This workout is Day 1 of the Bodyweight Burn with Nicole 5-Day Challenge but can serve as a standalone workout anytime.
Focus & Benefits: Get ready to sweat as you build muscular strength and endurance in this lower body workout. Together, we’ll work through 5 bodyweight circuits including 3 exercises each — 2 low-impact/strength-based and 1 higher-impact. Modifications will be included for those who wish to keep it low-impact. Prepare for all of your lower body muscles to be thoroughly worked, without any equipment!
Equipment: None; mat optional.
Tips & Helpful Information: Don’t let these bodyweight exercises deceive you. We have some spicy circuits ahead. Each of our 5 circuits follows a relatively similar pattern: 1 bilateral (both legs) exercise, 1 unilateral (single leg) exercise, and 1 HIIT exercise that involves jumping. We’ll complete 2 rounds of 30 seconds on, 15 seconds rest; try to get as many reps as possible before the timer runs out.
A routine like this is fast-paced and doesn’t allow for much rest. Please pause and take more rest as needed. Due to the structure and format of the circuit, you’ll feel a “stacking” fatigue occur, meaning it may feel easy to start but the short rest periods cause fatigue to stack by the end of the circuit. My advice would be to keep this in mind but don’t hold back. Give your best with each round and you’ll make gains on your muscular endurance and functional strength.
Difficulty and Modifications: This is rated a level 4 out of 5 difficulty due to the stacking fatigue that occurs within each circuit, fast-paced format, and short rest periods. This workout could be scaled back to a level 3 by slowing down, decreasing range of motion, and/or modifying the jumping/HIIT exercises.
Closing Note: If you’re following along with our FB Bodyweight 5-Day Challenge, tomorrow you have Upper Body and Core. With that in mind, leave it all out there with your legs in this workout! Let’s do this…
WORKOUT OUTLINE
Warmup (5:00) — 40 sec each
Quadruped Hip CARs, alternating
Cat/Cow
Kneeling Get-up
Heel Scoops
Lateral Lunge/Hinge
Butt Kickers
Jump Rope
Jumping Jacks
Workout (25:00) — 30 sec on / 15 sec off; 2 rounds each
Squat
Reverse Lunge Pulse, alternating
Squat Jacks
Hinge + Calf Raise
Front Lunge + Rear Leg Lift, alternating
Lateral Skater
WATER BREAK
Plie Squat with Pulse
Curtsy Lunge + Leg Abduction - R/L
High Knees
Kang Squat
Cossack Squat
Lateral Hurdle Jumps
SL Glute Bridge - R
SL Glute Bridge - L
Bear Plank In/Out Hops
WATER BREAK
Cooldown (5:00) — 40 sec each
Figure 4 with Rotation - R
Supine Torso Twist - R
Figure 4 with Rotation - L
Supine Torso Twist - L
Runners Lunge + Cross Reach - R
Runners Lunge + Cross Reach - L
Frog Stretch
Downdog + Pedal