Two dumbbells and these four exercises to build a stronger lower body if you’re a beginner

You’ve probably heard about all the benefits of strengthening your lower body muscles; after all, ‘never skip leg day’ isn’t a saying for nothing. But, if you’re just starting to weight train, you may feel a little unsure as to what you’re doing, or what equipment is best. The good news is that all you need is a pair of dumbbells and this simple, yet effective workout, from Fitness Coach, Elise Young, that focuses on multi-joint movements.

Although lower body workouts can often be feared – because they’re tough, working some of the body’s largest muscle groups – as we know, they’re essential. “Strong legs and hips provide stability and balance, reducing the risk of strains, sprains, and other injuries that can sideline you from your fitness goals,” says The Gym Group. Not to mention, working these larger muscles burns a ton of calories and a strong lower body can even help your upper body workouts too, as it increases total body stability so you can generate more power into your lifts.

Although this may be a dumbbell workout, feel free to swap them for kettlebells, a weight plate, or whatever you can get your hands on. You could even fill up a rucksack and wear that for the first three exercises. Start on exercise one, completing three sets of the acquired reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets. Once you’ve completed three, rest for 90-120 seconds before moving onto the next exercise. Here’s what you’ve got in store:

• Romanian deadlift 3 x 10
• Lunge hold 3 x 8 es
• Side lunges 3 x 10 es
• Glute bridge 3 x 15

Now that you’ve worked on your lower body, here’s a beginner upper body workout, again, using nothing more than a pair of dumbbells so that you can crack on with it at home. Complete your week with this five-move full-body dumbbell workout and you can call that a week of training well done.