Intense cardio is one way to rev up your metabolism and really see calories melt away.
While it’s not a great idea to focus on JUST cardio, there are days when I need a down and dirty, crazy-hard endorphin spike that you get from an extreme cardio routine.
This is the list of routines I’d want someone to give me if I asked them, What are the best Beachbody cardio workouts?
And remember you can find all 10 of these workouts with a membership to Beachbody on Demand.
I recommend you sign up for Beachbody on Demand. (There’s a free trial period that’s long enough to try out all of these routines.)
Now, lets’ get started…
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Cardio Challenge is one of the routines from the Insanity Max:30 program.
I can’t say enough good things about Insanity Max:30 and Cardio Challenge is one of my favorite routines in the series (Friday Fight Round 1 is a close second).
I burn about 340 calories when I do Cardio Challenge.
That’s a TON of calories for a 30-minute workout!
Here’s what you’ll see in the Insanity Max:30 program:
One of the best things about Insanity Max:30 is that you don’t need any equipment to do the workouts (although a mat would be a good idea for a few of the workouts if you’re on a hard surface) and all the routines are about 30 minutes long.
The choreography of all the Insanity Max:30 workouts is simple (but the exercise combos are INTENSE) and the workouts are fun.
Recommended reading:
The Breakdown of Insanity Max:30 Cardio Challenge
Friday Fight Round 1 (More Evidence that Insanity Max:30 is Incredible)
8 Things You Need to Know About Insanity Max:30
You’re Gonna Be Obsessed with Insanity Max:30 Friday Fight Round 2
MMA Plyo is one of the 11 routines from the Core De Force program.
Here’s a quote from my post about MMA Plyo:
“…stick with it because MMA Plyo is the best routine in the Core De Force series. And when you conquer all the moves in this thing you’ll feel like a total rockstar.”
I burn about 394 calories when I do this 47-minute workout.
Unlike Insanity Max:30, you’ll need some coordination to master the moves in Core De Force but once you figure it all out you’ll have fun (and love it).
Here’s what the Core De Force program looks like:
All of the Core de Force workouts are primarily cardio-focused.
I love the series because most of the routines are intense but manage to stay low-impact so you get a nice little break for your joints while kicking and punching your way to a good mood.
And who doesn’t love Jericho McMatthews? She’s the coolest girl you’ll never meet and makes Core de Force totally incredible. (Joel Freeman is amazing, too, but Jericho is the star of this show.)
Recommended reading:
A Complete breakdown of MMA Plyo from Core De Force
Your Ultimate Guide to Core De Force (All the Facts about the Series)
Shift Shop is the forgotten gem of the Beachbody gurus.
I can’t figure out why Shift Shop hasn’t been marketed the way Piyo, 80-Day Obsession and Insanity Max:30 has been because it’s just as good.
Speed 45 is my favorite workout in the Shift Shop series (there are 8 total routines in the base set of Shift Shop).
Every Shift Shop routine starts off with a Shop Rule from the awesome Chris Downing and Speed 45 is no exception. The shop rule in Speed 45 is “Celebrate the Challenge”.
The exercises in Speed 45 aren’t complicated but the workout is intense because of the pace of the routine.
Speed 45 uses 4 markers as a visual guide to do the cardio intervals but they’re optional (you can use random objects you have at home as the markers).
I burn about 466 calories doing Speed 45, which is 49 minutes long.
Here’s what the Shift Shop program looks like:
You’ll need dumbbells in a few of the Shift Shop routines.
If you have a membership to Beachbody on Demand make sure you try out at least one of the Shift Shop routines. Chris Downing is a pro and the workouts are effective.
Recommended reading:
Your Complete Guide to Shift Shop
Agility X is one of the workouts in the P90X3 series with Tony Horton.
The P90X3 series is made up of 16 workouts that are all about 30 minutes (with the exception of CVX which is 35 minutes).
Most of the P90X3 routines are about defining and building your muscles but there are a few cardio routines in the mix and Agility X is one of them.
Agility X is as easy or intense as you want it to be.
The moves aren’t intuitive when Tony tells you what’s coming next (if you already know what a Gump Jump is then you’re way ahead of the game) so you’ll need a little patience the first time you do Agility X but the workout is still fun and effective (if you give it 100%).
Tony uses 2 pieces of tape placed on the floor running parallel as a visual target during the workout but you won’t need any equipment. (I usually put 2 objects on the floor about 3.5 feet apart and use those as a visual reminder to make the moves big.)
I burn about 300 calories doing the 18 exercises in the Agility X workout.
You’ll need a little bit of coordination and balance to completely crush Agility X but don’t let that keep you from trying this workout.
Here’s what the P90X3 series looks like:
You’ll need dumbbells to do some of the other P90X3 workouts.
I definitely recommend you try Agility X if you already have a Beachbody on Demand membership.
Recommended reading (I’ve reviewed most of the P90X3 workouts):
A Full Analysis of Agility X from P90X3
Dig Deep is one of the 7 workouts from the Shaun Week workouts with the incredible Shaun T.
->You can only find the Shaun Week workouts in a Beachbody on Demand membership.*
*Shaun Week is a good reason to sign up for the trial of Beachbody on Demand!
The 7 workouts in Shaun Week are the best pieces of all of the Shaun T programs all spliced together into a week of fun and challenging routines.
Dig Deep is a 27-minute cardio workout with 14 exercises that you repeat for one-minute intervals.
The exercises aren’t complicated and you don’t need any equipment to do Dig Deep.
I burn about 232 calories when I do Dig Deep.
Here’s what Shaun Week looks like:
There’s a variety of routines in Shaun Week so that by the end of the week you’ve done a little bit of everything (Pure Cardio, Ripsanity, 25 Abs, Insane Weights, etc.) for a fun total body circuit of workouts.
Recommended Reading:
What is Shaun Week by Beachbody?
Beast: Cardio is a cardio routine in the Body Beast program with Sagi Kalev.
*If you’re not interested in weight training then don’t purchase the entire Body Beast program just to get your hands on this routine. BUT if you already have a BOD (Beachbody on Demand) membership then try out Beast:Cardio for your next cardio challenge.
Beast:Cardio is 30 minutes long and you’ll need a set of light dumbbells (I recommend 8 or 10 lb. dumbbells for women) to do the routine.
I was definitely disappointed that Beachbody forgot to include a female in the team when they filmed this workout (there’s a female in several of the other Body Beast workouts) but don’t let that discourage you. This is a good cardio workout.
There are 12 exercises that you do in Beast:Cardio for about 1 to 1 ½ minute intervals followed by a 1-minute rest.
I burn about 231 calories when I do Beast:Cardio.
Here’s what the Body Beast program looks like:
Recommended reading:
Beast:Cardio—Body Beast IS for Women
Body Beast Total Body—A Body Beast Review
Plyocide is one of the routines from the P90X2 series (which has 12 total routines).
I have mixed emotions about the P90X2 series, in general, and that includes my feelings about this workout.
There are 5 rounds of exercises in Plyocide. Each round has 4 moves (for a total of 20 exercises).
The first move in each round is a non-plyometric move (your feet stay on the floor) and the next 3 moves in the round are plyometric.
You’ll need a mat and a medicine ball to do Plyocide. A foam roller, a platform (to jump on), a stability ball, an exercise band (or towel) and 2 pieces of tape (put on the floor to create a plus sign) are all optional equipment you can use in Plyocide.
My beef with Plyocide (and P90X2, in general) is that the workouts are longer than they need to be.
The main routine in Plyocide is about 40 minutes (and it’s good) but the entire Plyocide routine is 55 minutes. I burn about 344 calories doing this workout.
Here’s what the P90X2 series is all about:
There are a few common themes in the P90X2 workouts but the one you need to be aware of is that a lot of the exercises have a balance component. If you have terrible balance, or vertigo or hate learning new stuff then P90X2 is not the program for you.
But if you already have a BOD membership then give Plyocide a shot.
Recommended reading:
An Analysis & Review of P90X2 Plyocide
Whip Out Your Inner Acrobat for P90X2 Balance + Power
The Secret to Mastering P90X2 Core—Good Balance
Speed & Agility is from the Insanity Asylum program with Shaun T.
The Insanity Asylum series is not for wimps. These workouts are tough, and Speed & Agility is no exception.
Shaun T uses an agility ladder and a jump rope (you only use the jump rope in the warm-up) to do this 45-minute (incredible) workout.
I LOVE Speed & Agility because the workout is creative, fast-paced and SO challenging. You’ll feel like a total superstar when you’re done.
There are a bunch of exercises down in the plank position in Speed & Agility so you get a really intense core workout along with a serious testing of your cardiovascular endurance.
I burn almost 400 calories when I do Speed & Agility.
Here’s a peek at the Insanity Asylum Vol.1 and 2 series:
Anyone looking for a serious fitness challenge should try the Insanity Asylum workouts.
Recommended reading:
Here’s How to Crush Speed & Agility from Insanity the Asylum
An Insanity Asylum Review of Game Day
Insanity the Asylum Strength: A Summary & Review
*Beachbody doesn’t sell this program by itself anymore, you’ll have to have a BOD membership to do the Insanity Asylum workouts.
So, I couldn’t possibly make a list of the best Beachbody cardio workouts and not include at least one routine from Insanity.
Max Cardio Conditioning is just one of the 10 amazing cardio workouts from the original Insanity series with Shaun T.
While every single workout in Insanity is incredible I love Max Cardio Conditioning because there’s no repetition.
There are squats, planks and kicks in this 47-minute workout of total funsanity (I made that up Beachbody, you cannot have it).
I burn about 433 calories when I do Max Cardio Conditioning.
The exercises aren’t complicated but repeating each one for 1-minute is the challenge.
If you haven’t done an Insanity workout in a while then I challenge you to go back and do them because they will always be awesome. Afterall, Insanity is the program that made us all fall in love with Shaun T. You know you want to hear him scream, “C’mon ya’ll let’s goooooo…” one more time.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a good You Tube video with the original Insanity Trailer.
Recommended reading:
A Review (and breakdown) of Insanity Max Cardio Conditioning
Fire 45 EZ is a kickboxing workout from the Turbo Fire program of routines with Chalene Johnson.
If you’ve ever done Turbo Jam then you’ll be familiar with this style of workout.
Fire 45 EZ is my favorite routine in the series because it’s the perfect length and the combos in this workout are the most fun (to me).
The workouts in Turbo Fire vary in length but Fire 45 is a 45-minute cardio workout that doesn’t require any equipment.
I burn about 424 calories when I do this routine.
If you’ve seen the infomercial for Turbo Fire (I don’t think they run it anymore but you might have seen it a few years ago) then you might have been worried that the steps would be too complicated but I’m here to tell you that they aren’t.
Chalene uses a lot of repetition in each combination to layer all the steps together until you’ve got the entire combo figured out.
The music is good and the pace is fast and Chalene will keep you fired up.
Here’s a reminder of what Turbo Fire looks like:
Turbo Fire is a ton of fun. If you like Turbo Fire (and have a BOD membership) then definitely try out the Turbo Jam workouts, too. (I don’t think you can buy the Turbo Jam program by itself anymore.)
Recommended reading:
A Review of Fire 45 from Turbo Fire
A Review of Fire 55 EZ from Turbo Fire
And one more helpful reference…
A Beachbody on Demand Review: 5 Reasons to Give Beachbody on Demand a Try
I hope this list has given you some new ideas for cardio workouts to add to your arsenal of home workouts!
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