Move · Videos · Strength · 34 min

30-Minute Dumbbell Leg Day for All Levels

30-Minute Dumbbell Leg Day for All Levels — video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell Play · 34:20

Video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell on YouTube · Open on YouTube

A short warm-up, then supersets of goblet squats and squat jumps, staggered-stance RDLs, staggered squats and lunge cleans, step-ups, glute bridges with band abductions, and sumo deadlifts with squat holds. Jumps have low-impact swaps.

  • 34 min
  • All levels
  • High impact (jumping)
  • dumbbells, resistance band, step
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Step by step 8

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Warm-up: cross-body taps, half jacks, heel kicks and bodyweight squats. 0:12
  2. Goblet squats with your chest up and the weight close, alternated with squat jumps or plain squats, 3 rounds. 1:30
  3. Staggered-stance Romanian deadlifts, 30 seconds a leg: hinge with a strong, flat back, 3 rounds a side. 5:57
  4. Staggered back squats, then alternating reverse lunges with a clean; bodyweight lunges are fine. 10:47
  5. Step-ups, alternating legs (or forward lunges if you have no step), with power step-ups or knee drives. 15:24
  6. Glute bridges, then band abductions at the top, driving your knees out to the little-toe side. 20:18
  7. Sumo deadlifts with feet wider than your hips, alternated with low squat holds, knees pressing out. 25:06
  8. Cool-down: seated forward fold, cat-cow, a chest opener, downward dog and a standing quad stretch. 29:45

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Keep the dumbbell close and your chest up as you sink into goblet squats
  • Exhale, then hinge with a strong flat back on Romanian deadlifts
  • Drive your knees out toward the little-toe side of your feet in band abductions

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses 4 takes load

  • Lower back takes loadRomanian and sumo deadlifts, cleans
  • Hips takes loadsquats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, glute bridges
  • Knees takes loadsquats, squat jumps, lunges, step-ups, squat holds
  • Ankles & feet takes loadsquat jumps, hopping power step-ups, half jacks
  • Shoulders movesdumbbell cleans to the chest, goblet holds
  • Wrists & hands movesgripping dumbbells, all-fours cool-down
  • Jumping or hopping. Impact goes through the ankles, knees and hips.
  • Kneeling. Pressure on the kneecaps — a folded towel or cushion under the knees helps.
  • Weight on your hands. The wrists bend back under load. Fists, push-up handles or your forearms ease it.
  • Down on the floor. You get down to the floor and back up again.

Easier option from the coach: No-hop squats and knee-drive step-ups; bodyweight lunges (wall for balance)

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Sydney Cummings Houdyshell; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety