A five-day workout plan that includes aerobic and core workouts should focus on variety to maximize your benefits. Performing the same routine five days a week may not let your muscles recover sufficiently and can result in a plateau effect, decreasing your benefits over time.
Workout Routine
Whether you are working on cardio or core, strength or endurance, calorie burning or stamina, use the same workout format for each routine. Start with a moderate-intensity warmup that includes dynamic stretching. Jog in place, do butt kicks, perform arm circles and jumping jacks, or do other light exercises for several minutes to get blood circulating to your muscles as you raise your heart rate. After you exercise, repeat these movements at a decreasing pace to lower your heart rate and let blood and lactic acid leave your muscles. Finish with static stretching to reduce the pain and soreness you may feel later.
Cardio Workouts
Vary the types of cardio workouts you perform to reduce repetitive stress on your joints and muscles, to prevent your body from adapting to certain movements, to decrease calorie burn and to add resistance. Calculate your target heart rate using an online target heart rate calculator, using a manual formula or inputting your data into a heart rate monitor. Beginners should aim for 50 to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, while those in better condition can work at 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. Alternate the exercise you do throughout your workout, and from workout to workout. Use exercise machines, free weights and cardio classes, either at a gym or following along with a TV or DVD program.
Core Exercises
Include abdominal exercises as part of your cardio workouts or create core workouts by themselves. Write a list of exercises that require you to move forward and back and side to side. Use equipment such as an ab wheel, kettlebell, medicine ball or exercise ball. Even though you might perform a dozen or more different core exercises, you'll still be working the same muscles, so a 30-minute core workout may be difficult to achieve. Consider interspersing core exercises throughout a cardio workout or using core workouts on rest days.
Your Schedule
Perform cardio workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to give you two recovery days, or days on which you can core exercises. You may only spend 10 to 15 minutes on core exercises on Tuesday and Thursday, but you will be concentrating your effort on one area of your body, making it a worthwhile workout. Plan to perform cardio exercises five days per week, using different exercises every other day.
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