43MIN Leg Day (Quads & Calves) Strength + Sprint // Day 39: HR12WEEK 5.0

43 Min Leg Day (Quads & Calves) Strength + Sprint is Day 39 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.

This was a tough lower body workout; especially the first two circuits. Holding a heavy dumbbell goblet style doesn’t just work your lower body, it works your shoulders, arms and core. By the time we got to the second circuit my upper body needed a break so I held 2 dumbbells (one in each hand) at my sides for the heel raises. And those fried my calves by the end of that circuit! And the finisher manages to hit all the lower body muscles worked in each circuit. Heather gives us a lovely stretch at the end that includes pigeon pose.

There are 3 circuits and a finisher. For the circuits, the exercises are done for 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. For the finisher each exercise is done for 30 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. During the finisher’s recoveries Heather shows low impact versions of the exercises with impact.

43 Min Leg Day (Quads & Calves) Strength + Sprint is 41:25 minutes; 35 second intro, 4:20 minute warm up and 3:50 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and exercise mat. Heather recommends heavy dumbbells (35 to 55+ pounds). The weights listed below are what I used.

Circuit 1:

1. Goblet squat (one 50# DB)
2. 1.5 goblet squat (lower to bottom of squat, raise halfway, lower to bottom of squat, raise all the way) (one 40# DB)
3. Goblet squat & pulse (lower to bottom of goblet squat and pulse) (one 35# DB)
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times

30 second rest

Circuit 2: (the description below is how Heather held her DB; I held a DB in each hand at my sides)

1. Standing calf raises (holding a DB goblet style, raise and lower heels) (25# DBs)
2. Heels in calf raises (same as #1, heels close and toes turned out) (25# DBs)
3. Calf raise & pulse (same as #1, but done fast, heels never really touching the floor) (20# DBs)
4. Repeat #1-3 two more times

30 second rest

Circuit 3:

1. Heel lift & squat (wide plie squats, heel of one foot is raised and one DB rests on shoulder of heel raised side) (0ne 30# DB)
2. Repeat #1 with other heel raised
3. Sumo pulse (stand with legs wide and toes turned out, hold one DB by bar with both hands, lower to bottom of squat and pulse) (one 50# DB)
4. Repeat #1 -3 two more times

30 second rest

Finisher: (each exercise is done for 30 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)

1. In & out squat hops (squat jack legs only)
2. Repeat #1
3. Wall squat (hold isometrically)
4. Repeat #3
5. Ghost rope (hop with jump rope arms)
6. Repeat #5

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