Workout of the week: 25-min lower body strength workout

ALL LEVELS / lower body strength workout / 25 minutes

Equipment: Hack squat machine, dumbbells, barbell & leg extension

The festive season highlights just how important it is to have strong legs. After all, they’re essential for navigating Christmas dinners and other gatherings. And let’s not forget the hustle of last-minute gift shopping, meal prep, and dancing at our company’s holiday parties.

With all this in mind, we bring you a lower body strength workout to help you get through this season with ease. It has 4 exercises, each to perform for 45 seconds. You’ll get to rest for 15 seconds between rounds and 1 minute between exercises; this workout has 4 rounds, which should take 25 minutes to perform.

Hack squat
Dumbbell deadlift
Barbell hip thrust
Leg extensions

Let’s give your lower body a Christmas treat!

WORKOUT SETUP

4 exercises
45 seconds each
1-minute rest between exercises
15 seconds rest between rounds
4 rounds
25 minutes

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

4 rounds

1 – HACK SQUAT

45 seconds

Stand on the machine with the cushions over your shoulders.
Adopt a foot stance similar to the one you use for regular squats.
Engage your core so that you feel the cushion pushing against your body.
This machine is perfect for helping you squat to great depth.
Slowly descend until you feel like losing either core stability or the contact of your pelvis with the cushion.
Repeat.

2 – DUMBBELL DEADLIFT

45 seconds

Begin in standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand. As the video shows, the dumbbells can be positioned in front of the body; however, if this puts too much stress on your lower back, hold the dumbbells by your side.
Engage the core and begin the movement by bending the knees slightly and hinging the hips. Then continue the bending by pushing the hips backwards, lowering the dumbbells as far as comfortable.
At the bottom of the movement, actively engage the glutes, push the feet into the floor and drive the hips upwards and forwards to return to the start position.
Repeat for time or reps.

3 – BARBELL HIP THRUST

45 seconds

Place a loaded barbell next to and parallel to a bench.
Slide your legs under the barbell. Sit on the floor with your back against the side of a bench. The barbell should be over your hips.
Grasp the barbell at each side. This is your starting position.
Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, approximately shoulder-width apart.
Keep your torso rigid, and exhale as you raise the barbell by extending your hips until fully extended.
Hold for a count of two and squeeze your glutes.
Inhale as you lower the barbell by flexing your hips. Do not allow the barbell to touch the floor. Repeat.

4 – LEG EXTENSIONS

45 seconds

Sit up straight on the leg extension machine.
Adjust the pad to sit on your lower leg and just above your feet.
Extend your legs straight out in front of you, ensuring you’re using your quads to power the movement.
Then slowly lower them back to the starting position.
Repeat.