Strong and well-developed legs are essential for overall strength, balance, and athleticism. Incorporating a variety of leg exercises into your workout routine can help you build muscle, improve performance, and prevent injuries. In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the 15 best leg exercises that target different muscle groups in the lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. From squats to calf raises and everything in between, we’ll cover the benefits, proper technique, most effective variations, common mistakes, and how to incorporate each exercise into your workout routine to help you unlock the full potential of your legs. Without further ado, let’s know about these 15 best leg exercises which are worth adding in your leg day for maximum gains.
Barbell Squat
The barbell squat is often referred to as the king of leg exercises due to its ability to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. It primarily works the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back while also engaging the core for stability. Thus, it’s undoubtedly one of the best leg exercises that you shouldn’t miss if you want maximum lower body gains.
Technique
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Place a barbell across your upper back and shoulders, gripping it with an overhand grip. Keeping your chest up and back straight, lower your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Variations: Front squat, goblet squat, sumo squat.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing knees to extend beyond toes, rounding lower back, not using full range of motion.
Romanian Deadlift
The deadlift is a compound exercise that targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and grip strength. It also engages the core muscles for stability and balance. The Romanian version of this amazing compound movement primarily focuses on the glutes and hamstrings with great emphasis making it one of the best leg exercises.
Technique
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward. Bend at the hips and knees to lower your torso while keeping your back flat and chest up. Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Push through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, keeping it close to your body. Extend your hips and knees to stand tall, then lower the barbell back to the ground with control.
- Variations: Rack pull, sumo deadlift, single-leg deadlift.
- Common Mistakes: Rounding lower back, lifting with arms instead of legs, not maintaining a neutral spine.
Lunges
Lunges are unilateral exercises that help improve balance, coordination, and stability while targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. They also engage the core muscles for stabilization.
Technique
Stand with your feet together, hands on hips or holding dumbbells by your sides. Take a step forward with one foot, bending both knees to lower your body towards the ground. Ensure your front knee is directly above your ankle, and your back knee hovers just above the ground. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side.
- Variations: Walking lunges, reverse lunges, lateral lunges.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing front knee to collapse inward, leaning too far forward, not fully extending back leg.
Leg Press
The leg press machine provides a safe and effective way to target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes while also engaging the calves and hip muscles. It allows you to lift heavier weights with less risk of injury compared to free-weight exercises. Moreover, along with barbell squat, leg press is a staple exercise that most of the advanced lifters perform. That’s why, it’s one of the best leg exercises not only for beginners but also for advanced lifters.
Technique
Sit on the leg press machine with your back flat against the backrest and feet hip-width apart on the platform. Push the platform away from you by extending your knees and hips until your legs are almost fully extended but without locking your knees. Lower the platform back towards you under control to complete the repetition.
- Variations: Single-leg press, narrow stance press, wide stance press.
- Common Mistakes: Not using full range of motion, placing feet too high or too low on the platform, lifting hips off the seat.
Step-ups
Step-ups are functional exercises that mimic everyday movements like climbing stairs and help improve balance, coordination, and lower body strength. They primarily target the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings while also engaging the calves and hip muscles. It’s a great exercise for beginners to gain strength and muscle mass in their lower body with ease as well as safety and they can progressive overload with dumbbells.
Technique
Stand facing a sturdy bench or platform with your feet hip-width apart. Place one foot on the bench and push through your heel to lift your body up until your front leg is straight. Step down with control and repeat on the opposite side. You can try with dumbbells if you find this not so challenging.
- Variations: Weighted step-ups, lateral step-ups, box jumps.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing knee to collapse inward, leaning too far forward, not fully extending front leg.
Calf Raises
Calf raises target the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) and help improve ankle stability, balance, and lower leg strength. They are particularly beneficial for athletes involved in running, jumping, and sports that require explosive power. Thus, it’s not only one of the best calf exercises but also one of the best leg exercises that you shouldn’t miss if you want strong and big calves.
Technique
Stand with your feet hip-width apart on the edge of a step or platform, heels hanging off the edge. Rise up onto your toes as high as possible, then lower your heels below the level of the step to stretch the calf muscles. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. You can also use standing or seated calf raise machine for better stability and more challenges using weights.
- Variations: Single-leg calf raise, seated calf raise, donkey calf raise.
- Common Mistakes: Bouncing at the bottom of the movement, not fully extending ankles, leaning too far forward or backward.
Hamstring Curl/Leg Curl
The hamstring curl targets the hamstring muscles (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus) and helps improve knee flexion strength, hamstring stability, and athletic performance. It is often performed using a leg curl machine which can be seated or lying or standing. Lying leg curl machine is the most common one found in gyms.
Technique
Lie face down on the leg curl machine with your legs straight and the pad resting just above your ankles. Curl your heels towards your glutes by bending your knees, then slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
- Variations: Seated leg curl, stability ball hamstring curl, Romanian deadlift.
- Common Mistakes: Lifting hips off the bench, using momentum to lift the weight, not fully extending legs.
Bulgarian Split Squat
If the barbell squat is the greatest leg exercise then Bulgarian split squat can be the close second. Yes, it’s that good of a compound leg exercise! This is a unilateral exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and stabilizing muscles. It helps improve balance, coordination, and lower body strength while also addressing muscle imbalances between the left and right sides of the body. All these reasons are enough to prove why it’s one of the best leg exercises.
Technique
Stand facing away from a bench or platform with one foot elevated behind you on the bench. Lower your body downwards by bending your front knee and hip until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side. Just like squat, you can avoid using the barbell in this movement until you perfect your form as a beginner.
- Variations: Bulgarian split squat with barbells, with dumbells, Bulgarian split squat jump, rear-foot-elevated split squat.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing front knee to collapse inward, leaning torso too far forward, not fully extending back leg.
Box Jumps
Box jumps are excellent plyometric exercises that improve explosive power, speed, and agility while targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and calves. They also help improve vertical jump height and overall athletic performance. If your primary focus is to build athleticism, strength and agility in your lower body then box jump can be a valuable addition in your leg workout routine.
Technique
Stand facing a sturdy box or platform with your feet hip-width apart. Lower your body into a quarter squat position, then explosively jump onto the box, landing softly with both feet. Step or jump back down to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
- Variations: Depth jumps, lateral box jumps, single-leg box jumps.
- Common Mistakes: Landing with stiff legs, not fully extending hips and knees on jump, using excessive arm swing.
Pistol Squat
If you got bored of doing tons bodyweight squat, along with performing barbell squat, you can do this next level of bodyweight squat known as pistol squat aka single-leg squat. The pistol squat is an advanced bodyweight exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and stabilizing muscles. As in this exercise, you have to do the squat with one leg, it requires significant strength, balance, and flexibility and helps improve lower body strength and mobility. This is easily one of the best leg exercises if you can properly master it.
Technique
Stand on one leg with the other leg extended straight out in front of you. Lower your body downwards by bending your knee and hip until your thigh is parallel to the ground or as low as you can go. Push through your heel to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side.
- Variations: Assisted pistol squat, weighted pistol squat.
- Common Mistakes: Leaning too far forward, not fully extending hips and knees, losing balance.
Walking Lunges with Dumbbells
Walking lunges with dumbbells increase the resistance and challenge the muscles of the lower body and core. They help improve balance, coordination, and unilateral strength while targeting the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings making it an outstanding leg exercise.
Technique
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Perform walking lunges by taking a step forward with one foot, bending both knees to lower your body towards the ground. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite side.
- Variations: Walking lunges with kettlebells, walking lunges with barbell.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing front knee to collapse inward, leaning too far forward, not fully extending back leg.
Smith Machine Squat
The Smith machine squat provides stability and support, making it ideal for beginners or individuals with limited experience in weightlifting. Just like traditional barbell squat, it targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings while also engaging the core for stability. If you are a beginner and want to perform the barbell squat properly and safely then mastering the form of the smith machine squat first is the ideal way.
Technique
Stand with your back against the Smith machine barbell, feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Variations: Sumo squat on Smith machine, Bulgarian split squat on Smith machine, wide stance Smith machine squat.
- Common Mistakes: Allowing knees to extend beyond toes, rounding lower back, not using full range of motion.
Make a Perfect Leg Day!
To maximize the benefits of leg exercises, it’s essential to incorporate them into a well-rounded leg workout routine that includes both compound movements and isolation movements. For example:
2 compound movements like barbell squat and leg press, 1 isolation exercise for quads like leg extension, 1 isolation exercise for glutes like glute bridge, 1 isolation exercise for hamstrings like leg curl and finish with 1 isolation exercise for calves like calf raise. This should be more than enough to get significant muscle and size gain in your lower body.
Aim to perform leg exercises 2 times per week, allowing for adequate rest and recovery between sessions. Start with a proper warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for exercise, then perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each exercise, adjusting the weight and intensity to match your fitness level and goals. Be sure to focus on proper form and technique, listen to your body, and gradually increase the weight and intensity over time to continue challenging your muscles and promoting growth and strength gains.
Conclusion
Incorporating few of these best leg exercises into your workout routine is essential for building strength, power, and stability in the lower body. By including exercises like squats, Romanian deadlift , lunges, leg presses, calf raises and more, you can target all major muscle groups in the legs while also improving balance, coordination, and athletic performance. Remember to focus on proper form and technique, adjust the weight and intensity to match your fitness level, and listen to your body to prevent injury and maximize results. With dedication and consistency, you can unlock the full potential of your legs strength-wise and muscularity-wise and achieve your fitness goals with ease. Hopefully, you found this article about best leg exercises helpful enough. If you really did then let us know your valuable unfiltered thoughts in the comment section down below. Thanks for visiting and appreciating our work.