Are you tired of mindlessly trudging along on a cardio machine for 30 minutes after your workout?

Here are 5 great "finishers" that burn more fat, strengthen the core, and take a third of the time!

Finishers are a fun way to end a workout. They combine cardio and core strengthening movements. The ones talked about here will need a small piece of "equipment" and a little space to perform. Most gyms will have a stretching or ab area. If you are lucky, there will be a spot with artificial turf or a group exercise classroom to use. The piece of equipment needed to perform these finishers are simple furniture movers, or "sliders". Sliders can be found in all shapes and sizes, from your typical furniture movers (used only on artificial turf, carpeted floors or large rugs) to discs that are designed for hardwood exercise classroom floors or any type of hard, smooth surface. If you do not have access to either of these, two kitchen or hand towels (one for each foot) work just fine on hard, smooth surfaces!

Mountain climbers: these work core and give your quads a serious burn! Rep ranges from 20-100, slow down the pace to fatigue quads more. In the image below, you can see the position of your body and with each rep you switch legs as if you were climbing.

Plank with hip abduction/adduction: make sure to keep core tight and not let hips sag. 10-30 reps will cause serious burn!

Hip/knee tucks: keep most of the bodyweight on the hands and make sure your butt stays up! When you kick the legs back out, don't let the hips sag. 10-20 reps.

Alligator walks: not for the weak, these test core, shoulder stability, tricep strength, and endurance. Hold the body flat and don't move the legs. Increase difficulty by not stopping when turning around. Slowly increase reps and/or distance travelled.

Slider "pushes": the opposite of alligator walks, keep the hips up and drive from the balls of the feet. Speed and stopping ability is something to consider when doing this in a confined space!

You can perform these as individual movements or as a circuit.

Good luck and enjoy!

About George- George has a BS in Sport and Exercise Science from DeSales University and obtained his CSCS from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has over 10 years experience working with a wide range of clientele from top-level athletes to older adults and special populations. He also is a competitive powerlifter and enjoys coaching the sport.