​ ​

30-Minute Bodyweight Leg Workout (Zero30, Day 3)

This bodyweight leg workout will challenge you to build lower body strength using zero equipment! This no equipment lower body workout targets the legs, glutes, quads and hamstrings, using just the resistance of your body so you can do it anytime, anywhere.

This is DAY THREE of our Zero30 Program.

Woman performing a punch in this full body bodyweight HIIT workout at home.

LET’S GET STARTED

Download Your FREE Zero30 Workout Plan

Download the PDF calendar for this Free 2-Week Bodyweight Workout Plan. Zero equipment, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week!
Download Plan

Many people associate leg day with heavy barbell squats and a lot of reps on fancy exercise machines at the gym.

While you’ll regularly hear me encourage you to LIFT HEAVY DUMBBELLS on leg day, there are some great bodyweight leg workouts you can do that are just as effective.

A unique way to challenge your lower body strength is to increase time under tension. We’re going to do just that in today’s workout (hello, burnout moves!). It’s also important to train in different directions and planes of movement — we’re going to do that, too!

A bodyweight leg workout with no equipment. Woman performing a bodyweight single leg deadlift.

Bodyweight Leg Workout FAQs

Do Bodyweight Leg Exercises Work?

YES! Bodyweight leg exercises can target all lower body muscles including your glutes, hips, quads, hamstrings and calves. No equipment, lower body workouts can be scaled for beginner, intermediate or advanced, making them effective for anyone. You’ll also burn a lot of calories during these workouts because your lower body has some very large muscle groups.

Can You Build Leg Muscle With Bodyweight Only Exercises?

Yes, you can build lower body strength with no equipment. Progressive overload is going to be important, so you’ll want to increase reps and decrease rest time to make the most of a bodyweight leg workout. Implementing different variations of bodyweight exercises and focusing on that mind and muscle connection is also important.

A bodyweight leg workout with no equipment. Woman performing a bodyweight single leg glute bridge.

Build strong legs using just your bodyweight! You need zero equipment and just 30 minutes to complete this workout at home.

This is a timed interval workout – meaning you do as many reps as possible in the ‘work’ period. Your pace, your tempo (rep ranges will vary from person to person).

Workout Equipment:

None! Just your bodyweight.

Shop My Extra-Large Yoga Mat

I get so many questions about this mat! I have the EXTRA LARGE Mat (8′ x 4′ x 1/4″).

DISCOUNT CODE: NourishMoveLove
Click Here To Shop
Bodyweight Leg Workout

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Bodyweight Leg Workout on YouTube, led by personal trainer Lindsey Bomgren.

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 3 Circuits (each circuit contains 3 STRENGTH exercises and 3 STRENGTH BURNOUT exercises)
  • Timed Intervals (Perform each STRENGTH exercise for 40 seconds of work, followed immediately by the STRENGTH BURNOUT exercise for 20 seconds of work. Take a 20 second rest.)
  • Repeat Each Circuit x 2 Sets (rest for one minute between circuits)

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE
1. Air Squat
2. Squat Hold and Pulse
3. Lateral Lunge and Transverse Squat, Right
4. Lateral Lunge Hold and Pulse OR Power Push Off, Right
5. Lateral Lunge and Transverse Squat, Left
6. Lateral Lunge Hold and Pulse OR Power Push Off, Left

CIRCUIT TWO
1. Reverse Lunge, Knee Drive and Reverse Lunge, Rear Lift
2. Rear Lift and Balance Front Leg Pulse
3. Curtsy Lunge and Squat
4. Side Leg Lift
5. Front Lunge and Single Leg Deadlift
6. Front Lunge Hold and Heel Lift

CIRCUIT THREE
1. 2-Pulse Sumo Squat
2. Sumo Squat Hip Lifts
3. Quadruped Fire Hydrant and Kick
4. Side Kick Hold and Hamstring Kicks
5. Glute Bridge March
6. Single Leg Glute Bridge Hold and Pulse

A bodyweight leg workout with no equipment. Woman performing a bodyweight single leg deadlift.

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Bodyweight Leg Day

8 Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises

Air Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors and core.

woman performing bodyweight air squats

How To Do An Air Squat

  1. Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
  2. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
  3. Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes.

Lateral Lunge And Transverse Squat

Targets: Legs, quads, outer glutes (gluteus medius), inner thighs (adductors), hips and core.

woman performing lateral lunge transverse squat

How To Do A Lateral Lunge And Transverse Squat

  1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, slightly bent knees.
  2. Step your right leg out to the side 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 off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center.
  4. Then, step your right foot out to a 45-degree angle, stepping so your feet are now shoulder-width apart.
  5. Lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
  6. Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes.
  7. That sequence is one rep. Repeat, stepping the right leg out this entire set, switching legs on the next set.

Reverse Lunge, Knee Drive And Reverse Lunge, Rear Lift

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, quads, glutes, abs and core.

woman performing reverse lunge knee drive and rear leg lift

How To Do A Reverse Lunge, Knee Drive And Reverse Lunge, Rear Lift

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. 
  2. Step your left leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
  3. Then squeeze your right leg glute, driving your back, left leg forward into a knee drive as you stand tall.
  4. Immediately step your left leg back into a reverse lunge again, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
  5. Then squeeze your right leg glute, driving your back, left leg up into a rear leg lift. Left leg is long behind you, balancing on your standing right leg.
  6. That’s one rep. Repeat this sequence, keeping the right leg still this entire set, switching legs on the next set.

Modification: Option to tap the right foot in rather than performing the knee drive.

Curtsy Lunge And Squat

Targets: Legs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and core.

woman performing curtsy lunge and squat

How To Do A Curtsy Lunge And Squat

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. 
  2. Step your left leg back into a curtsy lunge (left knee behind right calf), left knee lowers towards the mat. Lower your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the floor.
  3. Then squeeze your right glute, driving your back, left leg forward as you stand up. As you stand, bring your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart.
  4. Then, lower down into a squat position, lowering your hips down parallel with your knees. Drive your knees out toward your outer three toes.
  5. Drive through your heels to stand tall, squeezing your glutes.
  6. That’s one rep. Repeat, stepping the left leg back into a curtsy lunge this entire set. Switch legs on the next set.

Front Lunge And Single Leg Deadlift

Targets: Legs, quads, posterior chain (backside of body) — glutes, hamstrings, lower back and core muscles. The single leg deadlift will also challenge your balance.

woman performing front lunge single leg deadlift

How To Do A Front Lunge And Single Leg Deadlift

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. 
  2. Step your left leg forward into a front lunge, lowering until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
  3. Then squeeze your right leg glute to stand tall. As you stand tall, keep the left leg floating (option to tap the left foot near the standing right foot).
  4. Perform a single leg deadlift on the right leg. Hinge at the hips (hip flexors), extending your left leg long behind you as you lower the left hand to tap the mat in front of you; balancing on your right leg. Keep your hips square to the mat.
  5. You should feel a good stretch in your right hamstring (back of your right leg) at the bottom of this movement. Range of motion looks different for everyone.
  6. Then drive through your front right heel, squeezing your glutes and hamstrings to push your hips forward and return to the starting position. Bringing your floating back left leg up to meet your right leg again.
  7. That’s one rep. Repeat by stepping back into the front lunge. Switch legs on the next set.

2-Pulse Sumo Squat

Targets: Inner thighs, outer thighs, glutes and quads.

woman performing two pulse sumo squats

How To Do A 2-Pulse Sumo Squat

  1. Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed out (sumo squat stance).
  2. Bend your knees to lower down into a squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
  3. At the bottom of your sumo squat, perform a pulse by raising up an inch, then lowering back down an inch. Repeat for a 2-pulse.
  4. Then, drive through your glutes to stand back up to the starting position; pulling your inner thighs together as you stand tall.

Quadruped Fire Hydrant And Kick (Quadruped Hip Abductions)

Targets: Mainly the gluteus maximus, hip abductors and core.

woman performing quadruped fire hydrants

How To Do Quadruped Fire Hydrant And Kick (Quadruped Hip Abductions)

  1. Start in a table top position, quadruped on all fours, shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees. Option to place your forearms on the mat.
  2. Lift your right leg up and to the side so you create a straight line from glute to knee, keeping a 90-degree bend in your right knee.
  3. Hold at the top and straighten your right leg; kicking through your right heel.
  4. Pull your right foot back in to bend at the knee and create a 90-degree angle again, then bring your right knee back down to the mat.
  5. Repeat on the right side for this set, switch sides performing on the left leg for the second set.

Glute Bridge March

Targets: Gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, hips and hamstrings.

woman performing glute bridge march

How To Do A Glute Bridge March

  1. Lie flat on the floor on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and feet flat on the ground.
  2. Press through the heels to raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. This is a glute bridge.
  3. As you lift the hips, drive the right knee towards your face, pulling your right foot off the ground. This is a glute bridge march.
  4. Squeeze your glutes hard and keep your abs drawn in so you don’t overextend your back during the exercise.
  5. Hold your bridged position for a second before lowering back down towards the mat with control. As you lower, place the right foot back on the mat.
  6. Repeat, alternating the knee that drives toward you, for the entire set.

Zero30: a FREE No Equipment, Full Body Workout Plan

A 2-week, bodyweight workout plan with new workout videos DAILY – ZERO equipment needed, 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week!

If you liked this workout, download the free 2-Week Bodyweight Training Plan here.

Zero30 Bodyweight Workout Plan

Pin this Leg Workout No Equipment (Zero 30, Day 3)

Bodyweight Leg Workout Pin for Pinterest

More Lower Body Strength Workouts Like This:

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