20-Minute Glute and Leg Workout (Max 20 Day 3)
Build serious lower-body strength with this glute and leg workout you can do at home. Using just dumbbells, you’ll target the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves while firing up your core for stability and control. These simple, effective strength circuits focus on powerful compound movements to help you build muscle, improve balance and sculpt strong, athletic legs — all in just 20 minutes.
This is DAY 3 of my Max 20 Program.
LET’S GET STARTED
Download Your FREE Workout Plan & Workout Tracker Here
Download the PDF calendar for this workout plan with a daily workout tracker so you can measure your progress.
Download Plan
Day 3 of my Max 20 Program is leg day, with a specific focus on the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves.
Your legs and glutes make up some of the largest and strongest muscles in your body. When you train them intentionally, you:
- Build stronger, rounder glutes
- Increase lower-body strength and stability
- Improve balance and athletic performance
- Boost overall calorie burn
- Support better posture and reduce low back strain
In today’s workout, the focus is on the glutes and legs — starting with a glute band “buy-in” designed to activate and fire up those muscles before we lift. This activation work helps you actually feel your glutes working so you get more out of every squat, lunge and deadlift that follows.
From there, we move into side-to-side banded squats to target the glute medius and outer hips, reverse lunges to build unilateral strength and stability and deadlifts to strengthen the glutes and hamstrings. Together, these exercises create a well-rounded lower-body strength workout that hits the glutes from every angle.
As a personal trainer and busy mom, I’m all about efficient, functional workouts. Strong glutes and legs are the foundation for everyday movements — from standing up off the floor to chasing kids, carrying groceries, or simply protecting your knees and lower back.
This leg and glute workout is simplified strength training. No machines. No complicated programming. No hours in the gym.
You’ll focus on 4 foundational movements, repeated for 4 sets to create a high-volume, muscle-building workout that delivers serious lower-body results in just 20 minutes.
Workout Details
Build strength in the legs and glutes with this quick and effective lower body workout at home.
I suggest doing this dumbbell glute workout once a week as part of a well-rounded workout routine.
Workout Equipment
Medium-to-Heavy Dumbbells. I’m using 25-35 lbs. Optional resistance band or glute band (discount code: NML).
Workout Instructions
Follow along with the guided 20-Minute Leg and Glute Workout on YouTube, led by me — your certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 20 Rep Buy In
- 4 Leg Exercises
- Rep Drop Ladder (Complete each exercise for 12 reps, 10 reps, 8 reps and 6 reps.)
- Repeat All 4 Exercises x 4 Sets
Workout Outline
1. Side-to-Side Banded Squat
Targets: Glutes (especially the glute medius and glute max), quads, hamstrings and core stabilizers.
How to Do a Side-to-Side Banded Squat
- Place a glute band around your thighs, just above your knees. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Engage your core and keep your chest tall. Step your right foot out to the side, creating tension on the band. As you plant your foot, sit your hips back and lower down into a squat, pushing your knees slightly out against the band. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as your mobility allows).
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top as you step your right foot back to center.
- Repeat on the left side. Step your left foot out, lower into a squat, then press through your heels to return to standing and step back to center.
- Continue alternating sides, moving with control and keeping constant tension on the band throughout the exercise.
2. Side-to-Side Goblet Squat
Targets: Glutes (especially the glute medius and glute max), quads, hamstrings and core stabilizers.
How to Do a Side-to-Side Goblet Squat
- Place a glute band around your thighs, just above your knees. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, holding one dumbbell vertically at your chest in a goblet hold (elbows tucked down).
- Engage your core and keep your chest tall. Step your right foot out to the side, creating tension on the band. As your foot plants, sit your hips back and lower down into a squat, pushing your knees slightly out against the band. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as your mobility allows).
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes at the top as you step your right foot back to center.
- Repeat on the left side. Step your left foot out, lower into a squat, then press through your heels to return to standing and step back to center.
- Continue alternating sides, moving with control and keeping constant tension on the band throughout the exercise.
Modification: Option to hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
3. Reverse Lunge
Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.
How to Do a Reverse Lunge
- Start standing in a neutral position, feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip).
- Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lower your left knee towards the mat, aiming for a 90-degree angle in both knees.
- Hold for a moment, then drive through your front, right heel to return to standing.
Modification: Option to perform split lunges. If lunges hurt your knees, try these exercise modifications.
4. Deadlift
Targets: All the posterior chain muscles, including the hamstrings, glutes, core, lats and lower back.
How to Do a Romanian Deadlift
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your hips (palms facing in towards your body).
- 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. The range of motion will look different for everyone.
- Drive through your heels to push your hips forward, pulling the dumbbells back up towards your hips and returning to the starting position. Aim for full hip extension at the top of the movement.
FAQs
What movement patterns should be included in a complete leg workout?
A balanced leg workout should hit 3 essential movement patterns. First, hip-dominant exercises (like deadlifts, hip thrusts and good mornings) to strengthen the glutes and hamstrings. Second, knee-dominant movements such as squats and reverse lunges to build quad strength and total lower-body power. And third, multi-planar exercises that challenge your body in different directions (side-to-side and rotational work) to improve stability, coordination and real-world strength.
How often should I do a leg day workout?
Most people will benefit from 1-2 focused leg days per week, depending on their goals, overall training schedule and recovery. One well-structured leg day is enough to maintain strength and muscle growth if the session is focused and includes all major muscle groups.
Max 20: FREE 2-Week Functional Training Program
A 2-week at-home workout program, designed to make strength training simple and get results in the time you actually have.
If you liked this glute and leg workout, download the FREE 2-Week Workout Plan.
Pin This At-Home Leg and Glute Workout
This post includes affiliate links. I do earn a commission for products purchased using these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Nourish Move Love, making the content you see on this blog possible.
no comments
Leave a Comment