For day six of Sweat's Two Weeks to Strong Workout Plan [1], get ready to work your lower body with this 15-minute workout from Sweat app [2] trainer Cass Olholm [3]. This one is inspired by Olholm's High Intensity With Cass program on the Sweat app, which means you can expect to improve the strength and endurance in your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. And with an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) structure, you'll be working to repeat each move as many times as you can within each 45-second window, giving it that super-sweaty, high-intensity feel. Hit play on the video above to follow the full workout, and check out the breakdown below to see how to do each move.
15-Minute Lower-Body Strength Workout
Equipment needed: A yoga mat or comfortable floor and a set of medium dumbbells. (Here's how to choose the right weight [4].)
Directions: Start with the warmup listed below, then start the AMRAP circuit. You'll do 45 seconds of each exercise, followed by 15 seconds of rest before moving on to the next exercise. Once you finish the last exercise and rest, go back to the top and repeat for three rounds total. After the third round, complete the cooldown and stretch session listed below.
Warmup
| Exercise Name | Time/Reps |
|---|---|
| High Knees | 20 seconds |
| Butt Kick | 20 seconds |
| Inchworm to Cobra | 3 reps |
| Lunge and Twist | 6 reps slow, 6 reps fast |
| Air Squat and Hold | 10 reps, followed by 10-second hold |
High Knees:
- Start with both feet on the floor, slightly further than shoulder-width apart.
- Shift your weight to your left foot as you bend your right knee toward your chest. Keep your core tight and chest lifted.
- Lower your right foot back to the floor and repeat with your left leg.
- Once you're comfortable, increase your speed so you're hopping from one foot to the other.
- Continue alternating between legs for 20 seconds.
Butt Kick:
- Start with both feet on the floor, slightly further than shoulder-width apart.
- Shift your weight to your left foot as you bend your right knee, bringing your right foot to your butt.
- Lower your right foot back to the floor and repeat with your left leg.
- Once you're comfortable, increase your speed so you're hopping from one foot to the other.
- Continue alternating between legs for 20 seconds.
Inchworm to Cobra:
- Start with both feet on the floor, slightly further than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips while keeping your legs as straight as possible and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. Keep your core tight as you move.
- Without moving your feet, walk your hands forward until your body is in one straight line from your head to your heels in a high plank position. You should be resting on the balls of your feet, ensuring that your legs remain as straight as possible, with your core pulled tight to your spine.
- Press your hands into the mat to slowly elevate your chest, arching your spine upward. Draw your shoulder blades down and back with your gaze slightly elevated.
- Lower your gaze and slowly return to a high plank position.
- Without moving your feet, walk your hands backwards to return to the starting position, once again, ensuring that your legs remain as straight as possible.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for three reps.
Lunge and Twist:
- With your forearms stacked directly in front of your chest, plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.
- Take a big step forward with your left foot. As you plant your left foot on the floor, bend both knees to about 90 degrees, ensuring that your weight is evenly distributed between both legs. Your front knee should be aligned with your ankle, with your back knee hovering just off the floor.
- From the lunge position, twist your torso to bring your forearms over your left leg, ensuring that your knee remains in line with your middle toe. Untwist your torso to bring your forearms in front of your chest.
- Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot. Step your left foot backward to return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat one the other leg, continuing for six reps while alternating legs.
Air Squat and Hold:
- Plant both feet on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Gently engage your core by pulling your abs toward your spine. This is your starting position.
- Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your torso remains as upright as possible while maintaining a flat spine.
- Push through your heels and straighten your legs to return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Repeat for 10 reps.
- After the 10th rep, hold the squat position with your thighs parallel to the floor for 10 seconds before returning to the starting position.
AMRAP Circuit: 3 Rounds
| Exercise Name | Time |
|---|---|
| Alternating Squat Thruster | 45 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds |
| Dumbbell Good Morning | 45 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds |
| Dumbbell Reverse Lunge | 45 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds |
| Squat Hold | 45 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds |
| Dumbbell Glute Bridge | 45 seconds |
| Rest | 15 seconds |
Alternating Squat Thruster:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor hip-width apart. Bend your elbows to hold the dumbbells at shoulder height. Gently engage your core and glutes. This is your starting position.
- Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your torso remains as upright as possible with a flat spine.
- Push evenly through your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position. At the same time, extend your right arm to press that dumbbell overhead, ensuring that your arm is in line with your ear.
- Bend your elbow to lower the dumbbell and return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can with proper form in 45 seconds, alternating between arms for the overhead press.
Dumbbell Good Morning:
- Holding one dumbbell against your chest, plant both feet on the floor hip-width apart. Draw your shoulder blades down and back to push your chest out slightly. This is your starting position.
- Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward from your hips. Ensure that you keep your chest lifted and that your head stays in line with your spine. You should feel tension in your hamstrings (back of your legs).
- Push through your heels and use your glutes and hamstrings to extend your hips, returning to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can with proper form in 45 seconds.
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Engage your core, drawing your abs in toward your spine. This is your starting position.
- Take a big step backwards with your right foot. As you plant your right foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees, ensuring that your weight is evenly distributed between both legs. Your front knee should be aligned with your ankle with your back knee hovering just off the floor.
- Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your left foot. Step your right foot forward to return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can with proper form in 45 seconds, alternating sides.
Squat Hold:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, plant both feet on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Engage your core, drawing your abs in toward your spine. This is your starting position.
- Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains within a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips.
- Hold for 45 seconds.
Dumbbell Glute Bridge:
- Start by lying flat on your back on a yoga mat. Bend your knees and position your feet firmly on the mat, ensuring that they are hip-width apart and your spine is flat. Lay a dumbbell across your hip bones, holding it in place with both hands, palms facing towards your body. This is your starting position.
- Gently draw your ribs to your hips to engage your core. Press your heels into the mat, activating your glutes as you raise your pelvis off the floor until your body forms one straight line from chin to knee, resting on your shoulders.
- Lower your pelvis with control to return to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can with proper form in 45 seconds.
Cooldown
| Exercise Name | Time |
|---|---|
| Hamstrings and Calves | 20 seconds per side |
| Adductors | 20 seconds |
| Glutes | 20 seconds per side |
| Quads | 20 seconds per side |
Hamstrings and Calves:
- While seated on a yoga mat, extend both legs out in front of you. Bend your right leg and place your right foot against the inside of your left knee, forming a figure four.
- Bending from the hips, reach for your left foot (or as far as you can). Keep your chest lifted and avoid hunching your back. If you can reach your toes, gently pull them back towards you or rest your hands on your ankle or shin — whichever is most comfortable.
- Each time you exhale, lower your torso further towards your legs, ensuring that you are bending from the hips and not rounding through your spine.
- Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat with your right leg.
Adductors:
- While seated on a yoga mat, extend both legs out in front of you. Slide both legs outwards as wide as they can go. Sit up tall and place both hands on the floor in front of you. This is your starting position.
- Bending from the hips and keeping both hands on the floor, reach as far forward as possible. Each time that you exhale, try and walk your hands out a little further to gradually increase the stretch. Keep your chest lifted and avoid hunching your back.
- Hold for 20 seconds.
Glutes:
- Start by lying flat on your back on a yoga mat. Bend your knees and position your feet firmly on the mat, ensuring that they are hip-width apart and your spine is flat and relaxed.
- Lift your right foot and set your right ankle on your left leg, just above your knee.
- Rest both hands on the back of your left thigh and gently draw your left knee in towards your torso.
- Each time that you exhale, draw your knee further into your chest and press your right elbow into your right knee to increase the stretch, ensuring that your spine remains in a neutral position and your tailbone on the floor.
- Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.
Quads:
- Plant both feet on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your right knee and bring your foot back directly behind you so that you can hold it with both hands. You should feel a stretch in the front of your right leg. If you're struggling to balance, focus on a spot directly ahead of you or extend your left arm.
- Hold for 20 seconds, then repeat on the other leg.