Happy Friday TGIF or as I like to say “The Goal is Fitness!” – All about this morning’s leg day workout
Another week down and another morning workout completed. I prefer to get my workout done before work so that if for some reason I have things to do at night I don’t feel bad missing an entire day off from the gym. The morning is great because:
1) it gives me energy for the rest of the day
2) I already know how hard I worked so I can prepare for how much I can eat that day without guilt
3) I stick to a routine because I have 1 hour max to get in and get out before I make myself late for work, so it keeps me on track!
I was awake at 6:30 am, took out the dog, came upstairs, too a 1/2 scoop of my new C4 Fruit Punch pre-workout (I take the shot in my mouth, add water, swish it around and then chase with water). I used to drink pre workout during my workout, which didn’t make much sense. You want to take the entire serving size 30 minutes before your workout, which is hard to do if you are trying to drink a 20 ounce shaker of water. So I just take the shot in my mouth and down the hatch it goes. Kind of tastes like a little pixie stick to me. So today was a leg day and I needed a bit of energy so that seemed to help. (C4 Fruit Punch click here)
Today’s Leg Day Exercises: (4 sets of each super set)
♥ Warm up walking on treadmill for 5 minutes at 8.0 incline and 3.5 speed
Super Set #1:
♥ Reverse lunges with kettle bells (1 in each hand, can be substituted by dumb bells or no weights at all) 20 reps alternating
♥ Bench step ups holding 25 lb plate 10 reps each leg
Super Set #2:
♥ Stiff leg dead lifts with 18 lb kettle bells in each hand for 10 reps
♥ 25 lb plates on each side for back squat on smith machine for 8 reps
Super Set #3:
♥ Leg Adductor Machine for 10 reps
♥ Leg Abductor Machine for 10 reps
Back Squat using 50 lbs in plates (25 each side) for 8 reps and 4 sets
I personally never like to use a Smith Machine for back squats. I prefer to use a squat rack with Olympic lifting bar instead. It helps to keep my back in a neutral position and prevent injury when I squat freely and it also is better for your core to do it without the Smith Machine. Using the Smith Machine doesn’t require you to stabilize as much as you do on your own, but unfortunately for me I don’t have a squat rack at the gym in my complex that I live in right now. The Smith Machine can give people a false sense of strength and security, causing them to think that weight is “easy” and load more plates and then when they go to a regular rack they try it and it isn’t the same. A Smith Machine is a machine, period. It will balance the weight for you unlike a regular free squat, so it’s very different in that regard. I can only use one at the gym the next town over. I didn’t have the time to do that today so Smith Machine it is. I just went with 25 lb plates because I don’t like to do my usual 35-45lb plates unless it’s with a free rack squat set up.
A few tips thought, to prevent injury using a Smith Machine for squatting:
Make sure to adjust your stance to where you feel comfortable on the way down into the squat. If your feet are too far forward you will feel yourself sitting too far back and it could hurt your back. Make sure your knees don’t pass your toes or go too far behind your toes either. Push hard through your heels when rising and keep a neutral spine. Squeeze your glutes on the way up. I usually go to parallel in my squat so you can see my butt is in line horizontally with my knees. A nice straight line is made with the bottom of my hamstrings. Don’t overload with weight doing squats on this machine, do enough to get fatigued but don’t do too heavy where you are going to strain your back, it won’t be fun or pretty after a few days.
I always like to wear Chuck Taylor’s aka “Chucks” or flat converse on leg day when I am squatting and dead lifting. The flatter the shoe the better for your results so I always wear them to lift on this day. You don’t want to wear sneakers with a heel or padding on leg day.
Check out a ton of very cute women’s Chuck Taylor sneakers here
At my gym the abductor and adductor machine is a two in one, which is great because I don’t even have to get up to change to do my super sets. I just turn the pads around and adjust the seat and can do both back to back. It’s good to also work the inside of the thighs and outside as well so that you can really shape your lower body. I never used to do these weekly but now I do this way you can lift and shape your behind all around the back, underneath and sides.
The Stiff Leg Dead Lift with Kettle Bells
I like doing my stiff leg dead lifts now with kettle bells. They give me extra reach on the way down to keep my back in a neutral position. This also prevents me from rounding my back and really getting a good stretch. Make sure to tap the top of your feet with the bottom of the kettle bell then push up through the heels and squeeze your glutes at the top. I do ten reps of this for four sets. I was using 18 lb kettle bells so in total this is 36 lbs. I work up every two weeks to heavier kettle bells. Contract your glutes a the top when you are back to standing position, then slowly lower down with the bells gliding down the front of your legs.
Keep a slight bend in your knees and push your butt back as you go down. Keep your head looking forward and back flat. Form is super important on these so that you don’t strain your lower back.
This workout took me around 45-50 minutes to complete. I also checked my Polar FT7 watch and hit about 275 calories doing this routine. Have a great weekend everyone!
Here are some quick Vine videos showing both the squat and the stiff leg dead lift from today’s workout.
Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Vine to see daily workout quick clips and videos
Connect with me on social media:
