20 Min DUMBBELL LEG WORKOUT | Step Ups, Lunges, Squats

I think 20 Min Dumbbell Leg Workout | Step Ups, Lunges, Squats was recommended to me by a blog reader. I say “think” because they didn’t provide a link or the exact title so I had to search it out myself. Like many YouTube trainers, many of Caroline Girvan‘s non-EPIC workouts have such similar titles it is hard to tell them apart. This workout contains a staple exercise: step ups. That is why I searched this workout out. The reader mentioned step ups and I love step ups. It is one of my favorite lower body exercises. And you do a lot of them in this workout. In fact, every other exercise is step ups. I did worry that I would burn out quickly in this workout, but it was much more doable than I expected. This workout is done interval fashion: each exercise is done for 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. When you are doing the step ups, you do each leg for 20 seconds. This equaled about 5 reps per leg for me. 5 reps, even repeated 10 times in 20 minutes, did not burn me out. Maybe I need to use a heavier dumbbell in the future? Anyway, I really enjoyed this workout. Since I am pairing these shorter, finisher workouts with Caroline’s EPIC Heat workouts, I use them as starters rather than finishers. EPIC Heat workouts almost always burn my muscles out and I have nothing left to give to a finisher. This morning I did this workout before Caroline’s EPIC Heat Awakened Glutes & Hamstrings workout. It definitely warmed me up and worked my lower body nicely. I am really loving Caroline’s shorter workouts. This is another one that is perfect to use as a finisher.

20 Min Dumbbell leg Workout | Step Ups, Lunges, Squats is 26:07 minutes; 2 intro, no warm up and 2:45 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells, a chair or high step, a yoga block and a fitness mat. Caroline is using 12.5kg/27.5 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used. I used my high step at 16 inches for the step ups and the high step topper (which is 4 inches) for the elevated lunges. For the squats where your heels are elevated, I used 8 pound dumbbells under my heels. There is a timer in the upper left hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Caroline previews the next exercise.

1. High squats (heels elevated on yoga block, hold DBs at shoulders in front of you) (20# DBs)
2. Step ups, 20 seconds each leg (hold one DB in same side hand as working leg) (one 20# DB)
3. Bulgarian lunges (back leg is elevated on chair/step behind you, hold one DB in same side hand as front leg) (one 20# DB)
4. Repeat #2
5. Repeat #3 on other side of body
6. Repeat #2
7. Curtsy lunge (front foot is elevated on yoga block) (one 20# DB)
8. Repeat #2
9. Repeat #7 on other side of body
10. Repeat #2
11. Static/stationary lunges (front foot is elevated on yoga block) (20# DBs)
12. Repeat #2
13. Repeat #11 on other side of body
14. Repeat #2
15. Romanian deadlifts (35# DBs)
16. Repeat #2
17. Hamstring deadstop (lay on back with legs extended and knees slightly bent, heels are in mat, one DB on hips, raise one leg off floor and keep it elevated while raising and lowering hips/glutes) (one 30# DB)
18. Repeat #2
19. Repeat #17 on other side of body
20. Repeat #2

Burnout: Sump squat half reps (40 seconds) (lower to bottom of squat but only raise halfway) (one 45# DB)

For more info on Caroline Girvan’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.