Fat-Burning Dance Cardio Exercises for the Uncoordinated

New York cult-favorite ((305)) Fitness is the only workout you need right now.

Linebacker Shuffle with Punch

“Start with your feet hip width apart. Shuffle to the side for three seconds, moving your feet quickly, like a linebacker on the field. Pause. Punch right, punch left. Shuffle to the left. Punch left, punch right.”

This works your glutes, inner thighs, lats (back), and obliques

Time to relegate back to all those primary-school choreographed air bands. You know, the ones precisely remixed to “S Club Party” and “Genie in a Bottle.” Because dance cardio classes have had a resurgence. One class that’s garnered a serious reputation for a loud and sweaty dance session is ((305)) Fitness (emphasis on the double brackets), brainchild of the spriest instructor in the entire West Village, Sadie Kurzban. ((305)), if you haven’t figured it out already, fuses Miami’s culture (hence the area code ^) of “sun, fun, DJs, music and carefree, live-your-life attitude,” as Kuzban puts it, with blood-pumping, body-carving exercises.

Move #1

Crazy Charleston

Crazy Charleston

“Stand with feet together. Swing your right leg up, place your left fingers out front touch. Drop your right foot and come down to a deep back lunge extending your left foot back. Your right knee stays directly over your ankle into a runners lunge.”

This works your glutes, quads, hamstrings and obliques

“Stand with feet together. Swing your right leg up, place your left fingers out, front-touch. Drop your right foot and come down to a deep back lunge, extending your left foot back. Your right knee stays directly over your ankle into a runner’s lunge.”

This works your glutes, quads, hamstrings and obliques.

Move #2

Lunge with Press

Lunge with Press

“Start in a lunge position, with your right foot back and your left foot in front. A body bar is resting on your shoulders. Lower into a lunge position as your left knee hovers just an inch over the ground. Both knees have a 90 degree bent. As you come up, press the body bar up past your head and into the air. Your arms will straighten upright, without locking. Bend your knees back into a lunge and lower your hands at the same time. Repeat. 

This lower-body exercise will get your butt tighter and lifted. It also works your thighs and obliques (abs) for an added bonus.”

“Start in a lunge position, with your right foot back and your left foot in front. A body bar is resting on your shoulders. Lower into a lunge position as your left knee hovers just an inch over the ground. Both knees have a 90-degree bend. As you come up, press the body bar up past your head and into the air. Your arms will straighten upright, without locking. Bend your knees back into a lunge and lower your hands at the same time. Repeat.”

This lower-body exercise will get your butt tighter and lifted. It also works your thighs and obliques (abs) for an added bonus.

Move #3

Squat with Lateral Leg Raise

Squat with Lateral Leg Raise

“Start in a standing position, your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat with your butt back and your back straight, keeping your eyes focused a few feet in front of you (and not on the ground). As you raise out of the squat, raise your right foot off the ground to the side, and up to your hip level. Use the strength of your left outer quad and your right glute to gracefully lower your leg back down into a squat. Alternate on the left side. That’s one rep. Try 30 (15 on each side).  

This works your quads, glutes, adductor, and obliques

“Start in a standing position, your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Squat with your butt back and your back straight, keeping your eyes focused a few feet in front of you (and not on the ground). As you rise out of the squat, raise your right foot off the ground to the side, and up to your hip level. Use the strength of your left outer quad and your right glute to gracefully lower your leg back down into a squat. Alternate on the left side. That’s one rep. Try 30 (15 on each side).”

This works your quads, glutes, adductor, and obliques.

Move #4

Linebacker Shuffle with Punch

Linebacker Shuffle with Punch

This works your glutes, inner thighs, lats (back), and obliques

“Start with your feet hip-width apart. Shuffle to the side for three seconds, moving your feet quickly, like a linebacker on the field. Pause. Punch right, punch left. Shuffle to the left. Punch left, punch right.”

This works your glutes, inner thighs, lats (back), and obliques.

Move #5

Wild Jumping Jack

Wild Jumping Jack

“Start with your feet together and complete two jumping jacks. On the third jumping jack, bring your right leg high in the air, scooping your arms around your leg and curling your back. On the fourth jumping jack, bring your left leg high in the air, scooping your arms around your leg and curling your back. Repeat.”  

This works your back, core, quads, hamstrings, and outer thighs. Awesome for cardio, too.

Move #6

Standing Quad Extension

Standing Quad Extension

“Stand with your feet together, hands on hips. Use the body bar (upright) for balance. Hold onto the bar with your right hand and raise your left hand high in the air. Raise your right leg out in front of you, as if you were kicking with your leg straight. Keep your right leg high, engaging your core for balance. Bring your right ankle into your body, keeping your right quad out and high. Extend the lower half of your leg out again, firing up your quads. Repeat 15 times. Lower your leg and start on the left. Try for one set on each leg. 

This dance-inspired pose will give you lean, lengthy quads without over-bulking. It also works your core and balance, an important skill for any athlete-in-training.”

“Stand with your feet together, hands on hips. Use the body bar (upright) for balance. Hold on to the bar with your right hand and raise your left hand high in the air. Raise your right leg out in front of you, as if you were kicking with your leg straight. Keep your right leg high, engaging your core for balance. Bring your right ankle into your body, keeping your right quad out and high. Extend the lower half of your leg out again, firing up your quads. Repeat 15 times. Lower your leg and start on the left. Try for one set on each leg.”

This dance-inspired pose will give you lean, lengthy quads without over-bulking. It also works your core and balance, an important skill for any athlete-in-training.

Move #7

Squat with Lateral Raise

Squat with Lateral Raise

”Squat down bring your arms out to the sides, working your shoulders, keeping your chest open.”

This works your glutes, quads, hamstring, and deltoids.

“Squat down; bring your arms out to the sides, working your shoulders, keeping your chest open.”

This works your glutes, quads, hamstring, and deltoids.

Master DJ, DJ Ardent

((305))-inspired playlist

1. Deorro feat Chris Brown - “Five Hours”
2. Usher - “Party Ain’t Over”
3. Pitbull - “Don’t Stop the Party”
4. Venga Boys - “We Like to Party”
5. Bob Sinclar - “Rock This Party”
6. Avicii feat Taio Cruz - “The Party Next Door”
7. Don Omar - “Danza Kuduro”
8. Sak Noels - “Party On My Level”
9. Avicii - “Levels”
10. Flo-rida - “Good Feeling”
11. Black Eyed Peas - “I Gotta Feeling”
12. Selena Gomez - “I Want You to Know”
13. Missy Elliot - “Work It”
14. Hardwell - “Sally”
15. Galantis - “Runaway (U & I)”
16. Real McCoy - “Run Away”
17. Downtown Fiction - “I Just Want to Run”
18. Flo-Rida feat RedFoo - “Run”

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