Leg day doesn't have to last a long time — just ask ACE-certified personal trainer and Under Armour trainer Ariel Belgrave, who created this 20-minute lower-body HIIT workout. The session is part of the Under Armour 21 Days to a Stronger Self challenge, and it's meant to get your heart pumping with explosive movements, as well as strengthen your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. It also puts your stability to the test while burning calories.
20-Minute Lower-Body HIIT Workout
Equipment needed: comfortable shoes, mat for support, and water for hydration.
Directions: Belgrave suggests starting with a two-minute dynamic warmup: jumping jacks, knee hugs, hip circles, inchworms, rotational lunges, and hamstring scoops. You can also do some of the exercises linked here for the warmup instead. For the workout itself, do the five exercises listed ahead for 40 seconds with 10 seconds of recovery between each. You'll do three rounds total with a one-minute rest in between rounds. Cool down afterward with full-body stretches, making sure to properly stretch your legs.
| Exercise Name |
Time |
| Speed skater |
40 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest |
| Squat jump |
40 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest |
| Explosive sprinter's lunge |
40 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest |
| Curtsy lunge |
40 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest |
| Squat jack |
40 seconds, followed by a 10-second rest |
"Going from the speed skaters to the squat jumps, which are both explosive moves, having a lesser break in between is really going to make it more effective, get the heart rate up in a shorter period of time," Belgrave told POPSUGAR. Keep reading for instructions for each move in this workout, and get ready to sweat!
