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25-Minute Leg and Glute Workout (Athlete 25 Day 3)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | January 7, 2026

This leg and glute workout pairs heavy dumbbell strength with athletic plyometrics to build muscle, power and joint resilience at home. If you want a time-efficient leg day workout that hits the quads, glutes and calves while protecting your knees and lower back, you’re in the right place. Modifications are provided for both beginners and advanced athletes.

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This is DAY 3 of my Athlete 25 Program.

woman in low squat position tapping ground as part of leg and glute workout at home

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Day 3 of my Athlete 25 Workout Program is all about the powerhouse muscle groups of the lower body: the legs and glutes.

If you want to build strength that actually performs in your real life, this leg and glute workout is for you. Today’s lower body workout uses a mix of heavy lifts, single-sided stability training and intentional impact to future-proof your joints. This is the type of workout that not only makes you feel strong now, but sets you up to be strong for decades to come.

I programmed this workout as an “insurance policy” against the knee pain and lower body injuries that become more common as we age by including a mix of:

  • Bilateral strength exercises (squats, hip thrusts): allows heavier lifting, leading to hypertrophy and muscle growth.
  • Unilateral strength exercises (single leg deadlift, Bulgarian split squats): fixes muscle imbalances and addresses instability.
  • Bodyweight power exercises (pogo jumps and lateral shuffles): increases speed, agility and bone density.

This combination of training methods allows you to build lower body muscle that’s actually functional in multiple planes of motion – AKA, real life movements like playing sports in the yard with your kids or stepping off curbs.

Here’s your challenge for the day: the fan-favorite rep-drop format found in today’s workout means your work volume will decrease with each additional set. Try to keep the same weights (or go heavier!) as the number of reps goes down!

a man and woman wearing red athletic apparel performing a lateral squat with a single heavy dumbbell as part of leg and glute workout

Workout Details

Build strength in the quads, glutes, calves and thighs with this quick and effective leg day at home.

I suggest doing this lower body workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.

Trainer Tip: if you have extra time, I highly recommend warming up with these Leg Day Stretches or this Glute Activation Routine.

Workout Equipment

Medium-to-Heavy Dumbbells. I’m using 20-30 lbs. Optional mini loop resistance band(discount code: NML).

Workout Instructions

Follow along with the guided 25-Minute Legs and Glutes Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 8 Lower Body Exercises (6 dumbbell strength exercises and 2 bodyweight power exercises)
  • Rep Drop Format (Decrease the number of reps you perform for each exercise as you move through the workout)
  • Trisets (Repeat each exercise x3 sets; 10 reps during the first set, 8 reps during the second set and 6 reps during the third set)

Workout Outline

Buy In: Banded Side-to-Side Squats

  1. Banded Squat
  2. Bulgarian Lunge
  3. Single Leg Deadlift
  4. Lateral Squat
  5. Hip Thrust
  6. Calf Raises
  7. Pogo Bounds
  8. Lateral Shuffle

1. Banded Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and core.

man and women performing banded squats against a dark fireplace as part of at home leg and glute workout

How To Do a Banded Squat

  1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Option to place a resistance band around your upper thighs (6 inches above your knees). Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms facing in towards your body.
  2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your middle toes.
  3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.

2. Bulgarian Lunge

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hips and core.

adult woman and man performing bulgarian lunges or single leg split squats

How To Do A Bulgarian Split Squat

  1. Kneel in front of your bench, then place your left foot behind you on the bench, shoelaces are down. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand.
  2. Step your right foot forward (it will vary for everyone, but a little over a foot in front of your bench). Your front thigh will be parallel to the floor. This is the bottom of your movement.
  3. Drive through your front right heel, squeezing your right glute to stand tall. Your front glute should engage to power the movement.
  4. With control, bend your right knee to lower down to the starting position. Your back left knee should lower to the ground, making your front thigh parallel with the ground. Shoulders remain stacked over hips throughout the movement.

Modification: Option to perform a reverse lunge or split squat with both feet on the ground.

3. Single Leg Deadlift

Targets: Hamstrings, core and glutes.

man and woman performing a single leg deadlift to target the legs and glutes

How To Do A Rear Foot Elevated Single Leg Deadlift

  1. Stand in front of a bench, holding a dumbbell in your left hand. Place your left foot behind you on the bench, shoelaces down. Keep a slight bend in the front right leg.
  2. Keep your hips square as you press your glutes back towards the wall behind you. Hinge at the hips and glide the dumbbell down the front side of the body until you feel a stretch along the back of your right leg. Range of motion will be different for everyone.
  3. Exhale as you press through your front heel and stand tall, returning to the starting position.

Modification: Perform a staggered deadlift from the ground, keeping 80% of your weight in your front heel and 20% in your back leg.

4. Lateral Squat

Targets: Glutes (gluteus medius), quads, hip adductors (inner thighs), hamstrings and core.

fit couple performing a lateral squat with single heavy dumbbell as part of leg and glute workout at home

How To Do A Lateral Squat

  1. Start standing, feet wider than shoulder-width (lateral squat stance), with toes facing forward or slightly turned out. Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest in a goblet hold.
  2. Sit your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight.
  3. Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center.
  4. Immediately push to the left side, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. This time, think of performing a single leg squat with your left leg while your right leg remains straight.

5. Hip Thrust

Targets: Glutes (both the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius), hamstrings and hip adductors.

demonstration of two ways to perform a hip thrust with dumbbells - with your upper back on a bench or on the ground

How To Do A Hip Thrust

  1. Sit in front of a bench or chair, feet shoulder-width apart and planted on the floor. Then rest your upper back on a bench. Hold 1 or 2 dumbbells at your hips, resting on your hip bones.
  2. Press through the heels to lift your hips (or thrust your hips) until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze your glutes and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
  3. Hold at the top of the hip thrust for a moment before lowering your hips back to the starting position with control.

Modification: Perform glute bridges from the floor if you don’t have a bench or box available.

6. Calf Raises

Targets: Strengthens the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) and achilles tendon, improves ankle mobility, and increases balance and stability.

adult couple performing calf raises with dumbbells as part of glute and leg workout at home

How To Do A Calf Raise

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Keep your back straight and core engaged to stand tall. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Slowly and with control, lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet, heels rising above the ground.
  3. Lift your heels until you feel a stretch along the back of your legs, balancing on your toes.
  4. Then, slowly lower your heels back to the ground, returning to starting position.

7. Pogo Bounds

Targets: Calves, legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hips and core.

woman and man performing tuck jumps and pogo bounds to increase bone density

How To Do A Pogo Hop To Tuck Jump

  1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Shift your weight to the balls of your feet, heels lifting slightly.
  2. Stay light on your feet as you perform two small hops, feet lifting off the ground and landing softly.
  3. After the second pogo hop, perform a tuck jump by exploding up, driving your knees towards your chest as you jump. Aim to tap your thighs with your hands near hip-level.
  4. Land softly in a loaded athletic position and repeat.

8. Lateral Shuffle

Targets: Legs, glutes (outer gluteus medius), hips, calves, quads and core (for stability and balance).

couple performing lateral shuffle in front of dark fireplace to activate outer glutes

How To Do A Lateral Shuffle

  1. Start standing in an athletic stance, feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
  2. Leading with the right foot and following with the left foot, take two large shuffles towards the right. Option to tap the ground.
  3. Then reverse the movement, leading with your left foot as you take two large shuffles towards the left, returning to starting position.
  4. Continue this pattern, shuffling side-to-side with each rep.

FAQs

Is it effective to train legs and glutes together?

Yes, you can build strong glutes and legs at home with dumbbells. Many lower-body exercises engage the glutes and legs simultaneously, so it makes sense to train them together. I recommend focusing on compound movements like squats and deadlifts, which work the quads, hamstrings and glutes. 

How often should you train glutes?

I recommend training glutes 2-3 times per week. That said, you can adjust this frequency based on your individual fitness goals and recovery. Listen to your body and incorporate more rest days if needed. I recommend following a split training routine with dedicated upper-body workouts, lower-body workouts and full-body workouts.

Why does my lower back feel strained during deadlifts?

If you’re feeling back pain during staggered deadlifts, there’s a chance the weights are too far away from your body. This puts too much pressure on your low back. Try holding the dumbbells at your sides to reduce pressure on the lower back. It’s also possible that your core isn’t properly engaged during the exercise. I’d recommend reducing the weights you’re using to focus on proper form and core engagement.

Woman and man performing dumbbell exercise as part of athletic training program

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3 exercises from leg and glute workout athlete 25 day 3

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4 comments

  1. Day 3 of the Athlete 25 program just didn’t land for me. The workout itself was challenging, and I liked the focus on basic movements targeting large muscle groups, as well as the rep-drop format, which allowed me to lift heavier. That said, the overall experience felt chaotic. I generally find Lindsey’s classes quite busy, with minimal rest and little guidance on what’s coming next, but this one took it to another level. My husband felt the same way. On top of that, trying to record reps and weights with virtually no rest time was frustrating unless you constantly paused the video. I will not re-do this workout. Hopefully the other days are a bit more organized (I didn’t find day 1 or 2 too bad)

    Reply

    • Hi Trish! Thanks for the honest feedback – I appreciate you sharing both what you enjoyed and what felt frustrating. Day 3 is intentionally fast-paced, but I understand how that can feel overwhelming, especially when tracking reps and weights. Pausing is always an option, though I hear that the overall flow didn’t work for you. I’m glad Days 1 and 2 felt better, and I hope the rest of the program feels more aligned for you. -Lindsey

      Reply

  2. Thank you for sharing Athlete 25 with me. The Pour Over Christian news had it advertised and that is where I found your program. I am 57 with a hip replacement 10 months ago and love to walk in the woods either my dog. This is helping me get stronger 💪 and feeling more energetic.
    God bless you🙏😇
    Cathy Sisson
    Salt Spring Island
    BC, Canada

    Reply
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