Lower Body Endurance Workout with Tara Nicolas| Well+Good

By Bernard Turk On Jan 10, 2022

This January, it’s time to take it easy and hone in on healthy habits that you can live with for an entire trip around the sun—and beyond. We’ve enlisted the help of industry experts to put together three four-week plans designed to help you move your body, eat more sustainably, or show yourself some loving care. Pick a plan—or three—and hit refresh. Get the Program

If you haven’t heard the term AMRAP before, you’re about to become well-acquainted with it. This type of sweat sesh challenges you to perform “as many reps as possible” (hence, AMRAP) in a given amount of time, and is the main focus of today’s lower-body endurance workout brought to you by Nike trainer Tara Nicolas as part of our 2022 ReNew Year Movement Program.

The video itself runs for about 11 minutes, but don’t let that timestamp fool you. It contains a warm-up, a finisher, and a cooldown, which means the AMRAP portion—aka the part where you’ll really want to push yourself—is a mere four minutes long. But don’t worry, it will still leave your lower body quaking.

AMRAPs are really great for building endurance, says Nicolas, because you’re meant to go all-out for the entire duration. This means that today, you’ll be moving for four minutes straight without any breaks—which only sounds easy. “The important thing is to keep moving that body and enjoy the challenge, and I’m challenging you to work your mind and your body at the same time,” says Nicolas.

Though you’ll be moving quickly, that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your form—even in your most breathless moments, doing the moves properly should be the top priority. And if that means slowing down for the sake of getting it right, that’s totally fine.

Ready to see how many reps are possible for you today? Press play and get ready to push yourself.

4-Minute AMRAP

Do as many rounds of the movements below as possible in 4 minutes.

1. Squat-to-toes (six reps)

Stand with your feet about hip-width distance apart. Engage your core and glutes and lower down into a squat, focusing on keeping your chest proud and your knees directly over your toes. Rise onto your toes at the top of your squat, and lower your heels as you go back down into a squat.

2. Lateral lunges—right (three reps)

From a standing position, step your right leg out to the side and shift your weight onto it as you lower your hips. Make sure not to drop your chest. Push off of your right foot as you reset.

3. Reverse lunges—right (three reps)

From a standing position, step your right foot back. Bend your knees to come down into a lunge. Push through your left heel as you stand up and reset. Make sure to keep your chest up.

4. Lateral lunges—left (three reps)

From a standing position, step your left leg out to the side and shift your weight onto it as you lower your hips. Make sure not to drop your chest. Push off of your left foot to reset.

5. Reverse lunges—left (three reps)

From a standing position, step your left foot back. Bend your knees to come down into a lunge. Push through your right heel as you stand up and reset. Make sure to keep your chest up.

6. High knees (six reps)

Start with your feet about hip-width distance apart. Bring your right knee up toward your chest, then switch to your left as quickly as possible. Continue to alternate (right and left knee counts as one rep).

Looking to hit refresh on your healthy habits this January? Check out our full 2022 ReNew Year program for expert-led plans for better sleep, nutrition, exercise, and self-care routines.

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