This '5-20' Circuit Is the Ultimate No-fuss Leg Day Workout

Understanding what reps to aim for when building muscle can be confusing. Do you need to go light, putting all of your efforts into incredibly strict form with a level of focus that would put a Jedi to shame? Or do you need to lift big to get big?

The truth is this: the jury is still out on the optimal method for building muscle. Chances are that it will vary greatly from individual to individual. This is where the 5/20 method comes in. The workout format works through a mix of rep ranges that will take you from shifting seriously heavy tin, all the way up to a skin-splitting, high-rep pump.

This quick-fire leg day circuit will see you in and out of the gym in record time, with 250 wheel building reps in the bag. Warm-up thoroughly, then work your way through 5 rounds of the following circuit. Aim to keep your form tight throughout, choosing your weights accordingly, especially on the high rep sets.

Rest just enough between movements to catch your breath and two to three minutes between rounds to recover and reset, allowing you to attack all five rounds with focus.

Front Squat x 5

Hold a barbell across the top of your shoulders, lifting your elbows hight to hold it in place (A). From here, drop into a squat, until your thighs pass parallel to the ground (B), before driving back up explosively. Keeping your core tight throughout is crucial.

Dumbbell deadlift x 10

Stand tall with a pair of dumbbells at your sides, hinge down and touch them to the ground (A). Engage your lats and stand upright, ‘pushing the ground away’ with your feet, squeezing your glutes at the top (B). Your arms should be hanging straight throughout this movement, but maintain tension throughout your entire body.

Goblet Squats x 15

Drop one of your dumbbells and hold the other close to your chest (A). Sink your hips back and slowly descend into a deep squat (B). Drive back up, keeping your torso upright and tensing your glutes at the top. Repeat.

Reverse Lunge x 20

Grab your second dumbbell, hold both with straight arms by your sides (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step backward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg. Each leg counts as a rep, aim for 20 total.