Build lower-body strength with a pair of ankle weights and your kitchen countertop

Ankle weights are underrated strength training tools. They are essentially mini sandbags that you attach to your ankles or wrists. They are usually fairly light—between 1-3 pounds—but strapping them onto your ankles during a workout can make your glutes, hip flexors, quads and calves work harder.

If you have some ankle weights and want to put them to good use, try this 10-minute barre workout by Coach Kel. And if you don't have any yet, you can grab some from Amazon for less than $20.

Gaiam 5lb-set of ankle weights: $17.98 on Amazon

These simple, velcro ankle weights will make your Pilates and barre workouts a little bit more challenging. Each one weighs 2.5lbs, but there's a slightly heavier 5lb option available too.

How to do Coach Kel’s kitchen workout

Coach Kel uses her kitchen countertop as a barre for the plies, heel drops and booty lifts in the routine, and also as a support for assisted push-ups.

The repetition numbers for each exercise are in the video and she recommends doing three or four rounds. If you need to make it more challenging, you can add an extra set or two.

How long does it take to build lower-body strength?

Exercising the lower body helps to build functional strength for everyday movements, making activities like walking, running, climbing stairs and simply getting out of a chair easier. Leg exercises can also help build muscle, stability and speed.

But how soon can you notice an improvement in lower-body strength? It depends on the individual entirely, but in my experience as a personal trainer, it usually takes around twelve weeks of consistent exercise to see physiological changes to muscle strength and size.

You may see some definition in the legs within two to four weeks, especially if you’re new to resistance training and have lower body fat. You may also notice improvements in your mobility and flexibility.

If you want to build muscle, I'd suggest strength training for a minimum of three times a week, using either your own bodyweight or free weights. If you don't know where to start, have a look at our guide to beginner bodyweight workouts and full-body workouts with dumbbells.