Captain’s log: 5th July 2013
Legs.
Legs.
*Pauses in reverence*
img src: baje-intl.com
Legs.
Over the last decade, I’ve trained over one hundred women… And consulted with hundreds more. The one thing they have in common is their answer to the question of: “what is your primary problem area?”
That answer? “Legs.”
I live in the Caribbean: the land of perpetual but varying degrees of summer and short pants. A climate and culture which necessitate leg-baring, coupled with the fact that legs account for most of the female body mass, makes a lower-body problem a serious one indeed.
My pals at Bajan Beauty Blogger recently touched on how one could dress to accentuate this problem area. You can check out their article here.
img src: bajanbeautyblogger.com
I’m not a fashion guru, but I do know that a great pair of shorts will look even greater on a spectacular pair of legs. So… Here’s a workout that’ll get you them.
Here we go!
Day 1 is a circuit-styled workout. Please note, ‘circuit’ does not mean ‘light’ or ‘easy’… Quite the opposite actually. I need you to push as hard as humanly possible.
Workout #1
Squat: 20 reps
Plyometric Squat (or box jump): 10 reps
Walking Lunge: 20 reps (each leg)
Wall sit: 30 seconds
Cat Crawl: 30 seconds
Glute Bridge: 30 reps
Rest for 2 minutes, and repeat this circuit 3 times (if you’re a beginner), 5 times (if you’re at the intermediate level), or 7 times (if you’ve been exercising hard and consistently for at least 3 months).
Day 2 is an all-out interval workout. It will be short. Some people find it exhilarating, but I’m not going to lie to you… I didn’t.
Warm-up: 3 minute brisk walk… followed by a 2 minute jog.
Workout #2
Hill sprint (50 metres for beginners; 100 metres for intermediate trainees)
Casual walk back to start
Repeat this circuit 5 times (if you’re a beginner), or 7 times (if you’ve been exercising hard and consistently for at least 3 months).
Day 3 is a ‘touch-up’ day. Some of you may be moderately sore, so it wouldn’t make sense to throw in another all-out workout. At the same time, we want to get you in a pattern of regular movement. So, today can’t be an off-day. We’ll approach it in straight-set style instead.
Workout #3
Standing Side Leg raises: 3 sets: 15-20 reps each leg.
Lying Rear Leg Raise: 3 sets: 30 reps each leg.
All-fours Supermans: 3 sets: 10 reps each side.
Step-ups: 3 sets: 10-15 reps each leg
Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets: 10-15 reps each leg
NB: this is a 3-day workout plan. These 3 days are not meant to be executed consecutively however. On the days in between, 20-60 minutes of brisk walking (or whatever other cardiovascular activity you prefer), should be executed. Also, this schedule should be coupled with a reduction in overall calorie intake. To calculate how many calories you need, please follow this link. Need low-calorie recipes? Check out our healthy recipe and low-carb recipe forums.
6 weeks from now, feel free to share your results with our members. I honestly, cannot wait. 🙂
Yours in fitness,
–C. Narkissos Springer
Apollo Fitness Barbados 