Do This Leg Workout At Home To Strengthen Your Lower Body

This nine-move leg and glute workout can be done anywhere

While your legs and glutes contain the biggest muscle groups in the body, you don’t have to go to a gym and lift massive weights in order to give them a good workout. With the right set of exercises you can use bodyweight alone to create a leg-shaking workout. And if you happen to have a set of dumbbells or any workable substitute (cans of beans, big bags of rice or fully-loaded backpacks almost always work) to hand, then you can easily increase the challenge.

This home leg workout has been created by the team at activewear brand Sundried, who have also put together a handy infographic of the exercises involved. Have at it.

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](https://www.sundried.com/)

1 Squat

Sets 3 Reps 10

Targets Quads, hamstrings and glutes

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your chest up and back straight throughout, bend your knees and lower, pushing your hips back until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Then drive through your heels to return to standing.

2 Lunge

Sets 3 Reps 10 each side

Targets Quads, hamstrings and glutes

From standing, take a big step forwards with your right foot and lower until both your knees are bent at 90°. Push back up through your right foot to standing. Do all your reps on one leg, then switch to the other.

3 Pistol squat (or single-leg box squat)

Sets 3 Reps 10 each side

Targets Quads, hamstrings and glutes

The pistol squat is perhaps the toughest bodyweight variation of the squat. Stand on one leg and drop into a deep squat, pointing the raised leg out straight out in front of you.

If you can’t do this, don’t worry – it’s really tough. Instead do a single-leg box squat. Stand close to but facing away from a box or any surface that’s around 40cm off the ground and can take your weight. Lift one leg in front of you and slowly sit back into a squat until you’re sitting on the box, then stand back up. Do all your reps on one leg, then switch to the other.

4 Good morning

Sets 3 Reps 10

Targets Hamstrings and glutes

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands behind your head. Bend forwards, hinging at the hips, until you feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings, then reverse the movement to stand back up.

5 Donkey kick

Sets 3 Reps 10 each side

Targets Hamstrings and glutes

Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and your knees on the floor under your hips. Engage your core and lift one leg behind you, keeping your knee bent so the sole of your foot ends up facing the ceiling. Bring your leg back down slowly. Do all your reps on one leg, then switch.

6 Side lunge

Sets 3 Reps 10 each side

Targets Abductors

From standing take a big step to one side and lower until the knee on your leading leg is bent at 90°, keeping your trailing leg straight. Push back up to standing. Do all your reps on one side, then switch.

7 Calf raise

Sets 3 Reps 10

Targets Hamstrings and glutes

From standing, raise your heels off the ground until you are standing on your toes, then lower under control.

8 Glute bridge

Sets 3 Reps 10

Targets Hamstrings and glutes

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet planted close to your glutes. Raise your hips until you form a straight line with your body from your knees to your neck, pause for a moment, then lower back to the start.

9 Stiff-leg deadlift

Sets 3 Reps 10

Targets Hamstrings and glutes

You’ll need some kind of weight for this one, whether that’s a set of dumbbells or a DIY alternative. Stand holding a weight in each hand with your knees slightly bent. Keep this slight bend in your knees throughout. Bend at the hips to lower the weights, keeping them close to your legs and your back straight. When you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, slowly straighten back up.

Written by Nick Harris-Fry for Coach and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.