10 Best Combo Exercises To Try + 12 Minute Workout

Combo exercises can make working out as a busy mom far easier. A combo exercise is when you combine two separate exercises into one. Using this style of training can help hit more muscle groups at once and thus save time during your workouts.

 

Not sure how to make your at-home workouts more intense? Try adding in combo exercises.

Combination exercises are just one way to to make workouts more intense without adding weights, but it's a great one.

As a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, combination exercises are great to use when:

• you need to change up your style of workouts
• you're short on time
• you want to hit multiple muscle groups at once
• you want to increase the intensity of your workouts

Basically, these exercises give you a big bang for your buck as a busy mom.

I know the mome in my SMASH Fit For Life workout program love when I add them in because it means shorter workouts!

Sometimes it's a struggle to fit fitness into a busy schedule (check out the best busy mom workout schedule) and using combo exercises just helps save time.

What Is A Combo Exercise?

A combo exercise is when you take two basic exercises and mush them together to create one fluid movement. 

For example, a squat and press is a combo exercise- and one that lets you hit a ton of muscles in one movement.

One of my favorite perks is that because you're hitting so many muscle groups at once you tend to bring your heart rate up as well which helps keep your intensity high throughout your workout.

 

 

Benefits Of Using Combination Exercises

Combining Exercises Boost Intensity

If you’re finding that you’ve become decently strong in the basics of squatting, pushing, hinging, and pulling, these exercises are a great way to scale up.

With the combination of two exercises, your heart has to work harder to do it all, these exercises tend to bring your heart rate up which is a nice intensity boost and great for your cardiovascular system all without doing traditional cardio!

That said, before you mashing exercises together though, make sure you know how to perform the exercises separately first.

 

These Exercises Save Time

As a mom, time is a precious, gold-like substance. You don’t have a lot of it and you need to maximize what you do have.

Combo exercises do just that! Because they are two exercises in one your workouts are normally a bit shorter because they’re also a bit intense.

It's why I love using them in my at home workout program.

If you need something quick, sweaty and effective combo exercises are a great way to go!

 

They Change The Stimulus

When adding combo exercises to your training your body has to perform the basic movements in a new way. This changes the stimulus to your body and thus keeps it progressing. Your body will all of a sudden have to stabilize a bit differently and will have to work a bit harder to do so.

They may also need to pause in a position that's difficult or slow down in another. Adding these into your training is an awesome way to switch up your style.

 

10 Amazing Combo Exercises

Using combination exercises is a magnificent way to get a great muscle challenging workout in a short amount of time.

Below are the best combination exercises to include in your training programs. Some of them can be done with either dumbbells or resistance bands and some of them are equipment specific.

1. Squat and press
2. Lunge and press out
3. Squat With Band Pull Apart
4. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift To Squat
5. Lunge & Bicep Curl
6. Plank With Rear Delt Fly
7. Single Leg Squat To Lunge
8. Romanian deadlift to bentover row
9. Squat With Parlof Press
10. Plank row

12 Minute Workout

The workout below hits multiple muscle groups in just ten minutes. It consists of three exercises in EMOM format.

This means that you perform each exercise for the repetitions listed every minute on the minute. At the top of the minute, move on to the next exercise.

Any leftover time you have after the repetitions are completed is rest time! Otherwise, keep going until you get to twelve minutes.

Plank Row	8/arm
Squat & Press	12
Push Up Crunch	8
Perform for a total of	4 rounds

Plank Row

1. Begin in plank position with your hands on dumbbells and your feet hip width apart.
2. Start with the left arm as you row the dumbbell up to the chest.
3. Pause briefly and keep the shoulder away from the ear. Slowly lower the dumbbell back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Squat & Press

1. Start in a standing position, knees slightly bent, and holding dumbbells on your shoulders.
2. Drop down into a squat keeping the heels on the floor.
3. Drive the knees out, push up and extend the body.
4. As you do, press the dumbbells up overhead.
5. Return the dumbbells to the shoulders and repeat.

Push Up Crunch

1. Begin in plank position with your hands on dumbbells and your feet on sliders (or socks on hardwood).
2. Round the low back and slide the left leg and the right leg into your hands into a crunch.
3. Push the feet back into starting position and then lower down into a push up.
4. Push back up to arms straight in a plank position.

Do All Combo Exercises Include Jumping?

Definitely not-and it's rare I recommend jumping exercises for moms until they're already pretty strong (learn more about why new moms shouldn't do plyometrics). Plyometrics (jumping) requires a lot of strength, and more often than not as moms of littles we're just not ready for that.

Combo exercises can easily be done without any jumping (see the list at the bottom for example). Jumping isn't the only way to increase intensity.

 

What To Do Before Using Combo Exercises

As with any style of training, there are a few things to consider before you start using combo exercises.

• Strengthen your glutes - many combo exercises require stability
• Have a solid foundation of the basics - many exercises play on squats, planks, pulls, and stability. Be strong in these exercises everyone should know first
• Know how to engage your muscles and not just go through the motions
• Know how to perform each exercise individually before adding to it

Basically, train smart. The best way to see results from at-home workouts is by learning to activate muscles, not just bouncing around.

Other Fitness Tip Help You Save Time & Get Fit

• Everything you need to know about home workouts
• Busy mom workout schedule
• 6-week fat loss plan
• 25+ at-home workouts for weight loss
• Mommy and me workout
• Busy mom workout schedule
• 20 minute HIIT cardio workout
• Beginner-friendly, easy workouts
• Fitness tips for busy moms
• The best home workout equipment for small spaces
• Benefits of strength training

So there you are, a new fast effective way to ramp up your workouts a bit. Keep your body, and your goals, progressing by making use of this style of training in your workout routine. They’re fast, effective, and fun!