Make the most of your workout time with this efficient, muscle-building leg supersets workout! Each circuit “supersets” a lower body strength exercise with a powerful plyometric exercise to strengthen and fatigue all your major lower body muscle groups. We’ll target the thighs, quads, hamstrings and glutes — all in under 30 minutes at home!
It’s my personal favorite day of the week: LEG DAY!
Today’s lower body burnout combines some of my favorite strength exercises for legs with powerful plyometrics in a challenging SUPERSET workout.
This is a fun, efficient format for leg day. We’ll move in all planes of motion while fatiguing the lower body muscles in this effective, leg day workout at home.
Squats, deadlifts, lunges and more — this lower body superset workout pairs strictly strength exercises with complementary power exercises designed to BURN OUT every muscle in your lower body!
Minimal rest means we’re increasing the intensity, making this a quick BUT efficient leg workout.
Modifications are offered to make each plyometric leg exercise high-impact or low-impact.
I suggest adding this leg superset workout to your weekly fitness routine once a week.
Workout Equipment:
Medium to heavy set of dumbbells. We are using 15-20 lb weights in this superset workout.
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips and core.
How To Do A Goblet Squat
Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart knees slightly bent, holding a single dumbbell at your chest (vertically so dumbbell is touching your collarbone and sternum).
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
Drive through your heels to stand tall and, returning to a standing position.
A great leg exercise to add to your cardio or lower body routine (build strength AND improve your aerobic fitness).
How To Do A Goblet Squat Jack
Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart knees slightly bent, holding a single dumbbell at your chest (vertically so dumbbell is touching your collarbone and sternum).
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
Then, “jack” both legs in, pushing off the ground as you drive your hips forward to bring you to a standing position.
“Jack” your legs back out and lower back into a low squat position.
Modification: Follow Rachel (on the left) and make this a low impact exercise by stepping one foot out at a time rather than jumping or “jacking” the legs. Option to also drop the weight.
Split Lunge
Targets: Legs, quads, hamstrings, butt and calves.
This single-leg exercise fatigues one side of the body while your core is also activated to maintain balance.
How To Do A Split Lunge
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
Step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh is parallel to the floor.
Then squeeze your left glute, keeping the weight in your front (left) heel as you push back up to a standing position, keeping your right foot in place so you can lower back down.
Continue to lower and lift with your right leg back for the timed interval, switching sides (left leg) for the second set.
Lunge Drops
Targets: Legs, butt, hamstrings, hips, quads, thighs, calves and core.
How To Do Lunge Drops
Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Shoulders are stacked over hips.
Jump your right leg back into a reverse lunge position. Dropping your right knee down towards the ground as you lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh is parallel to the floor.
Explode up back to the starting position.
Repeat this movement on the same leg (right leg) for the timed interval, switching sides (left leg) for the second set.
Modification: Follow Rachel (on the left) and omit the jump, replacing the lunge drop with a reverse lunge and knee drive.
Double Leg Deadlift (Romanian Deadlift or RDL)
Targets: The posterior chain or backside of the body; specifically the hamstrings, glutes and hips.
How To Do A Romanian Deadlift with Dumbbells
Start standing feet hip-distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your body (overhand grip, palms face your body).
Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement. Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, squeezing your glutes as you return to a standing position.
Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
Targets: Legs, hamstrings, glutes, lower back, shoulders arms and core.
The single arm dumbbell snatch is a dynamic, compound exercise that works your whole body while also improving your strength and power. Again this unilateral or single-sided exercise really forces your core to work.
How To Do A Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
Stand with feet hip-distance apart, or a little wider with a dumbbell horizontal on the ground between your feet.
Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you reach for the dumbbell between your feet with your right hand.
In one explosive movement, drive through your heels to press your hips forward as you “snatch” the weight overhead with your right arm (using the momentum created by your legs and hips to move the weight overhead).
Right arm should be fully extended overhead, wrist stacked over shoulder, palm facing out away from the body. Note, you shouldn’t struggle to press the weight overhead, it should be an easy extension of the move, with the majority of the work being done by your legs to create momentum.
With control, lower the dumbbell down to your right shoulder, then back to the ground to return to the starting position.
Lateral Squat
Targets: Legs, quads, outer glutes (gluteus medius) and core.
How To Do A Lateral Squat
Start standing in a wide-stance squat, feet outside of shoulders, knees softly bent. Hold a single dumbbell at your chest.
Transfer your weight into your right leg as you sit your hips back and to the right. Bend your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat on your right leg while your left leg remains straight. Knees and toes point forward.
Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center to stand tall.
Single Sided Skaters
Targets: Legs, glutes (outer gluteus medius), quads, hips, calves and core (for stability and balance).
How To Do A Single Sided Skater
Balance on your left foot, hovering your right foot off the ground (right ankle near left ankle).
Push off your left leg to bound laterally to the right, landing in a loaded skater position on your right leg. Right knee is bent, left leg is tracking behind your right (planted foot) in a skater position.
Then drive off your planted right foot to bound laterally back to the left. Landing softly on your left foot, returning to the starting position.
Modification: Follow Rachel (on the left) and make this exercise a low impact lateral step rather than bound.
Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance). Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Perform a sumo deadlift. With a soft bend in the knees, hinge at your hips to bring your torso parallel to the ground; lowering the dumbbells along the front side of your body.
Drive through your heels to stand up, returning to the starting position.
As you press your hips forward to stand up, “clean” the dumbbells up towards your shoulders.
Hold this front rack position as you bend your knees to lower down into a sumo squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
Drive through the heels to stand up, returning to the starting position and repeat this sequence for the timed interval.
Modification: Follow Rachel (on the left) and hold just one dumbbell.
Start in an athletic stance or loaded squat position, with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and a slight bend in your knees.
With your chest upright and your core engaged, “jack” your feet out into a wide squat (feet are wider than your shoulders).
Land softly in a low squat, touching the ground with your fingertips if you can.
Then “jack” your feet into a narrow stance, feet hip-width distance apart as you stand 3/4 the way up. Bring your arms to a “T” at shoulder height.
Modification: Follow Rachel (on the left) and make this a low impact exercise by stepping one foot out at a time rather than jumping or “jacking” the legs.
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Leg Supersets FAQs
What Is A Superset Workout?
A superset workout pairs two different exercises back-to-back with little to no rest in between exercises (so you perform more work in less time). If you’ve done any of my strength and HIIT workouts, you’ve probably done a superset workout!
What Is The Best Superset For Legs?
There are two types of superset workouts: antagonist supersets and agonist supersets. Antagonist supersets pair exercises that target opposing muscle groups. Agonist supersets (or compound supersets) pair exercises that target the same muscle group. Today’s leg workout includes compound sets, or supersets where both the first exercise and second exercise target the same muscle group, but either format is great for a leg superset.
What Are The Benefits Of Adding Supersets To Your Fitness Routine?
Supersets are efficient. Personal trainers use superset workouts to increase the intensity of workouts by overloading a muscle group. Pairing two exercises consecutively increases the time under tension (or the amount of work that your muscles have to do) AND reduces rest time. This is beneficial for increasing muscular hypertrophy and endurance (in a short amount of time).
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2 comments
Loved this 25-Minute Leg Supersets Workout! Went by super fast with a lot of variations.
Sharon! I’m so glad you loved this new leg workout! It does move fast and it’s a new favorite around here for sure! Nice work! -Lindsey
Loved this 25-Minute Leg Supersets Workout! Went by super fast with a lot of variations.
Sharon! I’m so glad you loved this new leg workout! It does move fast and it’s a new favorite around here for sure! Nice work! -Lindsey