Legs Workout

When you do leg workouts, you should hit the entire posterior chain: calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats, and the muscles along the spine. You should also work your core, improve your balance, and hone things like grip strength, which pays dividends in the long run to improving overall performance.

Best Legs Exercises With Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Barbell Squat

2. Front Squat

How to do it:

  1. In a squat rack or cage, grasp the bar as far apart as is comfortable and step under it.
  2. Place it on your lower traps, squeeze your shoulder blades together, push your elbows up and nudge the bar out of the rack.
  3. Take a step or two back and stand with your feet at shoulder width and your toes turned slightly out.
  4. Take a deep breath and bend your hips back, then bend your knees to lower your body as far as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.
  5. Push your knees out as you descend.
  6. Drive vertically with your hips to come back up, continuing to push your knees out.

Target areas:

  • glutes
  • quads
  • calves
  • hamstrings

Pro tip:

Try practicing with an unweighted barbell a few times to get comfortable with the proper form before adding weight. Proper form includes engaging your core so to not round your back.

Variation:

There are numerous variations to this move. Two of them are the overhead squat–where you perform the move while holding the bar over your head, and goblet squat–where you hold the weight in front of you.

 

How to do it:

  1. Set a barbell on a power rack at about shoulder height.
  2. Grab the power with an overhand grip at shoulder width and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
  3. Take the bar out of the rack and let it rest on your fingertips.
  4. Your elbows should be all the way up throughout the movement.
  5. Step back and set your feet at shoulder width with toes turned out slightly.
  6. Squat as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

Target areas:

  • glutes
  • calves
  • hamstrings
  • quads

Pro tip:

Make sure your elbows are pointed up/forward at all times during the rep. This will help you maintain good posture and keep your body from angling forward.

Variation:

This move can also be done with dumbbells. Rest one on each shoulder and do a rep with elbows pointed up and triceps forward.

3. Bulgarian Split Squat

4. Romanian Deadlift

How to do it:

  1. Stand lunge-length in front of a bench.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest the top of your left foot on the bench behind you.
  3. Lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. 

Target areas:

  • calves
  • quads
  • glutes
  • hamstrings
  • hip flexors

Pro tip:

Single-leg training can yield serious strength gains. Keep your dip shallow for more emphasis on the quads, and deepen it for more emphasis on working the glutes.

Variation:

This move can be done with or without weights. For beginners, try starting by interlocking your fingers behind your head. Then transition to holding a medicine ball before moving to dumbbells or kettlebells.

 

How to do it:

  1. A killer deadlift variation, hold a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and stand with feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bend your hips back as far as you can.
  3. Allow your knees to bend as needed while you lower the bar along your shins until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
  4. Keep your lower back in its natural arched position throughout.

Target areas:

  • hamstrings

Pro tip:

Contract your glutes as you return to starting position. This should keep the strain off of your lower back.

Variation:

There’s also a dumbbell single-leg variation of this move, where you hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides and lean forward while lifting one leg straight behind you. As your chest comes forward, the dumbbells should shift from your sides to directly over your planted foot. 

Return to starting position by lowering your back leg as you come up and returning the dumbbells to your sides.

 

5. Deadlift

6. Leg Press

How to do it:

  1. Stand straight up with feet hip-width apart and shins one inch away from the bar.
  2. Grip the bar with a double pronated or reverse grip, bend knees and push them into your straight arms.
  3. Bring your chest up as much as possible and look straight ahead. Keeping your back flat, extend your hips to stand up, pulling the bar up along your legs to lockout.
  4. Once you’ve got that right you can try these 4 ways to break your deadlift record.

Target areas:

  • glutes
  • hamstrings

Pro tip:

Bend your knees without going into a full squat. This will allow you to maintain proper leverage as you lift.

Variation:

This move can be done using a kettlebell or single dumbbell if you’re just beginning or working out in a smaller area.

How to do it:

  1. Adjust the seat of the machine so that you can sit comfortably with your hips beneath your knees and your knees in line with your feet.
  2. Remove the safeties and lower your knees toward your chest until they’re bent 90 degrees and then press back up.

Target areas:

  • glutes
  • hamstrings
  • quads
  • calves

Pro tip:

Be careful not to go too low or you risk your lower back coming off the seat (which can cause injury).

Variation:

Some may prefer to sit more horizontally than at an angle so the weight is more in front than above you.

7. Bodyweight Calf Raise

8. Walking Lunge

How to do it:

  1. Stand with your toes on a block or step and hold onto something sturdy for support.
  2. Raise your heels to come up on the balls of your feet, and then lower your heels until you feel a stretch in your calves.

Target areas:

  • calves

Pro tip:

Stand with your toes on the edge of the step, but not at too much of an edge to risk slipping off.

Variation:

This move can be done with weight–adding ankle weights or holding a dumbbell in one hand.

How to do it:

  1. Stand with your feet hip width, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Step forward with one leg and lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
  3. Step forward with your rear leg to perform the next rep.

Target areas:

  • glutes
  • quads

Pro tip:

It’s easy to drift or zig-zag when walking. Find a focus point and keep your head there so that you can walk in a straight line with knees straight.

Variation:

This move can be done by carrying the dumbbells on your shoulders or above your head when you walk for an added challenge. Or you can do it with no weight, placing your hands on your hips as you walk.

9. Barbell Hip Thrust

10. Dumbbell Squat

How to do it:

  1. Rest your upper back on a bench and sit on the floor with legs extended.
  2. Roll a loaded barbell up your thighs until the bar sits on your lap (you may want to place a towel or mat on your hips or attach a pad to the bar for comfort).
  3. Brace your abs and drive your heels into the floor to extend your hips, raising them until your thighs and upper body are parallel to the floor. 

Target areas:

  • hip abductors
  • glutes
  • quads
  • hamstrings

Pro tip:

Keep your feet flat on the floor for the entire rep, resisting going up onto the balls of your feet. To help with this, make sure your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.

Variation:

Try this move with a dumbbell in each hand, a medicine ball on your lap, or a barbell with no plates. 

How to do it:

  1. Hold the weights at shoulder level and stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes turned slightly out.
  2. Squat down as low as you can without losing the arch in your lower back.

Target areas:

  • quads
  • glutes
  • hamstrings
  • calves

Pro tip:

Drop your weight onto your heels when lowering into your squat. This will keep your torso from leaning forward and losing leverage in the exercise.

Variation:

Numerous variations include the goblet squat, the barbell squat, and the front squat. You can also use resistance bands in place of dumbells.