If you’re looking to build lower-body strength without ever setting foot in the gym, you’re in luck—this dumbbell leg exercise can be performed from just about anywhere, and it targets most of the muscles in your legs. Far from being just an aesthetic goal, strong legs are an important part of building total-body strength and can help maximize athletic performance, whether you’re running a marathon or lifting weights.
Ready to get started? Get a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and try them out. The workout is designed by a fitness trainer Olivia OstromIt includes five different exercises in the traditional resistance style, with a short break between each exercise. As a reminder, if you’re new to exercise, or are returning to exercise after an injury, it’s a good idea to check your form with a personal trainer before adding weight to the movement.
When it comes to choosing the right weight for your workouts, remember that it should be challenging, but not impossible through the final few reps. Weight should not affect your figure at any time.
What is exercise?
Here’s the exercise to try on your next leg day:
3 x 12 reps: High heel cup
For this exercise, start by standing with your feet elevated on a 0.5-1 inch rigid object—in her video, Olivia uses a weight plate. To perform a squat, get into a normal squat position — with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your core engaged. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell to your chest, and hold it in both hands, like a cup. Brace your midsection and sit back down into your heels, keeping your chest up. Drive through your heels to rise back to the starting position.
3 x 12 reps: telescopic leg deadlift
Standing deadlift puts one foot in front of the other. Your front foot should be one step in front of your back foot, hip-width apart; Only your heel should touch the ground on your front foot. Detailed at the hips. During the deadlift, your front leg will be straight, and your back leg will be bent. Once you have lowered the dumbbell past your front knee, return to the starting position. Complete all reps on one side before switching.
3 x 10 reps: Curtsy lunge
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, your arms down by your sides, and your gaze focused forward in front of you. Slide your left leg back and around behind your right leg, shift your weight to your right side, and come down into a lunge. At the same time, raise your arms toward your chest, keeping your torso upright, and engage your core. Lunge down until your right thigh is parallel to the floor, then straighten your right leg again, push off from your heel, and return your left leg to the starting position. Repeat all of your reps on one leg, before switching sides.
4 x 10 reps: dumbbell hip press
Start with your back against a bench or box in line with your shoulder blades. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and place dumbbells on your hips. Rest your elbows on the chest and keep your gaze forward. Hold the dumbbells and bend your chin, then squeeze your core and inhale. As you exhale, drive through your heels and drive your hips up forcefully. Keeping your pelvis, ribs, and chin tucked down, squeeze your glutes at the top. Slowly lower your hips down.
4 x 8 reps: lying leg raise
For this exercise, start by lying on your side, with your hips on top of each other, and placing your body weight on your elbow. Engage your core and hold a dumbbell in the upper arm against the upper leg. Squeeze your glutes and lift your top leg toward the ceiling, pausing at the top, before lowering it back to the starting position. Complete all of your reps on one leg before switching sides.
What are the benefits?
You may have heard the phrase “never skip leg day,” but it turns out you really shouldn’t. Lower-body exercises like these help build a solid foundation, which you’ll also use for your upper-body movements.
Leg training is also important for building functional fitness—”function” means that the exercise serves a specific purpose for your body outside of the gym, closely following the movement patterns you expect to perform each day, including walking, jumping, pushing, or pulling. Read more about Functional trainingand benefits here.
Often, leg exercises like these will engage most of the major muscle groups in the body, helping you build total body strength. Single-leg exercises force you to engage your core to help stabilize the body, so you’ll be working your midsection, as well as your legs.
Finally, strength training can help you lose weight and keep it off by building muscle, and it has also been shown to strengthen your bones.
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