Sculpt Your Legs And Butt With This 20-Minute Dumbbell Lower-Body Strength Workout

Think you need a full weight room and oodles of time to sculpt your lower body? Think again. You can strengthen every muscle from the waist down using only dumbbells in 20 minutes flat. So doable!

The key is a sequence of compound moves that challenges the legs (hamstrings, calves, quads) and butt (glutes). And, you can adapt this lower-body workout from Ariel Belgrave, CPT, to your level of fitness thanks to the AMRAP (as many reps as possible) programming.

Meet the expert: Ariel Belgrave, CPT, is the creator of The L.E.A.N. Program fitness and nutrition coaching and the program creator behind the Women’s Health 28-Day Workout Challenge.

Whether you’re beginning a brand-new fitness journey, starting over, or just itching to get into a new routine, get ready to make your lower body burn in the best way. Grab a set of dumbbells that challenges you but allows you to keep repeating the moves for the entire interval.

Time: 20 minutes | Equipment: Dumbbells | Good for: Lower body

Instructions: Warm up with 30 seconds of invisible jump roping and 30 seconds of hip openers (shown below). Then, perform as many reps as possible of each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest. Repeat the workout exercises for a total of 4 rounds.

Warm-Up: Invisible Jump Rope

How to:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms bent at sides.
2. Simultaneously swing your arms as if turning a jump rope while jumping with alternating feet.

Warm-Up: Hip Openers

How to:

1. Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Lift your right leg and bend the knee, circling it in, up and around.
3. Place your right foot back in the same spot.
4. Lift your left leg and bend the knee, circling it in, up and around.
5. Place your left foot back in the same spot. That’s 1 rep.

READ MORE: The Best 28-Day Workout Challenge To Get Stronger All Over Using Only Dumbbells

Lateral Squat Walk

How to:

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart holding a dumbbell at your chest at one end of your mat.
2. Squat down halfway so your thighs are almost parallel with the floor.
3. Maintain the squat position and engage core, as you step out with your right foot.
4. Step your left foot to the right so you’re back in that starting squat stance, keeping your weight in your heels.
5. Continue taking lateral squat steps to the right until you reach the end of the mat.
6. Repeat back to the left, moving step by step to the other end of the mat.
7. Continue alternating.

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Goblet Squat

“A variation of the traditional squat, a goblet squat incorporates load in a way that improves your grip strength,” Earnest explains. “Think of the ‘bell as extra credit—you’re getting all the benefits of a squat and more!”

Target muscles: glutes, quads, hamstrings, biceps, forearm and shoulders

How to:

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in front of your chest, with your elbows pointing toward the floor. Push your hips back and bend the knees to lower into a squat.
2. Press through heels to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
3. Complete 10 reps, then move on to your next move.

Deadlift And Calf Raise

How to:

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, holding a dumbbell in each hand in front of your legs with your palms facing thighs.
2. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips back as you lower the dumbbells down along the front of your body. You should feel a stretch in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Keep a slight bend in your knees to avoid locking out the joint.
3. Squeeze your glutes as you drive your hips forward to return to the starting position. After you stand tall, lift your heels off the ground and engage your calves for stability.
4. Lower your heels back to the mat to return to the starting position with feet flat on the ground. That’s 1 rep.

Tip: When completing the deadlift, focus on keeping your back in neutral alignment with your neck and shoulders throughout the entire movement (straight line from head to tailbone).

Reverse Lunge

Reverse lunges are beneficial because “they put less stress on your joints and give you a bit more stability in your front leg as you drive through it,” Earnest explains, adding that it’s ideal for those trying to improve their balance and knee control. “If you are looking to improve your hip mobility, this is a great way to increase your hips’ range of motion.”

Target muscles: glutes, hamstrings, quads and core

How to:

1. Start by standing with dumbbells in either hand. Step your left foot back, dropping the left knee to just-barely touch the ground.
2. Press through the right heel to return to standing, keeping your head and chest up the whole time.
3. Repeat on opposite side. That’s 1 rep.
4. Complete 10 reps each side, then move on to your next move.

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Marching Glute Bridge

How to:

1. Lie on the mat faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
2. Hold a single dumbbell with both hands above your chest.
3. Press into your heels to raise your hips up toward the ceiling until you form a straight line from knees to hips to head.
4. Maintaining the hip position, raise your right foot a few millimetres off of the floor.
5. Lower it back to the floor.
6. Repeat on the left.
7. Continue alternating.

This article by Jennifer Nied was originally published on Women’s Health US.