Lower Body Strength Circuits

Equipment: None (optional weighted objects and elevated surface).
Format: Perform each movement for the prescribed repetitions and repeat for 3 rounds. 

Circuit 1:

Move 1: Bear Squat Thrust (10)

• Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart and your core engaged.
• Bend your knees and plant your hands on the ground in front of you.
• Step or jump your feet back to a tabletop position with shoulders stacked over your hands, hips stacked over your knees and your knees hovering 1-2 inches off the ground. Keep your core tight and back flat as you hold this position and push away from the ground. 
• Jump or step your feet back to your hands, loading your weight in your heels and power up to a low squat hold.
• Jump or step back to your bear crawl position and repeat for the prescribed repetitions.
• MOD: Perform this movement with your hands on an inclined surface, like a chair, couch or ottoman. You can also take the impact out entirely by stepping back and forth rather than jumping.

Move 2: Single Leg Lunge (10-12 each side)

• Begin standing with your core engaged, chest upright and your right knee slightly bent so it’s off the ground (stabilize with your left side).
• Keeping your power in your left foot and your right foot staying bent slightly behind you, slowly lower down as far as you can while bringing your right shin and top of the foot to touch the ground. 
• Trying not to assist with your right leg, power through your front heel to come back to standing and squeeze your glute as you come up. (Ensure your knees are tracking your toes and not buckling in or swaying out.)
• Repeat all reps on one side and then repeat on the other. 
• MOD: Hold on to a chair or wall to help stabilize or perform reverse lunges in place of this.

Move 3: Elevated Glute Bridges (15-20)

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, heels on an elevated surface and core engaged.
• Powering through your heels, drive your hips to the ceiling and squeeze your glutes at the top. Be sure to engage your core all the way to the top rather than arching your back.
• Slowly lower your hips back down, one vertebrae at a time, lightly tapping your booty to the floor and repeat. 

Circuit 2:

Move 1: Single Leg RDL to Glute Kickback (10-12 each leg)

• Begin standing on your left leg with your right leg lifted and slightly bent, shoulder blades pulled back and down and core engaged.
• Slowly hinge forward at the waist while pressing through your front heel, pushing your hips back and letting your right knee float backward. Hinge forward as far as you can while maintaining a flat back and be sure you’re not rounding your shoulders or locking out your knee.
• When you reach the end of your range of motion, stabilize yourself with your left leg and perform a glute kickback with your right leg by pressing the sole of your foot to the ceiling.
• Drive through your front heel to slowly bring yourself back to standing.
• Repeat all reps on one side and then switch legs. 
• MOD: Hold onto the wall and remove the glute kickback to focus more on stability and hamstring strength.
• Optional: Hold a weighted object with both hands or one in each hand to add resistance to this movement.

Move 2: Split Squat Jumps (10-12 each leg)

• Begin in a forward lunge position, knees bent, chest upright and core engaged.
• With your weight in your front foot and your knees tracking your toes, jump up and switch your front and back legs, landing lightly back in your lounge position. 
• MOD: Perform alternating reverse lunges to make this low impact or hold onto the wall or back of a chair for help with balance. 

Move 3: Goblet Squat (15)

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart, core engaged and hold a single dumbbell with both hands by one end.
• Keeping your chest up tall and weight back in your heels, squat straight down and shoot your hips back slightly. Ensure your knees aren’t buckling in and your chest is upright. 
• Drive through your heels and power through your posterior chain to return to standing.
• MOD: Sit down to an object (chair, ottoman, bench, etc) OR remove the weight and just perform a bodyweight squat.