Looking for the rest of the week’s exercises? You can find them right here!
FRIDAY: LOWER BODY BOOT CAMP
For details on this workout, keep reading:
Warm up: Any form of cardio that gets your heart rate up to around 80% of your maximum heart rate.
Part 1: Choose whatever weights you feel comfortable with, but make sure to challenge yourself! For part one, use declining weights in your reps. So it would go something like this:
Set 1: 15 reps with your heaviest weight (mine would be 6 kg dumbbells)
Set 2: 15 reps with a moderate weight (5kg)
Set 3: 15 reps with your lightest weight (4kg)
Do each exercise immediately after one another, but rest 30 - 60 sec between sets.
Dumbbell Squats
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with your knees and toes pointed slightly outward. Drawing your abs in descend slowly by bending at the knees and hips as if you are sitting down (squatting). Lower yourself as far as you can control without letting your body shift towards your toes (this will cause you to loose balance). Pause in the downward position and slowly return upright to the starting position.
Dumbbell lunges
Stand with dumbbells grasped to sides. Lunge forward with first leg. Land on heel then forefoot. Lower body by flexing knee and hip of front leg until knee of rear leg is almost in contact with floor. Return to original standing position by forcibly extending hip and knee of forward leg. Repeat by alternating lunge with opposite leg.
Single Leg raises
Lie on your side, with your lower leg bent, upper leg straight and positioned a little to the back. Keep your ankles and arms relaxed. Rest a weight on your thigh, move it further down the leg to make the exercise harder. Lift your upper leg, contracting your buttock muscle at the same time. Lower the leg slowly; thats one set.
Wall Sit with Medicine ball squeeze
Stand with your back flat against a sturdy wall and place a lightweight medicine ball between your thighs, just above the knees. With straight legs, walk your feet forward until they’re approximately 12 inches in front of you. Keep your back flat against the wall and squeeze against the medicine ball with your inner thighs as you bend your knees to squat down. Hold this squat 60 seconds, breathing steadily.
Part 2: On your hands and knees! Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps for each exercise for each leg. Do each exercise immediately after the one before it, but rest for 30 - 60 seconds between sets.
Quadruped hip extension
Start in a quadruped position (on your hands and knees). Tighten your core and contract your abs to stabilize the spine. Focus on contracting the left glute. Slowly lift the left leg up while keeping a 90-degree bend at the knee. The left thigh should be nearly parallel with the ground. Slowly lower to the start position and repeat 10 reps per side. To increase the intensity of this exercise, place a small dumbbell behind your knee or add an ankle weight.
Leg extensions
On all fours, make sure you knees are in line with your hips and your hands are under your shoulders. Slowly lift one leg so it is higher than your butt. Pause, and then lower it to the floor. Make sure to keep your toes pointed down.
Hamstring kickback
On all fours, raise one leg bent at the knee with toes pointing to the ceiling. Keep your knee hinged, toes pointed, hips and chest square to the mat. Extend leg slowly back as though you were pushing through water.
Pilates knee press
On all fours, squeeze through the lower the glutes and lift your left knee off the floor and press it out away from your body. Slowly lower the leg and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep.
Cool down and stretch: IMPORTANT! Don’t leave this bit out. Take 5-10 minutes to do some light cardio, decreasing the workload gradually. Then take as much time as you need to stretch out all of your muscles. Don’t know where to start? You could try here, here or here :)
Enjoy!!
