HeartKore

4 exercises 4 life

Anywhere.
Anytime.
Always.
Scroll

Why HeartKore

People do not quit their training because it is too hard

They quit for different reasons: their training requires a fixed location, it relies on motivation instead of habit, and it lacks a clear structure to progress, so they either stall or go too fast.

The gym is too far. The schedule does not fit. The equipment is at home and you are not.

HeartKore removes all of this. All you need to do is show up.

The workout adapts
to you and your goals.

Four exercises, hardly any gear, anywhere from five minutes to an hour. No gym membership. No expensive equipment. No magic protocols. There is a starting rung for everybody.

The method is simple, but not easy. It can build strength, power, and endurance. Your body composition will follow as a result.

What HeartKore Believes

01

Fundamentals before anything else.

First things first. You cannot train safely and effectively without mastering basic movement patterns. Once these fundamentals are in place, you can start building.

02

Discipline tops motivation. A habit tops both.

Motivation gets you started, but it can be short-lived. Discipline helps you push through. Build the habit, and it carries you the rest of the way.

03

No shortcuts.

No miraculous pills. No silver bullets. No cutting corners. Honest work is the only mechanism that produces results. Do not kid yourself.

04

For anybody in any shape.

Nobody is too old or too out of shape to start. Every exercise has a progression ladder. You begin where you are, and you continue from there.

05

Nonfluencer.

No brand deals. No supplement sponsorships. No gym partnerships. The advice is clean and independent. If something is recommended, it is because it works.

06

The practice never ends.

There is no finish line. There is only the work, done well, done consistently, kept alive over time. That is what HeartKore is meant to be.

The Method

Four compound exercises

Unlike isolation exercises that focus on moving a single joint to target one specific muscle group, compound exercises recruit multiple muscle groups across two or more joints. Therefore, you strengthen and develop them at the same time.

Compound exercises naturally train your muscles, and augment whole-body strength, power, speed, and overall athleticism. They make you better not only at sports, but also at tasks like lifting bags of groceries, picking things up off the floor, or carrying your sleeping child to their room.

The exercises are pull-ups, ab wheel roll-outs, push-ups and air squats. The Pull-up and the Push-up build functional strength in the upper body and arms. The Ab Wheel Roll-out builds a stable, resilient core, and adds trunk stability. The Air Squat develops lower body and leg strength, and mobility.

Depending on your fitness level, the standard versions of these exercises may be too challenging in the beginning. The good news is that they are infinitely scalable. There is absolutely no need to begin with the standard version on your first attempt.

However, over time you will build this capability, execution of the exercises with full range of motion, controlled and in proper form. This goes step by step at your own pace. You find your current level and start there. Once you master that rung, you climb on the progession ladder to the next.

The table below is meant to show how relatively easy a first step towards the standard version of each exercise can be set. When that is done, then off you go.

01
Pull-up
Pull movement
Stand facing a bar or sturdy surface at chest height and hold it steady. Lean back until your arms are fully extended, your body in a straight line from head to heel. Pull yourself back to a standing position.

Shoulders engaged, not passive. As you grow stronger, you can gradually place your feet further forward.

At some point you start hanging on the bar to perform a pull-up. Start with a resistance band for assistance. Or begin by lowering yourself from a pulled-up position.

You will eventually pull yourself up unassisted, until your chest touches the bar. Lower yourself again.
Full progression ladder
02
Ab Wheel Roll-out
Core stability
Get into a plank position. Rest on your elbows and feet and hold. Squeeze your glutes, maintain a flat back, and pull your belly button toward your spine.

Once you can hold a plank for 60 seconds, or three times for 30 seconds, move to the ab wheel.

Continue with short kneeling roll-outs before adding more range as you go.

Lengthen the roll-outs, until you can fully extend your spine and arms, and roll back without your behind going first.
Full progression ladder
03
Push-up
Push movement
Stand facing a wall. Hands at shoulder height and width. Take a step back. Drop your chest toward the wall and push back to standing position. Keep your body straight, elbows back at 45 degrees, and do not let your hips sag.

Over time place your hands lower, first by leaning forward with your hands on a table, later on a bench. Until your hands and feet are on the floor in a high plank position.

From there you descend, bending your elbows, until your chest grazes the floor. Your body moves as one unit, hips and shoulders descending together. Extend your arms again.
Full progression ladder
04
Air Squat
Squat and hinge movements
Stand in front of a chair, feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly out. Act as if you are going to sit. As soon as you feel the seat, push back up through your heels. Keep your gaze forward and your back straight.

When the movement feels controlled, remove the chair. Bend deeper and deeper, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Let your knees track over your toes, and stand back up.

For a maximum range of motion drop your hips below your knees. This is excellent for full-leg development and hip mobility.
Full progression ladder

The HeartKore

The signature workout

Once the exercises can be done with proper form in their standard versions, it is time for the HeartKore. This workout brings it all together, and adds a timing interval.

The idea is that you complete a number of rounds, with reps of all four exercises, in the chosen interval. Rest fills the remainder. At the top of the next interval you start your next round.

Start at Entry level, with a few rounds for a few minutes.

Level | Exercise Pull-up Roll-out Push-up Squat Interval
Entry 1234 30 - 90 sec
Intermediate 2468 60 sec
Elite 3579 72 sec
Weighted 2468 90 sec

Example 1

Entry level. 10 minutes. 10 rounds. 60-second intervals.

  • During each round of 60 seconds:
    1 pull-up, 2 roll-outs, 3 push-ups, 4 squats.
  • 10 reps per round. Rest fills the remainder of the interval.
  • 10 rounds in 10 minutes.
  • 10 rounds × 10 reps =
    100 reps.

Example 2

Elite level. 60 minutes. 50 rounds. 72-second intervals.

  • During each round of 72 seonds:
    3 pull-ups, 5 roll-outs, 7 push-ups, 9 squats.
  • 24 reps per round. Rest fills the remainder of the interval.
  • 50 rounds in 60 minutes.
  • 50 rounds × 24 reps =
    1,200 reps.

Each round of exercises can be dialled independently. An athlete with strong legs but limited pulling strength might do sets of 1/4/6/9 reps. Another may want more rest between rounds and lengthen the interval to 120 seconds. The levers are yours: number of reps per exercise, per round, number of rounds, interval length, pace and weight when you use the weight vest. Any combination, at any time, guided by your training goal.

Strength, power, and endurance each demand different dial settings. Strength: moderate reps, adequate rest, controlled pace. Power: low reps, full rest, high concentric pace. Endurance: higher reps, shorter rest, steady pace. Vary them and you vary the stimulus. That is how you advance and prevent boredom.

50 rounds at Intermediate level
That adds up to 1,000 reps in 50 minutes.

You decide how much work you do. When time is in short supply, or during days of travel, you may decide to limit yourself to 10 or 20 minutes of working out. Lengthier or heavier sessions can be done on other days. By adding a weight vest, increasing work, or reducing the interval there is always a next step.

The Kit

Few items. Most fit in a bag

No gym. No monthly fees. Most gear can go with you.

No Excuses

Gravity, the force that is with you

Train anywhere, anytime, always.

Full kit at home
All four exercises, vest for Weighted level.
Complete method. All options are available.
Travel kit on the road
All four exercises, bands can replace weight vest.
Similar to training at home, with some minor adjustments.
Hotel gym or playground
Three exercises: pull-up, push-up and air squat.
Do 3 pull-ups, 6 push-ups, 9 air squats per round. Most of the method stays.
No equipment. Barebones
Two exercises only: push-up and air squat.
Perform 8 push-ups, 12 air squats per round. Maintenance.

The Proof

The trainer does not promote a method he does not live

Hans Kremer has been moving this way for the last 20 years or so. Since his late teenage years he spent time with free weights, and machines. He decided to go back to basics.

Four exercises, minimal use of equipment, and the help of gravity.

The roads Hans was on crossed five continents. More than 30 years in corporate life, the last 20 designing and delivering professional development programs for multinationals. He knows what a demanding schedule does to good intentions. He has lived it.

HeartKore is what survived it. Not a program designed in isolation. A practice distilled from decades of finding out what actually holds up when life does not cooperate.

Hans competes in HYROX, raising funds for charities close to his heart as a High Impact Athlete. He rarely goes to the gym.

Coming soon

HeartKore is
becoming an app.

Four exercises. Anywhere. Anytime. Always. The HeartKore app is in development. Be the first to know when it launches.

Notify me

Medical Disclaimer

HeartKore is a fitness method designed for general health and physical development. The information, programs, and guidance provided through HeartKore are for educational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice.

Before beginning any new exercise program, consult your physician or a qualified healthcare professional, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition, injury, or health concern, or if you have been inactive for an extended period.

Participation in HeartKore training is voluntary and at your own risk. HeartKore and Hans Kremer accept no liability for any injury, loss, or damage arising from participation in any workout, program, or activity described or recommended herein.

The results described and referenced on this website reflect individual experience and are not guaranteed. Individual results will vary based on age, fitness level, consistency, and other factors outside HeartKore's control.

If you experience pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, or any unusual symptoms during exercise, stop immediately and seek medical attention.