20-Minute Quick Leg Workout for Women
Build muscle and strong legs with this 20-minute quick leg workout. Combining strength, power, and isometric holds, this routine helps build muscle and enhance athletic performance. Using just a pair of dumbbells, you’ll target all major muscle groups in the lower body including your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and thighs.
Incorporating progressive overload into your strength training routine is a great way to build muscle, maintain strength, and feel fit. You can do this by lifting heavier weights, increasing reps or sets, extending your time under tension, or incorporating shorter rest periods.
This quick leg workout is a well-structured routine that can effectively strengthen your legs in just 20 minutes by maximizing intensity and minimizing rest.
You don’t need fancy gym equipment like barbells, leg extensions, or leg presses to build lower body strength. To make the most of a quick leg day, focus on these dumbbell leg exercises: squats, lunges, deadlifts, and lateral lunges. If you do not have equipment, try my 30-minute bodyweight glutes and leg workout.
This 20-minute leg workout at home incorporates isometric holds and extended time under tension to build strength, stability, and endurance. If you like 20-minute leg workouts, you’d also like this all standing leg workout, as well as my Functional Strength Training Program: Strong 20.
Workout Specifics
Build lower body muscle mass with this athletic leg workout: strength, stability, and power.
I recommend these knee-strengthening exercises as a warm-up to improve range of motion and make squats and lunges more effective.
Add a lower body workout like this to your workout routine one to two times a week to improve lower body muscle definition.
Workout Equipment:
Medium Pair of Dumbbells. If you are just getting back into an exercise routine, I recommend using 5-15 lb dumbbells. We used 15 and 25 lb dumbbells in today’s workout.
Workout Instructions:
Follow along with the guided Quick Leg Workout on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren.
Your Workout Looks Like This:
- 4 Circuits
- Timed Intervals (complete each exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed by 20 seconds of rest. We’ll perform a 20-second isometric hold after some exercises.)
- Perform Each Exercise x1 Set (no repeats)
Workout Outline
CIRCUIT ONE:
- Tempo Squats
- Loaded Squat Jump and Retraction
CIRCUIT TWO:
- Curtsy Lunge
- Skaters
- Front Foot Elevated Lunge and Knee Drive (Right)
- Isometric Lunge Hold (Right)
- Front Foot Elevated Lunge and Knee Drive (Left)
- Isometric Lunge Hold (Left)
- Lunge Jumps
CIRCUIT THREE:
- Deadlift
- Calf Raises
- Deadlift Clean and Squat
CIRCUIT FOUR:
- Lateral Lunge (Right)
- Lateral Lunge (Left)
- Wall Sit
1. Tempo Dumbbell Squat
Targets: Legs, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs (hip adductors), chest and core muscles.
How To Do Tempo Dumbbell Squats
- Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart knees slightly bent, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides. Option to hold a single dumbbell at your chest (vertically as you would in a goblet squat), or one across your back (horizontally as you would in a back squat).
- Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. In this variation, lower down to the bottom of your squat on a three-count. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
- Hold at the bottom of the squat for two seconds.
- Drive through your heels to stand tall, returning to a standing position.
2. Curtsy Lunge
Targets: Legs, quads (thighs) and gluteus maximus (butt), hip flexors and core.
How To Do A Curtsy Lunge
- Stand with feet hip-distance apart, holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides.
- Step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge (left knee should meet right calf) as your left knee lowers towards the mat. Lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
- Then, squeeze your right glute to reverse the movement, stepping your left foot back to center and standing tall.
- Repeat on the opposite leg, stepping your right foot back into a curtsy lunge before squeezing through the left glute to stand tall, returning to the starting position.
3. Front Foot Elevated Lunge and Knee Drive
Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexors, calves, adductors and core.
How To Do Front Foot Elevated Lunges and Knee Drives
- Begin in a neutral standing position, feet shoulder width apart, right heel on a weight or yoga block. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides.
- Step your left foot back into a reverse lunge. Lowering your left back knee towards the mat, aiming for 90-degree angles in both knees.
- Drive through your right heel to stand tall. As you do so, perform a knee drive on the left leg; bringing left knee in line with left hip.
- Step your left foot back, returning to a reverse lunge position and repeat the movement.
Modification: Omit the elevation and the knee drive, performing reverse lunges from the ground.
4. Deadlift
Targets: The posterior chain or backside of the body. Specifically targeting the hamstrings, glutes, hips, calves, lower back and core.
How To Do Deadlifts
- Start standing feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your thighs (overhand grip, palms face your body). Optionally, hold one heavy dumbbell horizontally with the heads of the dumbbell in each hand.
- Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement (straight line from head to tailbone). Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid ‘locking out’ the joint.
- Then, drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes as you drive your hips forward to return to the starting position.
5. Lateral Lunge
Targets: Legs, quads, outer glutes (gluteus medius), inner thighs (adductors) and hips.
How To Do Lateral Lunges
- Start standing, feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand.
- Step your left leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your left knee while leaving your right leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your left leg while your right leg remains straight. The dumbbell in your right hand will fall just inside your left foot.
- Then, drive off your left foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to the center and returning to a standing position.
FAQs
What Leg Exercises Should I Do If I Have Bad Knees?
I don’t recommend skipping leg day, even if you have “bad knees.” To modify workouts for bad knees, focus on low-impact exercises like glute bridges, step-ups, Romanian deadlifts, wall sits, and isometric holds. These lunge and squat alternatives build leg strength while reducing knee strain.
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.
How Many Days Per Week Should I Do Leg Workouts?
To maximize muscle growth, I suggest strength training legs at least three days per week. Of these three days, two should incorporate lower body strength training exercises. If you are a beginner, I recommend this 20-minute beginner leg workout.
What Workout Should I Do After Leg Day?
I recommend training your upper body after leg day to allow your legs time to recover properly. Focus on either your upper body push muscles (chest, shoulders, and triceps) or upper body pull muscles (back and biceps). Alternate strength training with cardio for the most effective workout split.
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