Curated By Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.
You don’t always have time for an ultra-vicious legendary #legday workout. But no matter the goal, you do need to find time to train legs. Whether you’re trying to build muscle, drop bodyfat, or ready your body to run a marathon, at least twice a week, you should be challenging your lower body with resistance.
That’s because training legs doesn’t just build leg muscle. Lower-body moves build the glute and quad power you need to run faster and jump higher, and they also blast serious calories. They’ll challenge your abs more than you may think, too.
And it doesn’t need to take as much time as you think to blast them, either, especially if you circuit train them. That’s what you’re going to do during this 16-minute workout, which is one of my go-to sessions if I’m tight on time. You’ll do 4 sets of each move, working for 40 seconds, then resting for 20 each set. And trust me, your legs will feel it.
1. TWO-STEP ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
We’ll open with a glute-focused move that’s also going to challenge your abs and forearms too. Stand holding dumbbells at your sides, then push your butt back, and lower the dumbbells until they’re below your shins, keeping them close to your legs the entire time.
Begin to stand up, pausing once the dumbbells are about knee-level. Then stand all the way and squeeze your glutes.
2. HEELS-ELEVATED GOBLET PAUSED SQUAT
Now, it’s onto quads. Stand with a dumbbell at your chest, heels on a 2-inch high block or weight plate. Keeping your abs tight, lower into a squat, lowering until thighs are about parallel to the ground. Pause, then stand and squeeze your glutes.
Expect to feel this in your abs, too; they’re working overtime to keep your torso upright.
3. ELEVATED REVERSE LUNGE TO HIGH-KNEE
This underrated move works quads and glutes, and makes you a better runner too. You’re stealthily replicating a powerful runner’s stride with every stand on a block or step, a dumbbell held at your chest, then step back into a reverse lunge, keeping your back knee off the ground.
Stand explosively, driving your back knee up to your chest. Hold, then repeat. Make sure to do 4 sets on each leg.
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes.
His current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga.
Ebenezer has had multiple prestigious positions including serving as a sports and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.