Lower Body Strength Workout - 45min Intermediate
You will build foundational lower body power by prioritizing heavy barbell lifts before transitioning to targeted unilateral work. This session challenges your stability and muscle recruitment through a mix of high intensity compounds and high volume finishers. You will utilize the bar for maximum load and handles for precision to ensure every muscle in your legs is fully engaged.
This workout is designed for intermediate lifters or field athletes who want to improve their vertical power and structural balance. It is ideal for those looking to break through strength plateaus using Tonal's variable digital resistance.
Equipment
Workout Plan
Rest 2 to 3 minutes between heavy barbell sets to ensure full recovery. For handle-based accessories and isolation moves, keep rest periods between 60 and 90 seconds.
Barbell Deadlift
Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs
Drive through your heels and engage the glutes as you stand against the digital weight.
Barbell Hip Thrust
Glutes, Hamstrings
Pause at the top of the movement to maximize glute contraction under tension.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Quads, Glutes, Obliques
Keep your torso upright and use the handles to maintain balance and vertical force.
Racked Squat
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
Keep the handles tucked close to your shoulders to maintain a stable rack position.
Single Leg RDL
Hamstrings, Glutes, Obliques
Focus on a slow eccentric phase to feel the hamstrings lengthen against the resistance.
Resisted Calf Raise
Calves
Explode up onto your toes and control the descent to work the full range of the calf.
Mini Sumo Squat
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
Maintain a wide stance and keep constant tension on the cables for a final quad burn.
Suitcase March
Obliques
Resist the pull of the cable to keep your hips level and shoulders square.
Why this order
The session begins with the most taxing barbell compounds to capitalize on peak energy levels for maximum force production. We group all barbell exercises first to minimize equipment transitions before moving into handle-based unilateral and accessory work. The workout concludes with a high-rep finisher to exhaust remaining muscle fibers and stimulate growth.
Want this personalized for you?
This is a template workout. Connect your Tonal and the AI coach adjusts weights to your strength scores, swaps exercises around injuries, and progresses you week over week.
Start Free with AI CoachFrequently Asked Questions
How should I determine my starting weight for the barbell deadlift?
Tonal will suggest a weight based on your previous lifts, but for strength focus, ensure the digital weight feels challenging enough that you could only perform one or two more reps with perfect form.
Can I use the Spotter mode for the Bulgarian Split Squats?
Yes, Spotter mode is highly recommended for unilateral work so you can push to failure safely while Tonal automatically reduces the weight if it detects a struggle.
Is it okay to swap the Barbell Hip Thrust for a handle-based version?
While you can, the Straight Bar allows for a more comfortable distribution of heavy weight across your hips, which is essential for the low-rep strength goals of this session.