BeWOW: Hot Legs Workout

Your workout this week hits all the muscles in your legs—which is why we’re calling this the hot legs workout, of course. I should warn you: It may be hard to walk, sit or stand for a few days after you do this workout, but it will be so worth it when you get compliments on your beautifully sculpted gams.

Here’s what you’re going to do. You’ll start with a lunge circuit, which you’ll do three times through, before moving on to a one-minute plank. Then you’ll do a lunge circuit three times, followed by a plank, and so on, working through the different leg circuits with a plank in between. Get it? Good luck!

BeWOW: Hot Legs Workout

Squat circuit x 3
10 squats
10-second squat hold
10 squat jumps

1 minute plank

Lunge circuit right x 3
10 stationary lunges right (just go up and down, tapping your knee on the floor)
10-second lunge hold right
10 lunge jumps (left and right)

1 minute plank

Lunge circuit left x 3
10 stationary lunges left
10-second lunge hold left
10 lunge jumps (left and right)

1 minute plank

Hamstring circuit x3
10 dead lifts
10 hamstring curls on the physioball
10 hip lifts with feet on the physioball

1 minute plank

Lateral circuit x 3
10 lateral lunge (left and right is one rep)
10 ski jumpers (left and right is one rep)
10 lateral curtsy side lunges (left and right is one rep)

1 minute plank

Explanation of exercises
*Click the links below for how-to videos

Squat: Stand with your feet just a bit wider than shoulder widt and your toes slightly turned outward. Keeping your weight in your heels, bending at the knees and lower until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back as upright as possible. Straighten legs and come back to the starting position.

Squat hold: Stand with feet hip-width apart and perform a squat, dropping your rear until your knees are just behind your toes and your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. Hold that position for the duration of the exercise.

Squat jumps: Stand with feet hip-width apart and perform a squat, dropping your rear until your knees are just behind your toes and your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. As you stand, propel yourself upwards and jump. Return to standing and squat again.

Plank: Get in push-up position, resting on your elbows; keep back, hips, and legs in a straight line. Hold.

Stationary lunge: With hands on hips, step forward with your right foot. Drop your left knee down to the floor, until your right knee forms a 45 degree angle. Straighten both legs then drop again. Repeat with left leg in front.

Lunge hold: Step out into a lunge and hold in the “down” 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.

Dead lifts with dumbbells: Hold dumbbells with arms extended down so they’re resting on your thighs, feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping shoulders back and abs tight (and without locking your knees), bend at the hips and let the weights lower towards the floor, going as far as you can without bending your knees too much. Drive your heels in to the floor and stand to return to the starting position.

Hamstring curls on the physioball: Lying on your back, place heels onto top of the ball so your legs are straight and lift your hips toward ceiling; your hips should be in line with shoulders. Keeping your hips up, bend your knees and pull the ball in toward your butt, squeezing your hamstrings. Hold for a beat, then return to the starting position.

Hip lifts with feet on the physioball: Lie on your back with your heels on top of the ball. Lift your hips up toward the ceiling, hold, and return to start.

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.

Ski jumpers: Start in a skier’s stance (like a squat, but bent forward at the waist slightly). Using your arms for momentum, jump up and to the left, landing on both feet. Jump to the right. Repeat.

Lateral curtsy side lunge: Like a skier, but reach your left leg behind you to the right—you should look like you’re curtsying—and tap it on the floor. Then jump left and reach your right foot behind you to the left and tap it on the floor.

>> Did you complete this week’s BeWOW? Tell us how you did in the comments! Or, feel free to tweet at us about it using the hashtag #BeWOW. Check out all the BeWOW workouts here.

……..

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 week right here on Be Well Philly.

Photo: Shutterstock