18 Fantastic Ankle Weight Exercises (For Abs & Lower Body)

Ankle weights can be an awesome addition to your workout routine. They actually improve your resistance while boosting the intensity of your training.

So, in order to get the most out of using ankle weights, today, we would like to suggest you 18 fantastic exercises.

Before we get started, note that these exercises can be done in the comfort of your home.

What you’ll need:

• Ankle weights
• Exercise mat
• And, most importantly, determination!

Now, let’s have a look at the exercises below. These aim at strengthening your lower body and core muscles.

1. Knee Highs

Knee highs are known to enhance lower body speed, flexibility, and power. They can be performed while running in place, or as you move over a distance.

Which are the primary muscles targeted during this exercise? The glutes.

What is more, this exercise improves your coordination and flexibility in the lower body, while strengthening hip flexors.

How to do it:

• Stand straight with your feet hip-distance apart.
• Next, lift your right knee high as it reaches your chest, and start alternating as fast as you can.
• Make sure you keep your core engaged to support your back.
• Repeat the process for as long as you want.

2. Kick Back Sumo Squats

This move involves the glutes, quads, hamstrings – in short, the summer leg trifecta.

Distinct from the traditional squat, this type of exercise aims at shaping the inner tights and the glutes.

Since your target is to tone this muscle group, you’ll manage to obtain a beautiful derriere.

On top of that, by adding ankle weights, you significantly increase the resistance. That is the key to building strong muscles.

How to do it:

• Set your feet at approximatively twice shoulder width, as your toes are turned out a bit.
• Brace your abs as you lower the body, and you bend your knees.
• Go as low as you feel comfortable.
• As you return to the initial position, do a back kick.
• By alternating back kicks and sumo squats, you challenge the lower body.

3. Burpees

Without a doubt, burpees represent a full-body exercise that works every muscle in the body. So, it makes sense to implement it in your workout routine.

How to do it:

• Set your feet apart as you hold your arms by the side.
• Lower your legs into the squat position and place your hands flat on the floor.
• Next, kick your legs backward as you lower the chest to the floor.
• Push your chest to the initial squat position.
• Jump while raising your hands over the head.

4. Hip Extensions

Hip extensions work some of the strongest muscles in the body, namely the hip extensors.

These will tone up your bottom, and the lower part of the body, maximizing your strength. Everyone can take advantage of these benefits.

How to do it:

• Get on your knees and hands, while keeping the abs braced.
• Continue by moving your leg and driving it upwards, as it reaches towards the ceiling.
• Alternate legs and repeat the movement.

5. Donkey Kicks

Donkey kicks target the core, legs, bottom, and, of course, the lower back. With every movement, you aim at toning your bottom muscles.

How to do it:

• Get on your knees and hands, while making sure that the knees are straight below the hips.
• As you keep your knee bent, lift the other leg until it is parallel to the ceiling while being in line with the body.
• Alternate legs and repeat as many times as wanted.

6. Downward Dog Leg Lift

The downward dog leg lift is one of the most popular poses in yoga. This particular movement challenges your flexibility and balance while toning the lower back group of muscles. Additionally, you should implement the exercise, as well as the following ankle weight exercises, into ab training workouts because the use of ankle weights helps strengthen the abdominal muscles. 

How to do it:

• Balance your body on the hands, while ensuring that the weight is evenly distributed.
• As you exhale, continue with extending the legs by lifting the hip up high, toward the ceiling.
• As one leg extends to the ceiling, the other stays put for balance.

7. Mountain Climbers

Improve your cardio by adding mountain climbers to your workouts, and you’ll definitely feel the burn.

Notable benefits include cardiovascular and muscular advantages while boosting blood circulation, strength, and flexibility.

Exercising is not only about staying fit, but it’s also about preserving a good health condition.

How to do it:

• Your bodyweight should be evenly distributed on the hands. It should create a straight line from the shoulders to the ankles.
• Lift one leg off the floor and raise the knee until it reaches the chest.
• Return to the initial position and repeat with the other leg at the desired speed.

8. Side Leg Lift

Side leg lifts, also called hip abduction, belong to the category of calisthenics exercises. In other words, during such exercises, the body aims at supplying the resistance.

How to do it:

• Stand on one leg, while keeping your back straight and focusing on staying balanced.
• Keep the stabilizing leg slightly bent.
• Proceed with raising the opposite leg off the ground as high as you can, typically to 45 degrees.
• Lower to the initial position and repeat.

9. Kickback Pulse

Without a doubt, nothing works those legs better than kickback pulses. And when you add ankle weights to the exercise, the results are even more notable.

This move tightens the muscles granting you that toning effect you’re looking for.

How to do it:

• Stand straight as you turn to the side.
• Kick the left leg back. Make sure you lift it so that it remains parallel to the floor.
• Lift upward and pulse back and forth for about 30 seconds. The movements should be quick and controlled.
• Continue with the other leg.

10. Snowboarders

It could be said that snowboarders represent a type of exercise that challenges the entire body.

As the name already implies, these movements are typical of snowboarding, and the explosiveness and rapidity of the exercise enhance your resistance and balance.

How to do it:

• Begin by standing upright while having the feet shoulder-width apart.
• Perform quick movements as you squat and jump, focusing on turning to 180 degrees before landing to another squat.
• Repeat the 180-degree squat jumps as you alternate to the right and left.

11. Fire Hydrant

Fire hydrants focus on working the hamstrings and glutes. What is more, the hip mobility is enhanced as well.

If you find it difficult to lift your leg high enough, you can rest assured; with practice, your hip mobility will improve.

How to do it:

• Get on your knees and hands.
• Maintain your knees hip wide apart, and continue with bending them as you obtain a 90-degree angle.
• Make sure your back remains straight as you get the leg parallel with the ground.
• Continue with the other leg and repeat as many times as you need.

12. Cross-legged Lift

The abdominals represent a complex group of muscles. That’s why it can be quite challenging to obtain the results you want in this direction. Still, it’s not impossible.

Cross-legged lifts are really useful, as they target the abdominal muscles.

How to do it:

• Lie with your face up as your legs are extended over the hips and arms. Keep your hands on the floor.
• Bend your left knee, and cross the left leg over the right thigh. The right thigh should remain straight.
• Use the core muscles to lift the hips off the ground.
• Repeat the movement with the next leg.

13. Pulse Ups

Let’s move on to the next exercise that concentrates primarily on the abs. So, we have the pulse ups contract your core.

You’ll feel that your muscles get tighter, and the back pain significantly diminishes as you enjoy an enhanced posture.

This particular exercise targets the lower ab muscles, which are the most difficult to work.

Since muscles grow under stress, adding ankle weights is the way to master this movement.

How to do it:

• Lie flat on your exercising mat and place your hands so that they support the lower back.
• Lift your legs until they are perpendicular to the ground.
• Continue by raising the upper body as you focus on contracting the core and reaching to the legs.

14. Bicycle

This exercise can be performed at all times. It is an excellent combination of accessibility and effectiveness, which is why we’ve included it in this article.

How to do it:

• Lie on the back while holding your fingertips behind the ears and the legs in the air.
• Pull your knees towards the chest and start moving your legs as you would if you were cycling.
• Make sure your chin is orientated towards the chest, so that you can work your abs. Otherwise, the pressure exercised on the tummy is minimal.

15. Crunchy Frog

We are aware that this is a tough exercise; nonetheless, it is effective as it brings promising results. It works the core and hip flexors while improving your coordination and balance.

As with any other exercise, it takes practice until you master it. But that’s ok. All things in life must be earned with hard work.

How to do it:

• As you sit in a V-like position, wrap your legs around the arms.
• Next, open up your arms towards the sides while extending the legs in front of you.
• Pull your knees towards your chest and go back to the initial position.

16. Scissors

Scissors is an outstanding exercise for accomplishing lower limb speed and stability. It works as a warming up exercise while being recommended for challenging your body as well.

The muscles that are involved in this exercise are the quads, the lower abs and the abs, the adductors and the front hip flexors.

How to do it:

• Lift your legs towards the ceiling.
• This movement is followed by lowering the leg until it almost reaches the floor.
• Alternate with both legs.

17. Crunch Variation

This exercise is equally challenging since it works the abs and the legs like no other.

How to do it:

• Lie on the exercising mat while holding the arms on the ground for balance.
• Hold your chin up to maximize the pressure exercised on the abs.
• Use both your legs to create parallel circles in the air.

18. Cross-body Mountain Climbers

The cross-body mountain climber is an exercise that provokes your stability. It primarily targets the core and abs.

How to do it:

• Get into the push-up position. Ensure that the hands are placed a tad wider than the shoulder width.
• The body should create a straight line from head to toe.
• Pull your right knee as close as possible to the left elbow.
• Go back to the original position and replace the leg.
• Keep on alternating back and forth with both legs.
• Your core should be contracted during the entire duration of the exercise.

What You Shouldn’t Do When Using Ankle Weights

Since we just suggested 18 brilliant exercises that are excellent for ankle weight training, now we would like to move on to what you should avoid doing.

According to experts, running or jogging with your ankle weights can lead to tendon and joint stress.

To clarify: when you’re wearing ankle weights, your legs function as a lever. The extra force exercised by the weights is linked to extra momentum.

This may lead to a range of problems, for some people. But there’s no general rule that applies in every scenario.

As for the exercises enumerated above, they are 100 percent safe. Nonetheless, it’s important to take into account your physical condition and take things one step at a time.

Ideally, you should consult with your doctor before implementing this exercising routine, to ensure that it fits your needs.

What is more, you should master the exercises, and only afterward should you use ankle weights to challenge yourself. This way, you allow your body to progress at a decent pace, avoiding any injuries.

Are you currently using ankle weights during exercising? If not, would you consider doing so?