The 25-Minute Leg Workout That Hits Everything

Only have a half-hour to train legs? Try this workout from Men's Health editors Matt Bean and Ebenezer Samuel

October 5, 2017

Need an ultra-challenging, light-speed workout on leg day? Try this 25-minute leg-day crusher, which smokes every part of your legs, but doesn't require you to spend two hours in the gym.

In fact, it's so quick and easy that Men's Health editor-in-chief Matt Bean and fitness editor Ebenezer Samuel fought through it early on Wednesday morning in the Men's Health Rec Room. They built up a serious sweat doing it, too. Between the warmup and the 15-minute EMOM, you'll hit several key leg motions (squats, lunges and hip hinge-type work), while also doing explosive work. (Looking for something a little more intense? Try our 21-day Men's Health MetaShred program.)

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Modify the rep patterns to suit your fitness level, and work with slightly lighter weights than usual. By the fifth round of the EMOM, you'll be thankful you weren't trying to set a hang-clean record.

WARMUP: Perform 3 rounds of the following circuit.

Exercise 1: Heavy-weight farmer's walk: Pick up a pair of relatively heavy dumbbells, and walk back and forth for 45 seconds.

Exercise 2: Inchworm to Spider Lunge: Start standing up. Place your hands on the ground and walk them forward until you're in a plank position. Keeping your left leg tight, place your left foot just outside your right hand, and sink your hips for a deep stretch. Return to plank position and repeat with the other leg. Do 3 reps each side.

WORKOUT: Set a timer for 15 minutes for this EMOM workout. That means you'll do the required reps in the first minute, then rest until the second minute begins. When the second minute begins, do the required reps for that exercise, then rest until the third minute begins, etc. You'll do 5 rounds of this circuit.

Exercise 1: Deadlift/Hang Clean/Front Squat Complex: Do 3 deadlift reps, then without letting go of the bar, do 3 hang clean reps. The third hang clean should leave the barbell on your shoulders in the front rack position; leave it there and immediately do 3 front squats. Rest for the rest of the minute.

Exercise 2: Single-arm Kettlebell Clean to Alternating Lunge: With your right hand, grasp a kettlebell about a foot in front of you and hinge your hips forward, tightening your core. Stand up explosively, simultaneously lifting the kettlebell to your shoulder, keeping it close to your body the whole way. Keep the kettlebell in the front rack position as you perform a lunge with each leg. Return the kettlebell to the ground, then switch arms and repeat with your left arm. That's 1 rep; do 3, then rest for the rest of the minute.

Exercise 3: Jump Squat: Start standing, with feet shoulder-width apart, then lower your body into a squat. As you stand up, explosively jump off the ground. Land with knees slightly bent, then lower your body into another squat to begin the next rep. Do 10-15 reps, then rest for the rest of the minute.