The Ultimate Body-Sculpting Partner Circuit Workout
A gym partner can make every workout better. Ida Lundgren and Bianca Van Damme (you may know their famous fathers) show how pairing up yields big benefits.
Having a gym buddy gives you more than just an opportunity to catch up on the latest gossip—it’s a chance to improve your fitness and make your workouts a lot more fun. “Having a partner makes every workout more motivating—you have someone to lean on and who can give you feedback,” notes Biggest Loser trainer Jen Widerstrom, author of Diet for Your Personality Type.
Workout partners Ida Lundgren and Bianca Van Damme have names you might recognize—their fathers Dolph and Jean Claude paired up in the action classic Universal Soldier, and each has his own storied film career. (Bianca’s mother, Gladys Portugues, is a former competitive bodybuilder.) Both women have kept their action-star lineage intact with regular workouts and martial arts training.
The workouts here are designed in two parts: Do them separately or on the same day, depending on your schedule. “You’ll have four mini full-body workouts strung together, which has a layering effect,” explains Widerstrom.
Do the exercises in the order given to prefatigue muscles so you’ll work harder with each round. Intensity is also key: “Go all out for 35 seconds, then use the next 25 seconds to recover,” says Widerstrom. “Your heart rate will spike, which will boost the burn.”
On days when you want to add more cardio or have time for only a quick workout, do the martial arts drills. They’ll help you get lean and improve your stamina so you—and your buddy—can have plenty of energy to hit the gym together again tomorrow.
1 of 9
Per Bernal
Circuit A: Dumbbell Push Press and Squat Box Jump
Part 1: Sculpting Circuit
How it works: Warm up for five minutes (jump rope, walk or jog on treadmill, bike, row, etc.). Then do each circuit three times consecutively before moving on to the next one. Do each exercise for 35 seconds at an all-out effort; rest for 25 seconds, then continue to the next one. Recover for one minute between circuits.
Stand with feet together, holding dumbbell in front of torso with elbows bent.
Lunge backward with right leg, bending both knees about 90 degrees.
Push through left heel to step back to starting position and repeat.
Medicine Ball Situp – Works: core.
Lie faceup on floor holding a medicine ball in both hands, arms extended over chest.
Lift torso off floor, keeping feet down; reach ball up and forward. Lower back to start and repeat.
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Per Bernal
Circuit B: Leg Curl and Leg Extension
Leg Extension – Works: quads.
Sit with back firmly pressed against pad of leg extension machine; adjust bar so it falls midshin, and lightly grip handles for support.
Press bar up, flexing feet. Hold for two counts at the top of the contraction; lower to start and repeat.
Leg Curl – Works: hamstrings.
Lie facedown on bench of leg curl machine with calves behind pad; lightly grip handles for support.
Curl heels toward glutes; pausing for one count at peak contraction. Lower bar back to start and repeat.
4 of 9
Per Bernal
Circuit B: Elbow Plank and Pushup Series
Elbow Plank – Works: core.
Begin facedown on floor, legs extended and elbows on floor under shoulders. Lightly grasp hands together.
Lift hips, forming a straight line from head to heels. Hold here (35 seconds).
Pushup Series – Works: chest, triceps, core.
Begin in a wide pushup, palms on floor wider than shoulders, fingers forward.
Keeping core tight, bend elbows about 90 degrees as you lower chest toward floor.
After 1 rep, bring hands so they are only a few inches apart, fingers pointing forward. Lower chest toward floor, this time bringing elbows close to sides. Push back to start and repeat series.
5 of 9
Per Bernal
Circuit C: Seated Cable Row and Lateral Raise
Seated Cable Row – Works: back.
Sit tall at the low-pulley row machine holding V-bar attachment in front of body with arms extended, core tight.
Pull handles toward torso, keeping arms close to body. Hold for one count, then slowly extend arms back to start and repeat.
Lateral Raise – Works: shoulders.
Stand tall with feet together, holding dumbbells at sides with palms facing each other.
Lift arms out to sides to shoulder height, keeping torso still and core tight, until arms are parallel to floor. Hold for one count, then slowly lower back to start and repeat.
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Per Bernal
Circuit C: Kneeling Cable Crunch and Dumbbell Sumo Squat
Kneeling Cable Crunch – Works: core.
Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of cable machine. Kneel down facing the stack, grasping an end of the rope in each hand with arms extended.
Crunch chest toward hips, pulling rope toward head. Hold here one count, then straighten back to start and repeat.
Dumbbell Sumo Squat – Works: glutes, thighs
Stand holding a dumbbell vertically with both hands in front of thighs, feet wider than shoulder distance, toes slightly pointed out.
Lower into a deep squat, making sure knees are tracking over toes as you lower weight toward floor. Hold for one count at the bottom, then push through heels to stand back to start. Repeat.
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Per Bernal
Round 1: Boxing Drills/Warmup
Part 2: Fat-Blasting Cardio
How it works: This high-energy workout combines boxing and kicking drills. If you’re a lefty, do the boxing drills with the opposite lead hand. Ending with a short, seated meditation helps you finish mentally strong.
Round 1
5 minutes.
20 punches (left jab, right cross)
20 punches (left hook, right hook)
20 punches (left uppercut, right uppercut)
Complete series for 90 seconds. Rest 1 minute. Repeat series; rest 1 minute.
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Per Bernal
Round 2: Boxing Combinations
5 minutes.
Left jab, right cross, left hook
Left jab, left jab, right cross, left uppercut
Left jab, right cross, left hook, right uppercut
Left jab, left hook, right uppercut
Complete series for 90 seconds. Rest 1 minute. Repeat series; rest 1 minute.
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Per Bernal
Rounds 3, 4, and 5: Kicking Combinations, Kicking with Impact, and Seated Meditation
5 minutes.
10 front kicks
10 side kicks
10 roundhouse kicks
Do series on one leg without putting foot down. Rest 1 minute and repeat on opposite side. Continue for given time.
Kicking with Impact – 5 minutes.
Do series against a heavy bag. If you don’t have a bag, just repeat the previous exercise.
10 front kicks
10 side kicks
10 roundhouse kicks
Seated Meditation – 1 minute
Sit up tall in a cross-legged position, hands on thighs. Close your eyes and breathe evenly.
