Your lower body workout doesn’t need to be hard or complex in order to be effective. Here we share our favourite lower body exercises that you can perform at home or in the gym as part of your leg day routine.
Follow these quick tips before you get started:
- Warm up! A very important part of your training that should last 5 to 10 min.
- Try to choose weights that are heavy enough to feel a deep burn.
- Breathing during each exercise is crucial for delivering the oxygen our bodies need, so be sure to b-r-e-a-t-h-e!
- Cool down! Take 5 to 10 minutes to perform some post workout stretching.
- Perform two to three sets of 15 reps of each exercise for two to three times per week.
Weighted bridge:
- Lay on your back with your knees bent, ensuring your feet are under your knees and your feet are flat.
- Place a weighted disk on your pelvis, holding with both hands.
- Raise your pelvis to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
- Keeping your core muscles tight, squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering your pelvis to the start position.
- Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.
Targets: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Abdominals
Walking lunge:
- Stand upright with feet together and back straight, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Extend your left leg forwards to a full stride, lower your right knee to the floor maintaining your balance, then drive back up using both legs.
- Repeat this movement with your right leg and so on.
Targets: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads
Kettlebell step-up:
- Stand upright with feet together, holding a weight in each hand.
- Driving with your right leg, step up onto the step.
- Driving with you right leg, step back down to return to the starting position.
- Repeat this movement driving with your right leg for 15 reps, before alternating to drive with your left leg for 15 reps to ensure a balanced workout.
Targets: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
Bridge:
If you are new to this exercise then you should begin with your legs angled at 45 degrees. As your strength improves, you should use a more open leg as this will your glutes and hamstrings a lot harder.
- Lay on your back with your arms by your side and knees bent, ensuring your feet are under your knees and your feet are flat.
- Raise your hips to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders
- Keeping your core muscles tight, squeeze your glutes and hamstrings, hold for a few seconds before slowly lowering your pelvis to the start position.
- Repeat for your desired number of repetitions.
Targets: Glutes, Hamstrings, Quads, Abdominals