A 6-Move Lower Body Weight Workout to Target Your Glutes, Hips, and Quads

While bodyweight exercises can take you far, if you’re able to add weights to your routine, you should. And this lower body workout with weights is a great place to start, since it takes exercises you may already be familiar with — air squats, lateral lunges, step-ups — and just adds resistance.

But first, a primer on the benefits of strength training. While many people focus on the aesthetic benefits of strength training, resistance training has other upsides. “Strength training builds bone density,” says Bertha Muñoz-Lewis, a certified strength and conditioning specialist. It also strengthens muscles, and “strong muscles protect joints, tendons, and ligaments,” she adds. Weight training can improve balance and coordination, reducing your risk of falling or injuring yourself. In short, “It’s imperative for women of all ages to add a true resistance training program to their workout routine in order for their bodies to be resilient, durable, capable, and functional as they age,” says Muñoz-Lewis. “It’s our body armor.”

A lower body workout with weights can activate the glutes and muscles surrounding the hips, along with the quadriceps and hamstrings. These are key muscle groups of the posterior chain that help make up the foundation of the body. We use them not just in the gym, but in many of our daily movements — everything from picking up groceries to dancing or playing sports.

If you’re totally new to fitness, consider checking in with your doctor or healthcare provider before trying this workout to make sure you don’t have any injuries or limitations that would prevent you from being able to complete it. If you’re ready to dive in, start with a dynamic warm-up including five minutes of low-intensity cardiovascular activity, such as a light jog, indoor cycling, jump rope, or jumping jacks. Then check out our guide about how to choose the right weight and get started.

Expert Featured in This Article

Bertha Muñoz-Lewis, MS, CSCS, is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the co-owner of House of Champs in Felton, DE. She creates and oversees the strength programs for student-athletes from elementary school age through the collegiate level, and also runs her women’s strength program known as B.yond Strength.

Lower Body Workout With Weights

Equipment needed: Dumbbells or Kettlebells. As a starter weight set, we like the PS Neoprene Dumbbell ($7-$20), available in three, five-, eight-, and ten-pound increments, or the Stakt Weights ($98), which can be adjusted to clock in at two, four, and six pounds each.

Directions: Perform eight to 10 repetitions of each of the first five exercise, moving directly from one to the next with no rest between each move. After completing all five lower-body exercises with weights, finish with the core burner: choose one, two, or all three of the core exercises from the options listed below and perform them for 25 to 45 seconds each to finish each set. Then, rest for one minute. Repeat the entire sequence again for two to three sets.

Lower Body Exercises With Weights:

Read on for explanations of how to do each exercise, including form and technique tips.