Day 5 hands the program to your legs. Three exercises at 20 seconds each - lunges, calf raises, side lunges - at 3, 5 or 7 sets by level, one minute of rest between sets. The dumbbells hang at your sides for the lunges and calf raises and ride at your shoulders for the side lunges, adding load to three different directions of lower body work: forward, upward, and sideways.
Each exercise claims its own territory. Lunges take the quads and glutes through a full stride, one leg at a time, alternating as the timer runs. Calf raises isolate the muscles that will quietly carry every other leg exercise in this program - up onto the balls of the feet, down with control, as many quality reps as 20 seconds allows. Side lunges then push the workload literally sideways, loading one bent leg while the other stays extended, waking up the inner thighs and glutes that straight-ahead lunging never quite reaches.
Step your lunges long enough that the front knee stays over the ankle, and drop the back knee toward the floor rather than tipping the torso forward. On calf raises, use the full range - all the way up, all the way down - because half reps at speed are just bouncing. In the side lunge, sit back into the bent leg with your chest up, and keep the extended leg's foot flat on the floor.
Three directions of lunge and lift - your legs now know this is not an arms-only program.
Make it Harder: Add a pulse at the bottom of every lunge and side lunge - down, half up, down again, then stand.
Make it Easier: Hold one dumbbell instead of two for the side lunges, hugged at your chest, and alternate sides at your own pace.
