Today’s workout will get your heart rate up and give you a serious leg pump – and as always, there are plenty of options to scale the workout up if you come into this with a solid degree of fitness.
3-5 rounds of:
- 8-12 Squat (jumps)
- 8-12 Split squats (per side)
- 8-12 Thrusters (tin can/DB/KB/BB)
Equipment options/suggestions…
For squats or squat jumps
- none
- a weighted backpack or vest if you wanted to make them a lot tougher
For split squats
- a stack of heavy books pushed against the wall so they don’t move
- a stack of weight plates
- a yoga block
- anything that will be stable and elevate your back foot from an inch or two up to the height of just below your knee
For thrusters
- 2 equal size tin cans from your pantry
- shopping bags with equal weight in them
- a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells
- a barbell
Scaling up…
For squats…
You can go from a partial squat to a full squat (if possible), you can turn the squat into a squat jump, you can add some weight, or you can simply move a little faster through your reps
For split squats
The higher the surface on which you place your back foot, the harder these become. Similarly, the larger the range of motion (the lower you are able to bring the bending knee towards the floor), the harder they become. You can also add some weight as needed, either by holding weight in your hands, or by using a weighted backpack or vest.
For thrusters
Range of motion is the first means of scaling up. Like the squats, the deeper you can get into the squat on the front end of the thruster, with your feet remaining flat with your heels anchored on the floor, the better, as long as you are able to keep your chest up throughout. You can also add weight, especially if you have strong shopping bags you can load equally or have access to kettlebells, dumbells or a barbell.