Leg Up Your Home Workout: 15 Leg Exercises, 3 Ways
When the gym’s not an option, don’t let lack of equipment or space deter you from getting a great leg workout. Keeping your leg muscles strong is key to getting from point A to point B and busting out those killer dance moves you’ve been showing off at Club Quarantine.
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Whether you have a complete home gym, a few weights to play with, or just a room and an exercise mat, you can program your own “Leg Day: Home Edition.”
With the help of Mathew Forzaglia, an NYC-based fitness pro and the creator of Forzag Fitness, we’ve put together three leg workout plans you can do completely at home.
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Creating your at-home leg day
Throughout these routines you’ll find a few staple movements — including squats, deadlifts, and lunges — with variations. Forzaglia notes that these exercises target the major leg muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, and quads for a well-rounded leg workout.
Because we don’t move in just one direction, it’s important to train your muscles in more than one direction. Compound exercises work multiple muscles at the same time, which saves time and burns more calories.
By incorporating weights, resistance bands, and bodyweight moves, you can build strength and mobility to support your everyday movements (and your dance moves).
Forzaglia recommends doing a leg-focused routine two or three times per week to allow time for muscle recovery while continuing to build strength. You can adjust the number of reps and amount of weight used to fit your individual ability and fitness level.
Leg workouts with weights
Forzaglia calls this the “any object” leg workout because, well, you can use just about any object that adds weight without compromising your form.
If you have dumbbells or kettlebells, grab ’em. If not, grab some soup cans, a bottle of laundry detergent, or even a weighted backpack — get creative!
1. Goblet squat: 3 sets of 12 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Holding the weight or object in front of your chest, stand with feet just outside hip width. Drive hips back and then down, as if sitting in a chair. Keep chest up and focus on your hips breaking below your knee crease. Push into heels, squeeze glutes (your booty!), and stand back up.
Muscles targeted: Quads and glutes
2. Pendulum lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Hold the weight or object in front of your chest. Lunge forward with right leg, keeping left leg stationary until the reps are done.
Keeping your weight in your right heel, push out of heel to stand up and immediately step into a reverse lunge with right leg in the back. Complete all reps on one side before switching legs.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, and calves (plus the challenge of balance and core stabilization!)
3. Romanian deadlifts: 3 sets of 12 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Standing tall with feet under hips, hold weights by your sides in both hands (or hold onto the handle of a broom or mop like a barbell).
Bend knees slightly, and then hinge at your hips. Keeping core engaged, drive hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings. Squeeze glutes and return to standing.
Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, core, and upper back
4. Step-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Find a stool, bench, or box you can step on (the first step of a staircase can work, too, but will be a little short).
Hold one weight at your chest and lift right foot, placing it on the box. Keeping chest up and right shin vertical, push into right heel and step up onto the box. Maintain control as you return to the starting position.
If you don’t have a box or other object to step onto: Start kneeling, step your right foot forward, and stand up. Then return to the kneeling position.
Muscles targeted: Glutes and hamstrings (Your calves, core and lower back muscles will also engage to keep proper form.)
5. Weighted hip bridges: 3 sets of 12 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You should be able to touch your heels with your fingertips. Hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or other item in front of your hips.
Brace core, squeeze glutes, push into heels, and lift your hips until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a line. Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, hip adductors, core, and obliques
Leg workouts using body weight
For this workout you need nothing more than your own bod. Don’t sleep on bodyweight workouts — they can be just as effective at building muscle, strength, and endurance. Plus, they’re fantastic for mobility and stability.
1. Air squats or jump squats: 3 sets of 10 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Stand with feet just outside hip width. Drive hips back and then down. Keep chest up and focus on your hips breaking below your knee crease. Push into heels to stand (or jump back up — jumping increases the intensity and the calorie burn).
Muscles targeted: Quads, hamstrings, lower back, and core
2. Hip bridges: 3 sets of 12 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You should be able to touch your heels with your fingertips.
Brace core, squeeze glutes, push into heels, and lift your hips until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a line. Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, hip adductors, core, and obliques
3. Reverse lunges or jumping lunges: 3 sets of 10 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Start standing. Step your left foot back into a lunge, keeping right foot flat, right shin vertical, and chest up. Step left foot forward and repeat on the right.
For a jumping lunge, explode up quickly from the bottom of the lunge, switching your feet in the air and controlling your landing. This more advanced jumping version adds a cardiovascular and stability challenge.
Muscles targeted: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, core, and hip stabilizing muscles
4. Single-leg deadlifts: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Start with left foot planted on the floor. Hinging at your hips, with a slight bend in left knee, reach arms forward and push right foot back. Focus on keeping hips and shoulders in one line. Flex your back ankle and press your heel toward the wall behind you. Squeeze glutes and drive right leg forward to return to the starting position.
Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, ankles, and core
5. Step-ups: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: If you have a bench or box to step on, lift right foot and place it on the box. Keeping chest up and right shin vertical, push into right heel and step up onto the box. Maintain control as you return to the starting position.
If you don’t have a box or other object to step onto: Start kneeling, step your right foot forward, and stand up. Then return to the kneeling position.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, calves, and core
Leg workouts using a resistance band
For this workout you need only a resistance band. Working out with resistance bands can be particularly helpful if you’re a strength training newbie or if you’re recovering from an injury.
If you have multiple bands, feel free to play with the resistance. Depending on your strength and ability level, you may be able to handle extra resistance with certain movements.
1. Banded step-outs: 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Place the band right below your knees. Squat your hips back and keep chest up. Keeping feet outside your hips, step right foot out and then back in. Repeat on the left side.
Pro tip: A resistance band can be worn at the ankles at a lower resistance, but it should be above the ankle if it’s a higher resistance. Placing your resistance band around the ankles can increase knee strain and risk of injury.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, and quads
2. Banded air squats: 3 sets of 12 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Place the band right above your knees. Stand with feet just outside hip width. Drive hips back and then down, as if sitting in a chair. Keep chest up and focus on your hips breaking below your knee crease. Push into heels, squeeze glutes, and stand back up.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hip abductors, and quads
3. Banded single-leg Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Start with left foot planted on the floor. Hold one end of the band in right hand and place the band under your left foot.
Hinging at your hips, with a slight bend in left knee, push right foot back. Focus on keeping hips and shoulders in line with back heel. Flex your back ankle and press your heel toward the wall behind you. Squeeze glutes and drive right leg forward to return to the starting position.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, hips, and core
4. ISO banded hip bridge knee drive-out: 3 sets of 15 reps
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Place the band right above your knees. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. You should be able to touch your heels with your fingertips. Brace core, squeeze glutes, push into heels, and lift your hips until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a line.
At the top of the bridge, pulse your knees out and back in. Slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, hip adductors, core, and obliques
5. Touchdown jacks: 3 sets of 12 reps (alternating sides)
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Image by Dima Bazak
How-to: Stand tall, with the band right below your knees. Drive knees out like you’re doing a jumping jack into a squat, placing feet outside hips. Push your hips back and touch the floor with left hand.
Jump your feet back in and repeat the movement, touching the floor with right hand. Repeat until reps are complete.
Muscles targeted: Core, glutes, and calves
The bottom line
Forzaglia recommends performing a leg routine for 4 to 6 weeks for maximum benefits and results. It’s important to keep adding challenging movements to continue building muscle.
Whether you’re using weighted objects, your body weight, or a resistance band, these exercise routines can help build strength and endurance in your legs. For optimal leg gains, try to incorporate all three types of training into your weekly routine.
It’s also helpful to check in with a certified fitness pro, especially if you’re new to the strength training game. This can help ensure you’re doing the best exercises for your body, ability level, and goals.
