August 6th Lower Body Circuit

For this one, all you'll need are some hand weights. This is the one that had my friend mad at me for a whole weekend and then some, so please be careful!

1) Walking Lunges -Stand upright, feet together, holding two light (5-8 pound) dumbbells at your sides (palms facing in). Take a controlled step forward with your left leg. Lower hips toward the floor and bend both knees (almost at 90 degree angles). The back knee should come close but never touch the ground. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle and the back knee should be pointing down toward the floor. Push off the with your right foot and bring it forward to starting position. This completes one rep. Repeat 15-20 times.

2) Deadlifts - Stand with feet about hip-distance apart and hold weights in front of thighs. Keeping the shoulders back, abs in and the back straight, tip from the hips and lower the weights towards the floor. Lower as far as your flexibility allows. You can bend the knees slightly if you need to. Push into the heel to go back to starting position. Repeat 15-20 times.

3) Reverse Lunges - Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and grab a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang at your sides. Begin by reaching one of your feet back behind you like you are taking the first step if walking backwards. Bring that leg back to the start position and repeat the same movement with your opposite leg. Repeat 20 times.

4) Lying Hip Abduction - Lie on side on floor or mat. Extend top leg down straight and position lower leg back underneath. Grasping dumbbell with hand of arm furthest from floor, position dumbbell as low as possible on top side of thigh. Raise weighted leg up off ground as high as possible, keeping dumbbell positioned on side of upper thigh. Return leg to floor and repeat. Repeat 15 times each side.

5) Lying Hip Adduction - Lie on side on floor or mat. Bend top leg at knee and place on floor just behind lower leg. With dumbbell resting on lower leg as low as possible on thigh, raise lower leg of floor as high as possible, keeping dumbbell positioned on side of thigh. Return leg to floor and repeat. Repeat 15 times each side.

6.) ABC toes - Lying on back, raise left leg up and trace upper case alphabet letters A-M using straight leg, approximately 3 foot tall. Switch to right leg for N-Z. For more of a challenge, do entire alphabet with both feet together.

7) Leg Triangles - Start off in same lying position as the last two exercises. Raise top leg up to 45 degree angle from floor, drop down to just above lower leg, kick forward, then backwards, and back to starting position. Repeat 10 times, then repeat on opposite side.

8) Squats with Weights - Basic squats while holding dumbbells at sides. Repeat 20 times.

9) Calf Raises with Weights - Holding weights at sides, put all of your weight on the balls of your feet and raise your heels off the ground. Hold for 2 count. Return to starting position and repeat 15-20 times.

10) One Legged Squats - While standing holding weights at sides, shift weight to left leg and lift right leg up off floor. Bend left leg to squat, then return to starting position. Repeat 5-10 times each leg.

Repeat entire circuit once!