Ohh leg day. I have a love hate relationship with it because while training them can be so challenging, I do love to keep working toward strong & lean legs and glutes! This workout is a rare treat because there are no plyos here. It’s no secret that I like to add some hops and jumps to workouts (ok so maybe I only ‘like’ them because they’re effective) but we’re all low impact lower body today; sensitive knees can rejoice! Though there aren’t any plyos, we’re still working through at a steady pace with no breaks, so you’ll definitely feel the lovely lower body burn.
Definitely pick a weight that pushes you. You want to feel a nice burn and be ready to quit by the end of each exercise. If it feels super easy then you probably aren’t using a challenging enough weight. The other side of this is making sure to pick a weight that allows you to have good form throughout the entire workout! I think I mention this in the video, but keeping good form is always more important than going up in weight. Using a weight that’s too heavy to keep good form is a recipe for injury! Under the video and the workout description there will be a few tips to keep in mind for each exercise!
Remember, if it starts to get tough or you want to quit, that is normal! (this goes for all workouts, especially The Get Fit Guide :D) Keep pushing. Even if you have to pause for a second before starting again. Workouts are meant to push you; they’re not supposed to be easy! It’s when you challenge yourself and keep going when you’re tired that you make progress and improve! So push yourself and remember: it’s not supposed to feel super easy! The challenge is what makes us better!
20 Minute Low Impact Lower Body
Work steadily though for 4 rounds as non-stop as possible.
13 RDLs
15 Tap Outs R&L
15 Single Bridges R&L
10 Step Back Lunges R&L
RDL (Romanian Dead Lifts) – Keep your core engaged here to protect your lower back! You want to tilt your pelvis and ribs together slightly, almost like you’re doing a super mini crunch, while keeping the upper body elongated. Slowly lower down by hinging at the hips, pushing your butt back slightly and keeping a tiny bend in the knees. Keep your back long and be sure there’s no dipping or arching going on. If you notice your lower back start to dip, you are going past your range of motion! If that happens, try stopping a little bit higher. Use your glutes and hamstrings to pull yourself upright, not your back. Keep the weights close to your legs.
Tap outs – Sit back into a chair pose (like in yoga). Feet and knees are together and chest is lifted and open, not facing the floor. Balance on one leg while tapping the other out to the side. Keeping your abs engaged here will help with balance!
Single Bridges – Again, core is engaged here to protect your lower back. You’re quickly tapping your butt to the ground and then pressing up through the heel and ball of the foot while squeezing with your glutes. You should not be arching your back; you can even tilt your pelvis forward/up slightly towards your stomach to be sure you’re not doing this. Hold the weight on your hip however is comfortable. If you need to, you can place a folded hand towel between your hip and the weight.
Step Back Lunges – Step your leg behind straight back from the hip (you’re not trying to get your legs in line here) and sink down until your back knee either lightly touches the floor or hovers over the floor. Press back up through your front foot to standing.
Sweat, Smile, Repeat!
xxNiki
