Legs and glutes workout

Designed by Nuffield Health Personal Trainer Stacey Mountain, this intense workout focuses on your legs and glutes, taking you through a range of movements to build strength.

Engaging the muscles in your lower body stabilises you during sports that require a firm stance and agility, like squash, tennis or football. Strong legs and glutes not only help to avoid injury, but also make you more explosive and powerful.

  • Time: 60 minutes (including rests, warm up and cool down)
  • Equipment: barbell, ViPR, kettlebell, Swiss ball
  • Muscle groups: legs, glutes
  • Complements: running, court and pitch games, general fitness
  • Improves: lower body strength, agility
  • Include in your workout 1-2 times per week to give your muscles time to recover

Legs and glutes workout

WARM UP

  • Squat (30 secs, 10 secs rest)
  • Lunge (30 secs, 10 secs rest)
  • Mountain climbers (30 secs, 10 secs rest)
  • Low side to side lunge (30 secs, 10 secs rest)
  • Jump squat (30 secs, 10 secs rest)
  • Jump lunge (30 secs, 10 secs rest)

MAIN WORKOUT

Do three sets and rest for 60 seconds between each set. Choose a weight which is light to medium intensity for you as you’ll need to maintain good technique throughout all three sets.

COOLDOWN

  • Recumbent bike / gentle jog (3-5 mins, reduce intensity each minute)
  • Hamstring stretch (30 secs each side)
  • Lying glute stretch (30 secs each side)
  • Side hip and quad stretch (30 secs each side)
  • Straight-leg calf stretch (30 secs each side)
  • Standing IT band stretch (30 secs each side)

Finding this a challenge?
Use lighter weights, or do half the reps.

Not challenging enough? 
Increase the weights, ensuring you maintain technique and form.

Last updated Tuesday 11 May 2021

First published on Friday 3 February 2017