Lots of people have the tendency to skip lower body day. Why? More often than not it's harder than training your upper body and takes longer. But with this fast and effective workout you'll no longer have to! In just 20 minutes you can improve the strength and definition in your entire lower body, as well as your core (goodbye planks). You just need a weight, whether that be a pair of dumbbells or a pair of kettlebells.
This routine is made up of compound exercises, which are movements that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. For example, a squat doesn't just work your quads, it also targets your glutes, hamstrings and core. According to MyProtein these exercises elevate your heart rate more, resulting in a higher calorie burn, as well as increase strength and muscle mass. This is because they engage larger muscle groups and encourage the release of growth hormones, like testosterone. They’re brilliant for your core too, so ideal if you hate sit-ups.
For this workout you’ve got six exercises to get through and you’re going to do each one for 12 to 15 reps (on both sides where applicable). You’ll want a light to medium weight as you’ve got quite a few reps to get through. The aim should be to perform each rep slow and controlled, not to try and get through them as quickly as possible, particularly if you only have a light weight available. Once you’ve completed each exercise back-to-back, rest for two minutes, then repeat the workout two more times.
- Romanian deadlift
- Staggered stance Romanian deadlift
- Goblet squat
- Overhead marches
- Around the body pass
Don't forget to target your upper body too! Give this five-move dumbbell workout a go, it targets your back, bicep and triceps. Pushed for time? Full-body workouts are your go-to as they target all the major muscles in the body, but in a shorter time frame. This eight-move workout is ideal as it's made up of supersets (where you perform two exercises back-to-back). Also, if you want to track your workout progress, including how many calories you've burnt, check out our pick of the best fitness trackers.
