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Top 10: Leg Exercises
Evan Campbell
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Credit: Getty ImagesYeah, I know. You want bigger pecs and bulging biceps. But if you're focusing too much on your upper body, not only will you look disproportionate, but you will also miss out on the enormous fitness benefits inherent in training your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles, including increasing your overall lean muscle mass, which, in turn, improves your calorie and fat burning capabilities, and improving your performance in all sports. So, stop your moaning and start squatting.
Below are the top ten leg exercises to get you on your way to a more muscular and sculpted lower half.
Number 10
Lunges
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbells at your sides. Take one giant step forward with your right foot, and upon your foot's landing, bend your right knee at a 90° angle, making sure your knee stays behind your toes, while simultaneously bending your left leg toward the floor.
Push yourself back up to your starting position, and repeat the movement. Try to do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on each side; if you see that you can do more, without feeling a burn, increase the weight of the dumbells you are holding, until 12 reps is a challenge.
Muscles worked: glutes, quads, calves
Number 9
Calf raises
Standing with your heels hanging off the edge of a step, holding dumbells by your sides, push yourself up onto your toes, and slowly come down. Again, aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, increasing the weight if you feel that it is not challenging enough.
Muscles worked: calves
Number 8
Leg curls
Climb onto the leg curl machine, gripping the handlebars and placing the foot pad just above your heels. Bend your legs, bringing your heels toward your buttocks, but not touching it; slowly bring them back down. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, making sure you are using enough weight.
Muscles worked: calves
Number 7
Leg extentions
Sit on the leg extention machine, with your knees bent and the foot pad on your shins. Straighten your legs, until they are parallel to the floor. Then bring them back down. You guessed it: 3-4 sets, 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads
Number 6
Dead lifts
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, making sure not to lock your knees. Hold a barbell loaded with weights, palms facing down, hands shoulder-width apart, making sure not to lock your elbows. Keeping your back straight, bend forward at the waist, bringing the barbell down near your ankles. Using your hamstrings and your buttocks (not your back), come back up to your starting position, with a slight thrusting motion. You know the drill.
Muscles worked: hamstrings, glutes
Number 5
Glute machine
Climb onto the glute machine, grip the handlebars, and place one foot on the foot platform. Using your glutes, push the platform up until your thigh is aligned with your buttocks, lower the platform, and do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on each side.
Muscles worked: glutes
Number 4
Split squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and with one in front of the other, with about 1½ feet between them, holding dumbbells by your sides. Bend your knees, so that the front leg has a 90° bend (making sure your knee stays behind your toes), and your back knee is almost touching the floor. Push yourself back up to the starting position, and repeat 8-12 times on each side, completing 3-4 sets.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves
Number 3
Sumo squats
Standing in "the cage," load a barbell with weights across the back of your shoulders and traps (not your neck), and stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes facing slightly outward. Sit back, until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Slowly come up. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads, inner thighs
Number 2
Squats
Stay in "the cage," but with your feet shoulder-width apart, and toes straight ahead or slightly outward. Place the barbell across the back of your shoulders and traps (again, not your neck). Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, slowly sit back, bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Return to your starting position by pushing from your heels. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves
Number 1
Leg press
Climb into the leg press machine, place your feet hip-width apart on the platform, with your toes facing slightly outward. Lower the platform until your knees are at a 90° angle. Press the platform back up until your legs are nearly straight; do not lock your knees. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
For a more intense workout, try doing one leg at a time.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings
legs of plutonium
Evan Campbell
Share on FacebookTweet on Twitter
54
SHARES
1
2
Page 1 of 2
Credit: Getty ImagesYeah, I know. You want bigger pecs and bulging biceps. But if you're focusing too much on your upper body, not only will you look disproportionate, but you will also miss out on the enormous fitness benefits inherent in training your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles, including increasing your overall lean muscle mass, which, in turn, improves your calorie and fat burning capabilities, and improving your performance in all sports. So, stop your moaning and start squatting.
Below are the top ten leg exercises to get you on your way to a more muscular and sculpted lower half.
Number 10
Lunges
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding dumbells at your sides. Take one giant step forward with your right foot, and upon your foot's landing, bend your right knee at a 90° angle, making sure your knee stays behind your toes, while simultaneously bending your left leg toward the floor.
Push yourself back up to your starting position, and repeat the movement. Try to do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on each side; if you see that you can do more, without feeling a burn, increase the weight of the dumbells you are holding, until 12 reps is a challenge.
Muscles worked: glutes, quads, calves
Number 9
Calf raises
Standing with your heels hanging off the edge of a step, holding dumbells by your sides, push yourself up onto your toes, and slowly come down. Again, aim for 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, increasing the weight if you feel that it is not challenging enough.
Muscles worked: calves
Number 8
Leg curls
Climb onto the leg curl machine, gripping the handlebars and placing the foot pad just above your heels. Bend your legs, bringing your heels toward your buttocks, but not touching it; slowly bring them back down. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, making sure you are using enough weight.
Muscles worked: calves
Number 7
Leg extentions
Sit on the leg extention machine, with your knees bent and the foot pad on your shins. Straighten your legs, until they are parallel to the floor. Then bring them back down. You guessed it: 3-4 sets, 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads
Number 6
Dead lifts
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, making sure not to lock your knees. Hold a barbell loaded with weights, palms facing down, hands shoulder-width apart, making sure not to lock your elbows. Keeping your back straight, bend forward at the waist, bringing the barbell down near your ankles. Using your hamstrings and your buttocks (not your back), come back up to your starting position, with a slight thrusting motion. You know the drill.
Muscles worked: hamstrings, glutes
Number 5
Glute machine
Climb onto the glute machine, grip the handlebars, and place one foot on the foot platform. Using your glutes, push the platform up until your thigh is aligned with your buttocks, lower the platform, and do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps on each side.
Muscles worked: glutes
Number 4
Split squats
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and with one in front of the other, with about 1½ feet between them, holding dumbbells by your sides. Bend your knees, so that the front leg has a 90° bend (making sure your knee stays behind your toes), and your back knee is almost touching the floor. Push yourself back up to the starting position, and repeat 8-12 times on each side, completing 3-4 sets.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves
Number 3
Sumo squats
Standing in "the cage," load a barbell with weights across the back of your shoulders and traps (not your neck), and stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes facing slightly outward. Sit back, until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Slowly come up. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads, inner thighs
Number 2
Squats
Stay in "the cage," but with your feet shoulder-width apart, and toes straight ahead or slightly outward. Place the barbell across the back of your shoulders and traps (again, not your neck). Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, slowly sit back, bending your knees, until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Return to your starting position by pushing from your heels. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves
Number 1
Leg press
Climb into the leg press machine, place your feet hip-width apart on the platform, with your toes facing slightly outward. Lower the platform until your knees are at a 90° angle. Press the platform back up until your legs are nearly straight; do not lock your knees. Do 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.
For a more intense workout, try doing one leg at a time.
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, calves, hamstrings
legs of plutonium