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35-Minute Leg and Shoulder Workout (EMOM Workout)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | October 5, 2023

The best leg and shoulder workout for women to build strength at home! This EMOM workout with dumbbells supersets a leg exercise with a shoulder exercise, followed by a compound upper body and lower body exercise. Count your reps and work at your pace.

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This leg and shoulder EMOM workout is a fun way to challenge your strength and muscular endurance.

If you’ve tried our Full Body EMOM Workout, you’ll love this leg and shoulder version.

EMOM stands for “every minute on the minute.” These workouts challenge you to complete a specific number of reps in one minute. EMOM workouts are efficient and scalable because you can take the exercises at your pace.

Today’s workout combines both leg and shoulder dumbbell strength exercises. It’s an effective way to build total body strength and raise your heart rate at home.

Leg and Shoulder Workout - Alternating Squat Thruster Exercise. Two women holding dumbbells performing a dumbbell alternating thruster exercise.

Leg and Shoulder Workout FAQs

Can You Train Shoulders And Legs On The Same Day?

Yes, training these two muscle groups on the same day saves time and is an efficient way to train. You can increase your weight load and increase the frequency of a leg day workout if you pair it with another muscle group, like shoulders. This allows for proper recovery time throughout the week while maximizing muscle build.

What’s The Best Routine For Your Legs And Shoulders?

Some of the best leg and shoulder workout routines include compound exercises that work both muscle groups at the same time. For example, a squat thruster or dumbbell shoulder press works both the leg muscles and shoulder muscles simultaneously.

What Are The Benefits Of EMOM Workouts?

EMOM workouts are a very effective form of training. They are an efficient way to build muscle, strength and endurance in a short period of time. EMOM workouts improve your fitness capacity as they force you to push your rep-pace during the work time and teach your body to recover quickly with limited rest time.

35-Minute Leg and Shoulder Workout. Two women holding dumbbells performing a lunge and 45-degree dumbbell press.

35-Minute Leg and Shoulder Workout

Build strong leg and shoulder muscles with this EMOM workout with dumbbells!

This strength training workout challenges you to complete the designated number of reps per exercise in one minute. Push your pace during the work intervals so you have adequate time to recover between exercises.

Add full body workouts like this one to your workout routine 1-2 times a week to build muscle mass and increase endurance.

Workout Equipment:

Medium to heavy set of dumbbells. We’re using 10, 15 and 20 lb dumbbells in this leg and shoulder workout for women.

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Woman performing a single arm overhead press in a Legs and Shoulders EMOM Workout

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Leg and Shoulder Workout video on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 4 Circuits
  • 3 Exercises Per Circuit (a leg exercise, a shoulder exercise and a compound leg and shoulder exercise)
  • EMOM Format (‘Every Minute On the Minute’. You complete the designated number of reps per exercise in one minute. Once you complete the reps, rest for the remainder of the minute.)
  • Repeat 3 Exercises x2 Sets for the Full EMOM Circuit (each circuit will be a 6-minute EMOM)
5 Compound Exercises to Burn Fat (Leg and Shoulder Workout!)

Workout Outline

CIRCUIT ONE:

  1. Alternating Squat Thruster (16 reps)
  2. Push Press (25 reps)
  3. Squat and Overhead Press and Dumbbell Pass (12 reps)

CIRCUIT TWO:

  1. Alternating Reverse Lunge and Overhead Hold (16 reps)
  2. 45-Degree Dumbbell Press (25 reps)
  3. Lunge Jump and 45-Degree Dumbbell Press (12 reps)

CIRCUIT THREE:

  1. Staggered Deadlift and Snatch (8 reps)
  2. Uneven Push Up and Shoulder Tap (12 reps)
  3. Push Up and Burpee Deadlift (8 reps)

CIRCUIT FOUR:

  1. Lateral Lunge (12 reps)
  2. Alternating Front Raise and Lateral Raise (16 reps)
  3. Halo and Alternating Lateral Lunge (14 reps)
Leg and Shoulder Workout - Lateral Lunge Exercise. Two women holding dumbbells performing a dumbbell lateral raise exercise.

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon EMOM Workout

8 Leg and Shoulder Exercises with Dumbbells

Alternating Squat Thruster

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstring, quads, hips, shoulders, abs and core.

Squat thrusts can add a cardio element to your leg workouts, increasing your heart rate.

two women performing an alternating squat thruster with dumbbells

How To Do An Alternating Squat Thruster

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders (front-rack position, overhand grip, palms facing in).
  2. With your weight in your heels, sit your hips back as you lower into a squat, striving for a 90-degree angle between your hips and knees.
  3. Then, drive through your heels, squeezing your glutes to stand tall. As you stand, perform a single arm squat thruster, pressing the dumbbell in your right hand straight overhead.
  4. Bring the weight back down to shoulder height and perform another squat.
  5. This time, as you stand, alternate to perform a squat and single arm thruster on the left arm.

Modification: Hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest, performing a squat thruster with one dumbbell.

Push Press

Targets: Arms, shoulders, triceps, rear delts and upper back muscles (with some assistance from the lower body).

two women performing a push press shoulder exercise with dumbbells

How To Do A Push Press

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in your knees, holding one dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders; palms facing in towards each other (neutral grip).
  2. Drop into a shallow squat; about a 2-inch dip. Then press through your heels, and push the dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended. Think of peeking your head through your arms as you lock out the dumbbells overhead (elbows fully extended).
  3. Lower dumbbells down to starting position at shoulder-level and repeat.

One Dumbbell Overhead Alternating Reverse Lunge

Targets: Legs, hamstrings, quads, gluteus maximus, shoulders, traps, abs and core.

Holding one dumbbell overhead throughout this movement increases muscle activation, making this a true stability exercise.

two women performing one dumbbell overhead alternating reverse lunge

How To Do An Alternating Reverse Lunge And Overhead Dumbbell Hold

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand overhead, elbow locked out and bicep by ear. Option to hold the dumbbell in your right hand at your shoulder (front rack position, overhand grip, palm facing in).
  2. Keeping the weight in your right hand straight overhead, step your right leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground.
  3. Then squeeze your left leg glute, driving your back, right leg forward as you stand up back to the starting position.
  4. Then, step your left leg back into a reverse lunge, lowering your hips until both knees reach a 90-degree angle, front thigh parallel to the ground. Keep the weight in your right hand overhead the entire time.
  5. Repeat, alternating the reverse lunge while keeping the dumbbell held overhead the entire set. Switch the dumbbell to the left hand on the next set.

Modification: Omit the overhead hold and keep the dumbbell in a front racked position at shoulder height.

45-Degree Dumbbell Press

Targets: Chest (pecs), shoulders (deltoid muscles), triceps, abs and core.

A true upper body ‘push exercise’ targeting your upper body push muscles — chest, shoulders and triceps.

two women performing a 45 degree dumbbell press

How To Do a 45-Degree Dumbbell Press

  1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell vertically in front of your chest, hands stacked on top of each other.
  2. As you exhale, press the dumbbell out directly in front of your face at a 45-degree angle, striving to fully straighten your arms.
  3. Then, lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position with control and repeat.

Staggered Deadlift And Dumbbell Snatch

Targets: Legs, glutes, hamstrings, hips, shoulders, lower back and deep transverse abdomen muscles (core).

An explosive full body exercise targeting the posterior chain or backside of the body.

two women performing a deadlift with dumbbells and a powerful dumbbell snatch

How To Do A Staggered Deadlift And Dumbbell Snatch

  1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand at your hip, palm facing in towards your body.
  2. Stagger your feet, so your right leg is slightly in front of your left foot. Kickstand your back left foot, left heel floating off the ground. Keep 80% of your weight in your front foot, 20% in your back left toe.
  3. Maintain a staggered stance as you hinge at the hips. Pushing your hips back towards the wall behind you as you glide the dumbbell down the front of your leg; core tight.
  4. Drive through your front right heel to push your hips forward, bringing the torso upright and returning to a standing position. Pull the dumbbell back up towards your hip as you stand tall.
  5. Then, perform another staggered deadlift, hinging forward at the hips, pushing your hips.
  6. This time as you stand, drive your hips forward and ‘snatch’ the weight overhead with your left arm (using the power and momentum created by your legs and hips).
  7. As you stand tall, bring the left foot parallel to the front right foot. You should finish standing tall with your left arm straight overhead; lock out your elbow. 
  8. With control, lower the dumbbell back down to shoulder height. That’s one rep. Find the staggered stance again and repeat.

Uneven Push Up And Shoulder Tap

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, back, abs, obliques and core muscles.

two women performing a push up on dumbbells and a plank with shoulder tap

How To Do An Uneven Push Up And Shoulder Tap

  1. Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists. Place your left hand on the head of a stable dumbbell. Feet hip-width apart.
  2. Hold this high plank position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  3. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground as your elbows fall back towards your body (not out to the sides).
  4. Once at the bottom of your push up, exhale as you push back up into high plank position.
  5. Then, perform a single-sided shoulder tap by tapping the left shoulder with the right hand. That’s one rep. Repeat, switching sides on the next set.

Modification: Option to take the push ups from your knees. You may pop to your toes for the shoulder tap, or take the shoulder tap from the knees as well. Alternatively, perform incline push ups by placing your hands on a chair or bench.

Lateral Lunge

Targets: Legs, quads, hamstrings, outer glutes (gluteus medius), inner thighs (adductors), hips and core.

two women performing a lateral lunge with dumbbells

How To Do A Lateral Lunge

  1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, slightly bent knees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in.
  2. Step your right leg out to the side as you push your hips back, bending your right knee while leaving your left leg straight. Think of performing a single leg squat with your right leg while your left leg remains straight. Dumbbells frame the right foot with knees and toes pointing forward.
  3. Then, drive off your right foot to reverse the movement, pushing back to center.
  4. Repeat, stepping out to the right for this entire set, switching sides on the next set.

Modification: Option to hold one dumbbell horizontally at your chest.

Alternating Front Raise To Lateral Raise

Targets: Anterior and lateral deltoids (shoulders), upper back (traps), arms, abs and obliques.

two women performing a dumbbell front and dumbbell lateral raise | shoulder workout for women

How To Do An Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise To Lateral Raise

  1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, slightly bent knees. Hold one dumbbell in each hand right in front of your quads, palms facing in.
  2. Perform a dumbbell front raise by lifting your dumbbells out in front of you, raising the dumbbells to shoulder level.
  3. With control, lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  4. Then, perform a dumbbell lateral raise by lifting the dumbbells straight out to your sides, again to shoulder height.
  5. With control, lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  6. Continue, alternating a front shoulder raise and a lateral shoulder raise for the entire set.

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Pin this EMOM Workout: Leg and Shoulder Workout with Dumbbells

two women performing a lunge and 45-degree press out with a dumbbell in a leg and shoulder workout at home

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