The Workout Manual

Read once. Use forever.

DAREBEE workouts are designed for all fitness levels and are easy to navigate. This manual covers everything: how to read a poster, how to count reps, what the difficulty levels mean, and how rest time works.

Workout categories

Cardio

Boost cardiovascular endurance, burn calories, and improve stamina. Ideal for heart health and fat burning.

Strength

Build muscle and improve muscle definition. Focus on resistance and compound movements.

Metcon

Metabolic Conditioning - combines strength and cardio at high intensity to maximize energy output and endurance.

HIIT

Short bursts of intense activity with recovery periods. Efficient for fat burning and boosting metabolism.

Combat

Builds strength, agility, and speed using martial arts-inspired techniques and movement patterns.

Stretching

Improve flexibility and mobility. Good for recovery, easing tension, and improving range of motion.

Yoga

Mindful sessions for flexibility, balance, and relaxation while promoting mental clarity.

Wellness

Gentle routines for overall health, recovery, and well-being. Good for active rest days or easing into fitness.

Difficulty levels

Use the difficulty filter at the top of the workouts, programs, and challenges pages to find content suited to your fitness level.

Level 1 · Light Standing and seated exercises for beginners or those with limited mobility. Ideal for active recovery days.

Level 2 · Easy Low-impact standing and floor exercises. Suitable for those recovering from injury or with joint issues.

Level 3 · Normal A balance of challenge and effectiveness without high-impact moves. Works for most fitness levels.

Level 4 · Hard High-impact exercises: burpees, push-ups, jumping lunges, jump squats. For those ready for more intensity.

Level 5 · Advanced Complex calisthenics for individuals with solid fitness experience.

How to read a workout poster

Each workout poster is read left to right and contains four things:

Exercises

Illustrated steps with movement images

Reps

Number of repetitions per exercise

Sets

Total number of sets to complete

Rest

How long to rest between sets

If an exercise has two images (e.g., jumping jacks, squats) it's a dynamic movement. A single image (e.g., plank, wall-sit) means a static hold. We also have a video library for most exercises.

Types of workouts

Circuit Workouts

Complete all exercises in the circuit before resting. The number of sets is listed at the top of the poster. Repeat the full circuit for your chosen level.

Level I - 3 sets (~10 min) Level II - 5 sets (~15-20 min) Level III - 7 sets (~25-30 min)

Classic Workouts

Complete all sets for each exercise before moving to the next. Rest times are specified under each individual exercise on the poster.

Understanding reps

Counting reps

"20 climbers" means 20 total, counting both legs - that's 10 per leg.

Switching sides

Strength: switch halfway. Cardio: switch every rep. Combat: halfway for technique, every rep for speed.

To Failure / MAX

As many reps as possible while maintaining proper form. Stop when form breaks down.

Throughout the Day

Complete the total rep count spread across the day, broken into smaller sets whenever you can fit them in.

Reps + (e.g. 5+)

Complete the minimum number of reps to advance to the next exercise. Do more if it feels too easy.

Combos

"3 combos: 10 high knees + 2 push-ups" - complete that pairing 3 times before moving to the next exercise.

Transitions

Moving directly from one exercise to the next without resting keeps intensity high and targets muscles more effectively.

Rest time

Circuit workouts: no rest between exercises - only rest after completing the full circuit before repeating it.

Classic workouts: rest time is listed under each exercise on the poster.

Rest time guidelines by level:

Level I Up to 2 minutes

Level II 60 seconds or less

Level III 30 seconds or less

Still have questions?

The DAREBEE Help Desk on the community forum is the best place to ask. The team answers questions there, and chances are someone has already asked the same thing.