Simple Hotel Room Workout: Legs Focus

The last year had me traveling for both work and personal commitments all over North America. Our personal and professional lives can really impede our workouts, which can make it difficult to stay active. And although some hotels boast elaborate gyms, we know that not all hotel gyms are created equal. To stay on top of your workouts, try this quick leg workout in a hotel room or small hotel gym space. Perform 50 repetitions of each exercise four times. End with a plank for added core work!

Hip/glute bridges

Body weight squats (add in pulses for a quicker burnout)

Single-leg lunges (complete 50 each leg)

Step-ups (complete 50 each leg using a sturdy piece of furniture)

Bonus exercise 1 (core): plank (one minute)

Bonus exercise 2 (legs): walk or run up and down the staircase at your hotel for some extra cardio.

Travel tip: Check out the gym at the Hilton Hotel in Prague, Czech Republic — you won’t be disappointed!

All opinions are my own, and I received no compensation for expressing them.

© 2019 Balanza and Beyond, LLC. All rights reserved.

First image above:  Shutterstock.

Quick Biceps, Triceps, and Legs Workout

Try this simple workout for quick bursts of weight lighting that are sure to get your heart rate up. Complete four sets of 12-15 repetitions for each set. Try to move through the exercises quickly to increase the blood flow and keep your heart rate high throughout the workout. Equipment needed includes light, medium, and heavy dumb bells as well as a resistance band.

Triceps

Dips (support yourself with a piece of furniture or gym bench)

Overhead extensions (use light to medium dumb bells)

Kick backs (you may complete these with single or double arm movement)

Biceps

Dumb bell hammer curls (use light to medium dumb bells)

Dumb bell lateral curls (use light to medium dumb bells)

Back rows (use medium to heavy dumb bells)

Legs

Sumo squats with heavy dumb bell

Lunges (15 repetitions each leg while holding medium-weight dumb bells)

Glute kick backs with a resistance band (15 repetitions each leg)

© 2019 Melanie Glover. All rights reserved.

First image above: Shutterstock.

No Equipment Needed Outdoor Leg Workout

Welcome your new week with the opportunity to work those legs using only your body weight.  This exercise routine is great for outdoors, indoors, or anywhere you are.  If you do not have space for walking/jogging, you may march in place or simple perform the leg exercises by themselves.

Given the cooler fall weather, my favorite place to do this workout is outside because the sun provides me with Vitamin D; the cooler weather refreshes me; and I love adding in walking to my workouts because it has a very therapeutic effect.

Depending on how fast you walk/jog, this workout should take you about an hour to complete and leave you super sweaty!  Enjoy!

Begin by walking or jogging about 5-10 minutes to warm up. 

Pause your walk for jump squats (1 minute).  Modification:  Regular squats with calf lifts.

Break up each exercise by walking/jogging .1-.2 miles – or a distance comfortable for you to keep your heart rate up.  At the end of the hour, you should have walked about 1.5-2 miles.  The goal is to do the exercises along the way.  

Pause your walk for alternating jumping lunges (1 minute).  Modification:  Alternating, backward-stepping lunges.

Walk/jog.

Pause for calf lifts (hang heels off the side of a bleacher, step, riser, etc.) (1 minute).

Walk/jog.

Pause for high knees (1 minute).  Modification:  march in place or perform standing crunches (while standing, bring your knees in one at a time to the chest). 

Walk/jog.

Pause for plie squat with calf raises (1 minute).

Walk/jog.

Pause for one-legged squats using bench or riser as a guide (2 minutes).  Don’t forget to alternate legs after 1 minute is up!

Walk/jog.

Pause for wide squat (1 minute).

Walk/jog.

Pause for curtsy lunge (2 minutes - 1 minute per leg).

Walk/jog to cool down.

© 2016 Melanie Glover. All rights reserved.

Full Body Workout

This workout is quick, fun, and focuses on the entire body.  Enjoy!

Instructions:  Complete each exercise for 30 seconds followed by a 10-second break before moving on to the next exercise.  Repeat each group of exercise four times.  Use light hand weights for the arm exercises and heavier hand weights for the leg exercises as desired.

Total workout time:  About 38-40 minutes.

Group 1:  Cardio

1/2 burpee/squat (option:  1-legged burpee for advanced individuals)
Jumping jacks
Mountain climbers
Jumping lunges

Group 2:  Arms (shoulders)

Upright row
Shoulder press
Front raise

Group 3:  Legs

Wide squat (hold weight at chest)
Narrow squat (hold weight at chest)
Lunge (15 seconds each leg -- hold weight at side)
Deadlift (hold weight in front)

Group 4:  Abs

Russian twist (with weight if desired)
Basic crunch
Bicycle crunches
Leg extension

© 2016 Melanie Glover. All rights reserved.

First image above:  Shutterstock.