A 30-Minute Advanced Core and Legs Workout to Spice Up Your Regular Sweat Sessions

Building a strong core and lower body is essential for overall fitness, stability, and performance. Your core acts as the foundation for nearly every movement, helping to protect your spine, improve posture, and enhance balance, according to Harvard Health.

Meanwhile, strengthening your lower body—quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves—boosts mobility, power, and endurance. Together, they improve athletic performance, support daily activities like walking or lifting, and reduce the risk of injury.

That’s why Or Artzi, CPT, a lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors, created this advanced core and legs workout to focus your midsection and every muscle group in your legs—and kick things up a notch from your regular strength sessions.

Join the club

If you’re following along with our January 2025 Good Moves Club Winter Challenge (sign up here if you haven’t already!), this is the workout for day 15, week 3. You can follow along with Artzi and the full-length workout below. This efficient workout includes a warmup and six strength-based exercises.

The warmup

Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Complete one round. 

1. Walkout

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. 2.
   Hinge forward at your hips and reach toward the floor.
3. 3.
   Keeping your feet in place, walk your hands forward and come into a high plank so that your shoulders are over your wrists.
4. 4.
   Pause, engaging your core.
5. 5.
   Walk your hands back to your feet, then return to standing.
6. 6.
   Repeat.

2. World’s greatest stretch (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Start in a high plank with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
2. 2.
   Step your right foot forward and place it outside of your right hand.
3. 3.
   Keeping your hips square, lift your right hand toward the ceiling, rotating your chest toward your right leg. Allow your gaze to follow your fingertips.
4. 4.
   Pause, then return your right hand to the floor and extend your right leg back to plank position.
5. 5.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
6. 6.
   Continue alternating sides.

3. Cat-cow pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)

1. 1.
   Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. Align your elbows and shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. 2.
   Slowly arch your spine, dropping your belly toward the floor. Look up as you draw your tailbone toward the ceiling (cow pose).
3. 3.
   Slowly transition into a rounded spine, tucking your chin toward your spine as you tilt your pelvis forward (cat pose).
4. 4.
   Continue alternating between cow and cat poses.

4. Deep squat with thoracic twist (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands clasped in front of your chest. 
2. 2.
   Inhale, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that’s comfortable).
3. 3.
   Exhale, pressing evenly through your feet as you place your left hand on the floor and lift your right arm up to the sky while still in a deep squat.
4. 4.
   Twist your torso toward your right hand, reaching for the ceiling.
5. 5.
   Pause, then return your torso to center. 
6. 6.
   Repeat on the opposite side. 
7. 7.
   Continue alternating sides.

5. Hamstring sweep (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down by your sides.
2. 2.
   Bend your left knee slightly and step forward with your right foot, flexing your toes up. Your right leg should be straight.
3. 3.
   Lean your torso forward until it’s nearly parallel to the floor, reaching your arms behind you.
4. 4.
   Then, sweep your arms forward and up so your biceps are next to your ears. You should feel a stretch in the muscles behind your right thigh.
5. 5.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
6. 6.
   Continue alternating sides.

6. Jumping jack

1. 1.
   Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides.
2. 2.
   Jump your legs out to the sides while lifting your arms up over your head.
3. 3.
   Finish the rep by jumping your feet back together and returning your arms to your sides.
4. 4.
   Stay light on your toes and keep a soft bend in your knees as you jump.
5. 5.
   Repeat.

The workout

You’ll need a high step or weight bench and a hand towel to complete this workout. Perform each exercise one time through, then rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next round. Do 2-4 rounds total. 

• Beginners: Do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. 
• Intermediate: Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. 
• Advanced: Do each exercise for 60 seconds, then move on to the next exercise.

1. Step-up (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   You’ll need a bench or box to complete this exercise.
2. 2.
   Stand in front of your bench and place your  left foot on the bench, so that your left knee is bent round 90 degrees.
3. 3.
   Keeping your torso upright, press your weight into your left foot and push through your quads and glutes to straighten your left leg and stand on top of the bench. 
4. 4.
   At the same time, drive your right knee to hip height, so your right thigh is parallel to the bench.
5. 5.
   Reverse the move, lowering your right foot to the floor with control. Step your left foot down to the floor next to your right. 
6. 6.
   Repeat on the opposite side. 
7. 7.
   Continue alternating sides for the allotted amount of time.

2. Side plank with rotation (each side separately)

1. 1.
   Lie on your left side with your feet stacked and your left elbow under your left shoulder, forearm along the floor.
2. 2.
   Press through your left forearm and lift your body so that you’re balancing on your left forearm and foot.
3. 3.
   Extend your right arm toward the ceiling. 
4. 4.
   Rotate your torso and thread your right arm under your body. 
5. 5.
   Return to the starting position.
6. 6.
   Do all reps on one side, then repeat on the opposite side. 

Alternate Option

Drop one or both legs to the floor.

Alternate option

Drop your bottom knee, instead of stacking your feet.

3. Single-leg lower (alternating sides)

1. 1.
   Lie faceup with your legs straight and your hands interlaced behind your head. 
2. 2.
   Brace your core and press your lower back into the floor.
3. 3.
   Raise your legs straight up toward the ceiling and lift your head, neck, and shoulders a few inches off the floor.
4. 4.
   Lower your right leg down toward the floor, keeping your lower back in contact with the floor. Hover your right foot a few inches above the floor. 
5. 5.
   Lift your right leg back up toward the ceiling. 
6. 6.
   Repeat on the opposite side.
7. 7.
   Continue alternating legs for the allotted amount of time.

4. 3-point curtsy lunge (each side separately)

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. 
2. 2.
   Step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left leg in a curtsy position.
3. 3.
   Bend both knees until your front leg is parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as you can comfortably go).
4. 4.
   Keeping your hips and shoulders straight ahead throughout the motion with your torso upright, step your right foot a few inches to the right. 
5. 5.
   Then, step your right foot a few more inches to the right so you’re in a standard lunge position. 
6. 6.
   Press through your left foot to return to standing.
7. 7.
   Repeat.
8. 8.
   Do all reps on one side before switching sides.

Alternate Option

Do a standard curtsy lunge.

5. High plank to pike with towel

1. 1.
   Start in an all fours position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, hips stacked over knees. 
2. 2.
   Engage your core, glutes, and step back one foot at a time to come into a high plank.
3. 3.
   Slide your feet forward and drive your hips up into an inverted “V” position. 
4. 4.
   Then, slide your feet back and lower your hips to get back into high plank position.
5. 5.
   Repeat. 

Alternate Option

Do a high plank without the pike.

6. Pop squat with twist jump

1. 1.
   Stand with your feet together with your elbows bent, forearms parallel to your chest. 
2. 2.
   Jump and twist to the right, then return to center. 
3. 3.
   Jump your feet apart, then sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat as far as you can comfortably go. 
4. 4.
   As you squat down, reach your right fingertips down toward the floor. 
5. 5.
   Press through your heels and jump up into the air, landing with your feet together. 
6. 6.
   Then jump and twist to the left, then return to center. 
7. 7.
   Jump your feet apart, then sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower into a squat as far as you can comfortably go. 
8. 8.
   As you squat down, reach your left fingertips down toward the floor. 
9. 9.
   Press through your heels and jump up into the air, landing with your feet together. 
10. 10.
    Continue alternating for the allotted amount of time.

Alternate Option

Take out any jumping.