With gym closures through Australia, it’s important to stick to your routine and stay active. If you go to the gym at a certain time or certain days, keep that same time free and perform a workout routine at home.

We’ve put together a home gym workout routine that will strengthen your lower body, without the need for the machines available at the gym. This lower body dumbbell workout will engage all major muscle groups in your lower body and help to improve your balance and coordination.

What You Will Need:

1. Mat
2. Medium/ Heavy dumbbells – Trainer uses 8kg Hex Dumbbell set
3. Water bottle
4. Sweat towel

In this lower body dumbbell workout we recommend using a medium-heavy set of weights anywhere from 5kg - 15kg. It’s important to use dumbbells of a weight that will enable you to complete the exercise reps and rounds recommended with good form, but also feel challenged for the last few reps.

Warm-Up

Before starting Orbit’s lower body home gym workout routine it’s important to do a warmup. To loosen your joints, do some basic stretches on a mat. Next, get your blood flowing with a 3-5 minute slow-paced run on a treadmill.

#1 – Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat

First up in our lower body dumbbell workout is the Bulgarian Split Squat. This is an intense leg workout that engages your quadriceps, glutes, calves and hamstrings. The addition of dumbbells ensures muscular balance on both sides of the body.

Reps: 10 per leg

Rounds: 3

Directions:

1. First, you will need a bench, step, chair or another object that you can safely rest your foot on.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your shoulders rolled back and arms at your sides with your palms facing each other.
3. Position yourself into a lunge position, keeping your torso upright, abs squeezed and your hips square to your body. The leg out the front should be a large stride from the chair so when you lunge down the leg is at 90 degrees.
4. Lower your hips towards the floor so that your rear knee is almost touching the floor. It’s important to descend into the squat with your hips remaining in the same position and not by leaning forward.
5. To come back up drive through your front heel, perform the given reps and then swap legs.

Trainer Tip: Watch that your knee is at 90 degrees when lunging down and that your torso stays upright – avoid tipping forwards. If you’re finding it difficult to get into position, start with weights on the floor either side of your front foot, step back leg up onto surface into your lunge position and then bend forward to pick up weights.

#2 Single-leg Deadlift

The Single-leg Deadlift is a great addition to your home gym workout routine because it activates multiple muscle groups. It helps to strengthen your hamstrings, glutes and abs while also improving your balance and coordination.

Reps: 8 per leg

Rounds: 3

Directions:

1. Hold one dumbbell with an overhand grip on the same side as the leg that is moving back (right).
2. Slowly lift right leg straight behind you and slightly bend grounded left leg whilst tipping forward. It’s important to reach your leg backwards to bring you down steadily as opposed to using the weight to bring you down.
3. As you come down, lower the dumbbell towards the floor until you feel a stretch in you grounded leg hamstring, pause for a second and return to the upright position, squeeze glutes at the top.
4. Complete reps and switch legs.

Trainer Tip: In this lower body dumbbell workout, keep your abs tight and foot flexed when kicking back to steady yourself and engage glutes.

#3 Dumbbell Shoulder Squat

Squats are an essential functional exercise that helps to strengthen your quadriceps and glutes. Not only do squats build muscle, but they also help to burn calories fast and improve your flexibility. By adding dumbbells to your squat, it helps to build more muscle mass while also engaging your core and arms.

Reps: 12

Rounds: 3

Directions:

1. Stand with your feet just wider than your hips with your toes pointed outwards slightly.
2. Balance the dumbbells on your shoulders with a hammer grip, keeping your shoulders pulled back and elbows up.
3. Keep the heels firmly planted on the floor and do not allow them to rise throughout the exercise.
4. Squeeze your abs and press the outer edges of your feet into the floor. As you squat down push knees outward to engage glutes. Do NOT arch the back forward as you go down or come up.
5. Press through your heels as you push back up to a standing position. Repeat for the given reps.

Trainer Tip: Get super low on these ones - just like a front squat you want to keep your chest proud while you drop below 90 degrees.

#4 Hip Thrusts/Glute Bridge

Hip thrusts with the added weight of a dumbbell helps to work the glutes. You’ll be feeling the burn in your butt by working this exercise into your home gym workout routine.

Reps: 12 - 15

Rounds: 3

Directions:

1. Get started by laying on a mat with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place the dumbbell on your lower abdomen and hold it in place with your arms.
3. Brace abs then push your hips upward, squeezing glutes at the top. Do not raise your hips too high as this can hyperextend the back.
4. Lower your hips down and repeat.

Trainer Tip: Add a double pulse at the top for an extra burn.

#5 Sumo Squats

Sumo Squats are the wide leg version of regular squats. By bringing your legs further apart it helps to engage your inner thighs as well as your glutes. By adding the weight of the dumbbell, you’ll see results faster while also giving a slight upper body challenge.

Reps: 12

Rounds: 3

Directions:

1. Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart with your toes pointed outwards at 45 degrees and shoulders rolled back.
2. Hold the dumbbell with both hands with your arms extended straight.
3. Inhale in as you squat down, bending knees inline with toes until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Push through your feet to drive your legs to start position and repeat for the given reps.

Trainer Tip: Keep shoulders back and body upright throughout the movement to keep the work in your legs. Make sure to squeeze at the top!

Cool Down

After completing your lower body home gym workout routine, it’s essential that you perform cool-down exercises. By cooling down, you will help to get your heart rate back to normal and reduce muscle soreness. Spend 5 minutes doing some gentle stretching, foam rolling and deep breathing.

Next up, try our ultimate upper body workout routine.