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Lower Body Workouts

30-Minute Lower Body Workout (No Jumping + No Repeats)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | July 14, 2022

No repeats and no jumping in this 30-Minute Lower Body Workout with dumbbells! Build strength and burn out your legs with these 22 lower body exercises — from squats and deadlifts to lunges and calf raises.

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Add this NO JUMPING, lower body workout with dumbbells to your strength training workout routine this week!

Most of our strength training workouts include repetition of 6-8 exercises. While I do believe repetition is one of the best ways to build strength at home, I also love to mix up my workout routines.

Enter this NO REPEATS, 30-minute lower body workout. If you’ve tried my No Repeats and No Jumping Full Body Workout you know it moves fast; keeping your mind and body busy the entire time.

Today’s 30-Minute Lower Body Workout is similar — 22 different lower body exercises with weights (no jumping). 

Wall Sit Lower Body Workout

Lower Body Workout FAQs

What Are The Best Leg Exercises To Include In Your Lower Body Workout Routine?

The legs are a large muscle group! Variations of squats, deadlifts, lunges and glute bridges or hip thrusts are the best exercises to add to your leg day workout routine. You’ll find all four of these dumbbell leg exercises in this 30-minute lower body workout.

Is A 30-Minute Lower Body Workout Enough To Build Strength?

Yes! This lower body strength workout hits ALL the muscles in the legs in just 30 minutes; including: the glutes (butt), quads (front of thighs), hamstrings (back of thighs), hips, abductors (outer glutes), adductors (inner thighs), and calves.

Should A Lower Body Workout Focus On Bilateral Or Unilateral Strength Training?

Several of the lower body exercises included in today’s workout are “unilateral exercises” — performing an exercise on one side of the body. For example, today’s workout includes single leg exercises like: a single leg deadlift, uneven squat, single leg squat, rear foot elevated lunge or split lunge. Everyone has one side of the body that’s more dominant than the other. Unilateral exercises are meant to expose our weak side so we can strengthen those areas. Unilateral exercises build strength, balance and stability so we can better perform “bilateral exercises” — or movements that use both legs.

Split Lunge with calf raise best lower body exercises

30-Minute Lower Body Workout

This lower body burnout is full of variety — 22 different leg exercises, targeting the glutes, quads, hips, hamstrings and calves. 

Make this no jumping, low impact lower body strength workout your next leg day workout. It’s great for ALL fitness levels!

Workout Equipment:

Medium-to-heavy pair of dumbbells (8-30 lbs), or one heavy dumbbell. And optional mini loop resistance band and bench/chair. 

I’m using a 15 lb dumbbell and 20 lb dummbell in the video, as well as a light resistance band.

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I’m using 15 and 20 lb dumbbells for this lower body workout.
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Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Lower Body Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 22 Lower Body Exercises
  • Timed Intervals (40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest)
  • No Repeats (you only do each leg exercise once, so make the most of your time, aiming for as many reps as possible in 40 seconds)
5 Unique Squat Variations to Upgrade this Classic Leg Day Move!

Workout Outline

  1. Double Leg Deadlift and Calf Raise
  2. Staggered Deadlift, Right Leg
  3. Single Leg Deadlift and Dumbbell Pass, Right Leg
  4. Dumbbell Swing
  5. Staggered Deadlift, Left Leg
  6. Single Leg Deadlift and Dumbbell Pass, Left Leg
  7. Uneven Squat Thruster, Right Leg
  8. Wall Sit and Calf Raise
  9. Uneven Squat Thruster, Left Leg
  10. Reverse Lunge and Calf Raise, Right Leg
  11. Uneven Dumbbell Pick Up Sumo Squats
  12. Reverse Lunge and Calf Raise, Left Leg
  13. Lateral Squats
  14. Rear Foot Elevated Lunge, Right Leg
  15. Single Leg Chair Squat (Pistol Squat), Right Leg
  16. Rear Foot Elevated Lunge, Left Leg
  17. Single Leg Chair Squat (Pistol Squat), Left Leg
  18. Banded 80/20 Change Stance Squat, Right Leg
  19. Banded Lateral Squat Walk
  20. Banded 80/20 Change Stance Squat, Left Leg
  21. Wall Sit and Band Open for Abductors
  22. Superman Extension and Lower Body Band Opens

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Lower Body Workout

6 Foundational Lower Body Exercises

Double Leg Deadlift or Romanian Deadlift 

Targets: The entire posterior chain (or backside of the body). From hamstrings and glutes to erector spinae, trapezius and posterior deltoid.

In a Romanian Deadlift (RDL), the motion starts from the top (standing straight) and moves through an ‘eccentric’ range of motion (downward motion). Whereas a traditional deadlift starts with the weight (normally a barbell) on the ground, which you pull up in a ‘concentric’ range of motion.

Romanian Deadlift | lower body exercises

How To Do A Romanian Deadlift With Dumbbells

  1. Start in a standing position with feet spaced hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell in each hand with your grip just outside your legs (overhand grip). Or holding one heavy dumbbell horizontally with the heads of the dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Stand tall with a flat back and neutral spine. Your shoulders should be back and down.
  3. With knees bent, hinge at your hips (hip flexors). Think of pressing your hips back towards the wall behind you, as you lower the dumbbells down the front of your legs. The dumbbells should remain in contact with your legs for the entire range of motion.
  4. Once you’ve reached the bottom (range of motion looks different for everyone), drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings to push your hips forward and return to the starting position.

Single Leg Deadlift

Targets: The posterior chain or backside of the body (like the double leg deadlift). However, the single leg deadlift focuses on one leg at a time to even out muscular imbalances.

This is an advanced lower body exercise that requires a lot of core strength, balance and stability. 

single leg deadlift with dumbbell

How To Do A Single Leg Deadlift With Dumbbells

  1. Stand tall with a flat back and neutral spine. Your shoulders should be back and down.
  2. With your right knee bent, hinge at your hips (hip flexors), extending the left leg long behind you as you balance on your right leg. Option to keep your left toe as a kickstand on the ground for balance support. Keep your hips even, square to the mat, as you press them back towards the wall behind you.
  3. Once you’ve reached the bottom (range of motion looks different for everyone). Drive through your right heel, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings to push your hips forward and return to the starting position.

Uneven Squat Thruster

Targets: The hips and glutes while also raising your heart rate in a low impact way.

In an uneven squat thruster, the weight is loaded on one side of the body to create greater core engagement.

how to do a squat thruster

How To Do An Uneven Squat Thruster With Dumbbells

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead or slightly angled out away from the body.
  2. Holding one dumbbell in your right hand, front rack the dumbbell in line with your right shoulder. Exhale to engage your core.
  3. With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back. Lowering your hips down until they are parallel with your knees.
  4. Then drive through your heels, standing tall and pressing the dumbbell overhead.

Lateral Squat

Targets: Mainly the gluteus medius, or outer glute that controls hip movement and side-to-side movements. Also involved are the quadriceps and inner thighs (or adductors).

It’s like performing a goblet squat, laterally.

lateral squats with dumbbell

How To Do A Lateral Squat With Dumbbells

  1. Start with your feet wider than your hips, think a wide squat stance. With your knees and toes pointing forward (or toes just slightly turned out away from your body). Add weight by holding one dumbbell at your chest like you would during a goblet squat.
  2. Shift your weight into your right heel as you push 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 through your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing you back up to center.
  4. Repeat this movement on the left leg.

Bulgarian Split Squat Or Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

Targets: Mainly the quads but also engages the glutes and core.

If elevating the rear foot on a bench or chair is not in your range of motion you can perform a standard split squat, keeping your back foot on the ground.

Bulgarian split squats or rear foot elevated split squat

How To Do A Bulgarian Split Squat Or Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

  1. Stand facing away from a chair or bench. Measure two “feet” (literally, walk your feet in a straight line to measure two of your steps) then plant your front right foot on the ground.
  2. Place the toes of your left foot on the chair or bench behind you; shoelaces down. Option to hold a dumbbell at your chest.
  3. Keeping your chest up and shoulders stacked over hips (torso upright), lower your back left knee towards the ground until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
  4. Drive through your right heel to return to the starting position.

Wall Sit And Band Open 

Targets: The outer glutes or adductors and the core.

If you want a lower body burnout, finish your leg workout with a wall sit! Adding a mini loop resistance band (affiliate) to the wall sit is a great way to increase core and glute engagement.

Wall sit with resistance band lower body burnout

How To Do A Wall Sit With Resistance Band

  1. Place your back flat against a wall.
  2. Plant your feet firmly on the ground. Feet shoulder-width distance apart. Slide your back down the wall until your legs make a 90-degree angle. Hips parallel with knees. Hold this position with your back firmly connected to the wall.
  3. With control, slowly press your legs into the resistance band, opening the resistance band to engage the outer glutes. Slowly bring your knees back to center and repeat this movement of stretching the resistance band open.

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10 comments

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