Keeping your lower body strong and capable has many benefits, particularly for maintaining your mobility and independence into old age. Many of us also like having a muscular, toned lower body for the way it looks.
The good news is that whatever motivates you, you get both benefits, and this workout will improve strength and build lean muscle in your legs, all in just 20 minutes.
Personal trainer Rachael Sacerdoti designed this workout and uses it herself to tone her lower body. Sacerdoti encourages those using her program to aim for three, 20-minute strength training sessions like this one each week.
I checked in with Sacerdoti to find out more about the workout and get her form tips.
How to do the workout
You need dumbbells and a small looped resistance band to do the workout. You’ll need heavier weights for the squat, lunge, deadlift and bridge, and a lighter pair for the lying hamstring exercise.
If you don’t own this equipment already, Amazon Basic dumbbells are well-made and affordable, and Theraband’s glute bands are reliable and more comfortable than bands made exclusively from latex.
Exercise guides
1. Sumo squat
Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Rest: 30sec
Why: “This exercise targets the inner thighs, glutes and quads, offering a compound movement that builds foundational lower-body strength and stability,” says Sacerdoti.
Form tips: Keep your chest up and don’t let your knees cave in—keep them over your toes.
2. Curtsy lunge
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side Rest: 30sec
Why: This exercise engages the glutes, quads, and inner and outer thighs while challenging balance and coordination. “This lunge variation adds a lateral component that helps sculpt the gluteus medius and improve hip stability,” says Sacerdoti.
Form tips: Engage your core before you step back to ensure you’re moving with control.
3. Lying in-and-out hamstring
Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Rest: 30sec
Why: “This exercise is good as it isolates the hamstrings and promotes controlled muscle activation through a full range of motion, vital for lower leg power,” says Sacerdoti.
4. B-stance Romanian deadlift (RDL)
Sets: 3 Reps: 10 each side Rest: 30sec
Why: “This is a unilateral exercise that targets the hamstrings, glutes and lower back, helping to correct muscle imbalances and ensuring stability,” says Sacerdoti.
Form tips: Hinge at the hips and avoid rounding your back.
5. Glute bridge
Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Rest: 30sec
Why: “This exercise activates the glutes, hamstrings and lower back, supporting hip extension and overall core stability. It is key for developing strong, functional glutes, which contribute to lower-body power and posture.”
Form tips: Press through your heels as you lift your glutes, and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
6. Banded side-step squat
Sets: 3 Reps: 12 Rest: 30sec
Why: This exercise is great for engaging the glutes, abductors and adductors by adding side-to-side movement, which is often neglected in standard leg routines.
