Lower-body workout for women

Target your glutes, legs and even abs with this lower-body workout for women and core strengthening session from personal trainer Ellie Adomaite.

If you want a stronger lower half, it might be tempting to do basic squats every day, but when it comes to building strength in the core, glutes and legs, it’s important to work your muscles from all angles.

‘This low impact core and lower-body workout for women requires minimal equipment and is designed to improve your strength and stability, with exercises to highlight and improve any imbalances,’ explains Ellie Adomaite, personal trainer and PT support manager at YOUR Personal Training (yourpersonaltraininguk.co.uk). ‘It’s perfect for strengthening the glutes and hips, along with the quads, hamstrings, abdominals, obliques and lower back.’

How to do it

Exercises should be performed slowly, focusing on control and muscle engagement. Try to squeeze the targeted muscles throughout each repetition and every exercise. As you progress, you can increase the number of repetitions and sets you perform, and also focus on holding each contracted position for slightly longer.

Lower-body workout for women

1. Single-leg box squats

Targets: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves and core stability

Reps: 12-15 each side

• Begin by sitting on the edge of the box with your back straight, chest proud and hands clasped in front of you. Place your feet flat on the ground with your lower legs completely vertical. Lift one leg slightly off the ground and press into the ground with the other leg – this is your start position.
• Leaning slightly forward, begin to stand. Continue all the way up to stand on the one leg, squeezing your glutes at the
  top and keeping the other leg lifted off the ground.
• Reverse the movement, slowly lowering down to sit on the box again, then repeat on the other leg.

Top tip: Be sure to keep your knee tracking in line with your foot – don’t allow it to cave inwards.

2. Single-leg glute bridges

Targets: glutes, hamstrings, lower back and core stability

Reps: 10-15 each side, with a hold at the top of each repetition

• Begin by lying on your back with hands by your side and legs extended. Draw one foot back and place it flat on the ground so the ankle is in line with the opposing knee – this is your start position.
• With your core tight and glutes squeezed, push into your bent leg and lift your hips up to the sky, keeping your opposing leg straight. Hold this position by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings while pressing the foot and upper back into the ground.
• Reverse the movement, lowering to the ground slowly and repeating on the same leg. Perform all your reps on one side, then switch legs and repeat on the other side.

3. Reverse lunges

Targets: quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves and core stability

Reps: 12-15 reps each side

• Start by standing tall, feet close together, core engaged and hands clasped in front of your chest – this is your start position.
• With one leg, take a large step directly backwards, placing your toes on the ground and keeping the
  heel elevated.
• Lower down into your reverse lunge, keeping your knees in line with your feet, and your hips and upper body central. Keep lowering until your back knee is just off the floor.
• Then, stand up and lift the rear foot back to the start position, before repeating on the other leg.

Looking for another lower-body workout for women? Try this lower-body strength workout for runners

4. Plank

Targets: core (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis), shoulders and lower back

Reps: Hold for 30 seconds

• Come into a plank position, with your hands around shoulder-width apart, fingers facing forward and feet extended out behind you (the feet can be together or placed slightly apart). Keep your arms locked and aim to protract your shoulder blades, pushing them forwards while pushing the ground away from you.
• Engage the core and draw your lower back up towards the sky, rotating your pelvis and tucking your tailbone in – this is essential as it will stop the hips sagging and minimise pressure on the lower spine.
• Keeping your whole body tight and engaged, aim to hold this position for 30 seconds to start with, gradually increasing the time as you progress.

Top tip: For a slightly easier variation, simply bend your elbows and rest on your forearms. This ‘easier’ variation is still tough, so don’t be hard on yourself if you struggle to hold it for 30 seconds!

5. Deadbugs

Targets: core (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis), hip flexors, glutes and quadriceps

Reps: Aim for 20 controlled reps on each side

• Begin by lying flat on your back with your tailbone tucked so your lower back is flat on the ground. Lift your arms and legs directly upwards, keeping your arms straight and knees bent at 90-degree angles – this is your start position.
• Start to extend and lower one leg while simultaneously lowering the opposite arm towards the ground above your head, until both are parallel with the ground. Make sure you don’t twist your body or let your hand or foot touch the ground.
• Slowly reverse the movement back to the start position, then repeat on the other side.

6. Unilateral banded-glute kickdown

Targets: core (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis), hip flexors, glutes and quadriceps

Reps: 10 reps on each leg, with a heavy resistance band (15-20 with a lighter band)

• Begin by lying flat on your back with your legs raised and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Loop a resistance band around the soles of your feet and hold the other end close to your body with both hands – this is your start position.
• Slowly extend and lower one leg, squeezing the quads and glutes as you do so, until it is parallel with the ground, ensuring the other leg remains held at a 90-degree angle.
• Slowly reverse the movement, placing the foot of your bent leg back into the band as you near the start position. Repeat on the opposite leg then continue alternating. Make sure you don’t twist your hips or upper body.

7. Banded side-leg lifts

Targets: gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and hip abductors

Reps: 8-10 reps on each leg, with a heavy resistance band (15-20 with a lighter band)

• Anchor your band around a low anchor point, stand inside the band facing sideways to the anchor and step away to bring some tension onto the band on your outside leg. Stand up tall with core engaged, then place your weight on your inside leg – this is your start position.
• Slowly lift the outside leg up and out to increase the tension on the band, slightly externally rotating your leg as you do so – this will place more tension on the glutes. Lift as high as you can with the band, squeezing at the top for a split second, before slowly reversing back to the start point.
• Perform all repetitions on one leg before turning around and repeating on the other side.

8. Lying banded clamshells

Targets: gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and hip abductors

Reps: 10 reps, with a heavy resistance band (15-20 with a lighter band)

• Lie sideways on the ground, placing your lower forearm on the ground to support your upper body. With feet stacked on top of each other and legs bent at 90-degree angles, place a resistance band around your knees – this is your start position.
• Lift the upper knee as high as possible, ensuring you keep the feet together, and squeezing the hips and glutes at the top.
• Slowly lower down and continue your repetitions, then swap sides and repeat on the other leg.