Lower-body workouts don't have to be long and drawn out to do the job. In fact, short, strategic spurts of strength work can be just as beneficial
That's especially true when you consider how much easier it is to be consistent with a 5-minute workout than a it is a 30, 45 or 60 minute session.
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That's why we had Bryce Morris, CPT, a personal trainer at LifeTime, create a 5-minute leg workout that fits any schedule. It's also a great way to break up stints sitting at your desk and get in some feel-good movement.
All you need is a can-do attitude and five minutes. (Nope, no equipment required.)
Try This 5-Minute Leg Workout
To build strength in five minutes flat, this routine takes you through four body-weight leg moves.
Each exercise hits multiple muscle groups at once for an especially efficient lower-body burn session. Do each move for 60 seconds and give yourself a few seconds to transition from one exercise to the next.
Move 1: Squat to Stand
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Push your hips back and down to lower your body toward the ground.
- Push your hips back up and straighten your legs to feel a stretch in your hamstrings, leaning forward to grab your toes.
- Stand back up to return to the starting position.
This strength move works your quadriceps and lower back while also increasing flexibility in your hamstrings and glutes, Morris says.
“You should feel tension in your hamstrings and glutes when you reach for your toes, but it should not strain your lower back,” Morris says.
Move 2: Single-Leg Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground positioned hip-width apart.
- Bracing your ab and glute muscles, slowly raise and extend one leg. Lift your hips off the ground to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
- Squeeze your butt and core as you pull your bellybutton toward your spine. Hold at the top of the movement for a brief pause, then lower your hips to the floor.
- Do half of your reps, then switch sides.
“The single-leg bridge exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen the glutes and hamstrings and build stability in the legs,” Morris says.
Keep your knees lined up with each other at all times and resist the urge to arch your lower back, Morris says.
Move 3: Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
- Stand with your feet together and shift your weight to your right leg with a slight bend in the knee.
- Keeping a flat back, bring your torso forward until it's parallel to the ground (if you have tight hamstrings, you may have a smaller ranger of motion). At the same time, lift your left leg straight behind your body.
- Drive through your heel, push your hips forward to return to standing and squeeze your glutes.
- Do half of your reps, then switch sides.
This hip-dominant exercise strengthens your glutes and hamstrings, Morris says. And because it’s a unilateral movement, it also improves stability and overall body control, he adds.
Move 4: Wall Sit
- Press your back against a wall and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squeeze your core muscles and slowly slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Make sure your knees are directly above your ankles (your legs should form 90-degree angles) and keep your weight in your heels.
- Keep your back flat against the wall as you hold this position for 1 minute.
Wall sits build isometric strength and endurance through the quadriceps, Morris says.
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