50 Best Leg Exercises of All Time to Build Muscle

When you suppose of leg workout routines, odds are excessive your thoughts goes straight to squats, deadlifts, and variations thereof. However, lower-body strikes enlist extra than simply your quads and hamstrings. With these strikes, you are not simply hitting the key muscle tissues. You additionally work your core, enhance your stability, and hone issues like grip energy, which pays dividends in the long term.
A powerful decrease physique is essential to efficiency—whether or not you are trying to enhance sport-specific expertise, health club work, or simply every day useful health. Yes, you heard that proper, we mentioned “strong lower body.” When you do leg exercises, it is best to hit all the posterior chain: calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, lats, and the muscle tissues alongside the backbone.
For the sake of your physique and coaching outcomes, listed below are 50 of the most effective leg workout routines to make sure you’re constructing three-dimensional muscle.
Working out at dwelling? Many leg exercises will be achieved with normal dwelling health club gear like dumbbells and kettlebells (e.g. single leg deadlift, goblet squat, strolling lunges, single leg Romanian deadlift, and calf raises).
Mix and match these workout routines to create limitless leg exercises. Not positive what number of reps to go together with? Use our rep vary information. We spotlight the advantages and arguments for utilizing excessive reps (15+), low reps (5 or much less), and reasonable reps (8-12) relying in your objectives.
50 Best Leg Exercises of All Time
How to do it:
- Set a barbell on an influence rack at about shoulder top.
- Grab the facility with an overhand grip at shoulder width and lift your elbows till your higher arms are parallel to the ground.
- Take the bar out of the rack and let it relaxation in your fingertips.
- Your elbows must be all the best way up all through the motion.
- Step again and set your ft at shoulder width with toes turned out barely.
- Squat as little as you’ll be able to with out dropping the arch in your decrease again.

How to do it:
- Stand lunge-length in entrance of a bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in every hand and relaxation the highest of your left foot on the bench behind you.
- Lower your physique till your rear knee practically touches the ground and your entrance thigh is parallel to the ground. Single-leg coaching can yield severe energy features.

How to do it:
- A killer deadlift variation, maintain a barbell with a shoulder-width grip and stand with ft hip-width aside.
- Bend your hips again so far as you’ll be able to.
- Allow your knees to bend as wanted whilst you decrease the bar alongside your shins till you are feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Keep your decrease again in its pure arched place all through.

How to do it:
- In a squat rack or cage, grasp the bar as far aside as is comfy and step underneath it.
- Place it in your decrease traps, squeeze your shoulder blades collectively, push your elbows up and nudge the bar out of the rack.
- Take a step or two again and stand together with your ft at shoulder width and your toes turned barely out.
- Take a deep breath and bend your hips again, then bend your knees to decrease your physique as far as you’ll be able to with out dropping the arch in your decrease again.
- Push your knees out as you descend.
- Drive vertically together with your hips to come again up, persevering with to push your knees out.

How to do it:
- Stand behind a bench or one other elevated floor that can put your thigh parallel to the ground while you step your foot onto it.
- Hold a dumbbell in every hand and step onto the bench, however go away your trailing leg hanging off.

How to do it:
- Stand straight up with ft hip-width aside and shins one inch away from the bar.
- Grip the bar with a double pronated or reverse grip, bend knees and push them into your straight arms.
- Bring your chest up as a lot as potential and look straight forward. Keeping your again flat, prolong your hips to get up, pulling the bar up alongside your legs to lockout.
- Once you have bought that proper you’ll be able to strive these 4 methods to break your deadlift document.

How to do it:
- Brace your abs with heels on a stability ball.
- Raise your hips into the air, however maintain your knees straight.
- From there, bend your knees and roll the ball again towards you.
- Keep your hips elevated all through the set. Check out extra Swiss-Ball leg workout routines.

How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell in a single hand and stand on the alternative leg.
- Bend your hips again and decrease your torso till you are feeling your decrease again is about to lose its arch.
- Squeeze your glutes and prolong your hips to come up.

How to do it:
- Adjust the seat of the machine in an effort to sit comfortably together with your hips beneath your knees and your knees in keeping with your ft.
- Remove the safeties and decrease your knees towards your chest till they’re bent 90 levels after which press again up.
- Be cautious not to go too low otherwise you threat your decrease again coming off the seat (which might trigger harm).

How to do it:
- Stand together with your toes on the block and maintain onto one thing sturdy for help.
- Raise your heels to come up on the balls of your ft, after which decrease your heels till you are feeling a stretch in your calves.
- This is only one method to get stronger, greater calves

How to do it:
- Stand together with your ft hip width, holding a dumbbell in every hand.
- Step ahead with one leg and decrease your physique till your rear knee practically touches the ground and your entrance thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Step ahead together with your rear leg to carry out the following rep.

How to do it:
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- Set up in a squat rack or cage.
- Grasp the bar as far aside as is comfy and step underneath it.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades collectively and nudge the bar out of the rack.
- Step again and stand together with your ft at shoulder width and your toes turned out barely.
- Take a deep breath and tuck your hips again, then bend your knees to decrease your physique so far as you can with out dropping the arch in your decrease again.
- Push your knees out as you descend.
- Hold the underside place for 2 seconds.

How to do it:
- Stand with the dumbbells nonetheless in your arms and step again together with your proper foot.
- Lower your physique till your entrance thigh is parallel to the ground and your rear knee practically touches the ground.
- Keep your torso upright.
- Step ahead to return to the beginning place.
- Complete all reps on one leg, then change legs. That’s one set.

How to do it:
- Hold the weights at shoulder stage and stand with ft shoulder-width aside and toes turned barely out.
- Squat down as little as you’ll be able to with out dropping the arch in your decrease again.

How to do it:
- Stand with ft hip-width aside and the kettlebell on the ground.
- Grasp the load with each arms (palms dealing with you) and, preserving your decrease again flat, prolong your hips to elevate it off the ground.
- From there, take a deep breath and bend your hips again, permitting the load to swing again between your legs.
- Explosively prolong your hips and exhale—permitting the momentum to swing the load up to shoulder stage.
- Control the descent, however use the momentum to start the subsequent rep.

How to do it:
- Stand with ft shoulder-width aside and squat down till your thighs are about parallel to the ground however no deeper.
- Jump as excessive as you’ll be able to.
- Land with tender knees and start the following rep.

How to do it:
- Place a block, step, or weight plate on the ground.
- Grasp a barbell and maintain it on the backs of your shoulders, as in a squat.
- Place your toes on the block so your calves are stretched, however be sure to can keep stability.
- Raise your heels to come up onto the balls of your ft.

How to do it:
- Kneel down in a lunge place together with your proper leg in entrance, and relaxation your again knee on a towel or mat, if accessible.
- Extend your left hand above your head and let your proper hand grasp at your aspect.
- Contract your left glute and push your hips ahead till you are feeling a stretch within the entrance of your hip.
- Hold for 30 seconds.

How to do it:
- Stand in your proper leg and choose your left one up off the ground.
- Raise each arms in entrance of you to act as a counterbalance.
- If you will have mild weights or one thing related to allow you to maintain your stability, use it.
- Bend your hips and knees and decrease your physique as little as you’ll be able to.
- Come again up.

How to do it:
- Stand tall with ft flat on the ground and leap utilizing solely your calves.
- Land softly, absorbing the power by dropping right into a half squat; additionally, strive to land quietly.

How to do it:
- Rest your higher again on a bench and sit on the ground with legs prolonged.
- Roll a loaded barbell up your thighs till the bar sits in your lap (you might have considered trying to place a towel or mat in your hips or connect a pad to the bar for consolation).
- Brace your abs and drive your heels into the ground to prolong your hips, elevating them till your thighs and higher physique are parallel to the ground.

How to do it:
- Lie in your again on the ground and bend your knees so your ft relaxation on the ground shut to your butt.
- Brace your abs and drive your heels into the ground to elevate your hips into the air.
- From there, stroll your ft out in a V form, taking small steps together with your heels ahead and away from the midline of your physique.
- Keep your hips up.
- Continue till your legs are prolonged after which stroll them again in. That’s one rep.

How to do it:
- Lie in your again on the ground and bend each knees in order that your ft relaxation on the ground shut to your butt.
- Brace your abs and elevate one leg up and produce the knee towards your chest.
- Drive the heel of the opposite foot into the ground.
- Bridge up till your physique is in a straight line.

How to do it:
- Use a seated calf elevate machine, or sit on a bench and relaxation the balls of your ft on a block or step (and maintain dumbbells in your thighs for resistance).
- Perform a calf elevate as described at left, however with hips and knees bent 90 levels.

How to do it:
- Place the ball towards a wall and stand together with your again towards it, holding it in place.
- Place your ft shoulder-width aside and switch your toes out about 15 levels.
- Squat down as little as you’ll be able to, rolling the ball down the wall as you descend.

How to do it:
- Sit on the ground and place your arms on the ground underneath your shoulders, fingers pointing in entrance of you.
- Place your ft shoulder width and squeeze your glutes.
- Push by your heels as you bridge your hips up.
- Your physique ought to kind a desk, together with your torso and hips parallel to the ground.
- Hold for 2 seconds.

How to do it:
- Hold the load shut to your chest at shoulder stage with each arms on the deal with and palms dealing with one another.
- Squat down as deeply as you’ll be able to, then press the bell straight out in entrance of you with arms prolonged.
- Bring it again to your chest and repeat for reps whereas sustaining the squat place.

How to do it:
- Rest each ft within the foot cradles of a suspension coach with legs straight.
- Bridge your hips up so your physique varieties a straight line, then bend your knees, curling your heels towards your butt.
- The nearer you place your arms to your sides, the extra help you’ll get.

How to do it:
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- Hold the bar overhead and step ahead together with your left leg.
- Lower your self till your left thigh is parallel to the ground and your rear knee practically touches the ground.

How to do it:
- Use a standing calf elevate machine, or stand on a block or step with a dumbbell in a single hand whereas holding on to one thing for help with the opposite.
- Lower your heels towards the ground till you are feeling a stretch in your calves.
- Drive the balls of your ft into the foot plate and contract your calves, elevating your heels as excessive as potential.
- Control the descent on every rep.

How to do it:
- Bend on the waist, grabbing beneath your large toes (or contact palms to flooring).
- Keep your arms straight inside your knees, pull hips down till they’re between your ankles, and carry your chest.
- Tuck your chin and take a look at to straighten your legs, holding on to your toes as you straighten the hips and knees.
- This improves flexibility in your hamstrings and is an effective indicator of how a lot room you will have to enhance.

How to do it:
- Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with two arms towards your chest.
- Squat by sitting hips again and down, preserving your weight in your heels, with out lifting the toes.
- Maintain contact between the kettlebell and your chest.
- Your elbows ought to contact your knees on the backside of the motion.
- Rise and prolong powerfully by your hips to stand.

How to do it:
- Stand in your proper leg, together with your left foot off the bottom.
- Squat barely in your proper leg and use your leg and glute to leap laterally (to the left).
- Land on the alternative leg, sustaining stability.
- Hold for 3 seconds.
- Repeat on the opposite aspect.

How to do it:
- Start in a squat place with again flat, hips again, and a miniband round your ankles.
- Taking small steps, stroll ahead, preserving ft in keeping with hips.

How to do it:
- Press again towards a wall, then scooch down till knees are at a 90-degree angle and thighs are parallel to flooring.
- Hold plate in entrance of chest (as proven), or prolong arms straight out for added shoulder work.
- Hold for at the least 30 seconds.

How to do it:
- As a development to the pistol squat, stand parallel to a ledge with one foot hanging off.
- Extend arms and the free leg out in entrance of you.
- Bend your working knee, hinging at hips, to decrease right into a squat.
- Keeping your again straight and torso upright, as you strive to contact your working hamstring to the calf.
- Squeeze glutes and drive by heels to stand. Repeat on the opposite aspect. When you progress, stand on a flat floor and repeat the above steps.

How to do it:
- Stand on one leg, holding one finish of a dumbbell with each arms.
- Bend again on the hips after which bend your knee and, preserving your chest up, decrease your physique whereas reaching barely to your left aspect.
- Imagine a clock face on the ground and contact the tip of the dumbbell at 11 o’clock.
- Stand again up and squat down once more and contact 12 o’clock. Repeat, and attain to the proper to contact 1 o’clock. Each contact is one rep. Repeat on the opposite leg.

How to do it:
- Stand on one leg and squat midway down.
- Place the toe of the alternative foot on the grass behind you for stability.
- Explode off the working leg, leaping up and ahead, and land on the identical leg.
- Hold the touchdown for 3 seconds and start your subsequent leap. Be conservative together with your distance and top, because the impression will probably be arduous.

How to do it:
- Set up 2 bins, a 20inch and a 12inch, 2 ft aside.
- Stand between them. Squat, then explode up, touchdown on the bins in a break up place, one foot on every field.
- Most of your weight is within the entrance foot, on the excessive field, whereas the again foot acts to stability you.

How to do it:
- Squat and leap 180 levels counter-clockwise.
- Imagine there’s a mirror behind you and also you need to face the mirror.
- Now squat whereas dealing with the mirror and leap again the best way you got here.
- Squat once more; this time clockwise.
- This not solely exams your quads but in addition improves hip stability and mobility.

How to do it:
- Start on arms and knees, toes touching a wall.
- Slide proper knee again towards wall, shifting prime of foot up wall.
- Put your left foot on the ground, and push your torso up.
- Adjust your left foot so the knee is sq., and place arms on the left knee.
- Adjust the again knee so you are feeling a stretch however pose will not be painful.
- Breathe, then change sides.
- Alternative: If this bothers your knee, carry out a side-lying quad stretch by mendacity in your aspect, knees pulled into chest, holding your prime ankle together with your prime hand.
- Pull the highest leg behind your physique to really feel a stretch within the entrance of your thigh and hip.
- Hold for 2 seconds, then return to the beginning place.
- Do a set of 10 on one aspect earlier than repeating on the alternative aspect.

How to do it:
- Stand on two legs dealing with a field.
- Bend barely on the knees to load your hips and swing your arms down and again.
- Using momentum, swing arms ahead and leap onto the field, holding a steady touchdown place for 2 seconds.
- Step off the field and repeat.

How to do it:
- Stand with the ball between your decrease again and a wall.
- Straighten left leg and flex foot to begin.
- With core tight and shoulders engaged for stability, decrease hips, permitting the ball to journey up the again, till the left leg is parallel to the ground.
- Reverse to begin for one rep. Do all reps with the left leg raised, then change legs.

How to do it:
- Place a band round thighs, simply above knees, and stand with ft simply wider than shoulder-width aside, holding a reasonable (30–40 pound) kettlebell in each arms.
- Hinge at hips and push butt again as you decrease your torso and KB towards the ground, sustaining stress in your hamstrings and glutes.
- Push by heels to stand.
- After 2 units of 8 to 10 reps, you’ll be able to take away the band and cargo up a barbell.
- Doing this warmup constantly will enhance your deadlifts.

How to do it:
- Sit with knees bent, ft on the ground.
- Drape the resistance band over tops of thighs and safe the ends underneath every foot.
- Lie again, squeeze glutes and activate core, then press hips towards ceiling.
- Hold for one second, then decrease for one rep.

How to do it:
- Hold a 10- to 20-pound kettlebell at face top (it acts as a counterbalance).
- Standing on one foot, carry the opposite leg behind you, shin parallel to the ground.
- Shift hips again and slowly decrease,till shin meets the ground. Press by the standing heel to reverse.

How to do it:
- Stand, ft hip-width aside, to begin.
- Shift weight left, inhale, carry proper knee to chest, elbows down at sides, palms dealing with up close to chest.
- Exhale, soften left knee, hinge ahead, and prolong arms, and proper leg again.
- Reverse to begin, then repeat on the proper aspect for 1 rep.

How to do it:
- Step ahead together with your left leg, and decrease your physique right into a lunge.
- As you go down, place your proper hand on the ground so it’s even together with your left foot. Your proper knee ought to stay above the ground—not touching.
- Now transfer your left elbow inside your left foot, and relaxation it on the ground.
- Square your hips so you are feeling a stretch on each side, and take a look at to maintain your again as flat as potential.
- Move your left hand exterior your left foot, and twist to attain for the sky.
- Try to pull the toes in your left foot up to your shin.

How to do it:
- Stand together with your toes on a line.
- Pick a visible in entrance of you and leap towards that, hammering your arms again rapidly as you leap.

How to do it:
- Stand holding a dowel rod or broomstick above your head.
- Squat again and down till the highest of your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Push out of your hips again to a standing place.
- The dowel encourages correct squatting mechanics and in addition works the again and shoulders as well as to the quads.
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