Although weight training – the gym workout variety – has a number of benefits, it's also true that gyms can be intimidating and unwelcoming, to say the least. It's also true that performing weighted squats, one of the best exercises overall, is quite fiddly at home. Where will you store the barbell and the weight plates? Instead of figuring that out, try this fast-paced approx. 25-minute glute and core workout – it's more fun and far less painful than barbell squats but just as effective!
Completing glute exercises offer numerous benefits such as reduced lower back pain, strong hip extension and accurate knee tracking. Maintaining good form during these exercises by keeping your pelvis tucked in and core engaged will also help your posture and stability, which will help prevent injuries. Make sure you have enough space around you, and let's get going!
This 25-minute lower body strength workout incorporates dumbbell-equipped and pilates-style exercises. Kelli, the instructor in the video, is fortunate enough to have an adjustable dumbbell set that lets her change the weights between exercises seamlessly; makes the workout even faster paced! If you haven't got one yet, here are the best adjustable dumbbells on the market today, and also the best deals on them.
- Warm-up/Glute activation
- Bent & Straight leg raise combo (35 seconds for each leg)
- Alternating hip abduction (35 seconds)
- CARS (Controlled Articular Rotations) Forwards and Backwards (35 seconds for each leg)
- Bridge (35 seconds)
- Body weight squats (35 seconds)
- Good morning (35 seconds)
- Alternating reverse lunges (35 seconds)
- 30 seconds rest
- Strength workout
- 7kg dumbbells squat press (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- 13kg dumbbells Deadlift (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- Repeat 2 sets of the above
- 4kg dumbbells Reverse lunge (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- Dumbbell swing (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- Repeat 2 sets of the above
- 7.5kg dumbbell Goblet squats & side steps (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- Dumbbell-equipped Side lunge (45 seconds)
- 20 seconds rest
- Repeat 2 sets of the above
- 30 seconds rest
- Cooldown and stretch
- Quadriceps stretch (30 seconds each leg)
- Standing hamstring stretch (30 seconds each leg)
- Wide-centre stretch (30 seconds)
- Warrior stretch (Optional to add upper body in) (30 seconds each leg)
- Downward dog (30 seconds)
- Cobra (30 seconds)
Keen to further train and improve your glutes but without weights? We have a T3-exclusive pilates glutes workout by Alo Moves Instructor Bianca Melas that only requires a small pilates ball and an exercise mat.
Already own a dumbbell set but want to broaden your weight collection, then browsing through the best kettlebells could help diversify your workout routine. We’ve also tested and assembled together the best workout shoes to help you avoid discomfort and maximise the gains from your exercise.