Snowed in? Turn up the heat with this leg-burning routine!

It's a Snow Day is middle GA, and I'm spending it lounging on the couch with my furry foot-warmers (aka puppies).  Don't worry, I hit play on two P90X3 workouts earlier today, so I earned this laziness with sweat.  Speaking of P90X3 - I'm less than two weeks in and loving it!  I'm going to do a detailed review of the first month when the time comes.

If you're home from work and wondering what to do with this magical, unexpected free time, I've got an awesome FREE legs routine for you to do.  It comes from the iPad/iPhone magazine Glam Today - which is as awesome free app that publishes six issues a year.  Every issue comes with multiple workout routines, tips for getting the most out of life and profiles of some very fit and awesome women.  The Jan/Feb issue includes a kick-butt routine that will shred your legs while torching major calories.

Below are screenshots from the magazine that break down the workout.  This is designed to be done in a gym, but you can modify a bit to make it home-gym friendly.  You'll need some kind of weight (dumbbells, kettleball, chubby cat), about an hour, and a little space.

Note: You can click on the pictures to make them larger.

This explanation is strange.  Basically, treat this as two separate circuits with a superset at the end.
So, Cardio then [Plie, Lunge, Deadlifts] x 4
Cardio then [Side-to-Side, Leg Press, Crunch] x 4
Cardio then [Plie, Lunge, Deadlifts, Side-to-Side, Leg Press, Crunch] x 1

If you are working out at home, try 10 minutes of jogging-in-place, jumping jacks, and some sweet dance moves.

Heavy weight here - 20 lb or two medical textbooks

You can do less weight on this one.
Double bonus if you add a torso twist to the side of the front leg to engage your abs.

Form, Form, Form!  Don't round your back.
Use enough weight - you should feel this.

High-knees, butt-kicks, fast-feet or chase your dog up and down the hallway.

To engage your adductors, focus on squeezing your legs together as you stand.

At-Home Modification - Hip lifts/Bridge:
Lay on your back, legs bent and feet on the floor by your butt.  Lift your hips high into the air.
Bonus points for doing one leg at a time with the other extended up.

Bonus if you can do this with legs extended at 45 degrees or doing the traditional bicycle.

Turn up the tunes and dance! 

Now ditch the cardio and just go through all the moves for one last super-mega-giant-gut-busting set.
Don't neglect a cool down stretch - or you'll regret it tomorrow.

This routine kills.  While not unique or innovative, these are some of the most effective moves for lower body toning - that's why you see them in so many workouts.  As you get stronger, try adding elements of instability (one-leg balancing deadlifts, reverse lunges with weight in just one hand, crunches on a exercise ball).  I didn't wear my heart rate monitor, but I imagine this'll torch around 500 calories for an hour of work, depending on how hard you push the cardio.

If you don't have an hour to spare, here's another workout from Glam Today's Jan/Feb issue:

If you have an iDevice, I highly suggest this app.  Get it here.

Stay warm - Stay safe!

bgt