17 best leg exercises to include in your next leg workout
Leg exercises are one of the best things you can do for your overall fitness. Not only do your legs contain some of your largest muscle groups (think: quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves), they also help to build a strong foundation for other full and upper-body workouts.
And, no – you don't need access to gym machines to work your muscles to fatigue. Building strength is all about time under tension, slow controlled movements and progressive overload. In other words, to increase lower-body muscle (and see a visible change), all you need to do is to keep pushing your muscles to work harder than they did before.
Here, we've rounded up the best leg exercises to try on your next leg day, including which muscles they target.
What leg muscles should I train?
Below are the main leg muscle groups you want to hit in a single leg session. Further down, you'll find which of these groups each leg exercise will target.
Glutes
Adductors
Hamstrings
Quads
Calves
5 benefits of leg workouts
The case for training your legs is plentiful – not least because of the benefits regular strength training can have. If you're still on the fence, clue up on why leg workouts could be just the thing your workout routine needs:
Leg workouts build lean muscle
Leg workouts increase overall strength
Leg workouts improve stability
Leg workouts help protect against injury
Leg workouts can improve other full-body exercises
Can you build leg muscle without weights?
Short answer, yes. Research published in The American Journal of Epidemiology found that bodyweight 'exercises that can be performed in any setting without equipment yielded comparable results to gym-based activities.' Win.
However, the slightly longer answer is that yes you can build muscle without weights but you need to box clever to make your efforts more efficient. Fortunately, learning how to build muscle comes down to a few key things, the most important of which is progressive overload.
Progressive overload is the idea that your muscles need to be frequently challenged with more "stress" (more reps or heavier weight) to stimulate tissue breakdown and eventual repair (this is how you grow new muscle). Using free weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells) makes this a much easier affair – you just work your way up to heavier weights as you become stronger and your muscles can take more. Exercising without any weight (besides that of your own body weight) is slightly different.
Instead of being able to up the weight as easily (although, a weighted vest is always an option), progressive overload can be achieved by changing the tempo of the bodyweight leg exercises you're performing. For example, force yourself to pause for three seconds at the bottom of a lunge before pushing back up. Or, slow down the speed of your air squat. Small changes like these will increase the amount of time under tension – this is where you grow stronger and build new muscle tissue.
Ready to incorporate some weight? Check out our edit of the best dumbbell leg exercises.
What are the best leg exercises?
This is a bit like asking which season is best? Some of us prefer balmy summer and some prefer a crisp Autumn day and pumpkin spice latte. All joking aside, the best leg exercise will depend on what you're using it for.
Single-leg exercises will improve your stability and address any strength imbalances you may have between your legs. Larger compound exercises (squats and squat variations) will increase power and support you during full-body exercises. Glute isolation exercises (e.g. a glute bridge) help to strengthen your bum muscles which, again, build power and strength.
Really, it all comes down to making sure you have a wide range of exercises in your leg workout remit. A thousand curtsy lunges and nothing else won't help anyone, ok? Keep reading for the 17 best bodyweight leg exercises to try today, as well as 18 leg workouts to do at home, for anyone with or without equipment.
17 best bodyweight leg exercises
1.Air squat
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, calves
a) Standing with feet hip-width apart hinge at the knees to come into a squat position – making sure your knees track over your toes and don't extend past.
b) With the weight in your heels push back up to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top.
2. Calf raise
Targets: Calves, glutes, hamstrings
a) Stand with your feet just under hip-width apart. From here, raise one foot slightly off the floor.
b) Rise up onto the ball of your foot on the ground.
c) Lower back down and repeat.
3. Gorilla squat
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, calves
a) With feet slightly hip-width apart and arms hanging in front of you, lower down into a squat position. Keep your knees tracking over your toes.
b) From here let your knuckles lightly brush the ground before pushing through your heels to come back to standing.
4. Kneeling hinge
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, back
a) Come into a tall kneeling position on the ground e.g. don't rest your bum on your heels. Stack your hips over your knees for stability.
b) Engaging your core, hinge at the hips until your upper body forms a 90º angle and you feel your glutes engage.
c) Using your glutes, push back to a tall kneeling position and repeat.
5. Curtsy lunge
Targets: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, calves
a) Standing with your feet hip-width apart lunge backwards, crossing your lunging leg over to the opposite side. You'll arrive in a deep curtsy position.
b) Drive through the heel of your front foot to return to your starting position. Repeat.
6. Sumo squat
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, calves
a) Place your feet wider than hip-width apart and lower down into a squat position with your knees tracking over your toes. You can bring your arms overhead as you lower down if it helps keep your upper body upright.
b) Raise back up to standing and repeat.
7. Pulse lunge
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Come into a lunge position with your back knee raised a few inches off the ground and your front knee tracking over your toes.
b) Raise up a few inches, keeping your core and leg muscles engaged but not coming up fully.
c) Lower back down and repeat the pulse movement.
8. Jump lunges
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged and shoulders back. Take a step back with your left leg, with the weight on the ball of your back foot and your front foot flat on the floor.
b) Jump up to switch your legs in mid-air – left leg forward and right leg back. Use your arms to help you jump explosively and make sure your chest is lifted
c) Land with both knees at 90°.
9. Walking lunge
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Like a normal lunge, take a big step forwards with your right foot in line with your right hip, keeping your knee tracking directly over your right foot.
b) Engage your right quads and hamstring by pushing your foot into the floor, then stand up to step forward onto your left foot.
10. Squat jumps
Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Lower down into a squat position with your feet hip-width apart.
b) Powerfully explode upwards by pushing through your heels and using your glutes to jump. Try to extend your legs fully at the top of the jump.
c) Land in a squat position and repeat.
11. Lateral lunge
Targets: Quads, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Standing at the top of your mat with your feet together, engage your core and lunge laterally, pushing your bum out behind you and keeping your upper back flat.
b) Push through the heel of your lunging foot and repeat.
12. In-and-out squats
Targets: Quads, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Standing with your feet together, jump out into a deep lunge making sure to keep your upper body upright and your knees tracking over your toes.
b) Jump back to standing and then immediately jump back into a deep squat. Repeat.
13. Forward lunge
Targets: Quads, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, calves, transverse abdominis, obliques, back
a) Keeping your back straight, engage your core muscles and place your hands on your hips to stay balanced.
b) Take a big step forward with your right foot and bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Allow your back heel to lift, but don’t let the knee touch the floor.
c) Step back to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg.
14. Tempo squats
Targets: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors, calves
a) From standing, lower down into a squat position slowly, counting 3-5 seconds on the way down.
b) Powerfully push through your heels to stand upright and repeat.
15. Reverse lunge
Targets: Quads, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, calves, back
a) Keeping your back straight, engage your core muscles and place your hands on your hips to stay balanced.
b) Take a big step backwards with your right foot and bend your knee until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Allow your back heel to lift, but don’t let the knee touch the floor.
c) Step back to the starting position, then repeat on the opposite leg.
16. Wall sit
Targets: Quads, glutes, calves, core
a) Find a wall and sit against it in a squat position – your legs should be at a 90º angle, with your back firmly pressing against the wall. Hold this position.
17. Glute bridge
Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, core, back
a) Rest your upper back on the floor and place your feet hip-width apart, knees bent at 90º, so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
b) Squeeze your glutes and lower your hips – that’s your starting position.
c) Drive through your heel to return to the top, pausing for 3 secs before slowly lowering down. Repeat.
10 leg workouts to do at home
1.Jillian Michaels' 10 minute leg workout
Follow Jillian Michaels as she takes you through this speedy lower body workout designed to get your heart rate up and muscles working.
How long? 10 minutes
Equipment: None
2. 10 minute mini band leg workout
All you need for this speedy leg workout is a resistance band and to just keep going! The burn is worth it – promise.
How long? 10 minutes
Equipment: Mini resistance band
3. Blogilates 12 minute thigh and leg workout
She's the queen of YouTube workouts and Blogilates' (a.k.a Cassey Ho) has a home leg workout to bring the burn.
How long? 12 minutes
Equipment: Yoga mat or soft surface
4. 12 minute weighted leg workout
An accessible quads and hamstring routine from PT Ashley. You'll need a set of heavier and lighter weights to get the full effect.
How long? 12 minutes
Equipment: 1 heavy and 1 light set of dumbbells
5. Ciara Madden's resistance band lower body workout
Ciara Madden is without a doubt the queen of the IG workout scene and, fortunately for us, she shared one of her cult-followed lower body routines! You'll need a resistance band and some water close by – trust us!
How long? 15 minutes
Equipment: Resistance band
6. 25 minute no equipment thigh and glute workout
Just shy of 30 minutes you can fit this workout in on your lunch break and still squeeze in some cardio afterwards. Get in.
How long? 25 minutes
Equipment: None
7. 25 minute kettlebell leg workout
Let's take all those kettlebell exercises you've learned and channel them into a kettlebell HIIT workout, shall we? Follow along for a super spicy weighted session.
How long? 25 minutes
Equipment: Kettlebell
8. 30 minute glute, hip and leg workout
Sculpt your lower body with PT Alberta and this strengthening no kit leg workout.
How long? 30 minutes
Equipment: None
9. Lily Sabri's 30 minute leg sculpting workout
With over 1 million subscribers, we're in no doubt Lily's workouts are super popular. This leg workout will work your quads, glutes and hamstrings for max sculpting.
How long? 30 minutes
Equipment: Chair, resistance band, dumbbells
10. Alice Liveing's lower body and core strength workout
Mega popular PT Alice Liveing's leg workouts are slow, controlled and perfect for beginners. If you don't have weights, fill up a couple of water bottles instead. #MakingItWork
How long? 40 minutes
Equipment: Dumbbells
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Whatever your motivations to learn about the best bodyweight leg exercises are – perhaps you're still en casa without any home gym equipment or just don't enjoy kettlebell exercises or dumbbell exercises – take comfort in knowing you're in the right place. Here, we'll unpack the benefits of bodyweight leg exercises, answer your FAQs about bodyweight exercises and give you the lowdown on how to do our 17 favourite bodyweight leg exercises. Read on, friend.
Can you build leg muscle without weights?
Short answer, yes. Research published in The American Journal of Epidemiology found that bodyweight 'exercises that can be performed in any setting without equipment yielded comparable results to gym-based activities.' Win.
However, the slightly longer answer is that yes you can build muscle without weights but you need to box clever to make your efforts more efficient. Fortunately, learning how to build muscle comes down to a few key things, the most important of which is progressive overload.
Progressive overload is the idea that your muscles need to be frequently challenged with more "stress" (more reps or heavier weight) to stimulate tissue breakdown and eventual repair (this is how you grow new muscle). Using free weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells) makes this a much easier affair – you just work your way up to heavier weights as you become stronger and your muscles can take more. Exercising without any weight (besides that of your own body weight) is slightly different.
Instead of being able to up the weight as easily (although, a weighted vest is always an option), progressive overload can be achieved by changing the tempo of the bodyweight leg exercises you're performing. For example, force yourself to pause for three seconds at the bottom of a lunge before pushing back up. Or, slow down the speed of your air squat. Small changes like these will increase the amount of time your muscles are under tension – this is where you grow stronger and build new muscle tissue.
What is the best bodyweight leg exercise?
This is a bit like asking which season is best? Some of us prefer balmy summer and some prefer a crisp Autumn day and pumpkin spice latte. All joking aside, the best bodyweight leg exercise will depend on what you're using it for.
Single leg exercises will improve your stability and address any strength imbalances you may have between your legs. Larger compound exercises (squats and squat variations) will increase power and support you during full body exercises. Glute isolation exercises (e.g. a glute bridge) help to strengthen your bum muscles which, again, build power and strength.
Really, it all comes down to making sure you have a wide range of exercises in your leg workout remit. A thousand curtsy lunges and nothing else won't help anyone, ok? Keep reading for the 17 best bodyweight leg exercises to try today.
17 bodyweight leg exercises
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