Strength training is one of the best forms of exercise you can do, whether you just started exercising or have been working out for years. It is a mood booster, can help you lose fat and build muscle [1], and will also increase your lean muscle mass, according to a 2006 article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine [2].
If all of those benefits sound like music to your ears, I've got a quick workout you can do to strengthen your legs and abs — the main muscle groups you work during soccer. You're going to feel your glutes, your quadriceps, and all of your core light up, which means you're really working those muscles. All you need are 25 minutes and some determination to get this workout done. Channel the fierceness of the USWNT [3] — time to get started!
The 25-Minute Abs and Legs HIIT Workout
You don't need any equipment for this workout, but if you want to make it harder, perform each move with a medium-weight dumbbell. Before getting started, warm up your muscles — here's a dynamic warmup [5] I like. Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, taking 20 seconds of rest in between each move. Once you've completed all of the exercises, take one minute of rest. Repeat for a total of two to three rounds if you're a beginner and four rounds if you're more experienced.
If any of the jumping movements (side skaters and jump squats) are too much impact on your joints, do lateral lunges [6] and air squats [7] instead. You can also modify the amount of time you perform each exercise. For beginners, I recommend doing each exercise for 20 seconds followed by 20 to 30 seconds of rest.
- Glute bridge: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Intermediate seated Russian twist: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Reverse lunge with a knee drive: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- High knees: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Side skater: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Side plank leg lift: 20 seconds on the right, 20 seconds on the left followed by 20 seconds of rest
- Jump squat: 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest
Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
- Leave your arms down by your sides with your palms flat on the floor.
- Press down into the ground with your heels and push your hips into the air as high as you can to form a flat bridge.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the motion while holding for a two- to three-second count.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Intermediate Seated Russian Twist
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Pull your abs to your spine and lean back a few inches while lifting your feet off the floor. Be sure to keep your back straight.
- Reach your arms out in front of you and twist your torso to the right, then to the left, to complete one rep/rotation.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Reverse Lunge With a Knee Drive
- Stand with feet together. Take a controlled lunge (or large step) backward with your left foot.
- As you lunge back with your left foot, drive your left arm forward to maintain your balance.
- Lower your hips so that your right thigh (front leg) becomes parallel to the floor and your right knee is positioned directly over your ankle. Keep your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor. Your left heel should be lifted.
- From the ground, drive your left knee up, coming into a standing position with your left leg lifted at a 90-degree angle. Simultaneously drive your right arm up to maintain your balance.
- If it's too hard to perform the knee drive from the lunge, step your left foot in to meet your right, then raise your left knee up.
- This completes one rep. Be sure to alternate between your left and right legs.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.
High Knees
- Run in place while lifting your knees high to the level of your waist. Engage your abs as your knee comes up.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Side Skater
- Start in a small squat. Jump sideways to the right, landing on your right leg. Bring your left leg behind you, but don't let your left foot touch the floor. Keeping your chest up, deepen the bend in your right knee to work your glute muscles even more.
- Reverse direction by jumping to the left, leading with your left leg, allowing your arms to swing to your sides as you jump sideways, landing on your right foot. This completes one rep.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Side Plank Leg Lift
- Place your right elbow on the ground. Extend both legs out so that your body is in one straight line and you're balancing on the outside edge of your right foot.
- Flex both feet if you can, and either rest your top hand on your upper hip or extend it in the air. Keeping your spine lengthened and your abs engaged, lift your left leg up just higher than your top hip. Then slowly lower it back to your bottom leg.
- This counts as one rep.
- Repeat for 20 seconds with your left arm on the ground and 20 seconds with your right arm on the ground followed by 20 seconds of rest.
Jump Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively.
- When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.
- Repeat for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest.