Strength Training- Micro Workout -Lower Body 20 Minute
As we get busier as coaches and in our personal lives, shortening workouts and even skipping an occasional workout (blasphemy!!!) becomes an inevitability. Add in Summer travel or more hectic Summer schedules and it can get even more dodgy. But what if I told you that there is a way to have it all, your more unpredictable days with perhaps a squeezed workout, but still make progress or at worst maintain what progress you’ve worked so hard to make? Through hectic schedules, kids, and running a business we have been able to find some winning formulas for time saving that still allows us and our clients to get after it in a pinch… MICRO WORKOUTS!
Micro Workouts
Micro Workouts can be thought of as the essential distillation of the most important part(s) of an exercise routine that take a very short time to complete (10-20minutes even). Sometimes it’s using techniques like antagonist supersets or even sneaking in a completely different set of muscles groups in a way that is less fatiguing instead of a complete rest. Other times it’s altering an existing plan to make it a micro workout like using your first set as a light warm-up and gradually turning up the intensity. Sometimes it’s shortening a workout in a clever way and still hit it hard enough to feel great and get ahead. Today, we’ll show you a lower body focused workout I did that uses some of the above techniques. You’ll also notice some other techniques like short rests between legs to keep things moving while getting intense work done without as many trips to the weight tree or down time.
Micro Workouts- Lower Body Edition
I added in a very quick upper body finisher to this workout but that’s only because I had a tiny bit of extra time on a day where I may have not been able to get a full length full body workout in.
We love micro workouts because they really help us maintain progress for ourselves and those we work with when things get started late or we may have otherwise just plain missed our opportunity to exercise at all. We too often see folks throw in the towel and just forego their workout rather than give a shorter or more efficient version a try. There are many ways to trim a 60 minute workout down to 30 or less. You may not get the amount of total sets in, but you can still come back after chunking that session in to 2 shorter ones you may have time for. If you are someone that works out 3 days a week. You could even do the second chunked micro workout on a scheduled rest day so you don’t miss out.
However, the example given here is a dedicated lower body focused 20 minute scorcher. It’s quick, extremely efficient, and covers everything from more functional and heavy single leg strength development in the hinge pattern, lighter high rep, and even some speed work with a cardio component. There are examples given so you can do the workout with equipment or without if you find yourself stuck somewhere without.
Without further ado…
20min Lower Body Example:
Here is the brief 1 minute video. Note I add in some fun upper body at the end but only because I had a little more than 20 minutes (25 to be exact). In that time I accomplished completing over half of my working sets in for those muscles groups for the week. That means I would only need to do that same workout maybe 1 more time. Simple and effective!
In Order
Single Leg Deadlifts as the warm-up build and intensity/heavy component: Sets of 5 per leg switching legs every :45 to get enough rest for the first leg and vice versa. Get warm and build to heavy safely and efficiently. Single leg means less total weight loading but more load per leg.
Split Squats: More single leg but lighter and higher rep to failure.
Sprint Work: fast contractions and truly whole body with a low body load emphasis. Pick the fan bike or no equipment version like I did and hill sprint for :20 all out with long recovery.
Bonus Upper Body: I added it in only because I had time and was able to push close to failure with higher rep body weight (calisthenic like) conditioning. This is absolutely optional and could be banked for your next micro workout while your lower body recovers.
NOTE: Bodyweight options are highlighted second in case you are at work, travelling, or just need to be really quick and efficient and can sacrifice a little load or intensity.
ALSO TO NOTE: I had fun! :20 sprints are super fun by themselves but boy are they tough!
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Want an awesome 4 day workout plan that check all the boxes in 40-60 minute? Check out the RB build daily programming- https://www.resilient-body.com/rb-build
As always, if you have any questions or just want to say hey, shoot us a message.
Finally, have a wonderful July 4th Holiday. We are not in as we are enjoying time with family and hope you are too. We are also enjoying some really delicious and hydrating popsicles that you may enjoy too. If you missed it, check it out here and beat the heat!
More micro workouts to come. Catch you next week…