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7 Lower Body Strength Exercises with Weights

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | December 10, 2024

I suggest doing a lower body workout at least once a week to strengthen your legs, quads, glutes, hamstrings and hips. This at home leg day workout includes the lower body strength exercises I personally do as fitness trainer. All you need is a set of dumbbells.

Jump To Workout

One of the most common mistakes I see as a certified personal trainer is people overcomplicating their leg day workouts by choosing too many exercises.

My own leg workouts became more efficient (and more effective) when I simplified them; going back to the basics of lower body strength training.

There are three movement patterns I consider necessary in any complete leg workout:

  • Hip Dominant Movements: such as deadlifts, kettlebell swings and hip thrusts.
  • Knee Dominant Movements: such as squats, Bulgarian split squats, and lunges.
  • Multi-Planar Movements: to train in multiple planes of motion, increasing range of motion and overall functional strength for daily movements.

This workout is a complete home leg workout, targeting every major muscle group in the legs in just 20 minutes.

two women performing a romanian deadlift with dumbbells as example of lower body strength exercise

Express Leg Day for Strong Legs, Butt and Thighs

To get the most out of your lower body training sessions, I highly suggest warming up with a couple hip mobility exercises and ankle mobility exercises. Improving hip and ankle mobility will improve your squat depth, reduce back pain and risk of injury.

Add leg days like this to your home workout plan one to two times a week to improve lower body muscle definition.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Express Leg Day Workout Routine on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 7 Lower Body Strength Exercises
  • Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
  • Perform Each Exercise x1 Set (no repeats)

Workout Equipment:

Medium Pair of Dumbbells. I recommend between 5-25 lbs depending on your fitness level. We used 15 and 20 lb dumbbells in today’s workout. Option to add a mini loop resistance band.

Workout Outline

  1. Goblet Squat 
  2. Split Lunge 
  3. Deadlift 
  4. Dumbbell Swing
  5. Calf Raise
  6. Lateral Squat
  7. Glute Bridge

7 Lower Body Strength Exercises For Defined Legs

Goblet Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip abductors, chest and core.

women performing goblet squat as example of lower body strength exercises

How To Do Goblet Squats

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest in a goblet hold. Option to place a mini loop resistance band around your thighs.
  2. Inhale as you bend your knees and sit your hips back (as if sitting down in a chair). Aim for 90-degree bends at each knee, focusing on pushing your knees out (not letting them cave in). Keep your torso upright.
  3. Exhale as you press through your heels to stand tall, driving your hips forward to return to standing.

Split Lunge

Targets: Legs, quads, hamstrings, butt and calves.

women performing split lunges as example of lower body exercises for strength

How To Do Split Lunges

  1. Stand with feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge, dropping your left 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. Lower slowly and with control.
  3. Exhale, squeezing your right glute and keeping the weight in your right heel as you push up, returning to a standing position.

Romanian Deadlift

Targets: Posterior chain, hamstrings, glutes, core and lower back.

standing women performing romanian deadlifts with dumbbells

How To Do Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips (palms facing in towards your body).
  2. Hinge at the hips, pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbells down the front of your legs, keeping your core tight, slightly bending both knees. Lower your dumbbells until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings. Range of motion will look different for everyone.
  3. Drive through your front heel to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hip as you stand tall, returning to starting position.

Dumbbell Swing

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hips, core, and all the stabilizing muscles in your back and shoulders.

how to do dumbbell swings as part of lower body strength workout

How To Do Dumbbell Swings

  1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a single dumbbell vertically between your hands.
  2. With a slight bend in your knees and weight in your heels, ‘hike’ the dumbbell back between your legs to start the swing movement.
  3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, pushing your hips forward as you squeeze your glutes to swing the dumbbell up. Aim for shoulder height, with arms extended out away from the body. Think long, loose arms (your arms are just a vehicle for moving the weight, your hips and glutes generate the power).
  4. As the dumbbell begins to descend, think of catching the weight with a hip hinge, loading the glutes and hamstrings.

Calf Raise

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

two women performing calf raises to strengthen lower body muscles

How To Do Calf Raises

  1. Start standing on a flat surface, feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight and core engaged to stand tall. Option to hold a dumbbell in each hand outside your thighs.
  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.

Lateral Squat

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

two women performing lateral squats as part of lower body strength workout

How To Do Lateral Squats

  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.

Glute Bridge

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hips and pelvic floor.

women laying on their backs performing glute bridges

How To Do Glute Bridges

  1. Start laying on your back, feet flat on the floor under knees. Option to place a dumbbell on your hips.
  2. Press through your heels to lift your glutes off the mat, squeezing your glutes as you lift. Think about keeping your core engaged and knees in line with your hips.
  3. Exhale, slowly lowering your hips to hover an inch above the mat, and then repeat.

FAQs

What If Lunges Hurt My Knees?

Lunges are a common pain point for people who struggle with knee pain. Try performing an isometric lunge hold rather than reverse or forward lunges. This is a great way to build lower body strength without causing knee pain. For more lunge and squat alternatives, try these exercises for bad knees.

Swings Hurt My Back – What Can I Do Instead?

If dumbbell swings or kettlebell swings hurt your back, I recommend taking a video of yourself from the side performing swings, double-checking your form to make sure you aren’t overextending your lower back during the swing. Alternatively, perform banded hip hinges.

Why Do Deadlifts Hurt My Lower Back?

The deadlift is an exercise designed to strengthen the hamstrings, glutes, hips and lower back. If you’re feeling back pain during deadlifts, it’s likely that the weights are too far away from your body, putting too much pressure on your low back. Alternatively, you can try holding the dumbbells at your sides, performing a suitcase deadlift versus a Romanian deadlift where the weights glide down the front of your legs. This will reduce pressure on the lower back.

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Pin This Workout: Express Lower Body Workout to Build Strength

woman performing goblet squat

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