Ladies, I wanted to share with you a few exercises that I like to alternate in and out of my leg days to either give you some new ideas or spark a conversation to share some ideas of new routines you’d like me to post. For me leg day is my favorite, even though I am always sore the next day or two days later (thank you DOMs – delayed onset muscle soreness). On leg day I increase my carbs to provide enough fuel and energy for my workouts. I like to either grab an apple or brown rice cake on the way to the gym and I bring a shaker bottle filled with a preworkout and amino acids in it. (for me I use True Athlete Training Formula and RSP ReGen in Lemon Lime)
For leg day on this particular workout day I did a mix of 3 super sets. I did 10 reps for 4 sets with only 1 minute rest in between sets. This kept my heart rate up and feeling the burn! I have to say I am happy with some of my gains but I know with heavier lifting this fall and winter I will be able to fill out a bit more for my lower half. It takes time to build your glutes without blowing up your quads, which is what I don’t want to do. I tend to get bigger in my quads faster so I want to ensure to grow at a good pace.
Super Set#1: Stiff Leg Dead Lift & Walking Lunges with Dumb Bells
Super Set #2: Back Squat and Glute Bridges/Hip Thrusters
Super Set #3: Hip Abductor Machine & Close stance squats
Burn out set: Side step with overhead plate each side
In the summer I do higher reps and challenging weight but not nearly as heavy and intense as in the fall and winter. My goal in the summer is to maintain lean muscle but keep my body fat low and lean out a bit. In the fall and winter I eat more and lift heavier, it’s just the cycle I prefer. I do 4 sets of 12-15 reps per exercise except for the heavier lifts like the back squat which I do around 10 per set. I warm up with 5 minutes of cardio and finish with 25 minutes of HIIT cardio. With so much happening this summer I’ve been honestly a little less consistent with my workouts, that’s why I make sure when I can I just eat really healthy and clean to maintain my weight and muscle. When you aren’t able to be in the gym as much make sure you are doing your best to stick to your healthy eating goals.
When doing squats I like to do a bit heavier weight like 35-45 lb plates on each side and do four sets of 10 reps. In my home gym we don’t have a squat rack so I have to use the Smith Machine (which I really am not a fan of) but we what we have to do in order to get the job done. I also am a big fan of hip thrusters, which really burn my glutes and target the rear! You can do them with a bar, a plate or with the Smith Machine as well. Really squeeze on the top part of the movement, and on the last rep I always hold a few extra seconds.
Here are a few quick videos from this day’s workout on my Vine (www.vine.co/missads1981)
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