Leg training isn't limited to sharp quads, sculpted calves or a toned back. Building stronger lower body muscles improves your strength, speed, and overall ease of movement. Leg exercises help you stay mobile and use the largest muscles in your body, preventing injury and improving your overall health. Strong legs are essential for weight-bearing and strength training to support your bones, heart, and overall health as you age. "For both men and women, regular leg training helps you burn more calories and speed up your metabolism to burn fat. Your body composition will change, and your body will become more efficient." In this blog, we will discuss how to burn fat and tone your legs through leg exercises.
Table Of Contents
- What Is A Good Leg Day Schedule?
- What Is The Best Leg Workout?
- What Is A Beginner Workout Routine For Legs?
- Expert Advice
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
What Is A Good Leg Day Schedule?
The good leg day schedule must contain the following exercises:
1. Deadlifts
Deadlifts work your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core. Not only will it improve your overall leg and core strength, but it will also improve your balance and stability. This example uses a barbell, but you could also grab a broomstick and focus on form before adding resistance appropriate for your fitness level.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- The bar should be placed on the floor in front of you, next to your toes.
- Bend your knees, engage your hips, engage your core, and hold the barbell with an overhand grip, keeping your arms and back straight throughout the exercise.
- Stand straight, tighten the muscles in the back of your legs, and lift the barbell off the ground.
- Keep your arms straight so that the bar is at your hips at the top of the movement.
- Keep your chest lifted, your back straight, and your core tight.
- Slowly bring down the barbell back to the floor, bending your knees and resting on your hips.
- Repeat 2-3 sets of 10 times.
2. Step-Ups
Step-ups work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. It can also help you improve your balance, stability, and overall leg strength, as well as simulate important everyday activities like navigating stairs.
How to do it?
- Stand facing a training bench or aerobic step.
- Place your left foot on the ground and your right foot on the bench.
- Push your right leg and lift your body up the stairs.
- Keep your chest lifted, your back straight, and your core tight.
- Bring your left leg to the floor, then switch sides with your right leg.
- Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
3. Box Jump
Box jumps are a plyometric exercise (a movement that utilises maximum strength in a short period of time) that strengthens your quadriceps, glutes, and calves. It can improve explosive leg strength, the ability to exert maximum force, high-speed movements such as jumping, jumping, and running, and cardiovascular fitness. Jumping exercises should only be attempted if you already have a strong foundation of leg strength and have performed dynamic warm-ups such as heel raises, step-ups, lunges, or jumping jacks.
How to do it?
- Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform appropriate for your current fitness level. The height of the box should be challenging, but not so high that it ruins its shape.
- Start small with 6-inch steps and increase the step height as you feel more comfortable.
- Standing on the box will certainly be difficult, but it is possible. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Lower yourself into a high squat position. Extend your arms back, then jump and land on the box with both feet.
- Bend your knees slightly to absorb shock, place your weight on the centre of your feet, and maintain good posture.
- Go down to the floor. Or, if you feel confident, you can jump down and land gently on your feet.
- You must always be looking at the box.
- Repeat 2-3 sets of 10 times.
4. Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian split squats work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. It can improve balance, stability, and strength in one leg.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place an exercise bench or cardio steps behind you.
- Gently extend your right leg back toward the bench, placing the top of your foot on the bench so you can balance on your left leg.
- Bend both knees and lower your right knee toward the floor as much as your range of motion allows.
- Aim to make a right angle with your left knee, keeping your knee behind your toes.
- Keep your chest lifted, your back straight, and your core tight.
- Stand up by pushing your left foot up while balancing your right leg on the bench.
- Return to the starting position and complete all repetitions on that side before switching sides.
- Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
5. Calf Raises
Calf raises strengthen your calf muscles. It can improve ankle stability as well as overall leg strength.
How to do it?
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips. (If performing weighted calf raises, hold two dumbbells at your sides.)
- Stand up on the balls of your feet and activate your calf muscles for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower your heels to the floor.
- Repeat 2-3 sets of 10 times.
6. Glutes Bridge
Bridges not only strengthen your glutes and lower back but also improve core stability and help you maintain balance and stability.
How to do it?
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and hip-width apart, with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your arms on your sides with your palms facing the floor.
- Use your glutes to lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Hold for a few seconds before lowering your hips to the starting position.
- Repeat 2-3 sets of 10 times.
7. Single Leg Squat
An advanced exercise, single-leg squats work your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. Improves balance, stability and strength in one leg.
How to do it?
- Extend your left leg forward while balancing on your right leg. (Keep your left leg straight or it can only slightly bent at the knee, depending on your range of motion.)
- Keep your arms in front of you for balance.
- Bend your right knee, lean toward your hip, and lower your body into a squat, keeping your balance, back straight, and core engaged.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
- Complete all repetitions for one leg before switching to the other side.
- Do 2-3 sets of 10 reps on each side.
What Is The Best Leg Workout?
The term ‘leg day’ may bring back memories of when you could not feel your legs after a good leg day. But you will have to understand that the legs hold a very prominent role in the human body because they are responsible for carrying the weight of your body. Here is an exercise routine for legs -
Exercises | Instructions | Key Benefits |
Dumbbells Squat | Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the dumbbells in a rack position, bend your elbows, and place the weights at shoulder height.
Squat down with your hips down and your weight on your heels. Do not place your weight on the front of your feet.
Your heels should be on the ground, and their weight should be directly above your feet. Repeat standing, keeping your back straight and chest high. | It helps to stabilise your weight.
Target muscles: Quadriceps, Hamstrings Shoulders
|
Step-ups | Get a box, bench, or chair that's high enough to challenge you but low enough that you don't have to push your bottom feet off the floor.
Stand in front of it, place your right leg on top, and hold the dumbbell with your arms at your sides.
Stand on your right foot and push through your heel to stand up straight.
With control, lower your body back to the ground, keeping your right leg up. Your back should be straight, your shoulders should be lowered, and your weight swing should be minimal.
Repeat, then switch sides. Begin each set on the opposite leg. | It promotes hip mobility and balance.
Target muscles: Upper quadriceps Glutes, Hamstrings
|
Calf Raises and Chair Squats | Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.
Lower your hips back until you are sitting in a chair (it should be low enough to be difficult). Move slowly and in a controlled manner to activate the hamstrings.
Stand again and climb your toes as high as possible to lift your calves.
Repeat with minimal dumbbell swings, keeping your back flat and your chest high. | It promotes foot strength and ankle mobility.
Target muscles: Thighs Quadriceps, Calves, Hamstrings
|
Side lunge | Start with your feet at least 6 inches wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Hold one dumbbell in both hands under your chin.
Push your hips back and move your body up your right leg, bending your knee and keeping your opposite leg straight, moving as far as you can. The left leg may roll to the side, but the entire right foot must remain in place
Stand upright
Repeat the same for the other side and continue alternating | It improves flexibility, balance, and strength in the hips and thighs
Target muscles: Inner thighs, Glutes, Hamstrings
|
What Is A Beginner Workout Routine For Legs?
The two main forms of exercise most suitable for a beginner are aerobic exercises and strength training. Although it is possible to perform both strength and cardio exercises in one exercise, beginners should try two exercises per workout. It's okay to start small. Try doing 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running, or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. Do 12 to 15 repetitions of aerobic exercise and 1 to 2 strength exercises for each workout (at least twice a week). Gradually increase the load and perform up to three to four exercises per workout that work for all major muscle groups.
An average full-body workout may suffice with 3 or 4 exercises, but this will, of course, depend on your preferences and the types of movements you perform. Choosing the right 3-4 exercises will help you achieve the perfect 80:20 balance of compound exercises. Isolation exercises involve 15 or more total repetitions of each and work each muscle group at least twice a week.
As you progress on your leg workout routine, you can try and increase the number of sets and reps. Although more than four exercises in one workout can cause delays and deplete your focus and energy levels. But depending on what you do and your energy that day, five or more may be enough. Make sure you do two exercises per muscle group and do enough sets to train each muscle group twice a week.
Expert Advice
Because your legs contain the largest muscle group in your body, training your legs can be energy-intensive and difficult. You need to stimulate your muscles to help them grow, but training too intensely can be counterproductive because it doesn't give you time to rest, recover, and recover.
Dt. Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Keeping things simple when designing leg workouts is the most effective approach, especially for beginners. Pick 3-5 exercises, perform them well, and watch your leg strength increase. Also, Make sure you eat well and get enough rest to help your muscles recover. Your long leg workout should include 4 to 6 exercises that include both compound and isolation exercises.
FAQs
1. Is 4 exercises enough for leg day?
An ideal leg workout would have 3-5 exercises focusing on your legs. It is ideal specially for a beginner.
2. Is 7 exercises enough for leg day?
Your leg workout should target all the major muscle groups of your body for which 4-5 leg exercises are enough to incorporate in your workout routine.
3. What are some workouts for legs without equipment?
- Lunges
- Calf raises
- Reverse lunge
- Squats
- Glute Bridge
- Leg raises
References
- https://goalfive.com/blogs/news/how-many-exercises-per-workout
- https://www.maxinutrition.com/training/body-parts/Big-Legs-Workout/
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