20 Legs Workout For Lower Body Strength

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Legs workout is an essential component of any fitness routine, as it not only helps in building lower body strength but also improves overall athletic performance.

Whether you are an athlete looking to enhance your speed and agility or simply aiming to tone and sculpt your legs, a targeted leg workout can provide numerous benefits.

From squats and lunges to deadlifts and calf raises, incorporating these exercises into your routine can help you develop stronger muscles, increase endurance, and achieve a well-balanced physique.

In this article, we will explore various legs workout exercises that can effectively strengthen your lower body.

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1. Squats

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Squats are a compound exercise that primarily targets the muscles in the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. To perform squats efficiently and effectively, follow the step-by-step guide below:

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly outward.
  2. Engage the core and keep the chest lifted as you slowly bend the knees and hips, lowering your body towards the ground.
  3. Continue falling until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as low as you can comfortably go.
  4. Press through the heels and extend the legs, returning to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Squats are a great addition to any workout for leg strength and overall lower-body development. You need to focus on proper form and control throughout the movement.

2. Leg Press

Source : freepik

The Leg Press is considered one of the best exercises to build lower body strength. It targets muscles such as the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. To perform the Leg Press, follow these steps:

  1. Begin by sitting on the Leg Press machine, placing your feet shoulder-width apart on the footplate.
  2. Adjust the seat so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle when your feet are fully extended.
  3. Slowly push the footplate away from your body, extending your legs.
  4. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Incorporating the Leg Press into your workout legs day routine will help you develop strong and toned lower body muscles.

3. Leg Extension

Source : menshealth

Leg extensions are an effective lower body exercise that targets the quadriceps muscles. They are a great addition to a legs day workout routine. Here's a step-by-step guide to execute leg extensions like a pro:

  1. Sit on the leg extension machine with your back against the pad and adjust the weight according to your fitness level.
  2. Place your feet under the roller pads, ensuring your knees are aligned with the pivot point of the machine.
  3. Grip the handles for stability and maintain a neutral spine.
  4. Slowly extend your legs until they are straight while exhaling.
  5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position while inhaling.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

By incorporating leg extensions into your legs day workout, you can effectively strengthen and tone your quadriceps, helping to improve overall lower body strength and stability.

4. Leg Curl

Source : steelsupplements

The Leg Curl is one of the best lower body strength-building exercises, perfect for legs workout day. This simple workout requires specialized machine to perform but its worth the trouble, here's a step-by-step guide for you to ace the workout:

  1. Lie face down on a leg curl machine, adjusting the pads to fit your body.
  2. Position your legs under the pads, ensuring your knees are aligned with the pivot point.
  3. Grab the handles and keep your torso flat against the bench.
  4. Curl your legs up towards your glutes, contracting your hamstrings.
  5. Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat for desired reps.

The exercise targets the hamstrings (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) and calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus muscles) providing them strength and volume.

5. Lunges

Source : menshealth

Lunges are an effective lower body exercise that targets multiple muscles including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Here is a step-by-step guide to performing lunges on workout leg day:

  1. Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Take a step forward with your right leg, keeping your upper body upright.
  3. Lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground, ensuring your knee doesn't go past your toes.
  4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement with your left leg.
  6. Continue alternating legs for the desired number of repetitions.

Lunges engage multiple muscle groups in the lower body making them a highly effective compound exercise. Additionally, lunges require balance and stability, helping to improve coordination and overall lower body strength.

6. Standing Calf Raise

Source : runnersworld

The Standing Calf Raise is a highly effective lower-body strength-building exercise, making it an essential part of any leg routine for the gym. Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and place the balls of your feet on the edge of a sturdy platform.
  2. Keep your core engaged and maintain a straight posture throughout the exercise.
  3. Slowly raise your heels off the ground by extending your ankles, feeling the stretch in your calves.
  4. Hold the raised position for a brief moment, then lower your heels back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, aiming for 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Incorporating Standing Calf Raises into your leg routine for the gym will help strengthen and tone your calves, improving your overall lower body strength and stability.

7. Bulgarian Split Squat

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The Bulgarian Split Squat is a lower body exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, while also improving balance and stability. To perform the Bulgarian Split Squat:

  1. Stand with one foot positioned forward and the other foot resting on a bench or elevated surface behind you.
  2. Lower your body down by bending the front knee, and keeping the back foot elevated.
  3. Keep your torso upright and core engaged, ensuring the front knee does not extend past the toes.
  4. Push through the heel of the front foot to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of reps before switching legs.

What sets the Bulgarian Split Squat apart from other lower-body exercises is its unilateral nature, which helps address muscle imbalances and promote overall stability and coordination.

8. Hack Squat

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The Hack Squat is widely regarded as one of the best exercises for building lower body strength. Here's a step-by-step guide for incorporating it into your leg workout routine at the gym:

  1. Begin by positioning yourself in a hack squat machine, with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back against the pad.
  2. Grab the handles on the machine and release the safety handles, ensuring your feet are firmly planted on the platform.
  3. Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight and your head up.
  4. Continue descending until your thighs are parallel to the ground, or slightly below if comfortable.
  5. Push through your heels to extend your legs and return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, focusing on maintaining proper form throughout the exercise.

Hack Squat in your leg workout routine at the gym will help you target your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, resulting in increased lower body strength and muscle growth.

9. Romanian Deadlift

Source : verywellfit

The Romanian Deadlift is a fantastic exercise for building lower body strength in your leg workout routine for the gym. The step-by-step guide below will help you do the exercise without injury like a pro:

  1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
  2. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, hinge at the hips and lower the barbell towards the ground, allowing your knees to slightly bend.
  3. Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, keeping it close to your legs.
  4. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the barbell back up to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of reps, focusing on maintaining proper form throughout the exercise.

Unlike other lower-body strength workouts, the Romanian Deadlift emphasizes the eccentric phase of the movement, which helps to improve muscle control and prevent injuries.

10. Nordic Hamstring Curl

Source : mensjournal

The Nordic Hamstring Curl is a highly effective workout for leg muscles, specifically targeting the hamstrings. This exercise helps strengthen the hamstrings and can prevent injuries. Follow these simple steps to perform the exercise: 

  1. Begin by kneeling on a soft surface, with a partner holding your ankles.
  2. Slowly lower your upper body forward, using your hamstrings to control the movement.
  3. Keep your back straight and descend until you cannot control it any longer.
  4. Push yourself back up using your arms, then repeat for desired repetitions.

The Nordic Hamstring Curl is unique because it specifically targets the hamstrings, which are often neglected in traditional lower body exercises. Additionally, it focuses on eccentric muscle contractions, which can help improve strength, and stability, and prevent hamstring injuries.

11. Landmine Goblet Squat

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The Landmine Goblet Squat is a lower-body exercise that also engages the biceps. To perform it you'll need to follow the guide given below:

  1. Place a barbell in a landmine attachment or secure it in a corner.
  2. Stand facing the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the end of the barbell with both hands at your chest, elbows pointing down.
  3. Lower your body into a squat position, keeping your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
  4. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

The Landmine Goblet Squat sets itself apart from other bicep exercises by combining lower-body strength training with bicep engagement, providing a more comprehensive workout for multiple muscle groups.

12. Barbell Hip Thrust

Source : menshealth

The Barbell Hip Thrust is a lower-body exercise that targets the glutes and hamstrings while also engaging the core. Step-by-step guide to ace the workout is given below:

  1. Start by sitting on the ground with your back against a bench and a barbell positioned over your hips.
  2. Roll the barbell towards your body, so that it rests on your hip crease.
  3. Place your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart, and drive through your heels to lift your hips off the ground.
  4. Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement, then slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.

Barbell Hip Thrust sets itself apart from other exercises with its ability to specifically target and strengthen the glute muscles, which are often neglected in traditional lower body exercises.

13. Prowler Push

Source : mensjournal

Prowler Push is a full-body exercise that involves pushing a weighted sled in a forward motion to improve lower body strength, power, and cardiovascular endurance. Step-by-step guide:

  1. Start with a loaded prowler sled in front of you.
  2. Position yourself behind the sled with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Bend your knees and engage your core.
  4. Place your hands on the handles of the sled, keeping your arms extended.
  5. Push the sled forward by driving through your legs and keeping your back straight.
  6. Take short, quick steps as you push the sled.
  7. Continue pushing until you reach your desired distance or time.

Prowler Push is not your ordinary lower body exercise as it primarily targets the lower body muscles, such as the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, while also engaging the core and upper body muscles, making it a highly effective compound exercise.

14. Assault Bike

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The Assault Bike is a top-notch exercise for developing lower body strength. Here's a guide for a killer leg workout:

  1. Adjust the seat height and handlebars to your preference.
  2. Place your feet on the pedals and grab the handlebars firmly.
  3. Start pedaling with force, engaging your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
  4. Maintain a steady pace, focusing on pushing through the resistance.
  5. Increase the intensity gradually to challenge your legs further.
  6. Continue the leg workout for the desired duration or distance.
  7. Cool down by reducing the intensity and pedaling at a slower pace.
  8. Stretch your lower body muscles to prevent stiffness.

The Assault bike is a good exercise for building lower body strength because it engages major muscle groups in the legs, such as quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Additionally, the resistance and intensity of the bike can be adjusted, allowing for progressive overload and increased strength gains over time.

15. Step-Up

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Step-up is a lower body strength-building exercise that targets the muscles in the legs and glutes. The guide below will help you ace the workout like a pro:

  1. Stand facing a bench or step, with feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Place one foot firmly on the bench, ensuring the whole foot is in contact.
  3. Push through the heel of the foot on the bench to lift your body.
  4. Straighten the leg fully, then lower the opposite foot back to the ground.
  5. Repeat on the other side, alternating legs for each repetition.

Step Up stands out from other lower-body strength-building exercises due to its ability to engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, making it an effective exercise for overall lower-body strength and stability.

16. Front Squats

Source : steelsupplements

Front squats is a great lower-body exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, while also engaging the core and upper back. Here is a guide to performing front squats:

  1. Start by placing a barbell on the front of your shoulders, resting it on your collarbone, with your elbows pointing forward.
  2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes slightly turned out.
  3. Engage your core and maintain a straight back throughout the exercise.
  4. Lower your body by bending at the knees and hips, keeping your weight on your heels.
  5. Continue descending until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
  6. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.

Front squats differ from other lower-body strength-building exercises with the placement of the barbell, which forces an upright torso position, placing more emphasis on the quadriceps and core muscles.

17. Cyclist Squat

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The Cyclist Squat targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The heel is elevated with the help of an elevation surface while performing this exercise, setting it apart from other types of squats, to perform the Cyclist Squat:

  1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out.
  2. Lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your chest up and your knees tracking over your toes.
  3. As you reach the bottom of the squat, lift your right heel off the ground and extend your right leg straight out in front of you.
  4. Return your right foot to the ground and push through your left heel to stand back up into the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement on the other side, alternating legs for each repetition.

What sets the Cyclist Squat apart from other exercises is the added challenge of balancing on one leg at the bottom of the squat, which engages the stabilizer muscles in the hips and core, making it a more functional exercise.

18. Lateral lunge

Source : menshealth

Lateral lunges are a variation of the exercise lunges that primarily target the muscles of the inner and outer thighs. Here is a step-by-step guide to pull off the exercises safely and effectively:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward.
  2. Take a wide step to the right, shifting your body weight onto your right leg.
  3. Bend your right knee, keeping your left leg straight.
  4. Push your hips back and lower your body until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
  5. Hold this position for a few seconds, then push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
  6. Repeat on the left side, stepping to the left and bending your left knee.
  7. Continue alternating sides for a set number of repetitions.

Unlike traditional lunges that focus on forward and backward movements, lateral lunges involve a side-to-side motion, making them particularly effective for strengthening the muscles responsible for lateral movements.

19. Single Leg Deadlift

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The Single Leg Deadlift is a highly effective lower body exercise, perfect for your workout legs day. This step-by-step guide given below will ensure you do the exercise correctly:

  1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Shift your weight onto one leg and slightly bend the knee.
  3. Hinge forward at the hips, extending the opposite leg straight behind you.
  4. Lower your torso while keeping your back straight and core engaged.
  5. Return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and standing tall.
  6. Repeat on the other leg.

The Single Leg Deadlift helps improve balance and stability by working each leg individually, while also targeting the glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles more effectively compared to exercises that engage both legs simultaneously.

20. Curved Treadmill Sprints

Source : menshealth

Curved treadmill sprints are an excellent lower-body workout for men as they target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. To perform curved treadmill sprints:

  1. Begin by setting the treadmill speed to a challenging level.
  2. Stand on the curved part of the treadmill, facing the front.
  3. Start sprinting, driving your knees up, and maintaining a tall posture.
  4. Keep your core engaged and focus on a quick turnover of your feet.
  5. Maintain a fast sprinting pace for a desired duration, usually 20-30 seconds.
  6. Rest for a short period, allowing your heart rate to recover.
  7. Repeat the sprinting intervals for a total of 8-10 sets.
  8. Gradually increase the speed and duration of the sprints as your fitness improves.
  9. Cool down with a few minutes of light jogging or walking.

This high-intensity exercise helps to build strength, power, and endurance while improving speed and agility.

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