Your legs are the most powerful and functional component of your body. Training your leg muscles is important as you need strong leg muscles for performing different daily activities. Your legs have the biggest muscles of your body so an effective leg workout is crucial for your physical fitness.

Working out your legs for 45 minutes a week is not enough for people who want faster and better results. To help you in improving the strength and endurance of your lower body, we have created a 10 minute leg workout, which will work for your overall leg muscles. The exercises which are involved in this workout are high intensity variations of simple leg exercises.

The 10 Minute Leg Workout

Before performing this workout, do 1 minute of stretching as it will open up your joints and activate your muscles.

Performing stretching before a leg workout lowers the risk of muscle cramp and is also a great way for warming up your body.

Do these exercises in circuits with 30 seconds of break between each exercise. Perform at least 12-15 repetitions and take 45 seconds of rest after completion of one circuit.

Dumbbell Lunges

Dumbbell lunge is a weight training exercise performed for building strength in your leg muscles. Adding weights to the traditional lunges increases the tension in your upper legs which develops muscle mass. Doing this exercise in your leg workout has multiple benefits some of them are given below.

Benefits

This exercise primarily target’s your quadriceps muscles which help in flexion and extension of knee joint

Dumbbell lunges help in increasing the balance of your body. Holding weights while performing lunges, challenges your body balance.

This movement also works out for your back and core muscles, which helps in improving posture and in performing daily tasks.

It also promotes weight loss as the largest muscles present in your body are trained during this exercise.

How To Perform

Start this exercise by standing up straight having dumbbells in both the hands. With feet hips width apart.

Take a long step in forward direction with left leg and with another leg one step in backward direction.

Bend the front thigh till it becomes parallel to the ground, simultaneously bend the back thigh till your knee is closer to the ground. Don’t move your knee past than the tip of your toe.

Hold the position, return back to the starting position. Perform the same procedure with your other leg. Inhale while bending and exhale while returning back to the starting position. This is one repetition of dumbbell lunges exercise.

Squat Jump

Squat jump is a high intensity body weight strength training exercise performed for building lower body muscles. This exercise is a variation of traditional squat exercise. In a squat jump you have to jump from the ground on to a rack to perform a squat.

Benefits

Squat jump develops agility in your body and increases explosive power in your leg muscles.

Athletes perform this exercise as it involves greater movement than traditional squats and works on explosive power which is necessary for sport activities.

Large amount of calories are burned while doing squat jump exercise. Toning of leg muscles is also an amazing benefit of this exercise.

It also improves balance and mobility of your body. Your motor skills are also trained while performing squat jump exercise.

How To Perform

Start performing this exercise by standing straight on the ground with your legs shoulder width apart. Your back should be straight and hands by your side.

Jump on the squat rack by creating a force with help from your legs and glutes.

Squat down when you land on the rack. Hold the position, jump back to the starting position of this exercise.

Remember to inhale before squat down and exhale while returning back. This is one repetition of squat jump exercise.

Dumbbell Squats

Dumbbell squat is an excellent weight training exercise for building muscle mass in your lower body. This exercise requires a dumbbell for increasing intensity and tension on the leg muscles.

Benefits

Dumbbell squats primarily target’s your quadriceps in front of the thigh, gluteus maximus in the buttocks, the hamstring at back of the thigh and soleus muscle in the calves.

This exercise shapes and tones your lower body muscles including your buttocks.

The movement also stabilizes and activates your back and core muscles more than the traditional squat.

Because of the upright torso and weight in hands, the dumbbell squat exercise is easy in balancing the body as compared to the traditional squat exercise.

How To Perform

Start this exercise by standing with your back straight holding a dumbbell with both hands. Your feet should be hips width apart.

Do not raise your feet while performing this exercise.

While balancing your body lower your hips till your thighs are parallel to the ground. Don’t let your knees move forward than the tip of your toes.

Hold the position, return back to the starting position. This is one repetition of dumbbell squat exercise. Inhale while lowering your body and exhale while returning back.

Step Up With Knee Raise

The step up with knee raise is a lower body strength training exercise which is a variation of traditional step up exercise. This exercise has greater range of motion as the training leg is fully extended.

Benefits

This exercise is generally performed with high repetitions in circuit training or in a cardio workout.

High amount of calories are burned during this exercise. It also increases your rate of metabolism.

Step up with knee raise also tones and increases flexibility in joints.

One of the best benefit of this exercise is increase in blood circulation and high energy levels.

How To Perform

Start this exercise by placing a rack or box in front of you.

Stand up straight with feet hips width apart.

Step up on the box with the left foot on it and extend your right knee up.

Step down with your right foot and perform the same procedure with other leg. This is one repetition of step up with knee up exercise.

Skipping Rope

Skipping rope or jump rope is an effective cardio exercise which increases your stamina and burns large amount of calories. According to a study, 10 minutes of skipping rope is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging.

Benefits

Skipping rope burns up to 200 to 300 calories in 15 minutes, this makes skipping rope the highest calorie burning cardio exercise.

Motor skills are also developed as coordination of many muscle groups are required for performing this exercise.

It is also great for your cardiovascular system and health of your heart. It also increases the capacity of oxygen storage which improves cardiovascular endurance.

This exercise also improves bone strength and increases bone density in your body. Higher bone density helps in lifting heavy weights.

How To Perform

Start performing this exercise by standing with your back straight and legs hips width apart.

Hold the ends of the rope with both of your hands. A loose grip will allow better and smooth movement of the rope.

Place the rope behind your feet and turn it over your head. Lift up your heels and jump with help of your toes.

Breathing is important while performing this exercise. This is one repetition of skipping rope or jump rope exercise.