40 Min Leg Strength & Power is Day 41 in Heather Robertson‘s HR12Week 5.0 program.
This lower body workout is intense! Very metabolic! According to my Apple Watch I spent 10 minutes in my peak heart rate zone (Zone 5) and 17 minute in cardio Zone 4! And I felt it, too. During some of the recoveries I was bent over trying to catch my breath! In addition to cardio, my legs got some great strength work, too!
The exercises are done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 20 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. If a move has impact, Heather shows a low impact alternative during the preview.
40 Min Leg Strength & Power is 39:23 minutes; 1:20 minute intro, 4:40 minute warm up and 3:55 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Heather recommends light to heavy dumbbells (5 to 35+ pounds). The weights listed below are what I used.
Circuit 1:
- Goblet squat (one 45# DB)
- Squat & deadlift (alternate one squat with one deadlift) (30# DBs)
- Loaded jump squat (holding lighter DBs in each hand) (10# DBs)
- Repeat #1-3 three more times
30 second rest
Circuit 2:
- Alternating reverse lunges (20# DBs)
- Alternating curtsy & squat (hold one DB goblet style, alternating cross back lunges with a squat between each lunge) (one 30# DB)
- Squat & hop (do one squat holding one heavy DB in both hands by bell then set DB on floor in front of you and do one squat jump) (one 40# DB)
- Repeat #1-3 three more times
30 second rest
Finisher: (done tabata style: each exercise is done for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds of rest)
- Skater hops (hop from foot to foot lifting other foot up behind you)
- Lunge jump (step back into lunge then jump feet together, alternate legs)
- Repeat #1 & 2 three more times
