25-Minute Circuit Workout with Cardio Blasts: Legs & Butt

Happy Friday! I’m looking forward to a busy, fun weekend. Tonight I’m heading to Credo for a makeup event with some other Boston “influencers” (I hate using that word to describe myself but “Instagrammers” also sounds weird—can’t win) and tomorrow I’m doing a photoshoot with Reebok. I’m really excited for the shoot but admittedly a little nervous. Getting the chance to work with a big fitness brand brings out the little insecurities as my mind falls into the comparison trap (I don’t have a visible, ripped six pack; I’m not flexible enough to do crazy-cool poses; blah blah blah). It’s useless chatter that doesn’t serve me and I’m sure the shoot is going to be a blast and my tight hip flexors and l will be fabulous. *snaps fingers and flips hair*

Now to shift focus on to a photoshoot I most definitely was not nervous about … let’s talk about me alone in my living room with a camera set up on a tripod (aka today’s workout). 😉 This 25-minute circuit workout focuses on legs and butt and damn did it burn!

25-Minute Circuit Workout with HIIT Blasts: Legs & Butt

EQUIPMENT I USED:

• 20-lb kettlebell (you can use a dumbbell, or just your bodyweight if you’re a beginner!)—pick a weight that works for your fitness level
• Resistance band loop

This workout is broken up into four mini circuits. For each of the circuits, you do three exercises for 30 seconds each, three times through. So that’s four and a half minutes of continuous work. You then rest for 30 seconds and finish the circuit with 30 seconds of cardio finisher. The last circuit is a little different in that instead of resting after the circuit, you go right into your finisher which is just a 30-second hold.

I’m using a 20-lb kettlebell but you could totally do this with a dumbbell and, as always, adjust the weight to fit your current fitness level. I’m also using a resistance band loop. If you don’t have one, don’t sweat it. All the exercises can be done without it as well (and will still be challenging, I promise).

As with all workouts, make sure to warm up beforehand. I have a 5-minute warm up on my YouTube channel or you can do your own. Listen to your body and modify as needed. If something doesn’t feel right, stop. There’s a difference between challenging your body and hurting it—let’s stick to the former!

Circuit 1

30 seconds each exercise x3 – loop band around thighs, use weight

Sumo Squat | Hold your weight at your chest with elbows in tight (like a goblet squat). Feet are a little wider than hip’s width apart, toes are angled out. Keep your chest open and upright, shoulders back and you bend your knees and sink down into your squat. Actively push out against the resistance band so that your knees track in line with your middle toes the whole time. Press back to the top, bringing your hips forward and squeezing your butt at the top.

Sumo Squat Pulses | Hold your lowest squat and pulse up and down at the bottom. For these, you’re going to keep the weight at your chest as long as you can. When it gets to be too much, place it on the floor but stay low in your pulses!

Low Squat Side to Side Step | No weight for this one (unless you’re really advanced and want it—then be my guest!). Staying in a low squat position, you’re going to walk side to side, three or four steps to the left and three or four steps to the right. You want tension on the resistance band the whole time so never let your feet come in too narrow as you do these. Think wide and low.

CARDIO BLAST (30 sec): Squat Jacks | No weight for this one either. Start in a low squat position with feet wide, weight in your heels, low abs engaged, hips back. Staying low in a squat, jump your feet in close together and then jump your feet out wide again to the starting position. When your feet are wide, bring one hand to touch the ground, alternating hands each time.

Circuit 2 – RIGHT LEG

30 seconds each exercise x3 – use weight

Single Leg Deadlift to Reverse Lunge | Hold the weight in your left hand. Your right foot will stay firmly planted on the ground the whole time. Left toes are *lightly* on the floor about six inches behind the right foot. From here, do your deadlift, sending your hips back and hinging from the hips as you lower the weight towards the floor. This is a hinge, not a squat, so the weight doesn’t need to come all the way down to the ground. Keep your chest open as you do this. Come back to stand and then step your left foot far back behind you, sinking into a reverse lunge. Come back up, bringing the left toes lightly to the ground behind the right and repeat.

Curtsy Lunge | Start standing with feet hip-width apart, weight held at your chest. To modify, do these without the weight. From here, sink down into your curtsey lunge: right foot stays planted on the ground and as you bend that right knee, reach your left foot behind it as far to the right as you can until the ball of the left foot is planted on the ground as well. From this deep lunge position, you’re going to slowly stand up on the right foot, bringing the left foot back to center, lighting touching it to the ground (don’t shift too much weight into that left side)

Reverse Lunge to Low Squat | No weight for this one (unless you want it, in which case rock on!). Start in a low squat position. Staying low, step your left foot back into a low lunge and then quickly back up to the squat. You continue lightly stepping back and up, staying low through the legs and keeping weight in your right heel. This one burns!

CARDIO BLAST (30 sec): Sprinter Hops | Start in a low lunge position with right foot forward and fingertips lightly on the ground framing your front foot. From here, you’re going to hop everything off the ground (your feet barely need to leave the floor) and land right back low. Keep your chest open as you do these (try not to hunch). If mobility issues make these ones tough, do regular lunge hops with your torso upright instead of getting so low through the upper body.

Circuit 3 – REPEAT CIRCUIT 2 ON LEFT LEG

Circuit 4

30 seconds each exercise x3 – resistance band loop around thighs

Circuit 4 is five straight minutes of hip bridge work (talk about a glute burn!). If you want it to be harder, you can place your feet on an elevated surface or place a weight across your hips. In the video for this workout, I talk a bit about form in hip bridge exercises and if you’re new to working out, it’s definitely worth watching. Scroll up to the embedded video and fast forward to 20:05 for form tips.

Hip Bridge Lifts | Start laying on your back with knees bent, feet hip’s width apart, heels under knees, arms by side. Pressing into your heels and squeezing into your glutes, lift your hips up to a bridge position. Lower back down to hover your hips over the floor (try not to rest them)

Hip Bridge Pulses Out + Up | Hold the top of your bridge and pulse your knees out wide against the resistance band then pulse your hips up an inch higher to the ceiling. Continue pulsing out and up.

Hip Bridge March | Holding the top of your bridge, you’re going to lift one foot at a time, crunching the knee in towards your chest like a march. Try to keep your hips level as you do this (both hip bones same distance from the ceiling). If your resistance band rides up during this, don’t sweat it, just keep on marching.

FINISHER (30 sec): Hip Bridge Hold | Hold the top of your bridge.

WEARING | (outfit c/o of adidas) leggings / tank / sports bra / sneakers

I know that last picture of my outfit has nothing to do with the workout, I just think it’s cute. [insert sassy girl emoji] Speaking of cute …

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