Ladies Pick: Leg Day Power

Check out this workout routine designed to sculpt and strengthen those legs while boosting overall fitness. This one-hour workout combines targeted exercises for both the quads and hamstrings, ensuring a balanced lower body workout. We'll wrap up with a cardio blast on the stairmaster to elevate your heart rate and maximize calorie burn.

1. Squats (4 sets x 10 reps): Grab a barbell and position it across your upper back. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Engage your core, keep your chest up, and lower your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

2. Romanian Deadlifts (4 sets x 10 reps): Hold a barbell or dumbbells in front of your thighs with an overhand grip. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Keeping your back straight, hinge at the hips and lower the weight towards the ground while keeping it close to your body. Squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to return to the starting position.

3. Bulgarian Split Squats (3 sets x 12 reps each leg): Stand facing away from a bench with one foot elevated behind you. Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides. Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground, ensuring your knee doesn't extend past your toes. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.

4. Leg Press Superset with Walking Lunges (3 sets):

Leg Press (12 reps): Sit on the leg press machine with your back flat against the pad and feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. Lower the platform until your knees form a 90-degree angle, then push through your heels to extend your legs fully. Slowly lower the platform back down with control.
Walking Lunges (12 steps each leg): Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides. Take a large step forward with one leg and lower your body until both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.

5. Hip Thrusts (3 sets x 12 reps): Sit on the ground with your upper back against a bench and a padded barbell across your hips. Plant your feet flat on the ground hip-width apart and drive through your heels to lift your hips towards the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then lower back down with control.

6. Hamstring Curls (3 sets x 12 reps): Lie face down on a leg curl machine with your ankles under the pad. Curl your legs towards your glutes, squeezing your hamstrings at the top of the movement. Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.

Cardio Finisher - Stairmaster (10 minutes): After completing your strength training routine, it's time to elevate your heart rate with a high-intensity cardio session on the stairmaster. Spend 10 minutes climbing those stairs at a moderate to vigorous pace, focusing on engaging your glutes and quads with each step. This will torch calories and leave you feeling accomplished.