
Bend at the waist to grab the bar and stand up straight to let the bar hang at your waist. Instructions: With a barbell on the ground in front of you, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. It’s another great leg exercise to incorporate if you’re looking to keep those hamstrings strong. The straight leg deadlift, however, isolates the hamstrings by keeping the legs straight (as the name suggests) throughout the movement. The standard deadlift is one of the best full-body exercises out there. Drive your legs up to return to the standing position. Keeping your weight centered on your feet, break at the knees and hips at the same time, sending your hips straight down until your thighs are at least parallel to the ground. Stand up and take a few steps back, positioning your legs so your feet are about shoulder-width apart. Grab the bar with a narrow grip, which will flex the muscles of your upper back and provide a nice base. Step under the bar so it sits on your upper back. Instructions: Adjust the squat rack so the barbell sits at around the same height as your armpits. We highly recommend watching the video below to ensure you’re performing this leg exercise properly, and start with a lighter weight while you master the form. Form is everything with squats, as improper technique can place tons of stress on your knees and back. The barbell squat engages your glutes to extend your hips back into the squatting position, and your quads to extend your legs up into the standing position. The foundation of leg training, a fixture of any leg workout and a leg exercise that’s so often performed incorrectly, the barbell squat is one of the most popular compound lifts for your legs, and it’s a favorite among competitive powerlifters and bodybuilders alike. We’ll take a more general approach and list exercises that will help you strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes. If you’re not at that level, no need to worry. Serious bodybuilders are known to target these individual components of each muscle group, using different angles and leg exercises to ensure every inch of their legs is getting trained properly. We can also include your glutes, a group of three muscles - the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus - which make up your butt. The individual muscles are the gastrocnemius, soleus and plantaris.

Training legs engages the whole body in a way that fires up your heart rate and burns calories.

That infamous phrase is also low-key a warning to prioritize leg day based on its difficulty alone. So no, you should not be skipping leg day. And of course, your legs are responsible for achieving simple everyday activities like walking and climbing stairs, too. Movements like overhead presses and lateral shoulder raises hugely benefit from stronger legs. Your legs create a strong base, which supports your core and upper body workouts as well. We all want a gorgeous rooftop patio, but does the impression of luxury really matter if the whole building is propped up by toothpicks?

And aside from the aesthetic component, your legs are a crucial foundation for your entire body. It’s a phrase kicked around so often in fitness circles - on social media, gym walls and even major health websites - that it’s practically the first amendment of strength training. Why? Because if you only focus on a chiseled upper body, with toned abs, massive pecs and bulging arms, odds are you’ll end up looking a bit too top-heavy. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SPY.com may receive an affiliate commission.ĭo not skip leg day.
