Be Well Workout of the Week: Let’s Talk About Legs, Baby

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Last week, we tackled your upper body, so this week—surprise!—it’s all about your legs. Get ready to feel the burn.

You are going to complete three different rounds of exercises, finishing all the reps in one round fully before moving on to the next. That means, before you move on to Round 2, you’ll do 12 reps of each exercise in Round 1, then a sprint; then 10 reps of each in Round 1 and a sprint; and finally eight reps of each in Round 1, with a final sprint to finish out.

And just like last week, I’m throwing in some bonus ab work to keep your body guessing. (You’re welcome.) Here’s what your workout looks like.

Workout of the Week: Ultimate Leg-Shredder Workout

Rep count for each round: 12-10-8

Round 1
Burpees with jump
Sit-ups
Lateral lunge
Speed skaters
One-minute sprint

Round 2
Dead lifts
Lunge jumps
Rotating plank
Squat with overhead press
45-second sprint

Round 3
Kettlebell swings
Plié squats
Ab twists
Knee drives (*Do all reps on one leg, then switch to the other.)
30-second sprint

Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for video how-tos.

Burpees with jump: Just like an up-down in football. Put your hands on the ground, jump your feet out behind you so you’re in push-up position, hit your chest to the ground, and bring your feet back in. Jump, reaching your hands to the ceiling, as you stand up. Repeat.

Sit-up: Lie on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent. Put your hands behind your ears. Without pulling on your neck and using only your abs, lift your shoulders off the mat and come to a full sit-up position. Lie back down slowly.

Lateral lunge: Standing with feet together, step to the side in a lunge, making sure your knee doesn’t bend past your toe. Return to standing and lunge on the other side.

Speed skaters: Start standing with feet together. Jump to the right, land on right foot, left foot goes behind you. Push off your right foot to jump left and land on left foot, right foot goes behind you. 

Dead lift: Stand with legs shoulder-width apart and dumbbells in hands. Bend knees slightly and lean forward with your arms moving towards the ground, until your back is at a table-top position. Slowly return to the starting position.

Lunge jumps: Start standing with feet together and step forward with the left leg into a lunge, bending knee to about 90 degrees. Jump as you stand back up and switch legs before you land, so your right leg is forward. Lunge again, then jump, putting your left leg forward, and so forth. Left and right counts as one.

Rotating plank: Start in plank position on hands and toes. Rotate your body, pivoting on your toes, and reach your right arm up to ceiling; put it back down slowly. Rotate left arm up to ceiling, and return it slowly.

Squat with overhead press: Hold the weights at your shoulders, do a squat.  As you stand back up, press the weights over your head.  Return them to your shoulders as you squat back down.

Kettlebell swings: Standing with feet about hip-width apart, hold a kettlebell in front of you both both hands. Bend your knees into a squat, swinging the kettlebell back through your legs as you drop down and forward to about shoulder height as you stand. Repeat in a fluid motion.

Plié squats: Standing with feet a little further than hip width apart, turn your feet out and do a squat. Hold a weight in your hands at center for an extra challenge.

Ab twists: Sit on the floor with knees bent, heels pressing into the ground. Lean back slightly and use your abs to twist side to side.

Knee drives: Start with your right foot on the bench. Press into your right foot and as you stand up, drive your left knee up towards your chest. Return your left foot to the floor in one fluid motion. Do all reps on the right, then on the left.

» For more Be Well Philly workouts, go here.

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Audrey McKenna Hasse is the owner of A.M.Fit, a personal training and healthy consultation business on the Main Line. You’ll find her workouts every Monday right here on Be Well Philly.

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