Think you need heavy weights to build leg strength? Think again. This bodyweight workout, crafted by personal trainer Alice Liveing, targets your lower body and core with just six moves. Perfect for home, the gym, or while traveling, this session requires no equipment, making it incredibly versatile.
The Perfect Travel Workout
Designed as a travel-friendly routine, this workout doesn’t demand any gear. While a yoga mat can provide extra grip on slippery floors, it’s not essential. This circuit comprises six exercises performed consecutively, with minimal rest between moves. Aim for three rounds to complete a 15-minute session, adjusting the number of rounds based on your fitness level and available time.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you’re unfamiliar with these exercises or need a form refresher, take a moment to practice. Alice Liveing’s Instagram demonstrations are a great resource for perfecting your technique and maximizing your workout benefits.
The Six-Move Circuit
Alice Liveing’s workout focuses on the lower body, modifying popular exercises like squats and lunges to intensify the challenge.
- One-and-a-Half Squat: This variation keeps your muscles under tension longer, making it more challenging than a standard squat. Your glutes, quads, and hamstrings will thank you.
- Lateral Lunge: A unilateral move that targets one side of your body at a time, increasing the workload on the working leg.
- Low Surrender: Another unilateral exercise that challenges your legs and balance by requiring one leg to support more of your body weight.
- Table-Top Step-Out: This movement engages your core muscles to maintain balance and support your spine.
- Thread the Needle: Similar to the table-top step-out, this exercise demands core stability and balance, offering a full-body challenge.
- High Knees: A cardio burst that elevates your heart rate and works your legs simultaneously.
Engage Your Core
Though this workout is lower-body focused, your legs won’t be the only part of your body feeling the burn. Many of the moves challenge your balance and stability, effectively engaging your core. The table-top step-out and thread the needle exercises, in particular, will have your core muscles working hard to hold your position and support your spine.
Add a Cardio Boost
For those looking to raise their heart rate further, Liveing suggests adding up to a 1km run between rounds. This addition transforms the routine into a more comprehensive cardio and strength session.
Recovery Is Key
Since this is a strength training workout, give your legs a day to recover afterward. Consider an upper-body workout or a lower-intensity activity, like our beginner’s Pilates plan, to balance your training regimen.
Embrace this six-move bodyweight workout to strengthen your legs and core, no weights needed. Whether at home, in the gym, or on the go, this routine ensures you stay fit and active wherever you are.
