Day 4: Legs and abs

Day 4 actually took place on Tuesday instead of Monday this week. Our schedules are crazy at times so we have to adjust our workouts occasionally. The important thing is to get all your workouts in that week. It doesn't matter what days they fall on just as long as you do them. Day 4 is the final day in our cycle. Tomorrow we will pick back up with lower back and abs like we did on the first day. Day 4 consisted of leg and abdominal exercises. Here it is...

15 minute warm-up on treadmill
     - Pace: 3  Incline: 5
     - 15 minutes really gets your blood pumping and moving. You will need this for the first exercise!

Squats
     - I don't say this much, but I LOVE this exercise. Squats make you feel so good about yourself! The next day you don't feel so good, but while you are doing them you really get a sense of accomplishment.
     - To receive the full benefits of this exercise your form has to be perfect or close to perfect. Good form also keeps you from injuring yourself as well.  I had a video of myself doing them, but it was turned the wrong way :-(  Here is a picture of what good form looks like:

     - The bar should be resting just above your shoulder blades and below your shoulders. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your shoulders pulled slightly forward. Here comes the hard part...you then drop your hips and squat into a sitting position. Your legs should make almost a 90 degree angle at your knee. For those of you ladies who have "tinkled" outside while camping this position should look familiar. Once you reach this point you then push hard through your feet into the floor and raise yourself back up. Rely on your legs to get you back up in a standing position. Your back should not be involved. For beginners, I highly recommend not using a 45lb weight bar just yet. Try a padded weight bar to start off with and work your way up.

     - Squats get a bad reputation like deadlifts do. They are widely considered as a "man's" exercise. Tell that to this girl....

Ab bench
     - 3 sets of max reps
     - This is the same machine we used on the first day. Cory says it is important to come all the way up out of your curl and then crunch back down again.

Leg extension
     - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
     - Leg extensions are tough by this point! Your legs will probably still feel like jell-o from those squats. You just have to keep going though. Almost every gym should have this machine. Here is what a typical leg extension machine looks like:

     - If you have bad knees like I do, just point your toes toward the sky. It relieves pressure on the knee.

Leg lifts
     - 3 sets of max reps
     - How many of you ladies (and men) hate that little pooch around your belly button? Legs lifts burn away some of that evil lingering fat right there. The pooch will not go fully away unless you have an excellent diet and work those muscles everyday, but leg lifts help for now! Every gym should also have the equipment needed for this exercise.

     - You let your legs dangle straight down and then using your abs and hips bring your legs straight up in front of you. This is a hard exercise! You really feel the burn in your bottom abs. Just keep going until you can't bring your legs up any more!

Standing calf raises
     - 3 sets of 15-20
     - I bet you were wondering when I would mention the exercise I hate the most for this workout. Here it is! I hate to feel a burning sensation in my calf. I know that means it is working, but I still hate it! Not every gym will have this machine, but they may have something similar.

     - There are free weights on the back of this machine. Position your back under the padding, and make sure your feet are hanging off slightly. Then slowly raise your self up and down with your feet. You'll feel the burn instantly. Do not put too much weight on there though. A pulled/strained calf muscle hurts!

Ab bench
     - 3 sets of max reps
     - Yes, the ab bench again! You could substitute any sort of ab exercise here though. Rope crunches, more left lifts, exercise ball crunches, or just plain down on the floor sit ups.

One legged calf raises
     - 3 sets per leg max reps
     - The cool thing about these is that they can be done at home as well! They are easy and quick to do. No weights needed, all you use is your body weight.

    
     - Place one foot on the stair hanging off slightly. Place the other foot behind that one. All you do is slowly raise yourself up. It's pretty easy! (Please ignore my Casper legs)

Notes from Courtney: You are going to feel this workout the next day. My calves and thighs are still feeling the burn. I suggest a big dose of protein afterward. It will help you recover faster. Eat some chicken or mix up a protein shake. Bananas before and after this workout would be good too so as to avoid cramps in the calves. Tomorrow is lower back. We might switch the routine up a little so make sure you check to see if anything has changed.