In life, you may come across two types of people: those who worship the upper body and want boulder biceps and those who live for leg day. The third (those who prioritise both equally) is a little rarer but definitely becoming more common. It’s important to be the latter person and prioritise both to ensure you strengthen all the muscles in your body; plus, no one wants an uneven physique. This 30-minute dumbbell-only workout works on building your quad and glute strength — so listen up, arm-only people and get ready, leg lovers.
Making time to strengthen our lower body is crucial, especially the glutes, which are the largest muscle in the body. Again, it’s another muscle that can get abandoned, but it helps support the lower back and our posture and can help prevent injuries (just to name a few). Whereas our leg muscles, such as the quads, hamstrings and calves, are, of course, key for helping us move and can improve our overall athletic performance.
You only need 30 minutes for this dumbbell-only leg workout from fitness app Co-Founder Krissy Cela, and if you have a pair of your own dumbbells or adjustable dumbbells, it can be done straight from your home. Otherwise, give it a go in a gym if you go to one. Ready to burn and build your legs and glutes? Here’s what you’ll be doing:
- Lateral Squat — 8 reps each leg for 3 sets
- Static Lunge — 15 reps each leg for 3 sets
- Sumo squats — 5 slow reps for 4 sets
- Reverse curtsy lunge — 8 reps for 3 sets
- Split jump squat — 6 reps on each leg for 3 sets (use a chair)
If you struggle with the split squat jump, then you can do a standard Bulgarian split squat instead. Give yourself 60 to 90 seconds of rest in between each set, and don’t forget to do the same when moving on to the next exercise. Alternatively, if you don’t have a pair of dumbbells, you can check out our selection of the best kettlebells instead, which is also suitable to use.
