Today I’m sharing a lower body strength workout with cardio bursts.
Happy Wednesday! Is it really hot anywhere else right now? It’s so hot there’s even been a heat warning in place. Thankfully it’s supposed to cool down a bit today, which I’m very grateful for. It’s kind of miserable trying to fall asleep when I’m laying in bed sweating.
I’m excited to share a new workout today. It combines the best of both strength training and cardio. All the blue exercises are strength training ones. You’ll do 12 reps for 3 sets before you move onto the next exercise. Rest for 30 seconds between each set. Each cardio burst is in pink. You’ll perform them for 30 seconds. Below the graphic I’ve added descriptions for all the exercises just in case you’re unfamiliar with any of them.
Dumbbell squat
With feet hip width apart and dumbells in your hands at your sides, use the glutes to lower your hips back and down while bending at the knees and ankles. Once you’ve reached the lowest position you can without leaning forward too much or letting the knees collapse in, return to a standing position, again using your glutes to propel yourself.
Dumbbell deadlift
With a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Slowly bend forward at the hips, letting your arms hang down and keeping your back straight. Using your glutes, lift your torso back up to the starting standing position.
Leg press
Sit down in the leg press machine. Place your feet hip width’s apart so that your knees are over top of your toes. Release the safety and push your feet away from your body using your glutes and quads. Once your legs are fully extended, slowly bring your feet back towards yourself, once again using your leg muscles to stay in control of the speed. Repeat. At the end of the set rest the platform on the safety again.
Butt kicks
Stand with your feet hip width apart and your arms bent comfortably at the elbow. Bend your left knee and bring the heel of your left foot behind you so that it touches your butt. Lower your left foot back down to the ground and repeat with your right foot.
Alternating lunges
Stand with feet hip width apart. Step forward with one foot so that the forward leg’s thigh is parallel to the ground, and the back leg’s shin is parallel to the ground. The back knee shouldn’t touch the floor. Use your quads and glutes to step the front foot back towards your back foot and end by standing straight up with feet hip width apart again. For the second lunge step forward with the other foot.
Glute bridge
Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet close to your butt. Raise your hips up off the floor by contracting your glutes, leaving only your feet, shoulders, and head on the floor. Relax your glutes and return your hips to the floor. To do a single leg glute bridge, raise one foot up so the knee is straight. Use your remaining foot on the ground to push off the floor and raise your hips while contracting your glute.
Donkey kicks
Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keeping your knee bent, lift your left leg so that your knee is parallel to the floor and the bottom of your foot is parallel to the ceiling. Lower you leg back down and repeat with the right leg.
Skaters
With your knees slightly bent, jump to the right and land on your right leg with your left leg bent behind you with your foot just off the ground. Keep your left foot off the ground. Pushing off with your right foot, jump to the left and land on your left foot, keeping your right leg bent and right foot off the ground behind you.
Alternating side lunges
Similar to the forward lunges, side lunges require that you step out to the side instead of forward. Step out to the left first, and then the right.
Clam shells
Lay on your side on the floor with your hips bent at a 45 degree angle and your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. With your legs stacked on top of one another, slowly lift your top knee up while keeping the top heal on the bottom heal. Then lower your knee back down. Make sure to use your glutes do the movement. Once one side is done flip over so the top leg is on the bottom and repeat with the second leg.
Fire hydrants
On your hands and knees with hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips, move your knee away from the floor and your body so that your thigh is close to parallel to the floor and at a 90 degree angle to your torso. Lower your knee back down to the ground in the starting position. Repeat.
High knees
Starting in a standing position, quickly bring your left knee up in front of you as high as you can. Step back down and repeat with your right leg. Repeat.
What’s your favorite lower body exercise?
As always, talk to your doctor before beginning to workout. Honor your body and modify this workout as needed for you.