Core and Leg Burning Workout

Hi friends! Nice to see ya on a Saturday. 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! I wanted to pop in and share a new workout with you. This core and legs workout is a real burner! It will set your legs and core on fiiiiire. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and an optional resistance band loop, which makes this an awesome traveling workout.

Core and Legs Workout

If you’re following along Summer Shape Up, this is Workout #4.

Some form cues and tips:

Warm up, moderate cardio 5-7 minutes

Circuit 1:

Heavy goblet squat x 10: Place your feet just under your shoulders with toes slightly angled out. Hold a HEAVY dumbbell under your chin, perpendicular to the floor. Keep your chest lifted and a tight core as you sink back and down into your squat. Pretend like there is a chair behind you, and you’re going to tap your booty to the chair. The weight should remain in your heels, and try to keep your elbows just under the bar with a nice wide grip. 

Weighted calf raises x15: Hold your dumbbells, bring your feet into 1st position, glueing the heels together with toes pointing out at an angle. (Or you can do these with parallel feet like I have in the photo above.) Lift your heels off the ground. Lower the to the ground, but don’t let them touch the floor between lifts. 

Reverse lunge with knee hop x 10 each: Take a big step back to come into a lunge position. Watch your alignment and make sure your front knee is stacked over your front ankle, and your chest is lifted with a tight core. Step back to starting position, balancing on one leg as you bring the other knee up and hop. Repeat 10 times and switch legs.

Complete 3 rounds of Circuit 1 before moving onto Circuit 2

Circuit 2:

Low resistance band walk x 10 each way: Place the band two inches above your knees. (In the pic, I’m doing this without a band. You can totally skip the band if you don’t have one.) Step just past hip distance and sink into a squat (booty low and back). Stay in your squat as you step one foot out to the side, and continue to “walk” in one direction, holding your squat. Do 5 in one direction, then 5 in the opposite direction until your 45 seconds is up.

Thrusters x 15: Stand with legs hip width apart and come down into a squat, touching the floor. Jump back into a plank position (or step back), then jump or step your feet back in to return to squat. Return to standing and repeat.

Banded leg raises (10 right, 10 left, 10 together): Start on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor, and the loop two inches above your knees. Lift one leg off the floor, and press your heel towards the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips, keeping your upper back pressing into the floor. Lower down towards the floor (don’t touch it!) and exhale to rise back up. Continue for 10 reps, then switch legs. After you complete each side, do 10 with both legs down, and really try to pull the band apart as you lift. Or you can use a dumbbell like I did in this photo!

Complete 3 rounds of Circuit 2, before moving onto Circuit 3.

Circuit 3:

Dumbbell woodchop x 10 each direction: Start with you legs hip width apart, knees bent. Hold the dumbbell to the outside of your left leg. Lift the dumbbell diagonally across your body, pivoting on your left foot and twisting your torso, ending with arms raised to the right. Control the movement as you go back to start and repeat 10x on each side.

Resistance band crawl x 1 minute: Place the loop two inches above your knees, and come into your beast position: step into a plank (torso long and straight, abs engaged), and bend your knees to hover them above the ground. Take a step forward with one hand, then step that foot forward. Step the other hand forward, and the opposite foot. Continue to walk in your beast hover position for 45 seconds, rotating to turn around if you need to. 

Plank with leg lift x 10 each: Get in plank position with your hands or elbows directly under your shoulders, and legs straight out behind your on your toes. Press back through your heels and keep your hips in line with your spine. Keep your chin lifted so that your head isn’t drooping down or looking up; the goal is to maintain straight alignment in the spine and neck. Draw back through your shoulder blades to maintain a straight spine. From this position, lift one leg, then the other one. This is one rep.

Complete 3 rounds of Circuit 3. Stretch and cool down 🙂

Please let me know if you give it a try!

xoxo

Gina

Photos: Lindsay Colson

Wearing: Lorna Jane tank // lululemon crops // Nikes (on sale)