This workout serves as Day 1 of our Deload Week: Downtraining 5-day Challenge but can be used as a standalone workout any time.

Focus & Benefits: This workout kicks off our 5-day deload challenge and is designed to maintain lower body muscle and strength without overloading or working to fatigue. Volume and overall intensity is moderate, making it enough to be worth your time, but also scaled back just enough to give your muscles a slight reprieve from progressive overload. Core is infused to offer the legs a break and provide balance throughout the workout and deload week. This is ideal for active recovery or for beginner to intermediate exercisers looking for a quicker, approachable lower body workout!

Equipment: Light to medium dumbbells and an optional mat.

Tips & Helpful Information: 

Perhaps you’re wondering what the purpose of a deload week is or who it might be best for. Here are some signs you might need a deload week, or at least a few days to deload:

• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Increased resting heart rate
• Poor recovery from workouts
• Decreased motivation to workout
• Strength or performance plateaus
• Prolonged muscle soreness

You can make a judgement call when you need a deload week, or program them in to get ahead of the overtraining symptoms listed above. Depending on the intensity and volume of your typical training routine, you may need a deload week every 4-10 weeks of consistent exercise — more frequently for advanced exercisers and less frequently for beginners.

For an effective active recovery or deload workout, we recommend lowering the volume (amount or length of work done) and intensity (amount of weight lifted) by approximately 40-50% of your norm. For example, if you normally hold 20lb in each hand for a suitcase squat, cut back to 10lb. Use your best judgement on what will work best for you but, remember, the goal isn’t to walk away from this workout feeling fatigued or exhausted. 

It might feel out of character to pick up lighter weights or not push yourself to “feel the burn” but we encourage you to trust the process and you’ll walk away from this workout (or deload week) feeling recharged and re-motivated.

Difficulty & Modifications Explained: This workout is rated a level 3 out of 5 difficulty due to its straightforward exercises, sub 30-minute length, and moderate-volume format. Since the goal of this workout is to “deload” from typical training intensity, we don’t recommend adding anything to raise it to a level 4 difficulty. However, you can absolutely scale this back to a level 2 difficulty by selecting lighter weights, slowing down your pace, or decreasing range of motion.

Closing Notes: Have you ever included a deload week before? What are you looking forward to, or nervous about? Let me know in the comments!

WORKOUT OUTLINE

Warmup (3.5 min) — 30 sec each
Knee Hugs
Dynamic Quad stretch
Inchworm
Alt. Spider Lunge with Rotation
Side Lunge Shifts
Kang Squat
Reverse Lunges

Workout (15:00) — 30 sec on / 15 sec off; 2 rounds

Suitcase Squat
Kickstand Deadlift - R
Kickstand Deadlift - L
Plank Leg Raise to Knee Drive (modify: bear position)

Sumo Deadlift
Alt. Lateral Lunge
Weighted Hip Thrust
Oblique V-up - R/L

Reverse Lunge with Rotation
Bear Plank In and Outs

Cooldown (3:00) — 30 sec each
Supine Spinal Twist - R
Figure 4 - R
Supine Spinal Twist - L
Figure 4 - L
Runner to Hamstring Stretch - R
Runner to Hamstring Stretch - L