Day 43: Powerful LEG STRENGTH Workout / HR12WEEK 4.0

Powerful Leg Strength Workout is Day 43 in Heather Robertson‘s 12 Week 4.0 program. This was another intense metabolic workout. Just shaving 5 seconds off the recovery time makes a surprisingly big difference! Heather works your lower body very well with a combination of weighted exercises, bodyweight exercises and plyometric exercises. According to my Apple Watch I spent a total of 7 minutes in my peak heart rate zone so I was definitely working hard. I know I could have used a heavier dumbbell for the bridges in Circuit 3 but that move served as a sort of recovery move for me, which I needed after 2 sets of deadlifts with little rest. The stretch at the end was very nice and felt well earned! She includes happy baby pose which I love and was exactly what I needed.

There are 4 circuits and each circuit is done twice. The exercises are done interval style: 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of recovery. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise. At the bottom of the screen during the preview, there is a small graphic with a weight recommendation–light, medium or heavy. Several of the exercises have impact. During the preview Heather shows a low impact version.

Powerful Leg Strength Workout is 41:34 minutes; 20 second intro, 3:30 minute warm up and 4:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Alternating reverse/step back lunges (22.5# DBs)
2. Elevator lunge (stationary lunge, hold one DB at same side shoulder as front leg, lower until knee taps mat then raise back to top of lunge) (one 30# DB)
3. Repeat #2 on other side of body
4. Pop lunge (no DBs, step back into reverse lunge then hop out of lunge bringing feet together, alternate legs)
5. Repeat #1-4

Circuit 2:

1. Sumo squat (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one heavy DB in both hands in front of body) (one 75# DB)
2. Sumo pulse (lower to bottom of sumo squat and pulse glutes up and down, never raising out of squat) (one 60# DB)
3. In & out squat (stand holding one DB in both hands goblet style, step one foot out to side and lower into a wide squat, step feet back together and lower into a narrow squat, repeat on other side of body) (one 40# DB)
4. Power jack (sumo squat jack)
5. Repeat #1-4

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. Hamstring curl (lay on stomach, upper body rests on forearms, squeeze one DB between insoles of feet, lower DB until it taps mat then raise it back until knees are bent at 90 degrees) (one 25# DB)
2. 1.5 RDLs (Romanian deadlifts, lower to bottom of deadlift, raise halfway, lower to bottom of deadlift, raise all the way) (hex deadlift bar @ 105#)
3. Stiff leg deadlift (hex deadlift bar @ 105#)
4. Hip thruster (lay on mat, knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, one heavy DB resting on hips, raise hips/glutes in and out of bridge) (one 60# DB)
5. Repeat #1-4

Circuit 4:

1. Goblet squat (one 50# DB)
2. Negative squat (hold one DB in each hand at sides, lower slowly into squat and rise at normal pace) (30# DBs)
3. Half stand up (no DBs, start in high double kneeling on mat with arms folded in front of you in genie, step one foot forward into kneeling lunge, step other foot forward to meet it so you are in squat, reverse motion returning to high double kneeling, alternate lead leg)
4. Pop squat (squat jack the legs, tap one hand to mat when in squat, alternate hands)
5. Repeat #1-4

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