This high intensity leg day workout will burn out your backside — 35-Minute GLUTE and HAMSTRING Workout at home! 12 of the best glute and hamstring exercises with dumbbells.
12 of the best lower body exercises in a 35-minute GLUTE and HAMSTRING workout you can do at home with dumbbells!
You liked the base, build, power format of this squat-heavy Leg Day Workout. So we are applying that same format to the best hamstring and glute exercises (hello deadlifts, swings and glute bridges).
Why Train Hamstrings And Glutes Together?
Because your butt (AKA your gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in your body) and hamstrings are the two LARGEST muscle groups in the lower body.
And they work together too. The hamstring muscles assist the glutes to push the body forward as you run (acceleration); and the hamstrings are important for deceleration too as they help you stop and change directions.
Benefits of training hamstring and glutes include:
Build bigger, stronger hamstrings and glutes
Run fasters and increase sports performance
Reduce risk of injury
Prevent a number of issues such as back pain, knee instability, and ankle problems
Not to mention, training glute-ham exercises can give you toned, athletic legs and lift your butt.
What Are The Best Exercises To Build Glutes and Hammies?
You don’t need fancy gym equipment and leg curls; you can train the glutes and hamstrings with just a set of dumbbells at home with these leg exercises:
Hip Hinges/Deadlifts (Good Morning, Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Leg Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift, Conventional Deadlift, Dumbbell or Kettlebell Swings). Targets the posterior chain or backside of the body; specifically the hamstrings, glutes and hips.
Squats (Front Squat, Back Squat, Goblet Squat, Lateral Squat, Bulgarian Split Squat).The most general leg exercise, engaging almost all the muscle groups in the lower body. Squats target the quads, hamstrings, glutes, hips and calves.
Lunges (Static Lunge, Walking Lunges, Reverse Lunges). Target the glutes, quads, calves, inner thighs (adductors) and outer thighs (abductors).
Glute Bridges/Hip Thrusts (Barbell Hip Thrust). Isolate the hamstring and glute muscles, the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and the gluteus minimus.
You’ll find most of these leg exercises in this hamstring and butt workout with weights.
35-Minute Glute and Hamstring Workout (HIITStrong 35, Day 6)
Feel the FIRE in your legs, glutes and hamstrings! Start with a basic leg day exercise, like a dumbbell deadlift, and increase the intensity with each set.
So you go from deadlifts, to clean squats, to single leg bounds — base, build, power!
The combination of these 12 lower body exercises will build bigger and stronger hamstrings and glutes at home.
You get to choose whether to make this leg workout low-impact (follow Rachel on the left in the video) or high-impact (follow Lindsey on the right).
Grab your heavy dumbbells and add this glute and hamstring workout to your strength training routine once a week.
Workout Equipment:
A medium-to-heavy pair of dumbbells. And optional resistance band (glute band) and bench.
I recommend 8-30 lb dumbbells depending on your fitness level. I’m using 15 and 20 lb dumbbells in this workout.
Shop My Resistance Bands
These are the bands I use and love!! The thicker fabric ones are great if you have issues with bands rolling up.
4 Circuits (repeating each circuit x2 before closing it out and moving on to the next one)
2 STRENGTH Exercises and 1 POWER Exercise Per Circuit
Timed Intervals of Work (30 seconds of work per BASE exercise, followed by 30 seconds of work per BUILD exercise; that’s 1 minute of consecutive strength work. Followed by 30 seconds of rest. Finish with 30 seconds of an all out POWER exercise; then rest again for 30 seconds).
Workout Includes 5-Minute Mobility Warm-Up and 5-Minute Cool Down Stretching
12 Best Glute Exercises and Hamstring Exercises with Dumbbells
Staggered Deadlift
Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, lower back and core.
How To Do a Staggered Romanian Deadlift (B-Stance Deadlift of B-Stance RDL)
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs; core tight.
Drive through your front right heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall.
Staggered Deadlift and Clean Squat
Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, quads, core and low back muscles.
How To Do a Staggered Deadlift and Clean Squat
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs; core tight.
Then, drive through your heels to stand tall, bringing your left foot parallel to your right foot.
As you stand, bring the dumbbells up towards your chest (this is the “clean” portion of the clean squat).
Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel to your knees. Driving your knees out toward your outer three toes. Keep the dumbbells up at chest level (front-racked).
Drive through your heels to stand tall again, finding a staggered stance again by stepping your left foot back. That’s one rep.
Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position and repeat this sequence of one staggered deadlift and one clean squat.
Single Leg Deadlift and Bound
Targets: The posterior chain (backside of body) — glutes, hamstrings, calves, lower back and core muscles.
This single leg stability exercise will also challenge your balance.
How To Do a Single Leg Deadlift and Bound
Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees bent. Transfer your weight into your right foot and kickstand or float your left foot off the ground. Balancing on your right leg.
With your right knee bent, hinge at your hips (hip flexors), extending your left leg long behind you as you lower to tap the right toe with your left hand; balancing on your right leg. Keep your hips square to the mat.
You should feel a good stretch in your right hamstring (back of your right leg) at the bottom of this movement.
Then drive through your front right heel, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings to push your hips forward. As you do so, explosively bound up, leaving the ground with your right foot as you pull your left knee up towards your chest.
Switch sides, performing single leg deadlifts on the left leg during the next set.
Modification: Follow Rachel, on the left, and perform a staggered stance deadlift into a single leg knee drive.
Hinge Swing and Dumbbell Clean
Targets: Legs, hips, hamstrings, glutes and core.
How To Do a Hinge Swing and Dumbbell Clean
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold one dumbbell in each hand at your hips, palms facing in towards your body.
Hinge at the hips, pressing your butt back towards the wall behind you. As your hips go back, the dumbbells in your hands swing past your hips, arms extended long.
Then press through your heels to stand tall, using the power in your hips, glutes and hamstrings to swing the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
“Catch” the dumbbells at your shoulders, holding them in a front racked position.
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides (overhand grip, palms facing in).
Hinge at the hips, pressing your butt back towards the wall behind you. As your hips go back, the dumbbells in your hands swing past your hips, arms extended long.
Then press through your heels to stand tall, using the power in your hips, glutes and hamstrings to swing the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
“Catch” the dumbbells at your shoulders, holding them in a front racked position. This is the hinge swing or clean portion of the movement.
Then 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 parallel to the floor.
Then drive through your front, left heel and glute to return to a standing position.
As you stand, perform a thruster, pressing both dumbbells overhead.
Bound and Two Lunge Jumps Back
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings, calves and core.
How To Do a Bound and Two Lunge Jumps Back
Start standing in an athletic stance, feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, ready to move.
Hinge at the hips, pressing your butt back towards the wall behind you bend your knees and swing your arms back past your hips.
Then press through your heels, using the power in your hips to bound forward, landing softly with bent knees.
Immediately perform a lunge jump back by dropping down into a reverse lunge. Step your right foot back into a reverse lunge, aiming for 90-degree angles in each knee.
Perform a “lunge jump” by exploding up from your reverse lunge position and switching legs in the air, so your right leg lands forward in a low lunge position and your left leg is now in the back. You’ll move backwards as you perform the lunge jump.
Jump both feet together to find the starting position. Repeat this sequence of forward bound and 2 lunge jumps back for 30 seconds.
Modification: Follow Rachel, on the left, and perform one dumbbell clean into two reverse lunges (working the same muscles groups in a low impact way).
Sumo Deadlift
Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings back (posterior chain) and inner thighs.
What’s the difference between a Sumo Deadlift and Conventional Deadlift? The sumo deadlift requires more hip and glute strength and conventional deadlifting requires more hamstring and lower back strength.
How To Do a Sumo Deadlift
Stand with feet wider than hips (sumo squat stance, heels slightly in, toes slightly out).
Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs; palms facing in toward each other.
Hinge your hips back as you lower the dumbbells in a straight line towards the ground. Think about pushing your hips and butt back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down towards the mat.
Then drive through your heels to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips as you stand tall to return to the start of the movement.
Start standing, feet wider than shoulder-width (lateral squat stance), with toes facing forward or slightly turnout out.
Hold one dumbbell in your left hand.
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. Dumbbell comes to the inside of the right foot; knees and toes are pointing forward.
Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center. As you hit center switch the dumbbell to your right hand.
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.
Three Lateral Bounds and One Knee Drive
Targets: Legs, calves, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors and glutes (specifically your outer glutes that assist with side-to-side movements).
A great lower body HIIT exercise to increases agility and coordination.
How To Do a Three Lateral Bounds and One Knee Drive
Start standing on the right side of your mat with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower down into an athletic stance, knees bent, ready to move.
Then drive off your right leg to bound laterally to the left.
Maintaining the loaded squat stance as you perform 3 lateral bounds; always pushing off your outside leg (bound left, bound right, bound left).
On the third bound, perform a knee drive on the right leg. Explode off the left foot to leave the ground, using power from your leg. Simultaneously drive your right knee up towards your chest.
Land softly, then repeat, alternating the leg that performs the knee drive as you go.
Modification: Follow Rachel, on the left, and perform single leg knee drive from the ground instead of leaving the ground.
Staggered Hip Thrust
Targets: Glutes (both the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius), hamstrings and hip adductors.
How To Do a Staggered Hip Thrust
Place an optional resistance band 6 inches above your knees.
Lie flat on the floor on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. OR rest your upper back on a bench. Hold one dumbbell at your hips, resting on your hip bones.
Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your front right foot, left heel flat on the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your left foot, 20% in your front right heel.
Press through the heels to lift your hips (or thrust your hips) until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Squeeze those glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
Hold at the top of the hip thrust for a moment before lowering your hips back to the starting position with control.
Glute Bridge Hamstring Walkout
Targets: The back of your legs — hamstrings and glutes.
How To Do a Glute Bridge Hamstring Walkout
Place an optional resistance band 6 inches above your knees.
Lie flat on the floor on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. OR rest your upper back on a bench. Hold one dumbbell at your hips, resting on your hip bones.
Press through the heels to raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. This is a glute bridge.
Maintain a glute bridge as you step your left foot out slightly, then your right foot out. Step your left foot out and your right foot out again until your legs form a straight line (or as far as you are able to ‘walkout’ while maintaining good glute bridge form).
Then, step your feet back in until your knees are at a 90-degree angle again.
Dumbbell Swings
Targets: The hamstrings, butt, hips, lower back and core.
How To Do Dumbbell Swings
Hold one dumbbell in your right hand between your legs.
Hinge at your hips, pushing your hips and butt back towards the wall behind you, letting the dumbbell swing between your legs.
Then drive through your heels as you squeeze your glutes to ‘swing’ the dumbbell up to shoulder-height as you stand tall.
At the peak of the swing, or at chest level, switch the dumbbell to your left hand.
Then again lower the dumbbell back between your legs as you push your hips back behind you.
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Glutes + Hammies
Glutes + Hammies
