It is always more fun to workout with a partner whether it is just to incorporate some good conversation along with a hard workout or the addition of some commiseration when complaining about how hard a particular exercise is.  So for this challenge, recruit a friend (or enemy if you want to punish someone) to get you through this leg workout with a little extra fun.

In this routine we have a few of our favorite exercises for the legs to get a good muscle burn and leave you a bit sore the next day.  Both Kelli and I are using extra weight to turn this into more of a strength training workout for the legs but you don't necessarily need to use weight - even with just your bodyweight, this is a highly effective routine.  Depending on your goals we suggest a different approach to this routine so read below to find our suggestions for your specific goal.

Tone/Endurance:
If your goal is to firm and tone the legs then don't use extra weight with this routine but instead double the reps or the sets to challenge the endurance of those leg muscles. By doubling the reps you allow extra time for your legs to become fatigued when only using bodyweight. The more reps and sets you do the more firming and toning benefit you get (along with more calorie burn of course). An easy solution if you want to take this approach is to go through the entire workout video with us, twice.

Strength:
If your goal is to increase strength and/or build a shapely butt and thighs, you will need to follow along exactly as we have done this workout in the video. Pick weights that are definitely a challenge for you but still allow you to get 8 out of 10 repetitions done with perfect form.

Mass Building:
If mass building is your goal then you will need to drop the number of repetitions down to 6 or 8 and increase the amount of weight to be extremely challenging. You need to pick a weight that is not so heavy that your form suffers but that is heavy enough that you might need to take a few seconds of a break or pause in between each individual repetition and a much longer rest in between each set. You might want to add in a third set to each exercise to get a few more muscle fibers to rip but two sets should be fine as long as you are using sufficient weight.

No matter which goal you are going for remember that controlled motions with clean form are a must for each repetition and set.

Workout Structure: (as performed in video)
- 2 Sets per Exercise
- 7 Exercises
- 10 Repetitions per Set
- Rest as needed between sets

Equipment Used:
- Dumbbells (optional)

Warm Up / Cool Down:
- Both Included

Workout:

- Lunges (Left & Right)
- Deadlifts
- Squats
- Side Lunges (Left & Right)
- Calf Raises (Left & Right)
- Leg Raises
- Bridge (Left & Right)

The main calorie benefit with a strength training routine is not the immediate calorie burn but the afterburn effect, along with the (somewhat) permanent increase in metabolism from the increase in muscle.  On top of that, this routine still burns a good number of calories immediately. The calorie burn can fluctuate a lot depending on the amount of weight you use and number of repetitions you select. With that said, this routine averages around 5 calories per minute on the low end and 10 calories per minute on the high end.  That gives you a total calorie burn of 216 to 408  for this 40 minute routine.