With thighs like tree trunks and calves that show a well-rounded, carefully sculpted body, there’s no chance of hearing ‘you skipped leg day’.
But how exactly do you strengthen and add muscle mass to your lower body?
In this guide we talk you through the key lifts for legs, introducing you to muscles for your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals and calves.
Strap in and build some wheels…
If you’re wanting a lower body exercise that hits the front of your upper leg then these are the ones to go for.
Your quads have a mixed fiber composition which means you can target your quads with a variety of rep ranges – from heavy weight with low reps, to lighter weights which allow you to focus on tension and the pump.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Grab a pair of dumbbells and let them hang by the outside of your legs. Your arms should be fully extended and your shoulders relaxed, but pinched back slightly to help with stability.
Stand with your feet somewhere between hip and shoulder-width apart and keep your chest upright and your eyes looking forward as you bend at the knee and hip and lower yourself down.
How far you go is entirely down to comfort, but where possible you should be aiming to drop your hips just below your knees, while maintaining a straight back and slight lean forward.
Your knees should be in line with your big toes through the movement and the dumbbells still by your sides.
At the bottom of the movement, pause briefly and then drive through your heels back to the starting position, being careful not to lock your knees out or jerk the dumbbells forwards.
Quadriceps, Glutes
Arrange a box or bench that is around knee height under a squat rack.
If you don’t have a rack then grab a barbell and press it over your head and rest it on your shoulders. You can also use dumbbells and hold them by your sides if you can’t press the weight overhead.
The bar should sit on your upper back muscles rather than your neck.
You should adjust your stance to around shoulder-width apart, with your heels close to the box. With your chest up tall and your elbows facing towards the floor, bend your knees and begin to sink your hips back.
Lower your body down until you are sat on the box.
Pause briefly to reduce any momentum and then rock you upper body forwards slightly whilst driving through your heels to return to the standing position.
Slow and controlled here is the key.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
For this exercise you should use a squat rack or squat stands for safety.
Begin by placing a bar on the rack at just below shoulder height. Step under the bar and shrug your shoulders upwards so that the bar sits across your upper back muscles rather than on your neck.
Grab the bar wherever feels comfortable.
At this point your knees should be slightly bent. Unrack the bar by straightening up and take one or two small steps back. Don’t step out too far or you’ll struggle to rack it after your set.
Pull your elbows in and down slightly to tighten up your upper body, and brace your trunk to increase spinal stability.
With your feet somewhere between hip and shoulder-width apart, bend at the hip and knee simultaneously. You should aim to keep your trunk and chest upright, but dependent on your range of motion and mechanical leverage you might need to sink your hips back slightly and lean forward just a touch.
How deep into the squat you go is entirely based on your own comfort and mobility, but where possible aim to get your hips just lower than your knees – what’s known as a ‘squatting to parallel’.
Pause briefly at the bottom and then push through your heels until your are at the top. Don’t lock your knees.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Much like the back squat, you should begin this exercise by placing a barbell on a squat rack or stand at just below shoulder height.
You should approach the bar so that you support its weight on the front of your shoulders. You’ll need to raise your elbows so that they point directly forward, rest the bar on your collar bones (and very lightly against your throat) and then use your hands to gently keep the bar in position.
To do this you’ll need to bend them backwards, rather than letting the wrists take the weight of the bar.
If you’re new to the front squat this might feel uncomfortable initially, but persevere and you’ll soon get used to it.
Unrack the bar, adjust your stance to between hip and shoulder-width apart and descend into the squat. Aim to keep your elbows facing forward the whole time. If they drop, the bar will slide forward.
At the bottom of the movement, drive through your heels and push the bar upwards.
Maintain tightness through your trunk and shoulders throughout the set.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
For this exercise you can use either a dumbbell or kettlebell.
Grab hold of the weight (by the horns for the kettlebell and by the underside of the dumbbell with palms facing up) and tuck it in close to your chest.
As with the back squat, place your feet somewhere between hip and shoulder-width apart. Keep the weight close to your body as you lower down to parallel. You’ll find that because the weight counterbalances your body, you’ll be able to keep your trunk more upright compared to a barbell squat.
At the bottom of the movement, pause briefly and then push through your heel to the starting point. Don’t lock your knees out.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
Adjust your stance to somewhere between hip and shoulder width apart. The wider you go the more you’ll have to rotate your feet outwards slightly. Cup your hands behind your head and pull your elbows back until your chest sits out nice and proud.
This is called the ‘prisoner’ position.
Take a slow breath in and then simultaneously flex at the hip and knee to move downwards. Keep your back straight and your elbows back while focusing on pushing your knees out wide so that they remain in line with your big toe throughout. This is particularly important at the bottom of the movement.
If you want to add weight then grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them by your sides.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves
Really, this exercise could have gone in any category as it works practically all of the lower body.
Choose a box or platform that is around the height of your knee. Place it close in front of you and begin by stepping forward onto the raised platform firmly placing your left, or right foot onto the box.
From there, step onto the platform and transfer your weight onto the leading foot. Throughout this movement, focus on using your quads, and glutes. The deeper the step, the more you will activate your glutes and hamstrings.
Support yourself throughout this movement by grasping your hands together in front of your body to help create stability. Try not to lean forward when performing the step-up. The aim is to step up, firmly place your foot on the platform, and raise your body upwards through the use of one leg.
At all times, keep your spine and torso vertical – this will recruit more stabilizing muscles in the core along with isolating the muscles in the working leg.
Use dumbbells to make the exercise harder but don’t let your technique suffer if you do.
Quadriceps
For this exercise you’ll need the fixed leg extension machine.
Although different manufacturers might place their adjustments in various places you’re looking to adjust it to your own body proportions. This means adjusting the seat so that the back of your knee sits flush with the edge of the chair and the front of your ankles rest against the foot pad.
Grab the supporting handles for stability and make sure your back is rested against the seat.
Begin by pushing against the foot pad, driving weight upwards. Extend your legs fully and very briefly lock your knees out to complete a full range of motion. You’re aiming to point your toes to the ceiling.
Return slowly to the start position, making sure the back of your knees don’t lift away from the edge of the seat.
Quadriceps, Glutes
There are a number of different types of leg press, varying from horizontal to vertical sled designs. If you’ve got option then go with whatever suits you best.
Begin by placing your feet on the foot plate. You can go anywhere between hip and shoulder-width apart; again whatever feels most comfortable and gives you the best range of motion.
Adjust your seat so that in the start position your knees are bent just less than 90 degrees and your heels are just below your knees. This is important as it will give you a strong base to push from.
To start, push through your heels and begin to extend both your knees and your hips. Keep your lower back and shoulders against the pad as you drive back to full extension in your knees. Don’t lock them out as thus can be dangerous.
Return back to the start position under control, but don’t let the weight stack touch base until the very last rep.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
There are a few different ways you can incorporate lunges into your workout.
The easiest of these is a static split squat because it reduces the need for co-ordination as much as possible, allowing you to focus on the muscles, rather than the complex movement patterns.
Begin by taking a long stride out, around three quarters of your full stride length. Place you feet at hip-width apart for good joint alignment and to provide a more stable base.
Place your hands across your chest, or if you are using dumbbells, let them hang by your sides.
With both feet facing forward, begin to bend both knees and lower your upper body down vertically. You’re aiming to bend both knees at 90 degrees, without your back knee touching the floor.
Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement with your chest tall and looking forwards. Drive through the heel of the front leg and return under control to the top of the movement. Avoid locking out your knees as you do so.
Complete all reps on one side and then swap over to the opposite leg.
Once you’ve mastered the static split squat you can begin to use more dynamic movements to further challenge the lower body, as well as co-ordination and trunk stability.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Calves
This one can be performed as a body weight exercise or with dumbbells for an added challenge.
Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and with your arms by your side. Take a step backwards with one leg, around the equivalent of half to three quarters of your maximum stride length. You should land with your foot at shoulder width apart, your front foot flat and your rear foot heel raised.
As your back foot lands you should begin flexing the knees to help you drop your hips. Your opposite arm then moves forward to counterbalance your weight – like when you walk or run.
If you are using dumbbells you need to make sure they stay locked by your sides and do not swing forwards.
Continue to drop down until both knees are bent at 90 degrees and your rear knee is just above the ground. If you’ve stepped out far enough your knee shouldn’t go in front of your big toe on the front foot.
Keep your back straight throughout.
Drive through the heel of your lead foot into the floor and extend both knees to raise yourself back to an upright position. Again keep your back straight.
You can then repeat the lunge with the opposite leg.
Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings
This advanced split squat variation is designed for advanced lifters who have good balance and skill when it comes to static and dynamic lunge exercises.
Begin by placing a bench (no higher than knee height) behind you.
Arrange yourself as you would for a standard split squat but make sure you put your rear foot up on the bench. Your hands will help you balance if you place them across your chest, although you can use dumbbells for an additional challenge if you prefer.
Lower yourself down until your back knee is an inch or so from the floor. Again, your aiming to keep your trunk upright and distribute your weight from the front foot throughout the movement.
Dependent on the flexibility you might find it easier to lean forwards slightly.
Once you’ve completed all of your reps, make sure you do swap sides and train both legs evenly.
Forward Leaning Lunges
Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Calves
The technique is the same as you’d perform for dynamic lunges, but as you place your front foot down you lean forward from the hip until your trunk is at a 45 degree angle.
This places much more emphasis on the glutes but is more challenging in terms of technique and balance.
You can do this body weight or use dumbbells for more of a challenge.
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