8 At-Home Workouts for Toned Legs

Want to rock skirts and booty-hugging jeans? We’ve compiled 8 moves that can strengthen and tone your lower body for fabulous-looking legs.

 

All you need for this workout are a chair or bench, a 5-pound dumbbell (or any kind of weight, really), and a towel.

 

Be sure to do two to three sets of this workout with 30 seconds of rest in between each set. You should do it three times a week on non-consecutive days. 

 

Let’s get started!

Split Squat


This move targets your quads and your butt.


Stand with your back facing a chair (about 2 feet away), with your hands on your hips or clasped in front of your chest, and bend your right leg reaching behind to place the top of your foot on a chair seat or bench.


Squat, bending right leg 90 degrees with knee over ankle. Press through your midfoot to stand. 


Do 15 to 20 reps per leg. Switch sides; repeat.

Pistol Squat


This move focuses on your quads and butt.


Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands reaching in front of your chest. Lift left foot forward a few inches off the floor with your foot flexed.


Squat, bending left knee 90 degrees, holding your left leg to hip level in front of you.


Do 5 to 10 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Goblet Squat


This move works your butt, quads, inner thighs, and hamstrings.


Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out, holding the handle of a single dumbbell vertically with both hands in front of chest (like a goblet), elbows bent out to sides.


Squat, bending knees 90 degrees. Press through mid-foot to stand.


Do 15 to 20 reps.

Three-Way Lunge


This exercise works for your butt, quads, inner thighs, and hamstrings.


Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands clasped in front of the chest. Lunge forward with left leg (knees bent at a 90-degree angle); return to start.


Lunge left leg out to left, toes facing forward, and bend left knee 90 degrees. Return to start.


Lunge backward with left leg to complete 1 rep. 


Do 15 to 20 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Good Morning


This move targets your abs, butt, and hamstrings.


Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding ends of a single dumbbell in each hand; bend elbows by sides to bring weight under the chin.


Keeping legs straight and maintaining arm position, press butt backward to hinge forward at hips until back is near parallel to the floor.


Without rounding back, squeeze glutes to return to standing.


Do 15 to 20 reps.

Single-Leg Deadlift


This exercise is great for your butt and hamstrings.


Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing the front of thighs.


Hinge forward at hips 90 degrees as you lift extended left leg behind you so that body is parallel to floor from head to left heel, arms hanging down.


Do 15 to 20 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

Calf Raise Three Ways


This move targets your calves.


Stand with balls of feet on the bottom step of a staircase, step, or bench, heels hanging over the edge, hands on your hips.


Turn toes inward. Lift heels high, then lower them slightly below the level of the step. Do 15 to 20 reps.


Next, turn toes out 45 degrees; repeat.


With toes forward, stand on left leg only, bending right leg behind you; repeat lifts. Do 15 to 20 reps. Switch legs; repeat.


Do 2 to 3 sets of series.

Hamstring Curl


This move works for your butt and hamstrings.


Lie face-up on the floor, arms by sides, legs extended with heels pressing into a folded towel on the floor.


Slowly pull heels toward butt while lifting hips off the floor until knees are bent 90 degrees and body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.


Slide legs forward to return to start.


Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps.