When it comes to building a strong and resilient body, leg workouts are essential. I mean, your legs technically hold up your entire body every day.
There’s a reason that jokes about skipping leg day are so common. Leg workouts are hard, and a lot of people (men especially) like focusing on their upper body.
I’ve been guilty of this before. I haven't skipped leg workouts altogether, but have certainly put more emphasis on my upper body at times.
However, looking your best is going to require plenty of leg work. Trust me, you don't want to end up with a muscular upper body and skinny legs to go with it.
That's not to say having big legs is just for looks though. Strong legs can help in your other workouts and in daily life.
Do you ever have to lift anything heavy? Move furniture? Carry laundry up and down stairs? What about having to help someone push a car after running out of gas?
I realize that not every one of you does all of those things regularly. It would be a little ridiculous for me to assume so.
…But, personally, I think it’s better to have strong legs and be prepared for when you need to use them. Plus, anytime you have to pick up heavy weights for other exercises, having strong legs will help.
So, what are the best leg workouts and leg exercises?
I'll run you through all of my favorites as well as a few full-leg workouts you can try today! First, let's start with the benefits of leg workouts.
Benefits of Leg Workouts
There are plenty of reasons to incorporate leg workouts into your fitness routine. This is everything from having stronger legs to improving balance and coordination.
Here are just a few of the key advantages you can expect...
Stronger Leg Muscles
It’s no secret that leg workouts are a great way to develop strong & muscular legs.
Exercises like squats, lunges, and deadlifts effectively target the major muscle groups in your legs. This includes your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Building up these muscles can definitely help improve the appearance of your legs. Not only that, but they can also help support you in other exercises and daily activities too.
Whether you’re pushing your car to the nearest gas station, carrying heavy groceries, or climbing a few flights of stairs ... Having strong legs can come in handy!
It’s better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them.
Improved Athleticism
Whether you're an athlete, or just looking to improve your physical performance, leg workouts are essential.
Strong legs enhance your ability to perform in sports and daily activities. For example, having stronger legs can help you run faster (1).
Running faster can help you in almost every sport. You might not have to sprint much in your everyday life, but it’ll be nice to run faster when you need to.
Throwing in some plyometric leg exercises can also help you jump higher in addition to running faster (2). It really depends on the way that you train, though.
If you train your legs with heavy weights, you’ll get stronger. If you train your legs with plyometrics, you’ll likely be more explosive and able to jump higher.
The type of training determines the type of benefits you receive.
When programmed right, though, leg workouts can definitely have an impact on your athletic ability!
Higher Calorie Burn
Leg workouts engage some of the largest muscle groups in your body. The more muscles used, the more calories you’ll burn.
Exercises like squats and deadlifts recruit muscles from all over the body. Muscles in your legs, back, and core all get involved.
So, when you have to engage large amounts of muscle, you have to burn more calories to do it. That’s a pretty big benefit of doing leg workouts.
If your goal is to lose weight, you'll want to burn as many calories as possible. Every little bit can help you lose more body fat.
Of course, your diet has to be on point too, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The point is, if burning more calories is something you want to do … don’t skip leg day!
Real-World Function
One of the most practical benefits of leg workouts is their impact in real-world situations.
Strengthening your legs improves your ability to perform basic tasks with greater ease. Everyday things like standing, walking, or carrying become more efficient when your leg muscles are strong and well-conditioned.
This functional strength is particularly important as you age. It can help to maintain independence and reduce the risk of falls.
I think about the need for functionality as I age as a necessity. The more muscle and strength I have in my legs now, the longer I’ll be able to run around and play with my grandkids someday.
By focusing on these key benefits, leg workouts can transform not only your physique but your overall quality of life too.
Best Leg Exercises
Now that we’ve got the benefits of leg workouts out of the way, let’s get to the exercises. I do most of these regularly and trust me, you’ll get a great workout with them too!
Each exercise targets essential muscle groups, ensuring you build strength, stability, and resilience. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully though. Some leg exercises can lead to injury if you’re not careful.
Make sure you use appropriate weights for you, and pay attention to the form cues for each exercise.
Front Squat
This is a wonderful movement to target the quads, but it also works your hamstrings and glutes. In order for you to do this exercise correctly, you need to know how to get into the front rack position.
You'll also need a squat rack and a barbell for this exercise.
1. Start by walking up to the bar, and set about shoulder height on the squat rack. Grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. While holding the bar, walk forward and bend your elbows while rolling them under and in front of the bar. Your hands should be above your shoulders with your palms facing up and upper arms parallel to the floor. The bar should run across your shoulders and in front of your neck. This is the front rack position.
3. Lift the bar off the rack and step back. Keep your core braced and your back straight throughout the movement. You should feel the weight in your midfoot the entire squat.
4. Push your knees out and your hips back as you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Your knees will push forward, and your back should stay somewhat upright throughout the movement.
5. When your upper legs reach parallel with the ground, drive up through your midfoot and use your quads and glutes to stand back up. Repeat for reps.
Back Squat
The back squat is a classic exercise. Most people can back squat more than they can front squat, but this can vary from person to person.
It works your quads, hamstrings, and glutes a ton. It can get pretty heavy though, so choose a weight you can control!
In a squat rack or cage, set up a barbell just below shoulder height. Now you're ready for the exercise!
1. Grip the bar wider than shoulder width.
2. Bring your head under the bar and rest the bar on your upper traps. Stand up with the bar, and take 1-2 steps back.
3. Brace your core, bend your knees outward, and push your hips back to squat. Keep your back straight as you drop, and keep going until your thighs are at or below parallel with the ground. Your knees may push forward in front of your toes, and that’s totally okay.
4. When you reach parallel, drive through your heels and squeeze your quads and glutes to stand up. Repeat for reps.
Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian deadlift is a wonderful hamstring and glute exercise! To safely get you into this position, I’ll start the instructions from the ground. All you'll need is a loaded barbell.
1. Walk up to a loaded barbell on the ground so that it touches your shins. Squat down and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.
2. Pull up on the bar just enough to get tension on it, and pull yourself into a deep squat. Brace your core, pull your shoulders back, and puff your chest out. Your back should remain straight throughout the movement.
3. Press your heels into the ground, pull up on the bar, and use your quads and glutes to stand up. Ideally you want your knees and hips to extend at the same time.
4. Once standing, the exercise can start. Unlock your knees, and bend your hips back as far as you can.
5. Your knees will have a soft passive bend, but should not push forward during the movement. Keep pushing your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
6. Once you feel that stretch, and the bar is below your knees, squeeze your hamstrings and glutes to stand back up. Repeat for reps.
Deadlift
They call this a “dead” lift because it starts with the bar on the ground. You have to pick it up from a dead stop without any momentum to lift it.
It’s harder than it looks, and good form is of vital importance, so pay attention.
1. Walk up to a loaded barbell so that it touches your shins. Squat down and grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip.
2. Pull up on the bar just enough to get tension on it, and pull yourself into a deep squat. Brace your core, pull your shoulders back, and puff your chest out.
3. Your back should remain straight throughout the movement.
4. Press your heels into the ground, pull up on the bar, and use your quads and glutes to stand up. Ideally, you want your knees and hips to extend at the same time.
5. Once standing, squeeze your glutes for a second, and slowly lower back to the ground. Repeat for reps.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian split squats are similar to a lunge but significantly harder. I think the devil might have come up with it because they can steal your soul. I’m kidding, obviously, but it’s a tough one for sure!
1. Stand 2 steps in front of a bench holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Balance on your right foot as you pick up your left foot to rest it on the bench behind you. This should feel like a lunge position with your back foot elevated. This is the starting position. Brace your core, and try to keep your torso upright throughout the movement.
3. Bend your front knee and lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Drive your front heel into the ground to stand back up to the starting position.
5. Repeat for an equal amount of reps on both legs.
Leg Press
This is a great leg exercise to do when you want to push some heavy weight. It’s especially great for those who don’t want to compress their spine with a barbell on their back.
1. Sit on a leg press machine with your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. Make sure your back is pressed against the back of the seat, and brace your core.
2. Unlock the platform, and allow your knees to bend as the platform lowers towards you. When your thighs become parallel with the platform it’s time to push it back up.
3. Breathe into your belly, and press the platform away from you. Focus on driving your midfoot into the platform to push it away.
4. Squeeze your quads for a second, and repeat for reps.
Walking Lunge
We all know what a lunge is and I'd be surprised if you haven't done them before! Well, add some dumbbells and it quickly becomes harder than you would have ever guessed.
1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Take a big step forward with one leg, and lower your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Do your best not to slam your back knee into the ground, and keep your torso upright.
3. Push through your front heel to stand, and bring your back foot forward to step into the next lunge.
4. Repeat for an equal amount of reps on both legs.
Kettlebell Swing
This is an explosive version of a Romanian deadlift that uses a kettlebell instead of a bar. It mostly involves the posterior chain muscles like your hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors.
If you do enough of them, they can cause quite the sweat too!
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold a kettlebell with both hands between your legs.
2. Bend your knees slightly and hinge at your hips while keeping your back straight. Hinge until your torso is close to parallel with the ground.
3. From the bottom, keep your back straight as you drive your hips forward to stand up. As you come up, allow your arms to swing the kettlebell up to chest level.
4. The movement of your arms and the kettlebell should be due to momentum, so keep your arms loose.
5. From the top, slightly bend your knees and hinge at your hips to go into another rep. Repeat for as many reps as desired.
Lateral Band Walk
This looks like a simple leg exercise that would be easy to do. I’m telling you, while it isn’t too hard to do, your glutes will be on fire!
Get a looped resistance band without any handles. Put your feet through it so that the band rests around your ankles. This is all you'll need to get started.
1. Spread your feet apart laterally just enough to put some tension on the band. Bend your knees and hips slightly to get into an athletic position.
2. To begin, take a big step to your right with your right foot. The band will stretch a lot, giving you plenty of resistance.
3. Lift your left foot and take a medium-sized step toward your right foot. When your left foot lands, there should still be as much tension on the band as when you started.
4. Continue for a set amount of steps, then reverse in the opposite direction for an equal amount of steps.
Glute Ham Raise (GHR)
This is a tough exercise at first, but they’re phenomenal for your hamstrings and glutes. It may take a little training to get full reps without assistance, but it’ll be worth it.
For this exercise, you need a glute ham developer (GHD) machine. If you don’t have one of those, you can do this exercise with a pad on the floor. You'll just need someone or something to anchor your feet in place!
Once your feet are locked in place, and knees are against the pad, you're in the starting position.
1. Keep your glutes engaged, and hips straight, as you lower your torso towards the ground. If on a GHD, stop when your torso is parallel with the ground. If you’re on the ground, your chest will actually touch the ground at the bottom.
2. Contract your hamstrings hard to pull your torso back to being upright. Repeat for reps.
3. If you need assistance, you can push off the ground to gain a little momentum. You could also tie a resistance band behind you, and wrap it around your chest for assistance.
4. Like I said, not everyone can do unassisted reps at first. Do what you can do for the desired amount of reps, and work your way up to unassisted reps over time.
Squat Jumps
This is a great exercise for training explosiveness in athletics. Jump squats are a form of plyometrics, and could help you jump higher and run faster over time.
1. Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and hips to squat down. As you do this, throw your hands down and back behind you.
2. When your thighs are parallel with the ground, throw your hands up and in front of you as you stand and jump up as high as you can.
3. Land softly into another squat, and repeat for reps. You can reset before doing another rep, or you can go straight into another rep as you land.
Calf Raises
This is a very simple exercise you can do seated or standing. I prefer standing calf raises because they put a little more emphasis on the gastrocnemius. That’s the outermost calf muscle that you can see.
Seated calf raises primarily target the soleus, which is a deeper muscle in the same area. Both are great to do though!
For this exercise, I’ll explain the standing version.
1. Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step or platform, letting your heels hang off. Your knees should have a slight bend to them.
2. Start with your heels as low as you can go until you feel a slight stretch in your calves.
3. From there, raise your heels as high as possible, and squeeze your calves hard at the top.
4. Then lower them back down as low and your heels can go for a full stretch. Focus on controlling the movement to fully engage the calf muscles. Repeat for reps.
To add resistance, hold a dumbbell in each hand. You can also double the resistance just by doing one leg at a time.
Leg Workout Examples
To put these exercises together, you want to make sure you’re keeping things balanced. So, you don’t want to do 4 quadriceps exercises and only target your hamstrings with one.
Those muscle groups oppose each other, so it’s better to keep your training balanced in that respect. A lot of these exercises will target both muscle groups, and more, but it’s still important to keep that in mind.
For example, front squats emphasize the quads more than back squats. Both exercises still target the quads, hamstrings, and glutes though.
Deadlifts, on the other hand, emphasize the hamstrings and glutes more. At the same time, they still target the quads. If you choose deadlifts, it may be best to pair them with front squats rather than back squats to even things out.
They don’t have to be paired like that. I’m just giving an example of how you should think about which exercise you choose to do in each workout.
Beginner Leg Workout
Here's a great example of a beginner leg workout to try! Remember to focus on your form and slow, controlled movement.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10 |
| Kettlebell Swings | 3 | 12 |
| Walking Lunges | 3 | 10 (Each Leg) |
| Lateral Band Walk | 3 | 10 (Each Direction) |
| Calf Raises | 3 | 12-15 |
Intermediate Leg Workout
Looking to take things up a notch? Give this leg workout a try!
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Back Squat | 3 | 10 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| Walking Lunges | 3 | 10 (Each Leg) |
| Kettlebell Swings | 3 | 12 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10 |
| Lateral Band Walk | 3 | 10 (Each Direction) |
| Calf Raises | 3 | 12-15 |
Advanced Leg Workout
For more advanced lifters, this will make for a great leg day.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Deadlifts | 3 | 10 |
| Front Squat | 3 | 10 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 10 |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 10 (Each Leg) |
| Glute Ham Raise | 3 | 10 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10 |
| Calf Raises | 3 | 12-15 |
Level Up Your Leg Workouts (and Results) with 1st Phorm
Leg workouts are your ticket to a strong and balanced body. Plus, having stronger legs makes a lot of things easier. This is definitely something we take for granted!
Trust me, you don’t want to be the person in the gym everyone looks at saying, “They definitely skip leg day.”
If you’re an athlete, strong legs can make a big difference in your performance. Whether it’s in football, baseball, or volleyball … Your legs play a role.
The leg workouts I listed out in here are great, but they aren’t the only options you have. There are tons of other exercises you can mix in.
Now, I understand it can get confusing putting your own workouts together. Not everyone studied exercise science in college or became a certified personal trainer.
Also, your workouts aren’t the only thing getting you results. Your nutrition, sleep, and recovery practices are of massive importance too! This is true whether your goal is to build muscle, lose body fat, or increase performance.
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References:
(1) Seitz LB, Reyes A, Tran TT, Saez de Villarreal E, Haff GG. Increases in lower-body strength transfer positively to sprint performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2014 Dec;44(12):1693-702. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0227-1. PMID: 25059334.
(2) Marián V, Katarína L, Dávid O, Matúš K, Simon W. Improved Maximum Strength, Vertical Jump and Sprint Performance after 8 Weeks of Jump Squat Training with Individualized Loads. J Sports Sci Med. 2016 Aug 5;15(3):492-500. PMID: 27803628; PMCID: PMC4974862.
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