Do Cardio You Love

Jumping rope and doing jumping jacks are excellent forms of cardio that you can do anywhere. It takes time to build up endurance for jumping, though, so try doing intervals at first — jump one minute, rest the next, and so on. You'll find that by jumping, you'll burn calories and tone your quads, hamstrings, and calves. Try different types of jumps to target different leg muscles. When jumping rope, try kicking your butt (I'm serious!) or bringing your knees up as high as you can in between jumps. The possibilities are endless with this simple activity.

Mix in Interval Cardio

Want more bang for your exercise buck? Interval cardio training is an awesome addition to any strength-training routine because it burns a ton of calories, works the cardiovascular system, and builds muscle. It's all about doing short bursts of cardio with and intense amount of effort. You should do intervals in between your weight-training exercises if you want to really maximize your workout. Mixing interval cardio moves, such as Mountain Climbers or Squat Thrusts, with weight training keeps your heart rate at a higher level throughout a workout. Why is maintaining an elevated heart rate important? Because it means you'll burn more calories. If you're just starting out, add a 15-second interval cardio move after every three weight exercises. As your FITNESS level increases, you can make your interval cardio sessions longer or add more of them to your workout.

Remember, "Interval" is the key word here. These exercises are meant to be done in 30-second to 5-minute bursts, not half-hour sessions. The exercises are demanding, so warm up before doing them.