Workout of the week: 20-min lower body strength workout

ALL LEVELS / lower body strength workout / 20 minutes

Equipment: Dumbbells & gym bench

Unfairly portrayed all over social media, leg day is considered the most dreaded workout day, with some people even skipping it altogether. However, its importance is unmatched, and it is, in fact, an essential component of a well-rounded fitness routine. Especially, since it improves mobility and athletic performance, boosts your metabolism and strengthens your lower body.

Today’s training session will help you achieve all these benefits. It’s a lower body strength workout with 4 exercises total, divided into 2 groups. Complete 3 rounds of the first group before moving to the second. Perform each exercise for 40 seconds and rest 30 seconds between rounds. You’ll also get 1-minute to rest between groups. All combined, and since the first exercise of each group is unilateral, this workout should take you 20 minutes to complete.

1st group

Bulgarian split squats – left side
Bulgarian split squats – right side
Dumbbell lunge

2nd group

Dumbbell step ups – left side
Dumbbell step ups – right side
Bodyweight squat

Let’s strengthen your lower body!

WORKOUT SETUP

4 exercises
40 seconds each
3 rounds
30 seconds rest between rounds
2 groups
1-minute to rest between groups
20 minutes total
Equipment: Dumbbells & kettlebell

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

3 rounds

1st GROUP

1 – BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS

40 seconds for each leg

Find yourself a step, bench or any other contraption that you can rest a foot on. It needs to be about knee height.
Get into a forward lunge position with your torso upright, core braced and hips square to your body, with your back foot elevated on the bench. Your leading leg should be half a meter or so in front of the bench.
Lower until your front thigh is almost horizontal, keeping your knee in line with your foot. Don’t let your front knee pass beyond your toes.
Drive up through your front foot back to the starting position, again keeping your movements controlled.
Repeat 10 times then swap to the other leg.

2 – DUMBBELL LUNGE

40 seconds

Stand tall and hold the dumbbells by your shoulders.
Step your right leg forward keeping the heel down.
Raise the heel of the left leg.
Then, lower the torso until the back knee touches the ground, with a full hip and knee extension.
Repeat.

2nd GROUP

1 – DUMBBELL STEP UPS

40 seconds on each leg

With a bench in front of you, grab and hold a pair of dumbbells.
Step up to the bench with the left foot — press through the heel to straighten the leg.
Bring your body to a standing position without fully laying your right foot on the bench.
Bend your left knee and bring down only the opposite foot.
Immediately bring it back up, using only the force of your left leg.
Repeat for 12 reps on each leg.

2 – BODYWEIGHT SQUAT

40 seconds

Stand on your feet placing them at the same distance as that of your shoulder lines.
Engage the core and go down to the floor, maintaining your knees on the line of your feet. Maintain the abs and glutes tight, to control your hip and stabilize the movement.
Keep your arms tight by your side, and use them to help your balance.
Keep your feet attached to the floor and squat as downs as possible without lifting the heels or feeling pain in your lower back.