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30-Minute Leg Day Workout Routine

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | July 19, 2024

Build strength at home with this full body and leg day workout routine. This leg-focused full body workout combines the best leg day exercises with compound full body movements to increase metabolism, burn more calories, and allow you to lift heavier weights. Bonus: we perform this entire workout from a standing position.

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This is DAY ONE of our Build 30 Program.

woman performing an uneven squat with a dumbbell in a full body workout

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Upgrade your typical leg day workout routine with this effective full body twist.

Day one of our 2-Week Build 30 Program is a total body workout that emphasizes the strong, powerful muscles in the lower body.

Combining classic leg day exercises with full body compound movements makes this workout more time-efficient and effective.

We’ll repeat each circuit three times to maximize muscle-building. I want you to reach for your heavy weights – the goal is that we reach fatigue by the end of the final circuit.

two women performing a lateral squat as part of leg day workout routine

Leg Day Workout Routine (Build, Day 1)

Build total body strength at home using just a set of dumbbells with this full body and leg day workout routine.

This full body workout has an emphasis on the lower body, combining compound full body movements with the best leg day exercises at home.

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

Workout Equipment:

A medium-to-heavy set of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 10-25 lbs. We’re using 15-25 lb dumbbells in this workout.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Full Body Leg Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • Begin with Rep Challenge (complete 30 squats to alternating overhead shoulder press)
  • 2 Giant Sets (4 exercises per set)
  • Timed Intervals (30 seconds of work, 15 seconds rest; complete as many repetitions as you can in the timed interval)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x3 Sets
  • 3-Minute Ladder Burnout To Finish

Workout Outline

30 Rep Challenge: Squat to Alternating Overhead Press

GIANT SET ONE:

  1. Eccentric Squats
  2. Back Row, Dumbbell Clean and Split Lunge
  3. Snatch Rack and Pivot Squat Thruster
  4. Lateral Lunge and Front Raise

GIANT SET TWO:

  1. Squat, Alternating Clean and Alternating Squat Thruster
  2. Bicep Curl and Curtsy Lunge
  3. Lunge Swing and Single Arm Shoulder Press
  4. Sumo Deadlift, Back Row and Two Lateral Squats

LADDER:

  1. Power: Squat to Alternating Overhead Press
  2. Isometric Hold: Low Squat Hold and Pulse

4 Leg Day Exercises

Squat to Alternating Shoulder Press

Targets: Leg muscles, glutes, quads, arms, biceps, shoulders and core.

two women performing a squat to alternating overhead press as part of full body leg day workout routine

How To Do Squats to Alternating Shoulder Presses

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, knees bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs (palms facing in towards each other).
  2. Sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees. Lower the dumbbells towards the ground between your legs.
  3. Then, press through your heels to stand tall, curling the dumbbell in your right hand first to shoulder height, then pressing straight overhead as you stand. Think of powering the movement with your legs rather than your upper body.
  4. With control, reverse the movement, lowering the dumbbell to your hips before lowering into a squat.
  5. Repeat, this time curling the dumbbell in your left hand first to shoulder height then pressing overhead as you stand tall, performing a shoulder press on the left side.

Modification: Perform a dumbbell clean rather than shoulder press, stopping at shoulder height.

Eccentric Squat

Targets: The major muscles in the lower body, including the legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstring muscles, hips and core.

The majority of the muscle-building happens during the eccentric portion (or phase of a movement that lengthens the muscles).

two women performing an eccentric squat with dumbbells

How To Do Eccentric Dumbbell Squats

  1. Start standing feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip). Engage your core to protect your lower back.
  2. Slowly lower down into a squat position, aiming to get your thighs parallel to the floor. Think “down on a three-count”. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
  3. Squeeze your glutes as you drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.

Lateral Lunge and Front Raise

Targets: Gluteus medius (part of your butt used for side-to-side movements), quads, hips, inner thighs, shoulders, abs and core muscles.

two women performing a lateral lunge with a front raise as part of full body leg day workout routine

How To Do Lateral Lunges and Front Raises

  1. Start in a wide stance, holding a dumbbell vertically between your hands, toes facing forward or slightly out.
  2. Sit your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat on your right side.
  3. At the bottom of your squat, brace your core and exhale as you lift the dumbbell up to shoulder height, arms straight in front of you. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to your thighs.
  4. Then, push off your right foot to reverse the movement, returning to center.

Sumo Deadlift, Back Row and Lateral Squat

Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, hips, lower back, mid-upper back (lats) and inner thighs (or adductors).

two women performing a sumo deadlift as part of full body leg day workout routine

How To Do Sumo Deadlifts, Back Rows and Two Lateral Squats

  1. Stand with feet wider than hips (sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands at your hips.
  2. Hinge at the hips, pushing your glutes back towards the wall behind you, keeping slight bends in both knees. Lower the dumbbell down between your legs until you feel a stretch along the back of your thighs, performing a sumo deadlift.
  3. Hold at the bottom of the sumo deadlift, then pull your elbows to your ribcage, performing a back row. With control, lower the dumbbell down to return to the starting position.
  4. Then, stand tall, cleaning the dumbbell up to your chest as you stand.
  5. Bend your right knee and keep your left leg straight as you shift your weight to your right, performing a single leg squat on the right side.
  6. In one fluid motion, transfer your weight to the left, bending your left knee and keeping your right leg straight.

Leg Day Workout Routine FAQs

What Is A Good Leg Day Schedule?

A good leg day routine includes a combination of compound lower body exercises (such as squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges or Bulgarian split squats, and hip thrusts or glute bridges) and leg isolation exercises (or exercises that focus on a specific muscle group, such as glute exercises, quad exercises, hamstring exercises, or thigh exercises) to address muscle imbalances or weaknesses.

Which Leg Exercise Is Most Effective?

The squat (and squat variations, such as the front squat, back squat, barbell squat, goblet squat or dumbbell squat) is one of the best compound leg exercises. Squats engage almost every muscle in the lower body, including the quads, glutes, hamstrings, thighs, calves and lower back.

Should I Include Cardio On Leg Day?

You can absolutely do cardio on leg days, but I’d recommend choosing the right type and intensity of cardio. A light jog or cycle can increase blood flow to your lower body muscles, improving recovery. An intense cardio session could potentially deplete your energy reserves, impacting your ability to increase the weight you’re using during the strength portion of your workout. Keep in mind that if your goal is to build muscle, you should perform strength training exercises first and follow with cardio. If your goal is to increase cardiovascular endurance, begin with cardio exercises and follow with strength training.

How Can I Prevent Injury During Leg Day Workouts?

To prevent injury while training legs, you should prioritize dynamic stretches in your warm up, and cool down with static stretches. While you should use weights that challenge you, it’s important to focus on good form and avoid compromising technique. Listen to your body and incorporate more rest days into your routine as needed.

woman performing shoulder press as part of muscle building workout plan

Build 30: FREE 2-Week Strength Training Program

A 2-week strength training program designed to build muscle in 30 minutes a day. 

If you liked this full body leg workout at home, download the FREE 2-Week Workout Plan.

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woman performing standing dumbbell crunch

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