We know the gym can feel intimidating. From the leg press machine and barbells to dumbbells and kettlebells, you may be asking: Where do I start on leg day? For starters, if you’re nervous, confused, or discouraged, it’s okay. Give yourself permission to embrace all the feels. This is the first step to having a successful, sweaty leg day session.
Muscle is important at every age and becomes increasingly important as we age. Why? It’s an essential part of the body and controls all our movements.
Believe it or not, training your legs stimulates hormone production, strengthens bones, improves cognitive function, helps stress management, builds muscles, and increases overall fitness, explains Healthline. Did we mention it also strengthens your core and eases lower back pain? So, next time you’re thinking of skipping leg day, think of all those juicy health benefits.
Black fitness influencers are spilling the tea on the best workouts to shape those legs, and with summer cleaning top of mind, we thought we’d put a fitness spin on it. Whether you’re new to lifting, a regular gym goer, or looking for ways to improve your health this summer, here’s a dumbbell workout that will help you tone your legs fast.
RELATED: Which Muscles & When? How to Structure Your Weekly Workout Split
Targets: Core, glutes, and hips
Lunges target the biggest muscles in your lower body. They’re great if you’re looking to lower body fat, improve balance, tone your core, and build lean muscle mass, points out Healthline. Walking lunges, in particular, help boost range of motion, stability, and support daily movement. Adding weights ups the challenge and can do wonders for shaping those leg muscles faster.
Here’s how to lunge properly.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg. Lower both knees to 90 degrees, making sure your front knee is aligned with your ankle. Pull your core in to stabilize your torso upright, and then bring the back leg up to meet the front leg. Repeat the same movement with the other leg.
Targets: Core, hamstrings, and glutes
Adding reverse lunges to your leg day workout is a great choice if you’re looking to firm up your hamstrings. It’s gentler on your knees and encourages your muscles to learn different movement patterns, says Healthline.
To perform reverse lunges, start in the same position as walking lunges. This time, you’ll take a large step backward and lower your hips till your knees are 90 degrees. Bring the back foot up to standing position, then switch sides. Repeat the same reps and sets on each side.
Targets: Gastrocnemius, soleus, and plantaris muscles
When it comes to strengthening your legs, calf muscles are often overlooked. These muscles don’t just add an “oomph” to toned, sexy legs, but when trained properly, they help you jump higher, run faster, and improve flexibility.
To start, stand with your feet hip-width apart. Double-check that your hips, knees, and ankles are positioned on top of each other. Press down through the ball of your feet and lift upwards, engaging your core muscles.
If it’s hard to balance, don’t worry. Hold one dumbbell and place your other hand on the wall. Repeat the same amount on each side.
Targets: Quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings
What I love about this movement is that it mimics motions we naturally do every day. From climbing stairs and stepping on ladders to dusting old cob webbs, this functional exercise helps increase strength and power.
This movement requires a sturdy stepstool or workout box. And if you don’t have a durable stool, no problem. You can also use a staircase step.
Start with feet hip-distance apart. Engage the core and place your right foot onto the elevated box. Shift your weight to the right foot and step up onto the box, lifting your body upwards. Your left foot will rise and place it on the box too.
Step back down with your left foot, using your right leg muscles to lower yourself slowly.
During each rep, try not to push off using the foot on the floor. The goal is to target the muscles of the raised leg, so keep these muscles engaged the entire time. Do the same reps and sets on each side.
Targets: quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core
Dumbbell squats are a popular compound movement that targets the largest muscles in the lower body (aka your quads and hamstrings). It also works your glutes. This fundamental exercise is great for building overall strength, improving athletic ability, increasing balance, and strengthening the core muscles, according to Muscle and Strength.
Let’s master the art of squatting.
Begin with your feet hip-distance apart and toes pointing slightly outward. Engage your core and keep your chest up while you slowly lower down into a squat. You’ll know you’ve reached your max depth once your torso starts flexing forward.
Push through your entire foot to stand back up.
To add weights, hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms rest at your sides. Another option is to place them on your shoulder– this will mimic a front squat.
Targets: hamstrings, glutes, and core
Adding Romanian deadlifts is a great way to tone the back of the legs (aka the glutes and hamstrings). According to Health, this lift uses a hip-hinge exercise sequence to improve leg strength, stability, and core strength.
To perform this movement, start with your feet hip-width apart. Place one dumbbell in each hand in front of your body. Have a slight bend in your knee and keep your back straight while you hinge at the hip. Lower as far down as you can with a flat back – this is normally somewhere below your knees, but above your toes– and squeeze your core, glutes, and hamstrings to activate the muscles.
Push through your feet and contract your muscles again to stand up. Keep going until you’ve reached your desired set and reps.
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