13 Best Examples of Anaerobic Exercise

If you want to increase strength and endurance, burn significant calories and improve overall body composition in a short amount of time, consider doing anaerobic exercises. Anaerobic training includes short duration exercises that are highly intense and heart-pumping. Sprinting, Tabata, and powerlifting are some of the best examples of anaerobic exercise.

In this article, you’ll see the thirteen best anaerobic exercise examples that can boost your stamina, enhance your cardiovascular health, reduces body fats, and take your fitness to the next level.

What is Anaerobic Exercise?

Anaerobic exercises break down glucose for energy without using oxygen. It includes highly intense and heart-pumping exercises that are performed for a very short period, typically 10 to 30 seconds. A session of anaerobic training lasts anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, with several minutes of intervals in between.

Sprinting is a great example of anaerobic exercise. During the sprints, you don’t focus on breathing; instead, you try to run as fast as possible for a short duration.

From improving bone density, joint health, muscular endurance, and lactic threshold to decreasing excess body fats and risk of disease, anaerobic training has various health benefits.

However, despite many advantages, anaerobic workouts can be detrimental to some people, particularly people with cardiovascular disease, past injuries, and obesity. So it’s best to consult with your doctor or physical trainer before you do one of the types of anaerobic exercise.

Top 13 Examples of Anaerobic Exercise

1. Sprinting

Anaerobic Exercises List

Sprinting means running as fast as possible for a set duration, typically 10 to 30 seconds.

It engages multiple muscles throughout the body, especially the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips, calves, and core.

Sprinting is the best way to boost metabolism, improve performance, increase endurance and build strength for sports like football, soccer, basketball, and track and field.

Benefits of Sprinting, according to a study published in the National Institute of Health journal.1Research into the Health Benefits of Sprint Interval Training Should Focus on Protocols with Fewer and Shorter Sprints – Springer.com Sports Medicine

  • Improves and maximizes your VO2 max,
  • Regulates blood pressure,
  • Lowers blood glucose levels,
  • Improves cardiovascular health,
  • Increases stamina and endurance,
  • Develops body composition.

Example of a sprint interval routine

  • The duration of one sprinting session: 30 minutes
  • Sprinting time: 15-30 seconds
  • Total Rounds: 6-8
  • Rest between each round: 4-5 minutes
  • Estimated calories burned: 300

2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

anaerobic exercise examples

HIIT isn’t particularly a workout, it’s a workout program. It involves short, intense bursts of activity that alternate between high-intensity work and a short recovery period.

For example, doing battle rope for 15 seconds with 30 to 40 seconds of rest and repeating until the desired time.

The goal of this training is to push yourself as hard as possible but then quickly recover so that you can repeat the cycle again.

High-Intensity Interval Training has several benefits, such as:

  • It allows you to burn more calories,
  • Help you build muscles while losing fat,
  • Increase stamina and boost metabolism,
  • Reduce weight (if you decrease calorie consumption)
  • Build strength and quickness,
  • Improve heart and lung health.

Related: The Ultimate Pros And Cons Of HIIT Workout

Example of an anaerobic HIIT routine

Do as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes with 2 minutes of rest in between.

ExerciseActivityRest
Burpees10 reps at 85-95% of your MHR30 seconds
Kneeling Jump10 reps at 90-95% of your MHR30 seconds
Pushups30-40 pushups in 30 seconds30 seconds
Squats30-40 pushups in 30 seconds30 seconds
Mountain Climbing20-sec at 85-95% of your MHR–

You may also like: The Best 6 Week HIIT Workout Plan

3. Weightlifting

Barbell push workout

Weightlifting is also one of the best types of anaerobic exercise that involves a short burst of intense movement.

You might be wondering how weight training is considered an anaerobic exercise, ain’t you?

Well, your body uses carbohydrates (as an energy source) as well as converts glycogen to produce energy that allows you to lift weights. And it does not require oxygen (for energy) like cardio exercises, which is why weightlifting is considered an example of anaerobic exercise.

If your goal is to build muscle strength, enhance power, increase muscle mass and burn more calories then weightlifting may be the option for you.

Here are some examples of weightlifting exercises:

4. Plyometric

anaerobic workout examples

Plyometric exercises are intense bursts of activity that increase your body’s ability to produce force and power. They are a great way to improve your overall athleticism while also improving the strength of specific muscle groups, especially your legs.

The plyometric training includes various jumping exercises, such as the high jump, vertical jump, and kneeling jump. It is more suitable for athletes, particularly for soccer, basketball, and netball players who want to maximize their speed, power, strength, endurance, and agility.

Example of Anaerobic Plyometrics Workout

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds at a quick pace with little to no rest between exercises.

Round 1Round 2Round 3
Ankle HopsSplit JumpVertical Jumps
Squat JumpSkater Jumps Alternate Lunge Jump
Jumping JacksBroad JumpTuck Jump
Mountain ClimbersPlyo PushupsKneeling Squat Jump

Related: The Ultimate 4-Week Plyometric Training Program with PDF

5. Ballistic Workout Training

The ballistic workout training is another good example of an anaerobic workout. It includes high-intense exercises that increase speed and power and improve athleticism and sports performance.2Eight weeks of ballistic exercise improves power independently of changes in strength and muscle fiber type expression – Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

This training helps maximize the acceleration phase of an object’s movement and minimize the deceleration phase, as well as improve neural factors, including motor-unit recruitment, firing frequency, and intra- and inter-muscular coordination.3 Ballistic Training – Wikipedia

Tossing or throwing medicine balls as hard and fast as possible and jumping with weights are examples of ballistic exercises.

6. Rowing

Rowing is an excellent full-body exercise with both aerobic and anaerobic components. It helps increase strength, power, endurance, and speed.

Rowing involves various muscle groups throughout the body, especially the back, biceps, and core, and helps improve body composition.

It is suitable for people of all fitness levels, whether male or female. So you can incorporate rowing into your anaerobic workout routine to strengthen and tone your muscles, build lean mass, and improve bone density.

Example of 20 minutes of rowing for building Anaerobic fitness:

  • Duration: 20 minutes
  • Activity: 30 seconds rowing at 85% to 95% of your maximum heart
  • Recovery Period: 1 minute
  • Total rounds: 12

7. Bicycling

cardio workout plan

Cycling isn’t only an aerobic exercise, but it also has anaerobic components. For example, while cycling at your maximum effort, your body breaks down glucose for energy without using oxygen.

Bicycling is a great way to enhance cardiovascular functions and boost metabolism. A study demonstrated that cycling reduces the risk of cancer, increases strength and endurance, reduces weight, as well as increases life expectancy.4Health benefits of cycling: A systematic review – Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports

Example of an Anaerobic Cycling Workout Routine

  • Duration: 20 minutes
  • Activity: 30 seconds rowing at 85% to 95% of your maximum heart
  • Recovery Period: 1 minute
  • Total rounds: 12

8. Tabata

Tabata is a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that involves performing 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. One circuit of Tabata lasts 4 minutes, and one session of Tabata workout is usually performed for 20 minutes.

The goal of this workout training is to keep your heart rate elevated for as long as possible during each set, which means you need to push yourself hard enough so that you are working at your max capacity but not so hard that you burn out before the end of the exercise period.

Tabata has various health benefits, for example, it helps improve cardiovascular fitness, accelerates fat loss, and increases maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), endurance, speed, and power.

Here’s an example of 20 minute Tabata workout

RoundMinute 1Minute 2Minute 3Minute 4
1Jumping JacksMountain ClimbersKneeling JumpFlutter Kick
2Squat JumpPush-UpsCrunchesShoulder Tap
3BurpeesShoulder TapJumping Split SquatLeg Raises
4High KneesKneeling JumpJumping JacksLeg Raises
5Front Box JumpBicycle CrunchesShoulder TapFlutter Kick

Related: The 5 Best Tabata Workout Plan with PDF (Newbie To Pro)

9. Swimming

Like rowing, swimming also has both aerobic and anaerobic components.

During anaerobic swimming, your body is unable to utilize oxygen as an energy source and fails to fulfill the muscles’ demand for oxygen.

The anaerobic type of swimming requires great effort and will only be sustained for two minutes or less.

This type of swimming helps you build your lactic threshold, increase muscle strength, boost metabolism, and burn significant calories in a short time.

You can do short distances anaerobic swimming for the desired period of time.

10. Jumping Rope

Jumping rope may be considered both aerobic and anaerobic activity. It depends on the intensity of your training. And to make jumping rope an anaerobic workout, you should have to perform as fast as possible without focusing on breathing. It involves different muscles of the body at once, such as arms, legs, and the core.

The jumping rope has myriad health benefits, including better heart health, lower blood sugar, weight loss, better VO2 max, and much more.

Example of Jumping Rope Routine:

  • Duration: 15 Minutes
  • Activity: 30 seconds (perform as quickly as possible)
  • The number of sets: 8-10
  • Recovery time between sets: 60 seconds

11. Battle Rope Training

Battle Rope HIIT Workout in the gym

The battle rope workout improves both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. It is part of intense training programs, such as Crossfit and HIIT.

It bolsters multiple muscles throughout the body, especially the shoulder, arms, and core.

As an intense workout, battle rope burns numerous calories in a quick time, improves cardiovascular fitness, and levels up your fitness level.

However, it requires decent energy and endurance to perform efficiently.

Example of a 10-minute battle rope workout:

  • Activity: 15 seconds at your max effort
  • Rest: 45 seconds
  • Rounds: 10

12. Boxing Punches

Throwing hard punches on the boxing bag is another good way to improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness.5 The Effects of Intermittent Hypoxic Training on Anaerobic and Aerobic Power in Boxers – International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Boxing has four kinds of punches; the jab, the cross, the hook, and the uppercut.

The jab punch is a short and quick punch that is used mainly for defense and counterattacks.

The cross punch is a short, quick, and powerful punch that can be used to attack your opponent’s head or body.

The uppercut punch is a powerful punch that is thrown with a lot of force.

The hook is another powerful punch that comes from strength and speed in an arc motion to hit the side of the chin or neck.

You can throw all these punches on a boxing bag at your maximum effort to boost your anaerobic fitness.

Related: A Complete Guide To HIIT Boxing Workout Training

13. Crossfit

If you want to maximize your anaerobic fitness, you can also try Crossfit. Crossfit is a combination of strength and endurance training. It includes high-intensity functional movements that push you to your physical and mental limits.

From plyometrics and sprinting to strength training and HIIT, Crossfit comprises myriad exercises that increase strength, stamina, speed, balance, and agility.

To improve your anaerobic health, you can include high intense Crossfit WODs. For example, Holleyman, Daniel, Hammer, Santiago, and Omar.

The Bottom Line

Anaerobic exercises break down glucose for energy without using oxygen. It includes exercises of very short duration, such as sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and powerlifting.6Aerobic vs anaerobic exercise training effects on the cardiovascular system – World Journal of Cardiology

Studies have shown that anaerobic exercises have a positive effect on lipid profiles, cardiovascular health, and overall life quality.

Research also suggests including short bouts of anaerobic training to reduce fat mass and improve metabolism.7 Short bouts of anaerobic exercise increase non-esterified fatty acids release in obesity – Europian Journal of Nutrition

Anaerobic workouts are also excellent for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who want to maximize their endurance, power, speed, agility, and strength.

However, it is not suitable for all fitness levels, especially for people with cardiovascular disease, past injuries, and any health issues. So it’s best to consult with your doctor or physical trainer before you do any type of anaerobic exercise.

References

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Author
Murshid Akram
I'm an online personal trainer, fitness blogger, and fitness enthusiast. I love researching and writing about exercise and nutrition. I share science-based, practical, and logical information that can help you achieve your desired fitness goal.

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