Couples Workout - Let’s Get Fit Together!

Our lives can feel so fast-paced and busy that it often seems like we have to pick between developing different aspects of our lives; our career, our fitness, our love life, etc. Why not have it all? You can combine certain aspects of your life in order to develop them at the same time! In this article, we will be providing you with a solid couple’s workout that will help you develop both your fitness, and your love life!

Getting in a workout or two a week with a significant other can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Working out is one of the best ways to anchor yourself to the present moment as we challenge our bodies to do more. Use that level of presence to create a meaningful, collaborative experience with the one(s) you love. 

Here at Nitor Fitness, we want to support these experiences and make sure more of them happen! This article brings you a circuit workout designed for couples to try together. We created it with the intention to sidestep many of the barriers that may keep you from working out in general, as well as why one might not workout with someone else.

These barriers may be:

• Not having a workout to do
• Not knowing how to do an exercise
• A lack of equipment
• Dealing with differences in fitness levels

We have listed not only the workout, but a general description and video for each exercise that you can refer to at any point if you find yourself in need of a reference. Our workout only requires a wall and some sort of clock or timer. Utilizing time-based exercise circuits means that two people can put in the right amount of work for themselves by adjusting their pace of the movements.  

We cut out all the excuses! All that’s left for you to do is try it!

Getting Into the Workout Itself

This workout consists of three different circuits. 

Rules:

Complete a circuit 2 times before moving onto the next one. The goal is to do each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute, allowing yourself 1 minute of rest only after completing a full circuit. Decide with your partner how long you two would like to do each exercise so that you can work through it together! 

Time expectation for the entire workout:

If each exercise is done for around 30 seconds =  ~15 minutes 

If each exercise is done for around 1 minute =  ~25 minutes 

If you would like to increase the duration of the workout, recycle the circuits until you feel like you've had enough!

For a summary of the workout, check out the bottom of the article.

Circuit 1:

Mountain Climbers

Description:

1. Begin at a tabletop position and then bring yourself to a plank position. 
2. Stagger your stance while keeping your hands on the ground. You want to keep one leg relatively straight while bringing the other leg’s knee fairly close to your chest.You may choose to plant the foot you are bringing up on the ground or leave it slightly suspended. 
3. Next you will want to pop the back half of your body off the ground and swap the positioning of your feet so that the leg that was further back is now taking the position of the leg in the front, and vice versa with the leg in the front. 

Note: It is important to do this in one smooth movement. 

Alternating Lunges

Description:

1. Begin in a neutral standing position with feet hip-width apart. This is the starting position.
2. Take a large step forward into a staggered stance with your back foot’s heel tilted up off the ground. Once you have found your footing/balance, you will begin to dip into the movement. Slowly bring your body down, feeling the tension on the quads of your legs as well as the glute of your front leg. Stop a little before the leg underneath you is about to hit the ground. 
3. Pause for a moment, and then begin to rise back to the starting position.
4. Do the same set of movements with the other leg.

Note: Do this exercise with your hands on your shoulders, or bent with your hands touching your ears and your elbows to your sides. 

Good Mornings (bodyweight deadlift with hands behind head)

Description:

1. Start with your feet at least shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head, and engage your core muscles. Try to keep your elbows on opposite sides of your head and keep your shoulders down. 
2. Hinge at the waist by bringing your hips back as far as you can and folding your upper body down. Do this while keeping your spine in the same straight position (or neutral spine) throughout the whole movement. 
3. Go down as far as you can without disrupting the posture of your upper spine and bend at the knees slightly when you begin to feel tension in your hamstrings. Try to keep your shins vertical from the ground as well. It is important to remember you are not simply bending forwards, but also hinging at the waist to provide a counterbalance for the rest of your body. 
4. Once you have reached the bottom of the movement, bring your body up to the starting position. Think about flexing through your glutes as you initiate the upward movement.

Circuit 2:

Low Plank

Description:

1. Begin in a tabletop position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees underneath your hips. 
2. Lower yourself to your elbow (make sure your elbows are under your shoulders and you feel well rooted/stable over the ground). 
3. Begin to brace your core and engage your glutes as you straighten out your legs. 

Note: Keep your body straight! DON'T arch your back, sag your hips, or tilt your head up. You want everything to be in alignment! Also, DON'T droop your head or chest down so it feels like you’re just posted up on your arms. You want to feel strong and grounded through your upper and lower body. If your form begins to break, come down. 

Burpees

Description:

1. Begin in a neutral stance with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides.
2. Extend your arms out in front of you and drop your upper body to the ground, planting your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart. 
3. Next, kick your legs back so that you are in a stable push-up position. Follow with a push-up, and then jump your feet back up by your hands.  
4. Sit back into the position, find yourself in a low squat, and then jump up with power. 

Note: If you are not able to do push-ups, exclude them from your routine until you’ve worked your way to that level. Or, if you can do them, but not in large quantities, then try to do one burpee with a push-up, and the next without.

Bird Dog

Description:

1. Begin in a tabletop position with your hands shoulder-width apart, your knees under your hips, and your core engaged. This is your starting position.
2. Choose an arm to raise, bringing it up straight and in line with your torso. At the same time, push your opposite heel back and out, fully extending the leg. Your leg should also be in line with your body. Try to make this a smooth and controlled motion, focusing on body control.
3. Bring the arm and leg back down to the starting position.
4. Do the same movement described above with the other arm and leg. 

Circuit 3:

Hollow Hold Leg Crossovers

Description:

1. Get into a hollow hold position 
   1. Hollow hold position: balance on just your butt as you keep the rest of your body tight and use your core to keep your body off the ground.
2. Once here, open your legs until they are about shoulder-width apart. Bring them back together to the point where they are crossing over each other slightly. 
3. Spread them apart again, and then cross them once more, but this time, put the other leg on top. 

Wall Sit

Description:

1. Bring your back against a wall and make sure your feet are either hip-width or shoulder- width apart. 
2. Begin stepping your feet out while keeping your back pressed to the wall. The goal is to lower yourself to the point where your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Maintain that position for time. 

Note: If the 90-degree bend is too difficult, try decreasing the bend in your knees until you find a position that is challenging, but doable. Remember to keep your core braced, flex through your glutes, and push through your heels throughout the entirety of the exercise.

Glute Bridges

Description:

1. Begin the exercise with your back on the floor and your hands at your sides (palms facing down). 
2. Raise your knees towards your body and plant your feet on the ground, making sure they are around hip-width apart. 

Note: The closer you bring your feet to your glutes, the more you engage the glutes and disengage the hamstrings. Place your feet further out from the glutes for the opposite effect. This is your starting position. 

1. Raise your hips off the ground while maintaining a braced core and flexed glutes to protect your back. The goal is to maintain a straight back and squeeze your glutes up. 
2. Once you've gotten to the top of the movement, you can pause for a second and slowly lower yourself down (shoot for a controlled 2 second descent). 

Exercise Summary
 

Circuit 1:

Circuit 2:

Circuit 3:

If you enjoyed this workout, check out our free app on the App Store, Nitor Fit 15! It’s filled with a variety of workouts structured similar to this one.

Last Updated:  11/12/2021