Best Leg Exercises

The legs muscles are extremely strong. In my mind, the following exercises are among the best leg exercises for strengthening the various leg muscles - whether large or small.

Having said that, variety is the key, it's best to vary your exercises every 4 - 5 weeks if possible. After you've been using the same workout routine for a few weeks, the best leg workout is one that introduces a new exercise. After doing that, you'll really feel the burn!

The Squat

Ah yes, the mighty squat. This is one of the best leg exercises. If, for some reason, you can only do one leg exercise in your leg workout routine, do this. You'll build up enormous strength and muscle size in your legs with this exercise. The squat goes hard on your quads, hamstrings, and your glutes (your butt). You'll also get a pretty good back and ab workout with this too.

Although squats are normally done with a barbell on your back, it is possible to do them without any weight. However, because your legs are so strong, you'll eventually find that you'll need to add weight. To do this, you need a squat rack (or a smith machine).

The following steps assume you have a squat rack.

1. With the barbell on the squat rack, duck your head under and ascend until your shoulders touch the barbell.
2. Bring your hands up and hold the bar.
3. Keeping your back straight, lift the barbell off the rack and step back (so that you clear the rack when you perform your squat).
4. Your feet should be just wider than shoulder width apart.
5. Now, keeping your back arched, squat down, until your quads are parallel with the floor (or slightly more).
6. Return to starting position
7. Repeat steps 5 & 6 until you've repeated the desired number of reps

By placing your feet wider, you emphasise your hamstrings. Narrower, and you emphasise your quads.

Now, I cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your back arched as you bring the weight back up. This is the key to lifting heavy weights. Many people hurt their backs performing squats because they bend their backs as they try to lift the weight back up. Doing this can also put you off balance and cause you to fall forward.

The Leg Press

Another exercise that's great for the quads, hamstrings, and glutes (your butt).

The leg press requires a leg press machine.

1. Sit in the leg press machine with your feet about shoulder width apart
2. Release the bars
3. Push the plate away from you until your legs are straight
4. Return to starting position (or slightly higher)
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you've repeated the desired number of reps

By placing your feet wider, you emphasise your hamstrings. Narrower, and you emphasise your quads.

One benefit of the leg press is that it allows you to go really heavy without placing undue stress on your back. The back of the leg press machine provides you with excellent back support.

Leg Extension

Where the squat, lunge, and leg press are great overall leg exercises, this exercise isolates your quads.

The leg extension requires a leg extension machine.

You may need to adjust the machine so that the roller pads sit where your legs meet the top of your feet.

1. Sit in the leg extension machine with your feet tucked under the roller pads
2. Grab the side handles for support
3. Lift the weight up until your legs are straight
4. Return to starting position
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you've repeated the desired number of reps

Lying Leg Curl

This exercise isolates your hamstrings.

This exercise requires a lying leg curl machine.

1. Lie face down on the leg curl machine with your heels tucked under the roller pads
2. Grab the side handles for support
3. Lift the weight up until your legs are fully curled
4. Pause for a second
5. Return to starting position
6. Repeat steps 3 & 5 until you've repeated the desired number of reps

Calf Raise

This exercise isolates your calves.

This exercise requires a calf raise machine. You can also perform it using steps, however, you will need to balance yourself by holding on to something.

1. Stand in the calf raise machine with your shoulders tucked under the side cushions. The cushions should be low enough so that your legs are bent slightly.
2. Grab the side handles for support
3. Lift the weight up until your legs are straight
4. Pause for a second
5. Lower yourself down so that your heels go lower than the starting position
6. Pause for a second
7. Repeat steps 3 & 6 until you've repeated the desired number of reps

The Lunge

Great for the quads, hamstrings, and glutes (your butt). Also works a bunch of stabilizer muscles.

1. Stand with your feet about a foot apart
2. Keeping your toes pointed forward, step forward 2 or 3 feet with your left leg. Your left foot should be flat on the ground
3. Bend your left leg until your knee is at a 90 degree angle (your right leg will also bend, and your right heel will lift off the ground)
4. Hold for a second
5. Return to starting position
6. Repeat steps 3 - 5 until you've repeated the desired number of reps
7. Now repeat all steps with the other leg

Now, it's one thing learning about the best leg exercises, but that's no good if you don't integrate them into an an effective workout routine. To do this, read the Leg Workout Routine.

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