunz includes them, which is beneficial.

Despite the extra 10 minutes, I felt I accomplished a comprehensive workout in much less time than usual. I'll likely revisit this routine when I'm short on time.

Some Exercises Were Tough

Having worked out consistently for nearly 20 years, I'm generally comfortable with most exercises.

Still, some of Kunz’s moves were tough—especially the alternating table reach during the warm-up and the one-handed mountain climber in the cardio finisher.

This highlights a common issue with fitness influencers—not showing exercise modifications. Kunz suggests in her workout description to "feel free to modify some exercises if needed" but doesn’t demonstrate how.

Having a second instructor to showcase alternatives would have made the workout more accessible to different fitness levels.

It's a Solid Benchmark Workout

Kunz's workout is demanding and not beginner-friendly. If you're new to exercising, I would suggest trying this once you gain more experience.

One advantage of YouTube workouts is their use as a progress benchmark. Even if you can't complete it now, try again after building some strength and endurance; you might be surprised at your improvement.

For beginners, I recommend a simple HIIT workout or a bodyweight routine to start.

Source: fitandwell

The opinions shared in the GymNation blog articles are solely those of the respective authors and may not represent the perspectives of GymNation or any member of the GymNation team.