Grab yourself a set of nice heavy dumbbells and give this lower body workout a try! Reps are listed in brackets beside each exercise. Try 3-5 sets!
Heel Elevated Goblet Squat (8-12 Reps)
Place small plates on the floor and put your heels on the plates with your toes remaining on the floor. Then take a dumbbell or kettlebell in your hands, hold it close to your chest and reach your hips backwards like you are reaching your butt back towards an imaginary chair behind you. Keep your weight evenly distributed throughout your feet. Aim to get your thighs parallel with the floor or a 90 degree bend at the knee (not everyone will be able to get this initially and that’s okay, if you don’t have it yet just ensure you are focusing on range of motion when you practice your squatting movements). Ensure that you keep your chest high as you drop down into position. At the bottom of the movement, drive through your feet evenly and stand back up to your start position.
Cross Over Kickstand Romanian Deadlift (8-10 Reps)
Take a dumbbell in one hand to the front of your body. Step back with one same foot as the dumbbell is in to create a kickstand. Stand tall with a slight bend in the knee of the leg that’s forward and put your weight over your front leg. Drive your hips backwards keeping your leg relatively straight while rotating the dumbbell towards your forward foot. Even though you are rotating your spine should still stay neutral as you push your hips backwards and you should avoid rounding through the spine. At the bottom of the movement squeeze the glutes and drive the hips forward and rotate slightly to stand back up to your starting position.
Dumbbell Reverse Lunge (8-10 Reps)
Taking a dumbbell in each hand begin with your feet together side-by-side. Step one foot back behind you and bend both your front and your back knee lower into the lunge. Your goal is to achieve a 90 degree angle at both your front and your back knee. At the bottom of the movement drive through both feet (front and back) and return to the standing position. Alternate legs completing the desired number of reps on both legs.
Dumbbell Hip Thrust (8-12 Reps)
Place just under your shoulder blades on a bench behind you and bring a dumbbell to your hips. Place your feet in a position so that when your hips are fully extended your knees are over top of your hips. Beginning from the bottom of the movement your butt will be close to the floor. Squeeze through the glutes and extend through the hips to generate a table top position at the top of the movement. Keep your feet flat on the floor throughout the movement. At the top of the movement squeeze the glutes and then slowly lower your hips back to the start position in a controlled manner.
Dumbbell Lateral Lunge (8-10 Reps)
Begin by taking a single dumbbell to your chest with your feet together. Step out to the side with one foot driving your hips backwards as you bend your knee. The opposite leg should stay straight. Keep your core active and your chest proud. Drive through the outside foot (the foot you stepped with) and return your feet together. Repeat on the opposite side.
Dumbbell Heel Elevated Glute Bridge (8-12 Reps)
Begin by laying on your back on the floor with a dumbbell positioned on your hips and your heels on a step or a slightly elevated surface. If the dumbbell is causing pain on your hips try placing a mat between the dumbbell and your hips to provide a bit of cushioning. Begin the movement by lifting your hips towards the sky keeping your core active and driving through evenly through your feet. Your core and glutes should be active through the movement and you should feel a glute squeeze at the top of the movement. Ensure that you fully extend through the hips, but avoid arching in the low back when you do this. At the end range of motion return in a controlled manner to the floor.
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