With this workout, I wanted to provide as comprehensive of a lower body strength workout as possible, in as little time as possible. It can be easy to get stuck in an all or nothing mindset; for example, have you ever found yourself thinking “I don’t have time for a 25+ minute workout, so what’s the point? I’ll just start again tomorrow…”?
The problem with this kind of thinking is that “tomorrow” can sometimes become a sort of blank check, or long consecutive row of “tomorrows”, when in reality, it’s ideal that we do at least some movement, every day. That movement doesn’t need to be intense or a long duration. It all counts, and it’s important that we make time for rest days, active rest days, and workouts focusing on mobility, range of motion, proper alignment, balance, etc.
The 24 minutes of activity in this workout are intense for both the muscles and lungs — hopefully, after trying this workout, we can help you challenge any black and white thinking of a certain length of a workout not being “enough.”
If you have access to dumbbells and are familiar with the exercises in this routine, I encourage you to lift like you mean it, lift to challenge your own strength — keeping in mind that “challenging your own strength” is completely relative to each of us and our own unique and fluctuating starting points.
For the strength portion of this workout, we’re doing 45 seconds active, with 20 seconds rest in between. If you want to use this workout to gain strength/muscle, chose a weight that by the last 10-15 seconds of that 45 second active interval, has you feeling like you’re huffing and puffing, and that you *almost* need to drop your weights. Or maybe you do need to actually drop the weights towards the end of the interval — no shame in that! Listen to your body, and have an eye on long term goals and sustainability over the quick thrill of being able to lift a heavy weight with diminishing form. Lifting for your ego is just a fast track to injury, and no one wants that kind of setback in their forecast.
Workout Structure
Warm up the glutes thoroughly with a Pilates inspired glute activation warm-up that gets the lower body muscles fired up, engaged, and ready for strength training. Then move onto a fast round of AB/AB, 2-set strength training that targets the lower body and glute muscles from multiple angles. Finish up with a cool-down and stretch. I’ve provided the weight that I’m lifting; please know that this is for reference only and not at all a suggestion for what you should lift.
Workout Breakdown
24 Minutes Total
6 Minute Glute Activation/Warm Up
13 Minutes Strength Training
5 Minute Cool Down
Glute Activation and Pilates: 40 Seconds Each
Bent and Straight Leg Combination
Other Side
Quadruped Alternating Hip Abduction
CARS
Other Side
Bridge
Squats
Good Morning
Alternating Reverse Lunges
[Water Break]
Strength Training: Lower body strength training done 45 seconds on, 20 seconds off. Exercises in groups of 2 in an AB/AB Format (4 Minutes per Group, 3 Groups Total)
Group 1
Squat Press (I’m using 16 lbs or 7.3 kg per hand, 12 lbs or 5.4 in second round)
Deadlift (I’m using 28 lbs or 12.7 kg per hand)
Group 2
Reverse Lunge (I’m using 8 lbs or 3.6 kg per hand)
Dumbbell Swing (I’m using 24 lbs or 10.9 kg total)
Group 3
Goblet Squat + Side Step (I’m using 16 lbs or 7.3 total)
Side Lunge (I’m using 9 lbs or 4.1 per hand)
[Water Break]
Cool Down and Stretch (30 Seconds each interval)
Quad Stretch
Other Side
Standing Hamstring Stretch
Other Side
Wide Center Stretch
Warrior Stretch
Other Side
Downward Dog
Cobra
This workout, while short, left me nice and sore afterwards. I would love to know what you thought about this workout, and please let me know what I can film next that might be helpful to you. Thank you for working out with me. Workout complete!
Kelli