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.
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.
30-Minute Full Body + 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 full body 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.
30 Rep Challenge: Squat to Alternating Overhead Press
GIANT SET ONE:
Eccentric Squats
Back Row, Dumbbell Clean and Split Lunge
Snatch Rack and Pivot Squat Thruster
Lateral Lunge and Front Raise
GIANT SET TWO:
Squat, Alternating Clean and Alternating Squat Thruster
Bicep Curl and Curtsy Lunge
Lunge Swing and Single Arm Shoulder Press
Sumo Deadlift, Back Row and Two Lateral Squats
LADDER:
Power: Squat to Alternating Overhead Press
Isometric Hold: Low Squat Hold and Pulse
4 Leg Day Workout Routine Exercises
Squat to Alternating Shoulder Press
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, arms, biceps, shoulders and core.
How To Do Squats to Alternating Shoulder Presses
Start standing, feet shoulder width apart, knees bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand between your legs (palms facing in towards each other).
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.
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.
With control, reverse the movement, lowering the dumbbell to your hips before lowering into a squat.
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 largest muscle groups 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).
How To Do Eccentric Dumbbell Squats
Start standing feet shoulder-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.
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.
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.
How To Do Lateral Lunges and Front Raises
Start in a wide stance, holding a dumbbell vertically between your hands, toes facing forward or slightly out.
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.
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.
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).
How To Do Sumo Deadlifts, Back Rows and Two Lateral Squats
Stand with feet wider than hips(sumo squat stance). Hold one dumbbell horizontally between your hands at your hips.
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.
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.
Then, stand tall, cleaning the dumbbell up to your chest as you stand.
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.
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.
Build 30: FREE 2-Week Strength Training Program
A 2-week strength training program designed to build muscle in 30 minutes a day.
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2 comments
Day One, very challenging, well worth doing! Thanks.
Way to go Karen! Keep up the great work — you got this!!! -Lindsey
Day One, very challenging, well worth doing! Thanks.
Way to go Karen! Keep up the great work — you got this!!! -Lindsey