I only had an hour today to drop the little one off at childcare and get a workout done. Lately, I’ve been of the opinion that the body works as one unit, so I should train myself that way too, doing full body.

Well, today I figured I didn’t have time for full body so it was leg day. I haven’t trained one body part in a long time. But being crunched for time today, I felt it was necessary. When all you have to focus on is one body part I feel like you can get the workout done faster.

It was NOT easy, but I was so proud of myself. I worked my legs, and stretched in less than 45 minutes. I even had time to shower.

Logistics

I mapped out the gym floor and body parts in my head before getting started. If you know what machine or exercise you’re doing next, it’s easy to stay focused. Focused and committed to getting it all done while watching the clock.

I didn’t set anything up ahead of time. I just went from one exercise to the next, using circuits, moving quickly. It worked out that the gym wasn’t very crowded, making it easier to maneuver through and get everything done.

I decided that since I was working at an intensity that elevated my heart rate, it was fine to skip cardio. Lucky for me, there’s hardly every anyone using the sled so actually, we can call that cardio.

The Workout

With the exception of deadlifts, and the sled, I didn’t use free weights. Between body weight and the machines, I burned some major calories. No, I didn’t wear a fitness tracker to know for sure. But judging by how hard I was breathing, and sweating, calories were burned.

Here are the specifics. Add more or fewer circuits as you see fit. You could even add a cardio circuit to up the calorie burn.

Any two exercises seperated by a slash (oblique stroke) indicates a circuit, or two exercises done back to back without rest. I performed three sets of each exercise for 12 – 15 repetitions each set. My rest in between exercises was minimal. I also stretched for 10 minutes at the end of the workout.

Warm Up

Leg Press

Deadlift/Walking Lunges

Leg Extension/Calf Raise

Glute Extension

*Sled Push/Pull

If you don’t have access to a sled, monster walks, step ups, or bridges would be an ok substitute.

I was fatigued at the end of the workout so I knew I would feel it later in the week.

I will definitely use this circuit again in the near future. Do you have a favorite, quick, circuit that you return to again and again?