Beginning Leg Workout: 10 Best Leg Exercises

This is why it's important to have variety in your leg training and to build the legs from a holistic point of view. Simply going through the motions and doing the same exact movement pattern day-in and day-out are selling your legs short for what they're capable of doing.

In this article, we cover a variety of leg exercises that range from single-joint to multi-joint movements, and we've also added multiple regressions and progressions for the quads, hamstrings, and glutes. We did this so you can break out of your norm and select leg exercises that align with your training goals.

Our advice for building leg muscle is to build a plan, stick to it for a set period, and track variables that align with your goals, then add in leg exercise variations based on the feedback you get from following your program.

The 10 leg exercises for Leg Workout

1. Goblet squat

Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell close to your chest, push your hips back and squat down slowly until your thighs are parallel to the ground. From this position, drive up to standing, leading with your chest. Working in front of a mirror will help to keep your knees in line with your feet and torso upright.

2. Deadlifts

Deadlifts are one of the most effective exercises for building muscle and strength in your legs. This exercise works a number of different muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

If you're new to deadlifting or can't go to the gym because of injury or disability, there are ways you can perform this exercise at home without any equipment.

When performing deadlifts, the main thing to remember is to keep your back straight and avoid rounding over as far as possible during each lift (which puts unnecessary strain on your spine). This helps prevent injury and improves stability throughout the lift and when lowering yourself back down again afterward.

3. Dumbbell step-up

The step-up is an ideal introduction to the world of single-leg exercises.” says Page. “Set the step at a height that means the thigh on your leading leg doesn’t go beyond parallel to the floor.

Stand at arm’s length from a bench or box that’s about knee-high. Step onto the bench with one leg and let the other hang off (the foot will rest lightly on the floor).

Lift yourself up so that you’re standing on both legs with your arms hanging down at your sides—this is called starting position.

Step up onto the bench with one foot, then slowly lower yourself back down until both feet are back on the floor in starting position again (don't let go of anything!). Repeat this move 15 times for 3 sets each day for the best results!

4. Glute bridges

The glutes are often overlooked but they’re a key muscle group,” says Page. “Strong glutes will make everything from running and squatting easier, as well as helping to keep you injury-free. One of the most common causes of lower back pain is poor glute activity.

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Lift your hips up by pushing through your heels and squeezing the glutes (butt muscles). Hold for 3 seconds at the top, then lower back down to complete one rep.

• If you want to make this more challenging, try lifting one leg off of the ground as you do it for added resistance. You can also add 5-pound plates under each foot for extra weight if needed.

5. Calf raises

This simple exercise is just about the best way to work on your calves, which are not the easiest muscles in the body to target. If you’re a keen runner or sportsperson then calf raises are an absolute must, whether you do them in the gym or while waiting for the kettle to boil.

While standing, push down through the balls of your feet and raise your heel so you are up on your toes, then lower again. You can also do calf raises with your toes on the edge of a step which allows for a greater range of movement at the bottom of the move, or add weight to increase the challenge.

6. Squat jumps

Squat jumps are a plyometric exercise that is great for building lower body strength. This exercise can be done with or without weights, with or without a jump rope, and with or without a bench.

To perform the squat jump: Stand up straight holding dumbbells in each hand. With feet shoulder-width apart, drop into a deep squat position until thighs are parallel to the floor (or as deep as you can go). Then quickly push through your heels to return to starting position (standing tall). As soon as you've stood up from this first rep, immediately drop back down into another deep squat and repeat for the desired number of repetitions (usually 10-15 reps total).

7. Bulgarian split squats

A squat is a strength exercise in which the trainee lowers their hips from a standing position and then stands back up. During the descent of a squat, the hip and knee joints flex while the ankle joint dorsiflexes; conversely the hip and knee joints extend and the ankle joint plantarflexes when standing up.

• Stand with your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.

• Take a step back with one foot so that you are standing on one leg and lower into a squat so that your thigh is parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as possible). Don't let your knee go past your toes or let your torso lean forward too much—keep it upright throughout!

• Push through the heel of your elevated leg to come back up, then perform another rep by lowering down into another squat on that same side before repeating on the other side for 10 total repetitions for 3 sets total.

8. Leg press

Like hack squats, the leg press allows for a variety of foot positions to target the outer quads, inner quads, glutes, or hamstrings. Just be careful not to lower the sled too far! This common mistake will lift your glutes up off the butt pad and cause your lower spine to curl. A rounded back puts you at risk for an injury.

9. Lunge 

Find yourself space so that you have room to walk. With your feet hip-width apart engage your core and look in front of you.

Take a step forward with one foot and lunge. Try to get your thigh on the lunging leg to be parallel to the ground so your knee is at a 90-degree angle.

Drive through your back foot, exiting the lunge to then smoothly bring the back foot up and in front of you, stepping into another lunge.

10. Front squats

With the barbell still racked, get under the bar and position it across the front side of your shoulders. With your palms facing up and elbows forward, get your fingertips under the bar, around shoulder-width apart. However, some people may need their grip to be wider, depending on mobility. Unrack the bar and step out.

• Take a deep breath in, bracing your core.

• In a controlled motion, slowly lower yourself into a squat.

• Make sure your core is engaged and your chest up. Try to go as low as you can.

• Dig through your heels and drive yourself back up to the standing position

Do this leg workout 2 to 3 times per week.

Do this leg workout 2 to 3 times per week. You don't need to train your legs every day, especially if you're not in a contest prep phase. But I do recommend training them at least twice per week and up to three times if you're feeling particularly ambitious or just want to get in some extra work.

If your goal is fat loss, then I recommend doing no more than two exercises per session with rest between sets of 30 seconds or less (depending on the intensity). Perform each exercise as described in the routine below and move through each set with perfect form.