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Circuit 1: BAILEY BROWN FULL BODY RESISTANCE BAND BURN WORKOUT

Opening this quad with a band exercise! If you saw my Decathlon haul, you'd remember that I purchased two pilates bands to add to my equipment collection. I got them for two reasons: for variation and to compare them to mini bands. I got to use the medium pilates band in this exercise routine for the first time.

The routine itself is straightforward and pretty low impact . This routine really utilized the band and made my muscles work. I felt the most impact in my glutes and arms. Because this routine is pretty low key, I think this is great as an activator of some sort or an extension of your warm up. It really fired up my glutes and legs and arms, making me feel really prepared for the next circuit. This is a solid 20-minute routine but you can always double it up for a 40-minute workout.

Circuit 2: ZANNA VAN DIJK 15 Minute HIIT Workout | Legs

Now that the first circuit warmed and prepped me up, it's time for the "main" circuit. First day of the quads are always leg/lower body-focused so here it is. A brutal, cardio-packed 15-minute leg routine.

At first glance, this routine seems doable but man, when you're actually doing it? It's tiring AF. There are 5 moves here: 2 involve jumping, 2 involve low impact cardio, and 1 is glute & leg focused. The moves are done for 3 rounds.

Now. First round got me feeling ok, got me feeling pumped up. Second and third rounds got me modifying a little bit. The one I modified was the kneel to stand & squat jump. I'm not a big fan of the kneel to stand move because it hurts my knees so instead I just went with squat jumps but added a squat calf raise. Definitely easier on the knees but just as tiring as the original. Loved the active rest-like moves: alternating step ups and hamstring walkouts. But I have to say my most favorite move was the squat jump with high knees. Damn, that made my heart pump like no other but it felt super good! Super solid routine and will have you sweating in no time.

(This combo, the band circuit and this leg circuit, made my glutes sore like no other. I swear, this combo is glute magic. Soreness was felt for 2 days but got extended for 3 as Day B circuit contributed to the soreness. No complaints though!)

Workout duration: around 37 minutes, with 1 minute break in between circuits; warm up & cool down not included.

Circuit 1: SELF 20 Minute Upper Body Dumbbell Workout

Woohoo, a SELF workout! This time it's an upper body workout with dumbbells. Love me a good free weight circuit. This routine has two sets of moves done twice for a total of 4 rounds. Each set has a blend of free weights and bodyweight exercises.

The 4 rounds are very tiring on the arms and shoulders. It will burn your upper body, especially if you use heavier weights. Now, the 4 rounds is just 20 minutes in total. To extend that a bit, a repeated 1 round of each set, just to make it a total of 30 minutes and to just burn my upper body a bit more. True enough, my shoulders and biceps were sore the next day.

Now the really tiring part of this routine: the AMRAP. 3 moves, 6 reps each, done endlessly within 4 minutes. It was m-ffing tiring, man! I wanted to do it in a fast pace but I just got burned out easily. I ended up with a medium pace but even that was tiring. Like damn, that was some circuit finisher! Totally felt accomplished in the end. Dead but accomplished.

Workout duration: around 44 minutes; warm up & cool down included.

Circuit 1: LOTTIE MURPHY Resistance Band Pilates Workout | Arms, Butt, Abs | 15 Minute Routine

Just like Bailey Brown's routine, this is more of an activator/warm up extension. This routine will ease you into your main circuit but will give you wonderful stretches along the way. This one's more relaxed than the first banded circuit, making it a perfect routine for an active recovery day. This can be totally done twice through, giving you a laid back 30-minute routine.

Circuit 2: FITNESS BLENDER 25 Minute Abs and Obliques Workout

Main circuit is still upper body but focused more on the abs since Day B already took care of the arms and shoulders. This routine has 8 moves, 14 reps each and done for 3 rounds through.

The moves are definitely non-cardio....so why the hell did I sweat so hard?! Honestly, I went in thinking that this will be more toning but nope, I was a sweaty mess after 25 minutes. I liked that the moves were easy to do, very beginner-friendly. For some reason, I found the one arm plank very challenging. It may be because my arms were still tired but the 30 second hold on each arm was grueling. That was something.

Overall, a good ab routine done in 25 minutes. Really enjoyed this one (and that says a lot since I'm not a big fan of ab routines!)

Workout duration: around 41 minutes, warm up & cool down not included.

Circuit 1: ALO YOGA High Vibe HIIT Flow with Jade Alectra

Okay, not gonna lie, I chose this workout to challenge myself. I'm not the most flexible and I definitely still consider myself a beginner in yoga but I just couldn't resist the challenge. What I did not expect: this routine being 10x harder.

This routine is no way relaxed and laid back. This is legit a yoga HIIT that will challenge your legs and arms and core. There were moves that I wasn't able to do but I did modify to get through. It was tiring and challenging and definitely for intermediate to advanced yogis. And pro tip: definitely do a warm up beforehand or at least a 5-minute stretch routine.

Circuit 2: CAT MEFFAN GODDESS FLOW | 20-Minute Yoga Flow 

Ahh what a nice calming flow after the HIIT circuit. Unlike other flows that are heavy on downward dogs, warrior poses, and cobras, this routine is more abundant on mountain poses, cactus arms, and of course, goddess stances. This one is more of a lower body stretch and if you'e been working that part of the body for days, you'll feel them groan in this routine. I love how this routine stretched and relaxed my legs, arms, and even a bit of core. A perfect ended for this riot of a quad indeed.

Workout duration: around 40 minutes, with 1 minute rest in between circuits; warm up not included.

CONCLUSION

What a freaking tiring quad but I ain't complaining! I love that I was able to squeeze cardio into this routine, backed up with weight and resistance training. My glutes were the most worked and most sore, with my shoulders and arms coming in second. Love that I got to try my medium pilates band too. Made me look forward to similar routines.

MY TOP WORKOUT IN THIS QUAD:

The one that really made an impact with me is Zanna Van Dijk's 15 Minute Legs routine. That was a damn good one! I also think Cat Meffan's Goddess Flow deserves a shout out. If you're looking for something different, this flow's a nice one to do.