BEST LEG EXERCISES

19 min

8 exercises

Bodyweight Squats

2 sets

20 reps

Dumbbell Lunges

2 sets

20 reps

Sumo Dumbbell Squats

2 sets

20 reps

Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises

2 sets

30 reps

Adductor Knee Raises

2 sets

20 reps

Hip Raises

2 sets

20 reps

Jumping Jacks

2 sets

30 reps

Swiss Ball Hamstring Leg Curl

2 sets

20 reps

This BEST LEG EXERCISES 19 min gym workout plan effectively targets your legs. Easily follow this workout with confidence on your phone or printable exercise program with our clear exercise demonstrations. You can also look up step-by-step instructions for each of the 8 exercises and see which muscle groups they target. Enjoy!

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BEST LEG EXERCISES

19 min

8 exercises

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Bodyweight Squats

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Hamstrings

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Your toes should be pointing straight ahead or only slightly outward.
Cross your arms in front of your body, place your hands behind your head (prisoner squat) or at the sides of your head.
Keep your weight on your heels and bend your knees while lowering your hips towards the ground as if you are sitting down on a chair.
Keep your back straight at all times.
Continue until you feel a slight stretch in your quadriceps. Pause for a count of one. Do not let your knees extend out beyond the level of your toes.
Return to the start position by pushing down through your heels and extending your hips forward until you are standing straight. Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Hamstrings

Stand with your feet in a wide stance, with your toes slightly pointed outwards – like a sumo wrestler. Hold your hands together in front of your chest.
Keeping your back straight, lower your body towards the ground by bending your knees.
As you reach a fully squatting position (legs are bent at a 90-degree angle), hold the pose for 1 second before driving your feet into the floor and slowly push your body back up to the starting position.
For a bonus, tense your glutes at the top of the movement.

Primary muscle group(s):

Quadriceps

Secondary:

Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors

Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart and place your hands on your hips. This is the start position.
Step forward with either leg in a long stride. Keep your other foot in place behind you.
Bend your knees as you do this so your body is lowered towards the ground. Keep your back straight throughout the movement.
Continue down until your front knee is just above the ground. (Your front leg should be bent 90 degrees at the knee)
Hold for a count of one.
Push down through your front heel and extend both knees to return to the start position.
Pause then repeat with your other leg. When you have lunged with both legs, that is one repetition.
Repeat.

Try to keep your hands on your hips at all times, using your obliques to keep your balance.

Dumbbell Lunges

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Hamstrings

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
Keep your shoulders back. And your back straight.
Take a long stride forward with your right leg. Your right foot should be in a position, that when you bend your right knee, your upper and lower leg form a 90 degree angle.
Slowly bend both your knees, to lower your hips until your left (rear) knee is just above the floor. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by slowly straightening your legs and raising your body back to a standing position.
Complete all the repetitions for one set full set, then switch legs, or you can alternate between legs for each rep.

Do not let your knee travel past your toes in the down position as this can cause instability and injury.

Primary muscle group(s):

Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Hamstrings

Stand up straight while holding two dumbbells. Maintain a tight core and flat back as you carefully place your right foot on top of a bench behind you with toes facing down.
Bend at the front knee as you drop the back knee, maintaining perfect form. Front knee should not go over the toes.
Allow your thigh to come to parallel with the floor.
Pause then slowly return to the starting position without locking out your knee.
Repeat then switch sides once set is complete.

Primary muscle group(s):

Hamstrings, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors

Place a bench in front of you. Hold a pair of dumbbells and stand facing the bench. Brace your core and keep your gaze straight ahead.
Bring your right knee up and step up on to the bench. Placing all of the effort in your right leg, bring your body up into a standing position on the bench.
Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and switch legs.

Sumo Dumbbell Squats

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Hamstrings

Stand up straight with a tight core and flat back.
Position your feet wider than shoulder-width. Your toes should be facing out diagonally.
Holding a dumbbell with both hands in front of you, look straight ahead and bend at the knees while driving your hips backward. Your knees should be following your toes in a diagonal line.
Complete this wide stance squat by having your thighs come parallel with the ground.
Pause and slowly return to the starting position without locking your knees.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings

Set a barbell on a rack at your shoulder height.
Step under the bar and rest the back of your shoulders against the bar. Do not put the bar on your neck.
Hold on to the bar using an overhand grip so that your palms are facing forward.
Lift the barbell off the rack by pushing up with your legs while straightening your torso.
Step away from the rack and position your legs in a wider than shoulder width position and with your toes slightly pointed out.
Keep your head up and look straight ahead at all times, as looking down will put you off balance.
Ensure your back is straight. This is the start position.
As you inhale, slowly lower the bar by bending your knees while keeping a straight posture with your head up.
Continue down until the angle between you upper legs and calves is slightly less than 90-degrees . As a guide, the front of your knees should be in line with your toes. Do not allow your knees to extend out beyond your toes.
Hold for a count of one.
As you exhale, raise the bar back to the start position, by pushing through your heels as you straighten your legs.
Pause for a count of one.
Repeat.

This is an exercise which carries some risk. If you have back issues, substitute this exercise for the dumbbell squat or leg press instead. Never slouch your back forward as this can cause back injury. This exercise is best performed inside a squat rack for safety purposes.

Primary muscle group(s):

Quadriceps

Secondary:

Calves, Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Lower Back

With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand with dumbbells as your sides with your palms facing each other.
Keeping your back straight and facing forward, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Pause for one second.
Pushing up from your heels, raise back up to starting position and repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Calves, Hamstrings

Sit down on a leg press machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at shoulder width.
Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you bot do NOT lock your knees. Your torso and legs should be at a 90degree angle to each other. This is the start position.
Inhaling, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs form a 90-degree angle. Pause for a count of one,
Return to the starting position by pushing through the heels of your feet, engaging your quadriceps. Exhale as you do so.
Repeat.
After completing the desired number of repetitions, make sure you lock the safety pins of the machine before alighting.

Always check to make sure that when you re-rack the weight the platform is securely locked.

Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises

2 sets

30 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Calves

Place an exercise step or something similar on the floor in front of you. It should be two or three inches high.
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, place your toes and the balls of your feet on the step. Make sure the arches of your feet are not on the step and your heels are on the floor.
Raise your heels as high as possible by pushing through the balls of your feet and toes while extending your ankles. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the starting position by bending your ankles until you feel a stretch in your calves.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Calves, Hamstrings

Sit down on a leg press machine and place your legs on the platform directly in front of you at shoulder width.
Lower the safety bars holding the weighted platform and press the platform all the way up until your legs are fully extended in front of you bot do NOT lock your knees. Your torso and legs should be at a 90degree angle to each other. This is the start position.
Inhaling, slowly lower the platform until your upper and lower legs form a 90-degree angle. Pause for a count of one,
Return to the starting position by pushing through the heels of your feet, engaging your quadriceps. Exhale as you do so.
Repeat.
After completing the desired number of repetitions, make sure you lock the safety pins of the machine before alighting.

Always check to make sure that when you re-rack the weight the platform is securely locked.

Primary muscle group(s):

Calves

Sitting on a calf raise machine, position your upper thighs under the top pad. The pad should be resting just above your knees.
Place the balls of your feet on the foot plate.
Keeping the balls of your feet in position, lower your heels as far as possible.
Slowly raise your heels as if standing on your toes. Continue as far as possible until you feel a stretch in your lower calves. Hold for a count of one.
Slowly lower your heels back to the starting position and repeat.

If the machine isn't equipped with foot plates, you can use barbell plates placed under the machine to increase your range of motion. Don't

Primary muscle group(s):

Calves

Secondary:

Abs

Set up two weight plates on the ground next to each other. Position a loaded barbell across your trap muscles. Step on to the weight plates with the balls of your feet.
With a tight core and flat back, raise yourself up with your feet only. Pause at the top of the raise.
Slowly lower yourself down but do not touch the ground. Raise yourself back up.
Repeat.

Adductor Knee Raises

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors

Secondary:

Abs

Position yourself on all fours on a mat with your palms flat and shoulder-width apart. Place your knees hip-width apart and bend them at a 90 degree angle.
Try to relax your core so that your back and abs are in a natural position.
Maintain this posture as you raise your right knee and bring it as close to your chest as you can.
Now raise your right thigh out to the side, keeping the hips still.
Kick your raised leg straight back slowly until it is in line with your torso.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors

Lie on your right side on top of a yoga mat or other soft surface.
Brace your core and make sure your body is in a straight line. Keep your right hand on the ground and your left hand on your hip.
Slowly lift the left leg into the air, keeping it straight during the exercise.
Slowly lower your left leg. Complete the set then repeat with the other leg.

Hip Raises

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings

Secondary:

Abs, Lower Back

Lie on an exercise mat with your knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor. Keep your back straight.
Place your hands out to your sides palms flat for stability.
Raise your glutes off the floor by extending your hips upward while pushing down through you heels.
Continue until your back, hips and thighs are in a straight line. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the start position by lowering your hips back to the floor.
Pause then repeat.

Jumping Jacks

2 sets

30 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Shoulders

Stand with your feet together, arms fully extended with your hands by your sides. This is the start position.
Bend your knees slightly then straighten and push through the balls of your feet while straightening your your knees to jump up spreading your legs to wider than hip width apart.
As you do so, raise both arms out and up in a smooth arc until your hands meet above your head.
As you return to the ground, bring your feet together and your hands back to your sides with your arms fully extended.
Continue without pause for the desired amount of time or repetitions.

This exercise can be performed as a timed exercise, completing as many reps as possible in a set time or, in sets with a fixed number of repetitions per set. To increase intensity, bend your arms slightly as you raise them to engage your biceps and triceps and squeezing them during each rep.

Swiss Ball Hamstring Leg Curl

2 sets

20 reps

Set 1 of 2

Rest before next set

Get ready

321GO

Start

Primary muscle group(s):

Hamstrings

Secondary:

Abs, Glutes & Hip Flexors

Lie with your back flat on an exercise mat and your feet resting on top of a Swiss ball.
Use your feet to roll the ball away from you until your legs are fully extended and your ankles are on top of the ball. This is the start position.
Keep your shoulders flat on the ground and press down with your feet to raise your hips off the floor.
Bend your knees, so that the ball is pulled towards you and continue as far as is comfortable. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the starting position by extending your legs until they are straight.
Repeat.

Primary muscle group(s):

Glutes & Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Quadriceps

Secondary:

Abs, Calves

Lie on the ground with a TRX Suspension Strap at your feet. Lift both your feet into the strap, making sure they are secure. Tighten your core and place your hands at your sides.
Drive your hips up while maintaining a straight line with your body. Curl your feet in, moving them towards your butt. Maintain balance with your hands on the ground.
Once your feet reach your butt, slowly extend your feet back to the starting position. Do not allow your hips to drop. Contract the core during the entire movement.

Workout done!

Exercises done

of 8

Total time

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