If you’re tired of doing deadlifts as an option to enhance leg day, definitely try doing this great five-move kettlebell leg workout. The workout is effective in giving your lower body not only glutes, quads, and hamstrings but also the strength and shape with just one or two kettlebells and 30-40 minutes of training.
By a fitness instructor, Juan Leija, this set of exercises is about creating functional strength and endurance in your legs while you are still able to go through the workout sessions high by effective exercises. Whether you are exercising at home or at the gym, these five compound movements can put your lower body in a drive mode – but a positive outcome only.
Start with the warm-up which is quite easy: 3 minutes of jump rope. A few minutes are all you need to rapidly raise your heart rate, and warm up the muscles to get ready for the coming work. Then it’s about striking the highest level in the circuit that is full of power and tension but still allows to recover and regenerate the muscles.
You can find exercise details below:
- The first workout exercise is the heavy kettlebell swings and you have to perform 5 sets of 10 reps
- Rear foot elevated split squats (also known as Bulgarian split squats) and you have to perform 2 sets of 5 reps per leg
- Squat jumps with resets and you have to perform 4 sets of 3 explosive reps
- Kettlebell goblet squats and you have to perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Suitcase-style walking lunges and you have to perform 100 total repetitions (if necessary, take breaks)
All of these exercises bring something unique to the table. The first exercise, the kettlebell swings, will build your hip power and posterior chain strength, which is great for your glutes and hamstrings. The rear foot elevated split squats will let you perform this exercise and still keep your body in balance, while the jumps will still require your muscles to be active under fatigue.
The goblet squats are one of those workouts that will most probably never go out of style. The thing is, not only are you working on your entire lower body, but at the same time, the core muscles are doing the job. Plus, by the time you get to the final move, suitcase lunges, your legs will be so tired that from that point on it will all be a matter of mental and physical determination to make those 100 reps. challenging.
If you are working out with dumbbells as a stand-in for kettlebells for this particular exercise, it is not a big deal, just make sure your form is correct and you are in control throughout the exercise. The weight should be heavy enough to provide a good workout, and still, you shouldn’t lose the depth of the move.
Do you want to make this a complete one-hour workout? Stick to an upper body or core session and add it at the end. Not only will you get the massive strength gains in your lower body, but also you will destroy the calories, boost your metabolism insanely and have an improvised body for movements.
This 5-exercise program is more than just a way to avoid equipment and still be able to exercise the whole body. It’s dedication and taking things to an extreme that has the real potential to make you excel—because not just with deadlifts can strong legs be achieved only exertion.
