By: Scott Lathrop
Welcome to my Scott’s Fitness series! A series dedicated to providing quality workouts – no matter your situation. This is workout #2. Let me know what you think!
Last week we shared an upper body hotel room workout with our traveling friends that can be performed without any equipment, in a space as small as a hotel room. This week we have a lower body hotel room workout to complement it. And it’s just in time for Halloween!
Trick and treat your lower body to a ghouling workout with this quick lower-body and ab routine that can be performed in a hotel room in less than 20 minutes. Simply complete the 10 exercises, keep rest periods to a minimum, and and then repeat them one more time!
Beware, you may be walking like Frankenstein at the end of it…
Not familiar with an exercise? Scroll down to the detailed section.
Overview:
- Bodyweight Squats – to failure
- Reverse Lunge – to failure
- Heels to the Heavens – 30 seconds
- Sumo Squats – to failure
- Side Lunges – to failure
- Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift – to failure
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (opposite leg) – to failure
- Oblique Crunch – 30 seconds
- Bodyweight Calf Raises – to failure
- Repeat!
Details for Each Exercise:
- Bodyweight Squats – to failure
- Instructions:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes slightly out.
- Keeping your heels on the floor, bend at the knees and drop your hips. Shoot for getting your thighs are parallel to the floor, but don’t go so far that you lose the natural arch of your spine.
- Stand back up quickly, and repeat until failure!
- Tips:
- Hold your arms in front of you if you need balance on the way down.
- Try not to lean forward too much. Focusing on not letting your knees go too far in front of your feet at the bottom of your squat can help.
- Instructions:
- Reverse Lunge – to failure
- Instructions:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and clasp your hands behind your head.
- Take a large step backwards with your right foot, and then lower your hips until your left thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is directly above your left ankle (Don’t let your knee smack the ground!).
- Step forward with your right foot back to your standing position.
- Alternate legs, and repeat until failure.
- Instructions:
- Heels to the Heavens – 30 seconds
- Instructions:
- Lie flat on your back with your hands palm-down on the floor.
- Lift your legs straight above you, making as close to a 90-degree angle with your torso and legs as possible (you may need to bend your knees, but try to keep it straight).
- Using your core, “pulse” your legs straight up into the air and back down, repeatedly. Your upper back should not leave the floor, and don’t let your legs sag towards your head. Keep the legs straight up and lift your hips off the ground.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Instructions:
- Sumo squats – to failure
- Instructions:
- Similar to the bodyweight squat, but this time stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and turn your feet out at a 45-degree angle.
- Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Stand back up quickly, and repeat until failure!
- Instructions:
- Side Lunges – to failure
- Instructions:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take a large step to the right with your right foot, and squat with your right leg while keeping your left leg straight (or close to it).
- Press up with your right leg back to your standing position.
- Alternate legs, and repeat until failure.
- Instructions:
- Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds
- Instructions:
- Start at the top of your push-up position, also called “plank” position.
- While maintaining a straight line from head to feet, pull one knee to your chest.
- Quickly, trade legs and pull the other knee to your chest.
- Repeat this as fast as possible for 30 seconds, while maintaining form.
- Instructions:
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift – to failure
- Instructions:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and lift one leg just off the floor.
- Maintain a slight bend in the knee you are standing on, bend forward at the hips while maintaining your spine’s natural arch, and lean forward until your chest is parallel to the floor. Allow your raised leg to stretch out behind you for balance.
- Squeeze your glutes, push forward with your hips, and return to the start position.
- Continue to failure!
- Instructions:
- Single Leg Romanian Deadlift (opposite leg) – to failure
- Instructions:
- Repeat the above with the opposite leg.
- Instructions:
- Oblique Crunch – 30 seconds
- Instructions:
- Similar to a regular crunch, except start by laying on your left side, right leg on top of left leg, with knees slightly bent.
- With your right hand on your head and left hand palm down on the floor in front of you, simultaneously raise your torso and legs of the ground. Try to touch your right knee with your right elbow, but don’t worry if you can’t quite touch.
- Slowly repeat for 30 seconds.
- Want to make it easier?
- Try lifting just your torso.
- Instructions:
- Bodyweight Calf Raises – to failure
- Instructions:
- This one is simple. Stand close to something that you can hold onto to brace yourself (a wall, bedpost, dresser, etc.).
- Stand up as high as you can on your tippy toes, hold for a long second, and return to the floor.
- Repeat until you can’t anymore!
- Want to make it a little harder?
- Find a step or some other elevated surface.
- Stand with the ball of your foot on the surface, and let your heel sag down before standing onto your toes. You’ll feel that increased range of motion.
- Even harder?!
- Same as above, but do one leg at a time…
- Instructions:
- Do it all once more!
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