IRON Series 30 Min Dumbbell Leg Workout – Calves Included | 11

30 Min Dumbbell Leg Workout – Calves Included is Day 11 in Caroline Girvan‘s Iron Series. This was a tough and intense lower body strength workout. As with all of the Iron Series workout, I made an effort to lift heavier on some of the exercises. I was working hard! The very end was really a burner. First with 3:30 minutes (no breaks) of calf raises followed by the 5 minute finisher of body weight lunges (again, no breaks) with isometric holds. I hope my calves aren’t sore tomorrow. I don’t mind DOMS in most of my muscle groups but I do hate it in my calves. That should have been finisher enough but these are shorter workouts so I had to add something on to round out my hour. I did Heather Robertson‘s Standing Side Booty (Hip Dip) Workout. Between the two I got another fabulous metabolic lower body workout!

Most of the exercises in this workout are done interval style: 60 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest. If it varies from that interval pattern then it is noted in the breakdown below. There is a timer in the upper left hand side of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Caroline previews the next exercise. There is also a little bar at the bottom of the screen that counts down the entire workout time as a percentage.

30 Min Dumbbell Leg Workout – Calves Included is 38:58 minutes; 1:45 minute intro, no warm up and 3 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, yoga block and fitness mat. Caroline is using 15kg/33 pound and 20kg/44 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used.

1. Paused goblet squat (hold briefly at bottom of squat) (one 45# DB)
2. Repeat #1
3. Front foot elevated lunge (static/stationary lunge, front foot is on yoga block) (20# DBs)
4. Repeat #3 on other side of body
5. Pause lunge (stationary/static lunge, pause briefly at bottom of lunge) (20# DBs)
6. Repeat #5 on other side of body
7. Rear step lunge x2 dumbbells (reverse lunges) (20# DBs)
8. Repeat #7 on other leg
9. Rear step to forward lean lunge (reverse lunges, when in lunge, hinge torso forward over front leg, hold one DB in same side hand as leg that’s stepping back) (one 25# DB)
10. Repeat #9 on other side of body
11. Rear step to x1 full lunge (step back into reverse lunge, hold this position and do one static/stationary lunge, then step back leg forward, hold one DB at shoulder of front leg) (one 25# DB)
12. Repeat #11 on other side of body
13. Step into curtsy lunge (cross-back/curtsy lunge, hold one DB at shoulder of stationary leg) (one 25# DB)
14. Repeat #13 on other side of body
15. Static curtsy lunge (stationary lunge holding one DB at shoulder of working leg) (one 25# DB)
16. Repeat #15 on other side of body
17. Calves dynamic & isometric combo (hold DBs at shoulders and do heel raises for 30 seconds; hold heel raise isometrically for 30 seconds; repeat heel raises for 30 seconds; bring heels together w/ toes turned outward, continue raising and lower heels for 30 seconds; toes still turned out, raise heels and hold isometrically for 30 seconds; toes still turned out, raise and lower heels for 30 seconds; turn feet parallel again and do heel raises for 30 seconds) (25# DBs)

Finisher: (5 minutes; each exercise is done for 30 seconds, no rest/recoveries)

1. Stationary body weight lunges w/ front foot elevated on yoga block (slow reps)
2. Hold isometrically at bottom of lunge
3. Repeat #1 but at normal pace
4. Repeat #1-3 (on other side of body)
5. Forward leaning lunge (stationary/static lunge, torso is hinged forward over front leg, foot is still elevated on yoga block)
6. Repeat #5 but slower reps
7. Repeat #5 & 6 on other side of body

For more info on Caroline Girvan’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.