Daisy Duke Ready Lower Body + Plyometric Superset

*Warm up with walk or jog and/or active dynamic stretching {high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, air squats with arms reaching overhead}.

Equipment Needed: Light, medium, and heavy dumbbells

Warm Up: 10-20 minute light run

Description: Do 3 sets of each exercise and rest 30-60 seconds in between.

Dumbbell Squats + Calf Raise

1. Start with your legs shoulder width distance apart, arms holding your dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in.
2. With weight in your heels, chest lifted perform a squat; pushing your hips back and keeping your chest lifted. Weights stay at your sides at all times.
3. Once at the bottom, press back up into standing position, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings as you stand, and coming onto your toes for a calf raise at the top.  
4. Lower your heels and return to starting position.
5. Repeat full, continuous motion for number of reps listed.

Squat Jumps

1. Begin in neutral standing position, feet shoulder width distance apart, arms at your sides.
2. As you lower down into a squat position, push your hips back like you are going to sit down on a chair. Try to keep your weight in your heels, chest lift, core engaged and gaze forward.
3. At the bottom of your squat, drive through the bottom of your feet and explode up leaving the ground as you press your hips forward and drive your arms back behind you.
4. Land softly on your feet, returning to the low squat position.
5. Repeat this movement for number of reps listed.

Dumbbell Curtsy Lunges + Side Leg Lift

1. Stand feet shoulder-width apart. Holding a pair of dumbbells at your side, keep your chest up and shoulders retracted back.
2. Step your right leg backwards into a modified lunge position where your right foot crosses behind and to the left of your front leg. Bringing your right knee towards your left calf.
3. With the majority of your weight in your front, left leg stand back up to the starting position but kick your right leg straight out towards the right side of your body.
4. Return to the starting position.
5. Perform the number of reps listed on the right leg and then switch legs performing the same reps on the left leg.

Speed Skaters

1. Start in an athletic standing position. Then explode of your left leg, jumping laterally to the right. Landing on your right leg while sweeping your left leg behind you and bringing your left arm across your body.
2. Once firmly planted on your right leg, push off and jump laterally to your left, landing on your left foot and sweeping your right leg behind you and your right arm across your body.
3. Continue alternating these side-to-side lateral bound for the number of reps listed.  

Single Leg Deadlift with Dumbbells

1. Stand with feet together, holding dumbbells in each hand in the front of your body, palms facing the body.
2. Perform a single leg deadlift by transferring all the weight to your left leg. As you hinge forward at the hips, kick your right leg straight back until you’re in a straight line from right ankle to neck.
3. Keep the dumbbells close to your body and your shoulders pulled down engaging your shoulders and back (as if you are crushing oranges in your armpits).
4. Try to keep your left leg as straight as possible, but you may need to add a small bend depending on your hamstring tightness and flexibility.
5. Then return to the top, keeping the dumbbells close to the body and squeezing the left glute and hamstring as you rise.
6. Perform the listed number of reps on the left leg and then repeat on the right leg.

Jack In The Box Squat Jumps

1. Start standing with your feet together, your arms comfortably at your sides.
2. Jump your feet out to a wide squat position – like a hop squat
3. As you jump out bring your arms and hands up to your chest
4. Engage your core and quads and jump feet back together to starting position bringing your hand back down to your sides
5. Repeat for desired reps

Reverse Dumbbell Lunges

1. Holding weights at your side, take a large step backwards with your left foot and lower your body towards the floor into a reverse lunge. both legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge. keeping your front, right knee behind your toes. 
2. Repeat this on opposite leg.

Split Jumps

1. Take a large step backwards with your left foot and lower your body towards the floor into a reverse lunge. Both legs should be bent at a 90-degree angle at the bottom of the lunge. Keeping your front, right knee behind your toes.
2. With your core engaged, explode up, pushing off the bottoms of both feet jumping straight up. Switch the position of your feet in midair, landing in a low lunge position this time with your right foot back and your left foot forward.
3. Repeat this movement alternating legs as you jump. Make sure your back leg is bent directly underneath your body and your front leg is bent at 90 degrees at the knee and hip.

Bonus Burnout – Dumbbell Surfer Spins

Do as many as you can for 1 minute!

Begin in neutral standing position, feet shoulder width distance apart, with the option to hold dumbbells in each hand to make this exercise more challenging.

Lower down into a squat position, pushing your hips back till your hips align with your knees.

Then explode up, turning to your right. Perform a 180 degree jump and turn — turn your head, neck and shoulder towards the right.

Land softly on your feet returning to the bottom squat position, facing the opposite direction.

Repeat this 180 degree jumping movement for the number of reps listed. Jump right, right; then left, left; then right, right and so on. Maintain a tight, engaged core throughout this entire movement.

Disclaimer: Always consult your doctor before starting a new fitness regime. While Lee from Fit Foodie Finds and Monique from Ambitious Kitchen worked with a professional trainer to design the Summer Sweat Series exercise program, you are participating at your own risk. Please listen to your body and modify as needed.