Want to know what are the best leg workouts that you can try? If your answer is a YES, then you have reached the right place.
There are a number of things that people like to focus on a particular part of the body, and that is the reason I am here to focus on one of them and that is the legs.
Strong legs have benefits beyond aesthetics. Leg strength is necessary for even the most basic daily activities like walking. This means that including leg exercises in your program is essential for maintaining good health.
Keep reading this article till the end to learn more about the best leg workouts that you can try in 2023…
Best Leg Workouts For Stronger Legs!
The phrase “leg day” conjures up images of nausea, protracted spells of staggering and legs that feel like jelly. Although the sentiments may be shared by everyone, bodybuilders who want to obliterate legs have a wide range of workout methods at their disposal.
Even though the majority of workouts begin with some variation of the squat, which is often regarded as the finest lower-body development, practice decision, foot posture, and high degree preparation tactics all allow you to emphasize one particular region of the legs over others.
That’s great if you want to make your glutes, quads, or hamstrings stronger due to a weakness or just because you want to prioritize one muscle group over others for an extended period of time.
In this article I will be talking about some of the best leg workouts that you can try in 2023 to have a fitter and a more built leg appearance. Take a look at these leg exercises:
1. Leg press
Leg presses are first on the list. To develop the legs of a tree trunk, the leg press is a very beneficial exercise. It doesn’t need a lot of coordination and is quite simple to perform.
The leg press is regarded as a complex exercise that works all the muscles in your legs, much like squats do.
This exercise will work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes without placing too much stress on your spine if you do it correctly. Because of this, some people favor it over performing squats.
How To Do This?
- Put your feet on the footplate of a leg press machine while seated. The distance between your feet should be about hip width.
- Lock the safety lever, and then let the weight come down until your knees are around 90 degrees bent.
- Exhale while pressing the weight away until your legs are completely straight while keeping your back firmly against the seat.
- Repeat the exercise while gradually lowering the weight back to the starting position.
2. Squats
The king of all leg exercises is the squat. They are the ideal exercise for developing huge legs since they work every leg muscle. They are also one of the best leg workouts at home.
Your quads, hamstrings, and glutes will all be worked out with this compound action. Squats can also be used to develop a strong core, which is particularly advantageous.
However, if you are not employing the appropriate form, you risk hurting your back, knees, and hips, which would prevent you from working for a few weeks or, in the worst case, months.
How To Do This?
- With your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and slightly pointed outward, stand at a crouching station.
- The weighted bar should lie over the back of your shoulders as you duck beneath it.
- The bar should be lifted from the station by pressing up while maintaining the straightest back and neck you can.
- To get your hip joints lower than your knees, bend your knees until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor.
- Reposition your body slowly until it is in the initial position.
3. Leg Extension
Leg extensions are one of the best exercises to undertake if you want to highlight your quads.It’s a machine-based workout that’s simple to do but has excellent quadriceps mind-muscle connection benefits.
You’ll feel like this exercise is ideal for pounding legs, especially when done in the high rep range (12–15). They are one of the most popular leg workouts at the gym.
How To Do This?
- Your feet should be placed beneath the padded lever, and the machine should be adjusted such that your knees are in line with the pivot point.
- Pick a weight that is manageable for you, and if there are handles, hold onto them.
- Exhale as you extend your legs forward until they are straight while maintaining a straight back.
- After a two-count pause, gradually return the weight to its starting position.
- The appropriate number of times should be given to the motion.
- Pro Tip: If this is your first time performing this exercise, start with a lesser weight and gradually increase it as you get more familiar with the motion.
4. Romanian Deadlifts
The gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and adductors are all muscles in the posterior chain of the legs that are used during the Romanian Deadlift (RDL), a weightlifting exercise.
You should add the RDL, a variant of the standard deadlift, to your leg routine as an accessory exercise.
To complete the exercise, you can use a number of barbells, dumbbells, or even kettlebells, but we’ll stick with a barbell.
How To Do This?
- Start by putting your knees slightly bent and placing your feet about hip-width apart.
- With your hands as wide apart as your feet, hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.
- Engage your core muscles and bend at the hips until the barbell has fallen down towards your shins while maintaining a straight back. Once your back is at a 45-degree angle, stretch further.
- From this position, lift the barbell back up to the beginning position by lifting your hips and tightening your glutes.
- Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary.
- Advice: Start this workout with a modest weight and build it up as you get more comfortable with it.
5. Calf Raises
As you can observe from its name, it’s a movement that primarily targets the calf muscles.
Some of you will have access to a calf raise machine, but if you’re inventive, you can also perform the exercise with free weights.
Don’t forget to incorporate at least one exercise that works the calves in your leg workouts. To strike the muscle from the best angle, it is preferable to do a motion like the calf raise.
How To Do This?
- Position yourself on a weight plate or an exercise step to ensure that the movement has a full range of motion.
- The ball of your foot should rest on the edge of the weight plate or exercise step while you stand with your feet together.
- Place your hands by your sides, palms down. To add weight, you can grip a dumbbell in each hand.
- Continue to elevate your body onto your toes.
- Put your body back into the beginning position by lowering it.
- Pro tip: To make the workout more dynamic, you can also go forward throughout it, just like with lunges.
6. Lunges
The quads, hamstrings, and glutes are worked with the simple but incredibly efficient exercise known as the lunge. You can also do these leg workouts with dumbbells at home.
It’s a difficult movement that unquestionably will aid with leg growth. You can perform this workout with or without weight, although incorporating weight will make it more difficult.
Additionally, it’s useful to note that lunges can be done with dumbbells, barbells, or kettlebells, depending on your preferences.
How To Do This?
- Begin by assuming a standing position with your feet together and your hands at your sides.
- Bend both knees as you advance on one leg and lower your body to the ground.
- Your back knee must be near the floor, but not touching it, while your front knee should be at around a 90-degree angle.
- Push off your front leg at this point and take a step back to where you originally stood.
- Use the opposite leg to complete the exercise.
7. Leg Curl
Leg curls are the next exercise on the list; they are another machine-based isolation exercise that works the hamstring muscles.
Also, leg curls are a great exercise for developing hamstrings that are both powerful and flexible. In our opinion, it’s a move that must be made if you want to train your legs as effectively as possible.
How To Do This?
- The machine’s length should be adjusted such that your knees meet the pivot point and the backs of your legs rest beneath the padded levers.
- If handles are included, adjust the weight so that you can hold them comfortably.
- Exhale while curling your legs up towards your glutes with your back straight.
- Pause for a moment or two, then gradually bring the weight back down until you are back in the starting position.
- Repeat the exercise as many times as necessary.
- Advice: If you are new to the workout, you may find this motion uncomfortable. Start with a lesser weight and gradually increase it as you get more accustomed to the movement.
How Many Sets Should Leg Workouts Have?
Pick 3-5 exercises for each leg workout as a beginning trying to improve overall fitness while adhering to the idea of keeping things straightforward. Then perform 3 sets of 8–12 repetitions of each exercise, being sure to train your muscles until they are fatigued but not exhausted.
If you’re wondering why you shouldn’t perform more than five, allow me to explain. You’ll be able to concentrate on those crucial moves and give your best effort. Your workouts may become ineffective if they last for too long.
Leg Workouts: Warming Up And Cooling Down!
While performing your leg exercises, there are a few things to keep in mind, including warming up and cooling down. This is because without these two, a leg workout session is not complete.
To get your heart rate up and your blood flowing during your warm-up, try to start with 5 minutes of easy cardio. If you have the time, spend 5 minutes releasing soft tissues on the foam roller.
After that, begin a dynamic stretching practice that includes lunges, squats using only your body weight, hip openers, and leg swings. It’s a good idea to perform a more involved stretching exercise after your workout.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Now that you are almost done with this blog, I hope that you found the leg workouts that you were looking for. However, it is best to take a look at these few questions that many people frequently ask before you leave.
Ans: The shortest answer to this question is squats. When performing a squat, the trainee lowers their hips from a standing posture before standing back up. It is a great exercise because it takes care of your glutes and other body parts apart from legs below the belt.
Ans: For many people, leg day tends to be the most taxing and difficult workout of the week. You can normally lift a lot more weight with your lower body than you can with your upper body since your legs are stronger than your arms. However, with consistent efforts, this too shall pass!
Ans: Leg workouts are some of the most effective exercises of all. Considering the fact that there are various workouts involved in this one, you will be glad to know that leg workouts can burn a lot of fat and calories.
Ans: The exercises, sets, reps, and intensity of your workout truly determine everything. But remember that some of the biggest muscular groups in your body are in your legs. Between 300 and 600 calories may be burned if you perform an efficient leg workout that lasts at least an hour. Keep the effort up and push through the exercises if you want to lose weight.
Wrapping It Up!
In case you have been searching for the best leg workouts that you can try at home, I hope that this article has been of help to you. If there are any other queries related to the same, feel free to let me know. All that you need to do is scroll down till you reach the bottom of the page. And I will be there to answer them all for you as soon as possible!
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