Last Updated on December 27, 2023 by admin
If your regular fitness routine isn’t adding enough leg exercises to help you reach your goals, it may be time to upgrade leg day with these 10 power moves. Stronger legs not only provide a more balanced physique, but they can do everyday activities. Such as walking and climbing stairs easier, whether you are looking for an easy way to take your gym session up a notch or just getting back into the swing of things after taking some time off from working out.
These ten exercises will give you the upper hand in improving balance and developing strength. With a few simple modifications here and there, every one of these exercises can be tailored towards providing results regardless of what level of fitness you find yourself at today.
Why Are Training Legs So Important?
Leg day is the foundation of any good gym routine, and leg training is essential for building your lower body strength and overall muscle growth. To complete leg day, you’ll want to master the squat. Make sure you place your feet shoulder-width apart when performing a standard squat, and ensure that your leg is straight as you lower down into the squat while keeping your weight in your heels.
When you return to the standing position, keep with proper form and keep your feet hip-width apart during the upward motion. A key component that should be kept in mind with leg days is ensuring you have a full range of motion throughout each exercise. This may take time, but soon all leg exercises will come naturally as part of your fitness routine!
Best 10 Leg Exercises
1. Sumo Squat
Equipment: None
Sumo Squat is a great leg exercise to help strengthen and tone your lower body. It involves standing in a wide position with your feet parallel to the floor, then bending your knee and dropping your buttocks down into a low squat. Your right leg should be stretched towards the side, and your left leg should be bent as you go down.
This leg exercise also helps increase balance and stability through lunging sideways and working calf muscles as well. Sumo Squat also strengthens other important leg muscles such as hamstring curl, quadriceps extensions, hip extension, and glut activation. Sumo Squat can easily be added to any workout routine providing multiple benefits to ensure long-term health and fitness.
2. Barbell Front Squats
Equipment: Barbell
Barbell Front Squats is an excellent leg exercise to have in your fitness routine. It targets the main muscle group of the legs, and you can easily adapt its intensity to match your fitness level. To do Barbell Front Squats, start by standing with your feet wider than hip-distance apart. Position a barbell across the front of your shoulders with your hands holding it in place.
You kept your body straight and tall, slowly lowering yourself down into a squatting position by bending from your knees and not from the waist. Make sure that when doing Barbell Front Squats, your weight should be distributed on the heel of both feet, but more so on the right foot for balance purposes. This exercise provides strengthening and stretching benefits to tone up those legs!
3. Bodyweight Split Squats
Equipment: None
Bodyweight Split Squats are an incredibly effective leg exercise anyone can perform at home. It’s an easy way to strengthen the quads, glutes, and hamstrings without the need for additional equipment. To do Bodyweight Split Squats, start by standing with your feet together and arms at your sides.
Then pick one foot off the ground and step back a couple of feet. Move down into a wide squat position keeping both legs straight by pushing your hips back and bending your knees until they form a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for a few seconds before returning to the start position with both legs slightly bent.
This is one Bodyweight Split Squat repetition. Bodyweight Split Squats can also be done as Bulgarian Split Squats which involve putting your rear leg onto a bench or elevated surface for a further range of motion during the squats.
This unique version offers more intensity on these exercises as it calls for additional weight load on one side versus evenly distributed balance like ordinary Bodyweight Split Squats. Bodyweight Split Squat is one of the best leg exercises you could do to get toned and well-defined legs in no time!
4. Romanian Deadlifts
Equipment: None
Romanian Deadlifts are considered to be one of the absolutely perfect leg exercises. This exercise not only strengthens the legs, hammies, and glutes but also helps improve balance and coordination. Romanian Deadlifts begin with feet shoulder width apart, slowly lower your body, and pivot your left foot outward, ensuring it stays aligned at all times.
Once you master Romanian Deadlifts as a single move, you can add a reverse lunge to make it even more effective and challenging. No matter what variation you do, make sure you keep your back strictly neutral and in proper form while doing Romanian Deadlifts. Overall Romanian Deadlifts are beneficial for the legs and an excellent way to add challenging variety to any routine!
5. Barbell Side Lunge
Equipment: Barbell
Barbell Side Lunge is the best leg exercise there is. Not only does Barbell Side Lunge allow you to tone your legs and glutes, but it also engages multiple muscle groups at the same time.
Barbell Side Lunge requires one to hold a barbell on their shoulders with feet placed wider than shoulders, then squat down on one side while keeping the knees bent. Unlike the traditional leg press, which primarily focuses on lifting heavy weights very quickly in one rep, Barbell Side Lunge promotes stability and balance while quickly working out each individual muscle group in your lower body.
Often, people tend to skip leg day or do not engage in lower-body workouts such as Barbell Side Lunges and goblet squats as much as they should; however, Barbell Side Lunges should absolutely be included in your regular workout routine as it not only helps strengthen one’s legs but helps to prevent injury as well by providing a workout for every single muscle group in your legs!
6. Hip Thruster
Equipment: None
The Hip Thruster is a simple yet effective way to exercise your legs. With just one leg, you can do a complete lower-body workout! To perform the Hip Thruster, start with your left leg straight and press the Hip Thruster down in a controlled motion until it reaches mid-range. While pressing, keep your right foot firmly planted on the floor.
This motion strengthens your lower body and tightens up the muscles around your knees and hips. If you’re looking for an effective leg workout, there’s no need to hit the gym and spend money on expensive machines like a leg curl machine – all you need is the Hip Thruster! By using this tool regularly, you’ll be able to build muscle strength in your lower body while maintaining control over the movements of your hips and legs.
7. Prowler Push
Equipment: Prowler
Prowler Push is a great exercise to help you get those toned legs that you have been dreaming about! Starting with the Prowler Push exercises will help you keep your back straight and engaged as you lift your right leg off the ground. Prowler Pushes will focus on working lower body muscles, which can offer great benefits when it comes to strengthening your body during workouts.
To begin, start with a foot and shoulder width stance, leaning slightly forward by hinging at the waist. Place both hands on the Prowler handles, then drive with an explosive burst of power to push the Prowler forwards – repeat this motion for 12-15 reps. For a more intense workout, Prowler Pushes are great to combine with exercises like leg presses or squats. This combination allows you to challenge yourself while staying motivated.
8. Leg Extension
Equipment: Leg Extension Machine
Leg Extension is the perfect exercise of choice when looking for an effective leg day workout. Leg Extension ensures that you keep your left leg straight while bending towards the right, getting an intense motion that allows your thigh to parallel the floor. You can also move your leg straight behind you at certain points, maximizing the strength and stretching movements.
Leg Extension may only sometimes be used as the most important exercise of a Leg day routine. Still, it is something to consider adding to supplement compound exercises. Leg Extensions are great for targeting key areas such as the hamstrings, quads, and glutes, not to mention improving overall flexibility.
9. Box Jumps
Equipment: Box
Box Jumps is a great exercise that offers a full range of motion to the lower body. Box Jumps can help you improve your leg strength and power by using single-leg moves like jumping and squatting. When performing Box Jumps, ensure your whole foot touches the box, and your thigh is parallel to the ground when you land.
Box Jumps are great for athletes as they require a push-off with one foot, engaging isometric stability muscles. Box Jumps also help increase joint flexibility, coordination, and balance too! So, if you’re looking for a new challenge on your next leg day, Box Jumps are perfect for you.
10. Barbell Box Step-Ups
Equipment: Barbell, Box
Barbell Box Step-Ups are the perfect exercise for those looking to take their leg workout up a notch. This exercise utilizes one of the most effective unilateral exercises in which you raise one leg at a time onto an elevated surface. This helps to create two separate working muscles that can be focused on forming perfectly proportioned legs.
Barbell Box Step-Ups offer so much more than just elevating your heart rate. As you lift each leg, ensure your knee is bent and the foot keeps in contact with the box while your back leg should be fully extended.
This will help ensure your body stays in proper form to get the most out of each rep. Barbell Box Step-Ups are ideal for designing a leg workout that targets all aspects of muscle groups within the legs, making them perfect for anyone looking to build strong, toned legs.
Conclusion
There are many ways that you can upgrade your leg day and make sure you build stronger, better legs. The ten moves discussed in this post will help you to create powerful legs; squats, split squats, deadlifts, and more. Always warm up before you exercise and cool down with stretches afterward to avoid injuring yourself.
Above all else, listen to your body and enjoy exercising your legs. Remember the importance of nutrition for allowing your muscles to grow bigger, stronger, and leaner! You’ll soon see results from these moves if you add them to your routine. So what are you waiting for? Upgrade your leg day now with these 10 best leg exercises.
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