Legs Of Steel

The MH ultimate series

- Ebenezer Samuel

Skipping leg day is real. And if you never do leg exercises, you risk building a physique that resembles an upside-down pyramid. Even worse: you miss a chance to send your body into fat-blasting overdrive. Leg workouts incinerate calories and push your central nervous system to release Hulk-level muscle-building hormones.

So, yeah: focus on your legs. But that doesn’t mean you have to do a bodybuilder slog of squats, deadlifts and sheer pain. Heck, you don’t even have to pick up a barbell. Certified strength and conditioning coach David Otey, has a one-hour lower-body blitz that’ll turn your legs into the fitness engine they’re supposed to be.

DIRECTIONS:

Do this workout twice a week, resting 2 days between each session. On 1 off day, do 4 sets of 10 pushups and 15 close-grip pushups. On the other, do 4 sets of 10 barbell rows and 10 hammer curls. Rest all other days.

THE WARMUP

Start by foam-rolling your feet, calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes, then do this circuit. Do 3 rounds, resting as needed between moves.

1 Mountain Climber Get in pushup position. Keeping your back flat, drive your left knee to your chest. Quickly return to start, then drive your right knee to your chest. That’s 1 rep; do 25.

2 Plank Set up in pushup position with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly below shoulders, core tight. Hold for 30 seconds.