Leg Day: Stepping Into Strength

Squat Hold with Kickback

Enter low squat position, hold for 3-5 seconds, then place hands in front of you and kick your feet back, then quickly jump your feet back until you enter low squat position.

Execution Squats

Start with your knees on a yoga mat, legs behind you and a straight torso, bring one leg underneath you by rotating your hip and bringing it away from your body, then bring your other leg underneath you and enter a low squat position, then step back with the dominant leg used, and finally bringing your other leg back until both knees are on the mat again.

Leg Cranks

Perform four exercises in sequence of each other - unweighted air squats, unweighted squat jumps, unweighted static lunges, and unweighted alternating lunge jumps.

Weighted Single Leg Step Up

Place a bench or small table in front of you, place one leg on top, while only using your top leg step up until your opposite foot hits the top, then lower while only using the dominant leg while either holding a sandbag or two dumbbells.

Banded Lateral Leg Lift

Place the band just above your knee and stand at arm's length from a vertical support pole, hold the pole with one hand and have legs side by side, bring your outside leg out as far as far as you can while keeping your leg straight, and then release.

Banded Reverse Leg Lift

Place the band just above your knee and stand at arm's length from a vertical support pole, hold the pole with two hands and put one leg in front of the other, bring your back leg back as far as you can while keeping your leg straight, and then release.

Side Plank Inner Leg Lift

Enter side plank position with your top leg on a bench or small table, lower your body and then raise up while keeping the one leg stationary and maximizing the use of your inner leg muscles.

Single Leg Hamstring Slide

Lay flat on a yoga mat with your legs hanging over the end of a slick floor, place a slider underneath one heel with your legs in front of you, bend one knee slightly and raise your other leg off the ground, slide the one leg back until the slider hits the edge of the yoga mat, and then release.