Lower body workout
Two lower body workouts for legs, glutes and core — one for the gym and one with dumbbells only.
A lower body workout trains the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, and it’s a good place for core work too. Lead with a squat, follow with a hinge and a lunge, then curls and calf raises.
Lower body workout
A squat, a hinge, a lunge, then the smaller muscles.
Barbell Back Squat- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 5–8
- Rest
- 3 min
Romanian Deadlift- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8
- Rest
- 2 min
Walking Lunge- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10 each leg
- Rest
- 90 s
Lever Lying Leg Curl- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10–12
- Rest
- 60 s
Calf Raise- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12–15
- Rest
- 60 s
Cable Kneeling Crunch- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12
- Rest
- 60 s
Dumbbell lower body workout
Goblet squats and single-leg work with a pair of dumbbells.
Dumbbell Goblet Squat- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 10–12
- Rest
- 2 min
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8–10
- Rest
- 2 min
Dumbbell Rear Lunge- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 10 each leg
- Rest
- 90 s
Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12 each leg
- Rest
- 60 s
Dead Bug- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8 each side
- Rest
- 45 s
Can’t do one of these?
Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.
Tips
- Alternate a squat-led lower day with a deadlift-led one through the week.
- Keep core work at the end so your trunk is fresh for squats and hinges.
- Track your squat and Romanian deadlift weights; they are the clearest sign the program is working.
Run this workout in SPLYT
Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.
Exercises to swap in
Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.
Quads
Hamstrings
Glutes
Questions
What is a lower body workout?
A session for the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves, usually half of an upper/lower split.
Should I do abs on lower body day?
It fits well there, at the end. Leaving the core fresh for upper-body days also works.