Welcome to one of our many brutal lower body workouts, one that is very effective at burning fat, building lean muscle, lifting and shaping the booty, and toning the thighs. But before we start...I want you to look at your legs, just the way they are, and appreciate them. Seriously. Do it.
We’ve been taught to pick ourselves apart. We learn, first from overhearing the language of well intentioned adults in our lives when we’re young, then later again as grown ups, where we are endlessly pursued as potential consumers of a product that will make us “better”. We’ve heard that we need to punish our bodies with diet or exercise until they are beat back into submission to fit the mold of what someone else has deemed as perfect or right. We’ve been conditioned to hate our bodies and our thighs, to grab their jiggly bits in disgust and swear to do whatever it takes reduce them. We’ve been taught that we must cover them if they don’t look a certain way or meet a certain standard. They are - sometimes in turn - too fat, too skinny, too wide, too narrow, too muscular, not muscular enough, too pale, too dark, they have cellulite, and/or stretch marks, or moles, bruises, scars, freckles, etc, etc.
Related: 4 Week Booty Boot Camp: Butt and Thigh Program
Do you ever think about everything your legs do for you? Can you imagine how life might be different without them? Think about the way your legs literally carry you through your life. The things you say about your body - would you say them to your sister or best friend? If you can’t say yes, don’t say them to yourself, either. By the way, if you answered yes to that last question, knock it off.
I wasted many years hating my body. There was an actual sense of anger at the way my body looked. I was mad at my body! With the power of the mind, you have to wonder what that might do to the body (not to mention your overall mindset). Getting over it and shutting off the cyclic negative thoughts takes work but it clears up a lot of mindspace for things that actually matter, and things that are actually rewarding. In a strange twist, lifting that filter of self-destructive thought makes healthy eating and exercise (which leads to a healthy, fit body) a much more intuitive and simple process.
Butt and thigh workouts are ironically one of the best ways that you can not only improve the health and shape of your body but also your mindset. When you exercise, you’re releasing a bunch of feel-good hormones, and you’re giving your legs a chance to function, gain strength and agility. Once I started strength training I found it hard not to form a sort of respect for my body and my legs. How am I going to talk bad about them when they’re working this hard for me?
Let’s get to the good stuff. The sweaty stuff.
Workout Structure
45 Seconds on, 15 Seconds Rest, twice through for each group of 6
No warm up; cool down is included
All you need is optional dumbbells
Suggested warm ups:
- Cardio Warm Up for Lower Body Strength Workouts
- Wake Up Call Cardio Workout - Calorie Burning Warm Up Cardio for Energy
- Calorie Burning Cardio Warm Up - Total Body Warm Up Workout
Squats and Deadlifts Workout - Printable Lower Body Workout - 45 Seconds on, 15 reconds rest, x2 for each group
Squats
Deadlifts
Squat Taps
Deadlift to Lunge
Squat + Side Leg Raise
Deadlift Kickouts
Ski Squat Inside Thigh Raise
Deadlift - Toes In
Sumo Squats
Deadlift - Toes Out
Side Squat Calf Raise
Wide Deadlift
Cool down & stretch
What did you think of this workout? Which interval made you feel the strongest? What interval did you find the most challenging? I think I felt the strongest during the “side + side leg raise” because a) I love squats, and b) the side leg raise makes me aware of how much balance I’ve gained. I found the “squat taps” really difficult; they made my muscles burn like mad!
What kinds of workouts would you guys like to see next?