How to Get a Structured Leg and Cardio Workout Without Much Time or Equipment

Finding a way to train hard without much equipment and even less time on your hands is a common issue for many people. Whether we are dealing with long commutes that consume training time, work travel or gym closures, many of us have found that learning to train effectively when we have no equipment is the first challenge.

Mix in reduced training time, and now you have an issue that requires creativity and effort to get much done. Here is a great question from a reader who is trying not to skip leg days when he travels for work:

Stew, I like the way you recommend structured workouts like pyramids, sets, reps and burnout PT for calisthenics. They are similar to the ways I like to lift. Do you have any leg day combinations for days when I have no equipment and find myself short on time but want to get a good leg day with some cardio? I like to run and do calisthenics but I'm looking for a little more structure. I'm a big fan. Thanks, Jackson

Jackson, thanks for the note. This is one area where many people struggle throughout the week. It's a dilemma when you must decide to miss workouts due to equipment and time shortages or needing to get to where you need to be on time. You can miss a workout because of a slight disruption or delay in your normal schedule, even if it's just a few minutes.

This is one of my new favorite quick workouts and will help you get a good leg and cardio workout combo with much more structure than just going for a run and mixing in some squats here and there.

Warmup with a Squat Half-Pyramid and Short Jog

Set #1

Mark out a space of 30-50 meters between the areas where you'll do squats. Try the following progression from one to 10: Stop at set 10. Time yourself.

• 1 squat, jog 30-50 meters total (basketball court, field, parking lot, driveway, etc.)
• 2 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 3 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 4 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 5 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 6 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 7 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 8 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 9 squats, jog 30-50 meters total
• 10 squats, jog 30-50 meters total

If you move through this at a moderate pace, you should be able to complete it in four minutes or less.

However long it takes you to complete the above half-pyramid, run for the same amount of time or bike if you need to limit the amount of impact on your legs. Mark to see how far you run in that time.

If you're doing this workout outside in your neighborhood, run for half of the time in one direction and see whether you can get back to where you started in less than the time it took you to get to the halfway mark. This is a negative split challenge, which will be more intense than your normal jog and make a shorter workout feel more like you have tested yourself sufficiently in a shorter period.

Set #2

Once you are back from the run, you should have invested 10 minutes or less into this workout. The object now is to do the squat pyramid again from 1-10 again and see whether you can do it faster.

Keep good form on the squats but make the runs between squats just a little faster. After you completed and timed the squat pyramid, do the same time for the run again. Try to negative split again (running the second half faster than the first) or achieve your goal mile pace for timed runs with tired legs, which would have done 110 squats by this point.

When you come back from this second set, you may still be under 20 minutes total (or close to it). If that is all you have time to do, you have accomplished what would be a good leg and cardio day for many people. Call it quits or continue with this until you run out of time.

If you can accumulate 4-5 sets of this squat pyramid and run workout, you will find that you amassed nearly 300 squats and likely run 2-2.5 miles in 45 minutes or less.

You can get creative without varying from the pyramid and run structure of this workout by adding in jump squats or lunges per leg in some sets. Add a weight vest to build up your legs over time so you can handle the 300 squats of the Memorial Day Murph some days.

Related articles with quick leg-day structure:

• Leg Day Warmup -- Great for ACFT
• More Leg Day Ideas with Minimal to No Equipment
• Leg Day with PT, Runs, Sprints, Hills, and More...
• Spec Ops Leg Day: Run, Ruck, & Swim (with fins)

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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