April Han Full Body and Leg Workouts Review
I love learning about what other women do to stay fit and healthy! There are tons of different programs to choose from. This is great — it means that everybody should be able to find a workout plan that fits their goals and lifestyle.
However, sometimes girls ask me if they should combine my program with other workout routines. My answer is no! I’m not opposed to people trying out different programs that they think will work well with their needs, schedule, and preferences. But doing two programs at once can lead to overworked muscles, fatigue, burnout, and a bulky body. My program is meant to be done on its own. :)
In this post, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on April Han’s workout routines. I hope that this information will help you make good decisions about your fitness routine so that you can exercise in a way that’s best for you!
I have also reviewed Les Mills BodyPump and Body Combat, Melissa Wood Health, Lilly Sabri’s Thigh and Fat Burnings Workouts, Emi Wong’s 21 Day Transformation Program, Kayla Itsines’ BBG, Chloe Ting’s 30 Day Lean Thigh Challenge and Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home Program. Be sure to read them if you want to hear my thoughts on other programs. :)
Who Is April Han?
April is a popular Chinese YouTuber. She does a lot of great fashion videos (she has excellent taste!) and daily vlogs. Although she is making a name for herself around the world, she is especially popular in China. In fact, she has about 1.77 million subscribers on YouTube, and she has 3 million subscribers on Chinese social media.
April also does a lot of at-home workout videos on her channel. She’s a mother of two, and she used fitness as a way to bounce her body back after having her babies. She wants to help women stay in shape, feel healthy, and achieve their goals.
Her videos are in Chinese with English subtitles. This is something that some of you will need to keep in mind while watching her videos. :)
April Han Workout Review
April has many workout videos on her channel that target different parts of the body. But most of you want to know about her full-body workouts and leg toning workouts. Because of this, I’ll be focusing on those videos for this review.
Full Body Workouts
WORKOUT 1: 12 MIN Standing NO JUMP Full Body Workout | BEST Exercises on PERIOD!
This short workout routine includes a warm-up, which is great to get your body going. I love that this video doesn’t have any jumping in it which is especially good if you’re on your period, just like the title says.
The exercises in this video include:
- Side leg raises
- Modified jumping rope
- Walking jacks (a modification of jumping jacks)
- Squats with arm pushes
- Triceps press
- Lunge with front kickl
- High knee claps modified
- Leg circle with a clap
- Side tap with arm motions
- Squats with arm circles
- Single leg deadlift
The video ends with a cool down.
Throughout the video, April does a good job of explaining form, which is very important when exercising, and how the exercises affect your body.
Even though this video doesn’t include any jumping, April gives instructions on how to increase the difficulty by adding jumps. This is great because it means you won’t get bored if it’s too easy or if you get used to these exercises.
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WORKOUT 2: 12 min Beginner Friendly Full Body Workout for Weight Loss!｜No Jump HIIT, No Equipment
This video is really good for people who are new to HIIT or exercise in general. She is great at explaining why HIIT is important. I agree! HIIT is a necessary part of being fit and getting a lean, toned body. Doing HIIT helps the body burn tons of calories in a shorter amount time.
I love that this video is short (it is easy to do if you are in a rush!), involves no jumping, and there’s no equipment needed. This makes it perfect for people who are busy, new to exercise, or don’t have the convenience of going to a gym.
This video has twelve exercises:
- Inchworm (April says is good as a warmup)
- Windmill
- Lunge
- One leg glute bridge
- Leg flutter
- Plank hip taps
- Walk burpee (a modified burpee)
- Superman
- Russian twists
- Squat walk
- Reaching ankle
- Stretching as a cooldown
This workout does include some exercises that can be risky for girls who want to avoid bulky legs. I try to be careful with squats, burpees, and lunges. I’m a mesomorph, and my body can bulk up if I do too many of these exercises. It’s the same for endomorph girls too, so I’d watch out not to overdo it.
WORKOUT 3: Lose Weight FAST! | Full Body FAT BURNING At Home Workout | Intense HIIT, No Equipment!
This is a short video (it is just 10 minutes). However, compared to the beginner HIIT workout video, it is difficult and much more intense.
April includes jumping and running in the video, but I like that she provides modifications for people who can’t do either of these moves.
Some of the exercises include:
- Arm circles (to warm up)
- Knee rotations (also as a warm up)
- High knees
- Reverse lunges
- Burpees
- Superman
- Plank jacks
- Bicycle crunch
- Squat jump
- Mountain climbers
- Cool down stretches
This video also includes some lower body moves, like squats and lunges, that some girls should be cautious of. There aren’t too many in this video. However, if you bulk up easily, you will probably find that these exercises increase the size of your leg muscles.
If you’re an ectomorph and are trying to gain some muscle, then these exercises would be great for you.
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First Thoughts
I like a lot of things about these videos. April offers a wide variety of workouts. Some are good for beginners, but others are better for people who are advanced. These videos also don’t take too long. If you are busy, you can easily fit these into your schedule. :)
As I mentioned, these videos do have squats, lunges, and burpees. Such exercises can cause bulk if you overdo them. Try to be careful about this if you have an endomorph and mesomorph body type.
There are some exercise moves included in the videos that I love to do. Mountain climbers, high knee runs, and bicycle crunches are really good HIIT exercises that don’t cause bulk. I’m glad April includes them in her workout videos!
RELATED POST: Do Squats Make Your Legs Bigger or Smaller?
Leg Toning Workouts
WORKOUT 1: Toned & Slim Thighs in 7 DAYS |10 Min Beginner Leg Workout, No Jump
April says that you should do the exercises in this routine every day for a week to see results. However, we can’t really spot reduce fat, and doing only exercises that target legs won’t slim your thighs faster. The best way to actually slim your thighs is by doing cardio.
Resistance training like in this workout actually speeds up our metabolism and helps us get more toned, so it’s still important to do. :)
Most of the exercises in the video (except for the first squat) are done on the floor on a mat.
The exercise moves include:
- Plie squats
- Lying one leg lifts
- Glute bridges a with towel
- Leg hugs
- Inner thigh lifts
- Donkey kicks
- Lying crossover kicks
- Lying straight leg knee flexion
- Straight-legged hip raise
- Stretches at the end
WORKOUT 2: Thigh Gap in 7 DAYS! | 10 Min Inner Thigh Workout (At Home, Knee Friendly, No Equipment)
This is another short routine. All of the moves in the video are done on the mat.
The routine includes:
- Inner thigh lifts
- Leg open close with bending knees
- Sideways scissors pulses
- Clamshells
- Pillow squeezing
- Butterfly bridges
- Lateral leg raise and donkey kicks
- Lying hamstring curls
- Plank toe taps
- Cooldown stretches
However, even April herself says that it isn’t possible to spot reduce fat and that you need to lose overall weight to also see a change in your legs and thighs.
I don’t think it’s possible to get such results from only a week of working out. As I mentioned, the best way to actually slim your thighs is by doing cardio.
And every body is different. Some girls may see results quicker while for others it can take a bit more time. You shouldn’t stress about it and just go your own pace. So long as you stay healthy, motivated and don’t overdo it, you’ll see results!
RELATED POST: How to Lose Inner Thigh Fat (Plus What Not to Do)
WORKOUT 3: Shape/Slim Butt & Legs in 14 DAYS! | NO SQUAT Lower Body Workout with Cool Down, Knee Friendly
April says that you should see results after doing this routine for 14 days.
To achieve good results, you need to also do cardio and adjust your diet. Some girls see results earlier, some notice it later, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it, and focus on being as healthy as possible.
Like the other routines, this workout is done on the mat. It also doesn’t include any squats, burpees, or lunges. The exercise includes:
- Hip openers
- Single-leg deadlift
- Glute bridge
- Clamshells
- Side plank with leg raise
- Donkey kicks
- Booty blasters
- Hamstring curls
- Glute bridge matching
- Cooldown stretches
First Thoughts
In these leg-focused focused videos, there is almost no squatting. You also don’t do any lunges or burpees. This is pretty hard to find in lower body workouts, and I really appreciate this about April’s routines. This makes these videos really good for women with endomorph and mesomorph body types who want to avoid bulky legs.
I also love that these videos don’t take too long (you can easily fit them into your schedule!), and you should start to see results after one to two weeks of doing the videos.
Remember, you can’t spot-reduce fat. You need to lose fat overall in order to lose it from your legs. However, you can tone your muscles! These exercises will help do that without causing a ton of bulk for the most part. Just don’t expect instant results.
Should You Combine It With the 3 Steps to Lean Legs Program
I’m impressed by these videos! April Han has some excellent routines that include a variety of exercises that don’t cause bulk for most people. But, if you are an endomorph or a mesomorph, you might notice some bulk from exercises like lunges, squats and burpees.
Even though these are great exercises, I don’t think you should combine them with my program. :) My workout plan is designed to work on its own. It has a good combination of HIIT workouts, cardio, resistance training for lean legs, and diet plans. Adding anything to it can cause you to overwork your muscles and make them larger (which is what lean leg girls typically want to avoid!).
I hope you found the information about April’s videos helpful. Let me know if you want me to review any other programs!
Love Rachael Xx
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Rachael is an Australian born certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor degree in Science.
After struggling for years to find an exercise and diet program that is tailored to women striving for lean and toned body with no bulk she designed her Lean Legs Program. This program is tailored to each body type and focused on helping women get toned but feminine bodies, without getting bulky.
Her mission is to empower women and help them stay in shape in a healthy and balanced way.