For a seriously dynamic lower-body workout, look to kettlebell training. Even the basic swing is seriously lower-body dominant—your hips and glutes (and not your arms!) power up every swing. “Rather than isolate each individual muscle in the lower body separately, we can train them together so that our time is best managed and our results more powerful,” says Bob Garon, owner and head coach at Synergy Kettlebell Training, which has three locations in northern Illinois.
Coach Bob Pelsang, founder of Kettlebell Training USA in Jackson, NJ, agrees. “The strength and endurance will build character, definition, and a can-do attitude that will carry over into everything else you do.”
Let these workouts, designed by Garon and Pelsang, amp up your next Leg Day.
*If rest is not noted in the workout description, just rest as little as possible.
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Workout #1
Warmup: 10 minutes Kettlebell Snatch
Beginners should switch hands every minute, while advanced should switch hands half way through.
Workout:
15 Deadman Burpees*
15 Situps with Kettlebell Overhead Press
15 Kettlebell One-Arm Rack Lunge each side
x3
*In the Deadman Burpee, you lower all the way to the ground on the lowering of the pushup and extend your arms out on the floor to the sides, then bring your hands back in to finish the pushup.
Core Finisher:
30 seconds Fire Hydrants
30 seconds Tree Climbers**
x3
**In Tree Climbers, you’re on your back, legs extended straight up into the air, then lift your upper body up to reach fingers toward toes.
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Workout #2
This progressive workout is a true commitment. The basic idea: You’ll work up to 5 minutes of each exercise with two minutes rest between. Once you’ve mastered that, you’ll shorten your rest by 30 seconds until you’re resting only 30 seconds between rounds.
Warmup: 5 minutes Kettlebell Swings (light weight)
Workout:
Kettlebell Swing to failure or 5 minutes
Rest 2 minutes (or less)
Kettlebell Goblet Squat to failure or 5 minutes
Rest 2 minutes (or less)
Alternating Kettlebell Goblet Forward Lunges to failure or 5 minutes
Rest 2 minutes (or less)
Alternating Kettlebell Goblet Reverse Lunge to failure or 5 minutes
Rest 2 minutes (or less)
Alternating Kettlebell Goblet Side Lunges to failure or 5 minutes
Rest 2 minutes (or less)
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Workout #3
Warmup: 1 minute Mountain Climber Burpees
Rest 20 seconds
1 minute Walkout Frog Hops (jump as far as possible rather than a short hop)
Rest 20 seconds
1 minute Up Up Down Down Plank Pushups
x2
In Mountain Climber Burpees, add a mountain climber set after the jump to plank. Walkout Frog Hops have you walking out to plank with your hands, then frog-hopping your legs back in. Up Up Down Downs start in a tall-arm plank position, then you lower one arm at a time to forearms, then back up, alternating lead arms.
Workout:
15-9-6-3 reps of each:
Double Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
Double Kettlebell Deadlifts
Double Kettlebell Rack Squats
Core Finisher:
1 minute Bicycle Crunches
Rest 20 seconds
1 minute Heels to Heaven*
Rest 20 seconds
1 minute Flutterkicks
x2
*Heels to Heaven are reverse crunches done with straight legs.
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Workout #4
Warmup: 5 minutes Kettlebell Swings (light weight)
Workout:
10 Pistol Squats, alternate legs
10 Kettlebell Swings
10 Lateral Lunges
10 Reverse Lunges
10 Forward Lunges
10 Split Squats
Repeat until failure
For the lunges and split squats, you can either hold one kettlebell, goblet style, or use two and hold them down by your sides.
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Workout #5
Warmup: 5 Double Kettlebell Jerks
x3
Workout:
16-minute AMRAP:
3 Man-Makers
5 Wall Climbs
7 One-Arm Rack Kettlebell Split Squats, each side
25 Jump Ropes
For Wall Climbs, start in tall-arm plank position with your feet against the wall. Walk your hands back as you walk your feet up the wall until you’re in a handstand. Advanced athletes can add a handstand pushup before walking back out.
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Workout #6
Warmup: 5 minutes Kettlebell Swings (light weight)
Workout:
Holding a kettlebell in each hand:
10 Walking Lunges
10 Squat Jumps
10 Leaping Lunges
10 Calf Raises
Put kettlebells down and repeat sequence.
Then, repeat entire routine till legs on fire.
This workout is really tough. Maintaining good form is more important than reaching each rep count without rest.
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Workout #7
Warmup:
30 seconds One-Arm Kettlebell Squat Thrusts, each side
30 seconds Double-Rack Kettlebell Hold
x6
That hold seems simple enough—rack and stand there—but you’ll be amazed at how many muscles have to stabilize, especially if you go heavy with the kettlebells.
Workout:
15 Kettlebell Prisoner Squats
2 Heavy Farmers Carry around gym
15 Double Kettlebell Squat Thrusts
2 Heavy Farmers Carry around gym
x4
For the Prisoner Squats, you’ll hold the kettlebell against the upper back rather than behind the head or neck.
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Workout #8
Warmup: 5 minutes Kettlebell Swings (light weight)
Workout:
10 Alternating Reverse Lunges with Kettlebell Twist
10 Alternating Forward Lunges with Kettlebell Twist
20 Supine Kettlebell Pullovers with Flutter Kick
20 Bicycle Crunches
10 Kettlebell Squats
Repeat to failure
For those lunges with twist, you’ll twist to the side of the knee that’s forward. For the Pullovers on your back, maintain the flutterkick the whole time.
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Workout #9
Warmup:
21-15-9-3 of Kettlebell Cleans to Squat Thrust
Workout:
45 seconds each:
One Arm Kettlebell Swing, each side
Kettlebell Snatch, each side
Kettlebell One-Arm Bent-Over Rows, each side
Rest 45 seconds
x4
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Workout #10
Warmup: 5 minutes Kettlebell Swings (light weight)
Workout:
50 Kettlebell Prisoner Walking Lunges
10 Alternating Forward Lunges
40 Kettlebell Figure 8s to Hold
10 Burpees
30 Double Kettlebell Cleans
10 Burpees
20 Double Kettlebell Swings (go heavy!)
10 Burpees
10 Walkouts with Pushup
10 Burpees
In the Prisoner Walking Lunges, hold the kettlebell against the upper back, not the neck or head. For the Kettlebell Figure 8s to Hold, you’ll figure-8 the kettlebell between and around your legs, then pop your hips to swing/curl it up toward your chest where you’ll “catch” it with your free hand and hold for a moment before going down for the next figure 8 (at which time you’ll switch hands for the hold).
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