Workout of the week: 25-min lower-body strength workout

1st September 2025

ALL LEVELS / lower-body strength workout / 25 minutes

Equipment: Smith machine, leg press machine, leg curl & extension machine, hip abduction machine

Some people dread leg day. Others swear by it. But one thing’s for sure: you might skip it, but it never skips you. Lower-body workouts offer benefits beyond strong quads and glutes. They improve your stability, boost your athletic performance, and they also burn more calories than most other workouts. That’s because leg exercises often recruit your entire body, increasing the effort and the energy you use.

This lower-body strength workout was built not to be skipped. It includes 5 exercises, each with 15 reps, performed for 3 sets. Rest for 1 minute between exercises and sets. All combined, this workout will take you 25 minutes to complete.

Smith machine deadlift
Leg press
Seated leg curl
Leg extension
Seated hip abduction

Ready to stop skipping leg day? Let’s go!

WORKOUT SETUP

5 exercises
15 reps
3 sets
1-min rest between exercises and sets
Equipment: Smith machine, leg press machine, leg curl & extension machine, hip abduction machine

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

3 sets

1 – SMITH MACHINE DEADLIFT

15 reps

Set the bar just above ankle height. Stand with feet hip-width apart, close to the bar.
Grip outside your legs, back straight, core tight.
Lift by driving through your heels and pushing hips forward.
Squeeze glutes at the top, then lower with control.
Repeat.

2 – LEG PRESS

15 reps

Sit on the machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform.
Adjust the seat so your knees are at about a 90-degree angle.
Push the platform away by extending your legs — don’t lock your knees at the top.
Lower the platform slowly until your knees are just above 90 degrees.
Repeat.

3 – SEATED LEG CURL

15 reps

Place the back of your ankles on the curl pad.
Sit tall, grip the handles, and brace your core.
Curl the pad down by squeezing your hamstrings.
Pause at the bottom, then return slowly to the start.
Control each rep so the weight’s momentum doesn’t do the work for you.

4 – LEG EXTENSION

15 reps

Sit up straight on the leg extension machine.
Adjust the pad so it sits on your lower leg, and just above your feet.
Extend your legs straight out in front of you, using your quads to power the movement.
Then slowly lower them back to the starting position.
Repeat.