If you want to build serious leg strength, then you need to include unilateral exercises – movements that work on one side of your body at a time. This six-move workout from Fitness Trainer Joe Bronston focuses on just that to help improve your lower body stability, balance, and unlock serious single-leg strength. No squat racks or leg machines needed, just a workout bench and a set of heavyish dumbbells.
“Most people have a dominant side that does more work without them even realizing it,” he writes on his Instagram post. “Over time, that can lead to poor movement patterns and nagging pain—especially in the knees, hips, or low back. Single-leg exercises help correct that. They force your body to activate stabilizing muscles, improve joint alignment, and fire up your glutes in a way most bilateral movements just can’t.”
For this workout, perform three sets of each of the exercises below for the required reps, on each leg. Rest for 1-2 minutes between each exercise round and opt for a medium to heavy weight, where the last couple of reps feel like a challenge, without your form being compromised. If you’re not sure how to perform any of the exercises, then just take a quick watch of the short video above. Here’s the workout:
- Bulgarian split squats – 8-10 reps
- Single leg hip thrusts – 10 reps
- Supported single leg Romanian deadlift – 10 reps
- Goblet lateral lunge butt taps – 10 reps
- Alternating step-ups – 10 reps
- Goblet box squats – 15 reps
Now it’s time to hit the upper half. We’ve got plenty of bench-focused workouts, and this upper body session is perfect to save for later in the week. It targets your arms, chest, shoulders, and back, and with a bit of grit, you can knock it out in just 35–40 minutes. Then, if you’re looking to round out your week with one final push, try this superset full-body workout – it’s efficient, effective, and designed to save you time without sacrificing results.
