Day 5 lets the back of the body lead. The circuit is 20 back leg raises, 20 march steps, 20 back leg raises again and 20 scissor chops, one straight pass for a set, 2 minutes rest between sets, 3, 5 or 7 sets by level. It is a lower-body day for the most part, with an upper-body finisher to make sure the arms leave with something to show for it.
Back leg raises open and close the leg work: standing tall, extend one straight leg behind you and bring it back, alternating, so 20 reps is 10 per leg. Doing them at both ends of the leg block means the glutes and hamstrings get their turn fresh and then again on tired legs, with the march steps in between raising the heart rate and switching the emphasis to the front of the hips for 20 high-knee reps. Scissor chops finish the circuit with the arms held straight out in front of you at shoulder height: sweep them wide apart, then bring them back across the chest so one crosses over the other, and alternate which arm is on top - a horizontal scissor that keeps the shoulders loaded the whole time the arms are up.
On back leg raises, the leg travels from the hip, not the lower back - keep the chest up and the movement modest, and squeeze the glute at the top. March with high knees and pumping arms so the middle of the circuit is the busiest part. In scissor chops, keep both arms level with your shoulders throughout; the sweep should be wide and unhurried, and the cross should be a real cross, not a tap.
Glutes twice, heart once, shoulders to finish - Day 5 works from the back forward and leaves nothing out.
Make it Harder: Hold each back leg raise for a two-count at full extension before returning, and keep the glute squeezed the entire time.
Make it Easier: Reduce both back leg raise blocks to 12 reps and keep the march and the scissor chops at 20.
