Leg day is a controversial topic. Some people love it, some people hate it, and some people don’t even do it! However, it is a necessary evil. Lower body workouts burn a ton of calories, boost muscle growth, increase power production, and prevent injury! Ready to get rolling? Check out this lower body workout below! Be warned: your legs may feel like jello at the end!
Warm Up:
- Start off by hopping on a treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, or rower for 10 minutes. Why? You want to warm up your legs and prepare them for the workout!
- Mobility/Muscle Activation
- Leg Swings: 3×20 each side
- Toy Solider: 3x2o each side
- Lateral Band Walks: 3×20 each way
- Fire Hydrants: 3×20 each side
- Glute Bridges: 3×20
The Workout:
-
Trap Bar Deadlifts
- Sets x Reps: 4 x 10-12
- Rest Period: 1 minute
- Execution:
- Load a trap bar with desired weight.
- Stand in the center of the trap bar with your feet hip distance apart.
- Squat down and grasp onto both handles.
- Keep your head forward and your chest up.
- Drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees.
- Keep a neutral spine – no rounding.
- At the top of the movement, lower the weight back down to the ground.
-
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts
- Sets x Reps: 4 x 10 – 12
- Rest Period: 1 minute
- Execution:
- Hold dumbbells down by your sides.
- Your legs should be shoulder width apart, your knees bent slightly, and your torso straight.
- Keeping legs where they are, lower dumbbells over the top of your feet.
- Do not hyperextend your back (keep it straight).
- Move forward, pretending that your are picking something off of the floor.
- Continue movement until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Reverse the motion by extending at your hips and waist.
-
Walking Lunges
- Sets x Reps: 3 x 12
- Rest Period: 1 minute
- Execution:
- Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
- Stand with your feet just apart shoulder width apart.
- Step forward with one of your legs, flexing both knees so that your hips drop.
- Lower down until your back knee almost touches the ground.
- Keep your posture upright.
- Keep your front knee in line with your front foot.
- Drive back up using the heel of your front foot.
- Extend your knees to raise back up.
- Step forward using your back foot.
- Then, repeat on the opposite leg.
-
Goblet Squats
- Sets x Reps: 4 x 8-12
- Temp: 4 seconds down. 1 second pause. 1 second rise.
- Rest Period: 1 minute:
- Execution:
- Stand upright with your legs wider than hip distance apart, with your feet turned out slightly.
- Hold a kettlebell at its handles; hold close to your chest.
- Squat down LOW, until your hamstrings come into contact with your calves.
- Keep your chest up and head up.
- Drive back up through your heels, making sure your knees do not cave in (push knees out).
-
Step Ups
- Sets x Reps: 4 x 12 each side
- Rest Period: 1 minute
- Execution:
- Stand up straight while holding a pair of dumbbells.
- Place your right foot onto a platform such as a step or bench.
- Step up by extending your right hip and right knee.
- Using your heel, lift your body up and place your left foot on the platform.
- Return to starting position by reversing the motion.
- Repeat specified number of reps before completing the exercise on the other leg.
-
Lateral Band Walk
- Sets x Reps: 3 x 15 each way
- Rest Period: 30 seconds
- Execution:
- Place a band around the lower portion of your legs.
- Get into athletic position (knees and hips have a slight bend, feet are shoulder width apart, head and chest are up)
- Take a lateral step to the right (SLOWLY).
- Toes should be pointed forward.
- Complete specified number of reps.
- Once complete, switch to the other side and take lateral steps to the left for the specified number of reps.
-
Glute Bridge
- Sets x Reps: 3 x 15
- Rest Period: 1 minute
- Execution:
- Lie on your back.
- Bend your knees and place them hip distance apart.
- Feet should be flat on the ground, “stacked” under your knees.
- Squeeze your glutes and lift up your hips so that you are in a bridge position.
- At the top of the movement, squeeze, and then return to starting position.
Cool Down
- Get on the spin bike again for 5 minutes at a leisurely pace.
- Quad Stretch: 1 minute each leg
- Hamstring Stretch: 1 minute each leg
- Runner’s Stretch: 1 minute each leg
Written by GUADS staff member Angelina with contributions from livestrong.com, 3v, strongrunner, GPS Human Performance, FIT, Mike Robertson, and bodybuilding.com, and gethealthyu.com
