Build better balance and serious leg strength with this six-move bench workout

A woman performing single leg hip thrusts on a weight bench — (Image credit: Getty Images)

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.”

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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:

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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.

Bryony is a former Staff Writer in T3’s Active vertical. She is a certified personal trainer and part-time fitness instructor. In her spare time, she could usually be found in her natural habitat – the gym – where her training combined bodybuilding and powerlifting. She used to write about accessible workouts, nutrition and innovative fitness products that could help people reach their fitness goals and take their training to the next level.