You Can Do This Low-Impact Workout Without Getting Off the Floor
Feeling a little lazy? This workout is perfect when you’re not really in the mood to move.

Running sure is great cardio, but it can put a lot of stress on your joints. For some people, all that pressure on the knees and ankles can be painful, and a low-impact workout is a better option.
In this episode of Just Get Started, personal trainer Rob Sulaver shows four low-impact exercise moves that take place entirely on the floor. Don’t get too comfortable, though: Just because you’re on the ground does not mean you’ll be resting! Your legs and core will feel this workout (even if your joints won’t).
Now for the good news. Even though this is a floor workout, there are no crunches. Instead, you’ll do hamstring curls, v-ups, knee ups, and mountain climbers.
You’ll need a common household item to do these low-impact moves: rags. Two washcloths or dish rags will work perfectly as a makeshift slide board, which is a small, slippery platform that you can use for strength training and physical therapy.
Put the rags under your shoes and you’ll be able to slide your legs more easily into each pose. That means no jumping, no stepping, and running, so your body can move with very little impact on the joints while still working up a sweat.
To complete this workout, you’ll do 10 reps of hamstring curls, 15 reps of v-ups, 20 reps of knee ups, and 25 mountain climbers. Repeat the entire circuit three times.
For more low-impact workouts, try this 10-minute yoga routine or this workout for knee pain!
Rob Sulaver is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, a certified sports nutritionist, and a certified personal trainer. He is the founding trainer of Rumble Boxing in New York City.
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[SOUND] Grab a couple towels, you're
about to be floored by this workout.
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[MUSIC]
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Welcome to Just Get Started.
My name is Rob Sulaver.
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Today's workout is all on the floor.
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Got a couple towels here.
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You may have seen slide boards at the gym.
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We got some makeshift slide boards today,
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it's gonna be fun, it's gonna be
interesting, it's gonna be different.
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Let me walk you through these moves today.
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Exercise one, bam,
we're flat on our back here.
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Heels go right on these wash cloths,
high hips.
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Boom, sliding our legs out straight and
then keeping our butt on the ground,
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bringing our heels back towards us.
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Really [SOUND] feeling it
in those hamstrings here,
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working the glutes as well.
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Flip in over here.
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Exercise number two, V-ups.
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Straight legs, driving those toes in.
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Towards our hands,
trying to get as close as we can.
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Exercise number three, knee ups.
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And exercise number four,
mountain climbers.
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Bam, bam, bam.
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All of those working our hip flexors and
our core.
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Also, getting that cardiovascular
Muscular system in there, as well.
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We're doing a ladder today so we're
gonna build our way up in repetitions.
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The first exercise are hamstring curls,
ten reps.
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Next move, the V-ups, 15, 20, and 25.
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We're doing the whole thing three times.
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Let's get started, shall we?
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Okay.
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Ten reps here.
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Got these hamstring curls.
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Good set up.
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Palms up.
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Hips nice and high.
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Squeeze that booty.
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Lock and load here, and then slow and
steady on the way down.
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Keep that butt on the ground.
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Get right into number two.
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You're gonna really feel those hand
strings engaged the whole time.
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Also, feeling that backward cure.
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If these are super hard for you feel free
to bring your palms down, little extra
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support here, driving into the floor with
your hands, to help control that motion.
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These are not easy by any means so
feel free to honor where you're at, right?
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High hips, [SOUND ]straight legs, yeah!
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Feeling that burn in the hamstrings.
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Last three reps here, two to go.
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Boom, squeeze and
control is the name of the game.
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Last rep, perfect!
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Ten down.
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Flipping right over here into our V-ups,
we got 15 here.
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Good solid position.
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Strong core, drive away from the floor,
and let's rumble.
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Boom.
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Again, good control, nice height.
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Think about reaching my booty
towards the ceiling here.
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Squeezing that core.
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Really trying to see how close I can
get my toes in towards my palms,
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that's the game here.
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Yeah, feeling those hip flexors,
they're alive.
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Feeling that core,
it's definitely alive and engaged.
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[SOUND] Feeling good!
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Last three reps here, [SOUND] two, bam!
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All right, take a second, regroup.
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We got knee ups.
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Similar position, 20 reps.
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Set, and go.
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Again, really think about lifting here,
right?
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We don't want to sag
through the torso at all.
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Stay up, stay strong,
lighting that floor on fire here.
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Bam, bam, bam.
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And at this point you should
really feel the core engage.
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Yeah, I'm feeling this.
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Similar in that we'll really try to
drive our feet in towards our palm,
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get as close as you can.
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Bam.
That was 20.
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Mountain climbers, we got 25 here.
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Perfect set up, set and go.
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One, two, three, maintaining that lift.
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Six, seven.
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Again, don't sink, drive up, be strong!
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[SOUND] Woo!
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Core's on fire right now.
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Yeah!
Feeling awesome.
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Four, 3, 2, 1, bam, 25.
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Let's flow right into round two because
we're feeling awesome at this point.
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Excellent set up.
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Remind ourselves where we need to be.
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High hips.
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Boom, straight legs all the way down.
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Get that breath tied in there.
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Good inhale,
[SOUND] exhaling on that work.
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[SOUND] Yeah.
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Boom, perfect breath.
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Good form.
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[SOUND] Feeling it in the hamstrings.
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Feeling alive.
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[SOUND] Pam.
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[MUSIC]
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Boom, last one here.
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High hips, perfect.
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Here we go,
right into our little core super set here.
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The first round wasn't easy.
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The second round's gonna be even more fun.
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15 solid reps, again,
if this rep scheme is challenging,
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feel free to back it off a bit.
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That's cool, too.
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Start with where you're at.
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Eventually you'll work your
way into all of these.
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Bam.
One.
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One, [SOUND] two,
form [SOUND] three [SOUND] four.
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Breath.
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[SOUND] Again,
when we're not sagging at all.
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We're keeping those hips nice and
high, we're lifting off the ground.
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Yeah.
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So awesome, the runners here,
get those hip flexes nice and
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strong, and keeping that core right.
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Who doesn't want a beautiful core?
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Last breath.
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Bam, right into the next exercise.
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We got knee ups, 20 reps,
I'm gonna fly through these.
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Again, go at your own pace,
go where you feel comfortable and
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you can amp it up from there.
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Let's rumble, set and boom.
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[SOUND] Yeah, I'm feeling it,
the more lift, the more challenge here.
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As we sink low, they get easier and
easier as we really think about
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lifting that butt up towards the ceiling,
super tough.
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Three, two, one, bam.
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[SOUND] Again, taking a second, regroup,
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make sure our form is perfect going into
our last exercise here, mountain climbers.
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Go with the pace you feel comfortable.
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Set, we're going, one,
two, three, four, yeah!
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Five, six, seven, eight.
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How's your butt?
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Nice and lifted.
How are your shoulders?
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Nice and strong.
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How's your core?
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Nice and alive.
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Finish with me, four, three, two, yeah.
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Almost lit the floor on fire.
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Last round, the best round,
strongest round.
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Here we go.
[SOUND] Mama,
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let me go on that wash cloth.
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High hips, straight legs down.
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Love this exercise so much, because
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in terms of body weight exercises,
we often do squats and lunges.
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We don't as often get
to work our hamstrings.
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This exercise solves that issue for us.
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How awesome working everything,
making out whole body awesome.
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Awesome, awesome, awesome.
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That's awesomeness.
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[SOUND] Let's bring this home.
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[SOUND] Last two reps.
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Last one.
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I'm feeling it and it feels great.
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All right.
Last super set.
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I'm just getting my mind right for it.
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[SOUND] It's gonna be great.
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Let's do it.15 here.
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Solid set up.
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We're rumbling.
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One, two, three, four.
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Yeah.
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Let's do this together, come on.
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Yeah, baby.
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Yeah, that core, so alive and
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this floor, so clean.
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15.
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Okay.
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Last two exercises.
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Let's finish awesome here.
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Good setup, here we go.
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20 reps.
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Bam.
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Flying through these.
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Being strong.
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Ooh, getting that little creep
going on that hardwood floor.
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Add some extra awesomeness for you.
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Maintain that lift.
Come on, [SOUND] finish your body,
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last one boom.
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I'm feeling good,
let's do this 25 reps bring it home,
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keep up with me let's rumble.
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Two, one we're going.
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One, two, three.
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[SOUND] Try to create as much friction
as possible driving into the floor here.
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[SOUND] Strong legs, strong core, strong
shoulders, strong body, strong life.
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Bring it home.
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Two, one, boom.
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25 reps.
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Wholly molly.
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A lot of sliding today.
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You know what?
[SOUND] I'm throwing in the towel.
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All we had was a hardwood floor and
a couple wash cloths.
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We made it happen.
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If you've got some slides for your
furniture and a carpet, that works too.
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We're getting creative, we're having
some fun, and we're getting sweaty.
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That's what just get started's all about,
I'll see you guys soon.
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[MUSIC]