41MIN Lower Body Strength (Glutes & Hamstrings) // Day 31: HR12WEEK 5.0

41 Min Lower Body Strength is Day 31 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.

This is a tough and metabolic lower body strength workout. Heather is working your legs from the very beginning with booty band work in the warm up. In this workout you will do an exercise 3 times (3 sets) before moving on to the next exercise. During the intro Heather says your goal for this workout is to get 8-10 reps out of each set and to use the same weight for each set. I lifted heavy (for me) and I was definitely ready for the recovery/rest when it arrived! Though it did depend on the exercise, I averaged 9 reps. At the end Heather finishes you off with some mat based leg work. This work has it all–heavy weights, band work and mat based work. Plus a nice stretch at the end.

The exercises are done interval style. For the first part of the workout the intervals are 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of recovery. The workout ends with mat work and those intervals are 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. 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.

41 Min Lower Body Strength is 40:25 minutes; 55 second intro, 5:10 minute warm up and 4 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, glute band and fitness mat. Heather recommends medium to heavy dumbbells (25 to 55 pounds). The weights listed below are what I used. The glute band is used for the warm up. You should put it on during the intro since as soon as the warm up starts Heather is already wearing it.

1. Sumo squat (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one heavy DB in both hands) (one 70# DB)
2. Repeat #1 two more times
3. Glute bridge (lay on back, knees bent with feet on mat close to glutes, one heavy DB or barbell rests on hips, raise and lower hips) (barbell @ 105#)
4. Repeat #3 two more times
5. Bridge pulse (same as #3 but keep hips lifted and pulse upward) (barbell @ 105#)
6. Repeat #5 two more times
7. Sumo squat & deadlift (same position as #1, alternate one sumo squat with one deadlift) (70# DB)
8. Repeat #7 two more times
9. 30 second rest
10. Stiff leg deadlift (hex deadlift bar @ 100#)
11. Repeat #10 two more times
12. Static curtsy lunge (stationary cross back lunge, hold one DB at shoulder of working leg) (one 30# DB)
13. Repeat #12 two more times
14. Repeat #12 & 13 on other leg
15. Alternating curtsy & squat (one step back cross back lunge + one squat, alternate legs when doing the lunge, hold one DB goblet style) (one 35# DB)
16. Repeat #15 two more times

30 second rest

Mat work:

1. Side leg lift (lay on side and do straight leg lifts with top leg
2. Side bridge & lift (lay on one hip and bottom elbow/forearm, both bottom legs are bent, top arm is extended to ceiling, raise hip into modified side elbow plank (keep both legs bent) while also opening/raising top bent leg)
3. Bridge march (lay on back, knees bent with feet on mat close to glutes, raise and lower hips in bridge, each time you raise hips, also raise one bent leg, alternate legs)
4. Repeat #1 & 2 on other leg
5. Repeat #3

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