Generally speaking, while working out the primary concern of bodybuilding is to develop a toned upper body, to the extent that aspiring bodybuilders sometimes forget to pay much attention to their legs. And if they do train legs, it is pretty much the bare minimum and a half-willed effort – leg press and leg curls, for example. Sometimes we need to consider home leg exercises to get some extra reps outside of a gym.
Many beginners focus so much on a toned set of abs or bowling ball shoulders, that they skip out on leg day and forget to include their squats and deads throughout the week. This greatly affects the symmetry of the body. So to obtain that perfect physique you dream about, you will need to include leg workouts too.
For today we will focus mainly on home leg exercises and primarily use only body weight.
As we all know legs are made up of several different muscles and are more or less involved in quite a bit of activity throughout the day. So to put some size on the legs quite a bit of intense workout is necessary. In this article, we will discuss 6 such exercises that will give your legs the mass that they need to look powerful.
1. Squat Jumps
Squat jumps are high-intensity workouts that help build the calves, hamstrings, and glutes. There are multiple benefits associated with squat jumps. It helps build mass as well as burn body fat, while physiologically training your muscle fibers to perform with maximum intensity.
To perform a squat jump simply stand with your feet hip-width apart and then squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Jump up as high as you can by performing a full extension of the ankles, knees, and hips. When you land, you can land into a squat and repeat, or you can reset to standing.
Repeat the squat jumps according to your goals – for strength jump with added weight, for endurance limit rest between reps. Consider using box jumps to give yourself another way to quantify a personal best without needing free weights.
2. Side Lunge
Another of the greatest of the home leg exercises, the side lunge is also quite effective in strengthening your hamstrings, quads, and glutes, with the added benefit of strengthening the adductors and abductors. To do a side lunge stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Choose one leg and step out to the side 2-3 feet, and bend the knee of the stepping leg until the thigh is parallel to the floor – keep the other leg straight. Now perform the lunge and step that foot back to a straight leg, shoulder-width apart. Switch sides and repeat.
3. Duck Lunge
Duck Lunge, AKA Duck Walk, is yet another great exercise for toning the lower body. It targets the quad muscles to build the look that says, “Hell yeah I train legs! Do you even lift bro?” You can do duck lunges for both legs. To do a duck lunge simply hinge at your hips, crouch in a low position, and step forward to lunge without straightening either of your legs. Keep walking until it burns.
4. Alternating Drop Lunge
Also known as the ‘curtsy lunge’, this is another great exercise for strengthening and toning the hamstrings and glute muscles as well as increasing the flexibility of your outer hips. Because it’s not a safe exercise to use added weight, other than maybe a weighted vest, this is an ideal suggestion for home leg exercises.
Start out with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Cross one of your legs behind the other and bend both knees together while lowering your body until your thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Switch sides and repeat a few reps. It is a great toning exercise for the outer thighs that builds mass and increases body flexibility. If you can perform a set of 10 on each side without losing your balance, you might consider trying out for Ultimate Ninja Warrior.
5. Single Leg Hip Raise
It is a great exercise for beginners and focuses mainly on the glutes and hamstrings. To perform a single leg hip raise, lie on your back with your face up and arms stretched out at your sides at 45-degree angles. Keep either the left or right foot on the floor with the knee bent, and keeping your other leg straight, raise it until it is in line with your other thigh, or point it towards the ceiling, whichever works best for you. Now squeeze your glute muscles and gradually push your hips up elevating your lower back. Pause a moment and return to the original position. You can repeat for a few reps or alternate legs for more of a hip march.
6. Low Split Switch
This is another great exercise to build your leg muscle mass. The low split switch is quite effective in building the lower body mass since you can target the squatting motion with each single leg.
To do a low split switch hinge at your hips and crouch as low as you can, similar to the duck walk, and jump into a lunge position with one leg forward when you land pause a second and then jump again switching legs. This can be a pretty exhausting exercise but will provide huge benefits.
Final Thoughts
Building the muscles of the legs requires quite a lot of intense and focused training. When utilizing primarily bodyweight workouts, the home leg exercises mentioned in this article will give you the boost that your body needs to increase the mass in your legs and lower body.
Tags: exercise, home exercises, home leg exercises, leg exercise, leg training, legs, lunges, squats, workout