Equipment-Free Strength Series: Lower Body
If you want to build lower body strength at home, but don’t have much equipment available, then this is the workout for you! You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get a good workout in - just some space.
For this workout, do each exercise for :45 seconds, with a few seconds of rest in between. Complete each circuit twice through!
Circuit 1:
Alternating side-step squat
Curtsy lunge to lateral lunge (Right side)
Plie squat hold with alternating calf raises
Curtsy lunge to lateral lunge (Left side)
Wall sit
Rest and repeat!
Circuit 2:
(for this circuit, all exercises are done in quadruped position, i.e. on the hands and knees!)
Bent knee heel push
Hamstring curl
Straight leg kick
Straight leg pulses
For the first round, do all exercises back-to-back on one leg.
For round 2, complete all exercises on the second leg.
Exercise Guide:
Alternating side-step squat: Start by standing with feet together. Step your right foot to the right so that your feet are wider than shoulder width apart. Sit back into a squat. Stand back up and bring your right foot back into the center. Repeat everything on the left side. Continue alternating for the entirety of the timer.
Curtsy lunge to lateral lunge: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your weight in your right leg as you bring your left leg back and cross it behind the right leg. Bend at the knees and lower towards the floor. That’s your curtsy lunge! Straighten the knees, then bring the left leg to center and then out wide. Push your hips down and back on the left leg. The right leg should be straight and the left leg should be bent at 90 degrees. Drive up through the heel of the left leg and bring the feet back together. That’s your lateral lunge! Continue alternating between the two kinds of lunges on one side for the entirety of the timer.
Plie squat hold with alternating calf raises: Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes turned out to 45 degrees. Bend at the knees, keeping them in line with the toes. Make sure to keep your back straight and your hips stacked underneath your shoulders. Hold this position as you lift the right heel up and down, then the left heel up and down.
Wall Sit: Start by leaning your back against a sturdy wall. Walk your feet out in front of you, keeping them hip-width apart. Lower your hips down, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees are stacked over your ankles. Keep your core engaged and back against the wall!
Quadruped bent knee heel push: Start on the hands and knees, with spine neutral and core braced. Lift one foot up towards the ceiling, squeezing your glutes and keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees. Lower the knee back down towards the floor, stopping just before the knee touches down. Continue lifting and lowering.
Quadruped hamstring curl: Start the same way as the quadruped bent knee heel push. Then, extend one leg out straight so it’s in line with your hips. Make sure the heel is facing up towards the ceiling. From there, bend the knee, curling your heel towards your butt to engage your hamstring. Extend the leg straight again. Continue bending and extending!
Quadruped straight leg kick (+pulses): Start the same way as the quadruped bent knee heel push. Then, extend one leg out straight so it’s in line with hips. Make sure the heel is facing up towards the ceiling. From there, you’ll lift and lower the leg, tapping the toes with the floor then driving the heel to the ceiling. For the pulsing variation, you’ll keep the leg extended in the air, moving quickly about an inch up and down to burn out the glutes.