This workout serves as Day 1 of our Powerful with Tasha 10-Day Challenge but can be used as a standalone workout anytime!

Focus & Benefits: The lower body contains the largest muscles in the body and, therefore, the greatest potential for quickly noticeable strength and power increases. Not only does the lower body serve as a stabilizing factor for increased range of motion among other areas of the body (upper body, core), it’s also the source of force production and explosiveness for total body multi-joint athletic performance. In this workout, we alternate between moderately heavy/heavy lifting and power-forward movement patterns to build strength and practice using this strength to move with increased speed, efficiency, and precision. 

Equipment: You’ll need your moderately heavy and heavy weight selections relative to what you typically use for lower body strength workouts. Keep in mind that the formatting/sequencing of the workout along with the inclusion of power-focused exercises might affect your typical weight choices. You might also want a mat for the cool-down and/or as a buffer between the floor and your weights.

Tips & Helpful Information: The purpose of the EMOM structure for the strength supersets is to encourage heavier lifting with each subsequent round of each set (the goal rep counts decrease as you progress through the rounds). Because you’ll have one-and-a-half minutes (as opposed to the standard one minute) to complete a low rep range of two exercises each EMOM, your goal isn’t to move as quickly as possible but to focus on moving with intention and good form while challenging your weight loads. Start round one of each EMOM with your moderately heavy weights and, if possible, increase your weights during both rounds two and three to end each superset with a close approximation of your “goal” weights. 

Difficulty & Modifications Explained: This workout is rated as a level 4 because of the overall structure/formatting, the coordination and baseline strength required to do the power moves as written, and the high energy demand from your lower body muscles needed to complete the workout. To decrease the intensity of this routine, decrease your weights and/or omit the explosive element of the power moves. You can also decrease your goal reps for any of the EMOM supersets to make the workload feel more manageable. 

Closing Notes: If you’re not accustomed to including power elements in your fitness training, take your time initially and master the movement patterns before adding weight or increasing the speed of exercise execution. All in all, this workout should be a fun and challenging sweatfest!

WORKOUT
Warm-Up: 30 sec per exercise, no rest between exercises (6:00)
-Hip Opener + Knee Hug - R
-Hip Opener + Knee Hug - L 
-Leg Swings (forward/back) - R
-Twisting SL Deadlift - R
-Reverse Lunge + Knee/Calf Raise - R (balance) 
-Leg Swings (forward/back) - L 
-Twisting SL Deadlift - L 
-Reverse Lunge + Knee/Calf Raise - L (balance) 
-Alt. Lateral Lunges
-Blastoff Squat + Overhead Arm Swing 
-Forward Hop + Backpedal (mid-tempo, small ROM - Range of Motion) 
-High Knees (moderate tempo) 

***30 sec off***

My Weights - Moderately Heavy/Heavy (not a recommendation, just a reference):
-Range: 20 lbs. (9.1 kg) to 40 lbs. (18.1 kg)

EMOM Format: 1:30 per round, 3 rounds. Complete the listed number of reps of exercise 1 then exercise 2 for each round.
Burnout Format: 30 sec on / 30 sec off / 3 rounds 

EMOM Superset #1: Reps Per Round = 10 / 8 / 6 (4:30)
-Front Squat 
-Deadlift (RDL) 

***30 sec off***

Power Burnout Round #1: (2:30) 
-Skier Swings (option: use 1 weight)

***30 sec off***

EMOM Superset #2: Reps Per Round = 10 / 8 / 6 (4:30) 
-Reverse Lunge - R (optional progression: racked hold - same side) 
-Reverse Lunge - L (optional progression: racked hold - same side) 

***30 sec off***

Power Burnout Round #2: (2:30) 
-Alt. Reverse Lunge Knee Drive + Clean (option: segment the moves, omit knee drive)

***Water Break***

EMOM Superset #3: Reps Per Round = 10 / 8 / 6 (4:30) 
-Narrow Squat 
-Alt. Lateral Lunges (reps total) 

***30 sec off***

Power Burnout Round #3: (2:30) 
-(bodyweight) Broad Jump + Backpedal (option: multiple smaller hops)

***30 sec off***

Conditioning Finisher Complex - Ladder-Up AMRAP: start with 2 reps, increase by 2 reps each round (3:00)
-Clean 
-(weights racked) Reverse Lunge (reps total) 
-(unrack weights) Deadlift 
-Narrow Squat 

Cool-Down: approx. 30 sec per stretch (approx. 5:00) 
-Hip Circles
-Pyramid Hamstrings/Hip Hinge Stretch - R
-Pyramid Hamstrings/Hip Hinge Stretch - L
-Wide/Sumo Stance Deep Squat Stretch 
-Down-Dog + Runner’s Lunge w/ Torso Rotation - R (World’s Greatest Stretch - WGS)
-Down-Dog + Runner’s Lunge w/ Torso Rotation - L (World’s Greatest Stretch - WGS) 
-(Rollup to Standing) Shoulder/Trap Rolls
-Knee Hug + Ankle Rotations - R
-Knee Hug + Ankle Rotations - L
-Chest Opener + Wrist Rotations