Jump Back Into Fitness Workout Plan: Week 5

Just getting started? Check out workouts from previous weeks here: 

• Week 1

• Week 2

• Week 3

• Week 4

You’re officially over a month into your six-week workout plan—take a moment to pat yourself on the back! After four straight weeks of working out, you may begin to feel both mentally and physically different than when you started. 

As you press forward with your fifth week, it is the time for reflection—how have these workouts made you feel? What types of physical changes have you noticed? And which workouts do you enjoy doing the most (and which ones will you be happy to see in the rearview mirror)? 

Keeping track of some of these thoughts and feelings will help guide you in future planning on how to keep exercise into your daily routine once you have completed all six weeks of this program.

Onto this week! Here’s what you can expect: 

• Monday: 30-minute tempo cardio workout

• Tuesday: 25-minute upper-body strength and 5-minute stretch workout

• Wednesday: Steady cardio workout (30 to 40 minutes)

• Thursday: 25-minute lower-body strength and 5-minute stretch workout

• Friday: Steady cardio and Pilates workout (30 to 40 minutes) 

• Saturday: 25-minute HIIT-style cardio and 5-minute stretch workout

• Sunday: Active recovery/rest

Monday: 30-minute tempo cardio workout

Kickstart your week with this speed workout on your cardio equipment of choice.

• Warm up for seven minutes at 60% of your MHR, integrating three 30-second bursts at 75% of your MHR. 

• Increase speed for three minutes to 75% to 80% of your MHR

• Rest for one minute.

• Repeat three more times for four rounds total. 

• Cool down for seven minutes at a light intensity. 

Tuesday: 25-minute upper-body strength and 5-minute stretch workout

Repeat your upper-body strength workout from week three, going through two sets of 8–15 reps for: 

• Lat pulldowns

• Reverse fly

• Chest fly 

• Push-ups

• Lateral raises

• Bicep curls

• Triceps kickback

If you have extra time (or want to push yourself more!), add a third set of each exercise. Just make sure you take a solid rest between sets to get the most out of your efforts. 

5-minute stretch

Once your workout is complete, complete the same upper-body stretches as week three to help your chest and back muscles recover. Move through each stretch for approximately one minute: 

• Standing chest opener

• Cat-cow

• Thoracic spine extension

• Cobra pose

• Child’s pose

Wednesday: Steady cardio workout (30 to 40 minutes)

Choose a cardio activity and achieve a set pace of 50% to 70% of your MHR. Feeling good? Aim for a total of 40 minutes of exercise to push yourself to new heights!

Thursday: 25-minute lower-body strength and stretch workout 

For this exercise routine, you’ll work through two sets of 8–15 reps, incorporating breaks between sets where you can get in some deep breaths and drink water.

• Squat

• Romanian deadlifts

• Step-up with weight

• Single-leg deadlift

• Trio of lunges (1 rep = a step forward, to side and back for each leg, alternate between legs) 

• Glute bridge or weighted hip bridges

If you have extra time or want to push yourself more, add a third set of each exercise.  

5-minute stretch

Finish this workout with a stretch routine you should now be familiar with:

Friday: Steady cardio and Pilates workout (30 to 40 minutes) 

Select another cardio workout or stick with your favorite at a set pace of 50% to 70% of your MRH. Then, cap off your workout with a Pilates workout (video below!). 

5-minute Pilates workout

Saturday: 20-minute HIIT-style cardio and 10-minute stretch workout

Similar to previous weeks, this style of workout can be completed on your favorite piece of cardio equipment or through a routine of floor exercises: 

20-minute HIIT-style cardio workout with cardio equipment 

If you choose to use equipment, complete the following workout which is the same as week 4: 

1. Warm up for five minutes at a moderate intensity (60% to 70% of your MHR), with two 20-second bouts of vigorous activity (~80% of your MHR) during the last two minutes.

2. Work out at maximum effort for 40 seconds, reaching your MHR by the end of each interval. 

3. Recover for 20 seconds with very light intensity. 

4. Complete 10 rounds of on/offs following this pattern.

5. Cool down for five minutes at light intensity (50% of your MHR).

20-minute HIIT-style cardio workout with floor exercises

• Moderate-intensity warm-up:

• High knees (30 seconds) 

• Plank to downward dog (30 seconds)

• Butt kicks (30 seconds) 

• Bodyweight squats (30 seconds)

• Maximum-effort exercise: Work out at maximum effort for 40-seconds, followed by a 20-second recovery.  Repeat each exercise below twice before moving onto the next: 

  • Jumping jacks

  • Push-ups

  • Body squats (for more intensity, complete jump squats

  • Plank to downward dog

  • Half burpees (for more intensity, complete full burpees)

  • Commandos

  • Skip rope

  • Side plank dips

• Cool-down: 

  • 30 seconds of butt kicks (you can hold your foot at your butt for a quad stretch!)

  • For 30 seconds, open your arms wide and reach back, then bring your arms forward across your body to hug yourself. (Feel free to hold each position to feel a chest and back stretch.)

  • For 60 seconds, lie on the floor, extend your legs straight, bend one knee, and bring your thigh to your chest and hold. Switch legs. 

10-minute stretch

After your cardio workout is complete, stretch for 10 minutes with Hydrow Athlete Pete with the video below:

Sunday: 20-minute active recovery/rest

Use this day to rest up, or go for a light jog or walk, or try a gentle Pilates workout. 

Great job finishing another week! Ready to keep going? Check out your week 6 exercises here. 

And, if you’re looking for more ways to mix up your workout routine, be sure to check out Hydrow. You’ll get all these workouts (and more!) with Hydrow’s workout library, which includes cardio rowing workouts along with yoga, Pilates, strength training, circuit training, and mobility training. Our workouts are all filmed in beautiful locations around the world and led by motivational world-class Athletes who will motivate you and push you to do your best. 

Learn more about Hydrow and our rowing machines today!