Leg Day!
Building a strong foundation for years to come
Our legs are made up of the largest bones and muscles found in our body. They move our skeleton, explode with power during jumping and sprinting and can sustain us for extended periods on long runs or biking excursions. Besides moving our skeleton, they are responsible for helping us rise from sitting to standing, ascending and declining stairs among many other movements we hope to continue to do beyond our 8th decade of life.
When our hormones change during mid-life, muscle mass, strength, and power decline along with our bone density - particularly in the femoral neck, which is the part of the femur (the large bone of the upper leg) that articulates with our pelvic bones so that our legs are able to support our upper bodies. If muscle mass and bone density loss is severe, hip fractures and sarcopenia (muscle wasting) can cause deterioration in our ability to do even the simplest tasks such as sitting, standing, and walking and can dramatically impact our independance and even life-expectancy.
But this does not have to be our fate as midlife women! By taking the time to focus on our legs and train for muscle strength, stamina, and power, we can subvert these changes, continue to excel in our athletic endeavors and remain independant and vital during our 7th, 8th, and 9th decades and beyond!
Warm-Up
AMRAP 5 minutes (As many rounds as possible in 5 minutes)
10 Jumping Jacks
10 Air Squats
Workout
Part 1 - Lift Heavy
This workout is ideally performed with a heavier barbell taking it off the rack. If you do not have a barbell and are using dumbbells, do these repetitions as 2:2:1 tempo repetitions (2 count down, hold at the bottom for a 2 count, then rise for a 1 count). All 6 repetitions should be performed unbroken, building in weight across all 5 sets.
Every 2 minutes for 5 sets
Set a timer and perform 6 repetitions on the zero and even minutes for a total of 10 minutes. Rest for the remainder of the interval after the 6 repetitions are completed.
Heavy barbell Front Squat - 6 repetitions
TIP!: “Heavy” does not mean that you sacrifice mechanics! Watch the video and maintain the strictest of form and do not compromise safety! Some wiggle-room is allowed as fatigue sets in, but it should never get ugly.
(Alternative: Dumbbell Front Squat at a 2:2:1 tempo)
Part 2 - Sprint Interval Training (SIT) and Plyometrics
Part 1 of the workout targets your fast twitch power muscle fibers. Part 2 targets your sustained slow twitch type 1 fibers while still recruiting the fibers responsible for explosive movement….and your bones, heart and lungs will thank you too!
How To: This will get spicy fast! Set your timer for Tabata 20 sec of work and 10 seconds of rest. Your goal is to accumulate 80 jumping air squats over these tabata intervals. You can expect this to take around 10 rounds. If you cannot finish, that’s ok! Save this as a benchmark and try it again in 2-4 weeks.
Tabata 20 seconds of work / 10 seconds of rest
Accumulate 80 jumping air squats
(Modification: If jumping with your feet leaving the floor is not accessible to you, try a mini-jump where instead of your feet coming off the floor, you instead rise up on your toes).
You’re Welcome! ;)
Cool-Down
15 minute Deep Stretch for Hips - Slow Flow Yoga sequence