If you have gym equipment in your house or you have an option to go to the gym then your leg workout should not suffer. To keep your leg muscles strong, it’s really important to include a day for a leg workout. Whether you have a complete setup of the gym or have a few weights to play with or just a room with an exercise mat, you can add your own “Leg Day: Home Edition.”
Now let’s plan your leg workout plan
The plan we will be talking about below will lead you to find a few staple leg workouts that include squats, deadlifts, and lunges, and to make them more effective we will be adding some variations too. These exercises target the major leg muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, and quads for a well-rounded leg workout, as you don’t move in just one direction, it’s important to train your muscles in more than one direction.
Compound exercises work on multiple muscles at the same time that helps in saving time and burning more calories. By including weights, resistance bands, and body-weight moves, you can build strength and mobility to support your everyday movements. Also by doing a leg-focused routine two or three times per week allows time for muscle recovery while maintaining to build strength. You can adjust the number of reps and amount of weight according to your comfort and desire.
Leg workouts with weights
The leg workout shared in the list below is the “any object” leg workout because you can use any object that adds weight without compromising your form. If you have dumbbells or kettlebells, grab them and if not, grab some soup cans, a bottle of laundry detergent, or even a weighted backpack. Use your creativity to make your workout more effective
1) Goblet squat: 3 sets of 12 reps
How-to: Begin this exercise by holding the weight or object in front of your chest, stand with feet just outside hip-width and push hips back and then down as if sitting in a chair. Make sure to keep your chest up and focus on your hips breaking below your knee crease and 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
How-to: To begin this leg workout you need to hold the weight or object in front of your chest and lunge forward with your right leg, keeping your left leg stationary until the reps are done. Make sure you keep your weight in your right heel, push out of heel to stand up, and instantly step into a backward lunge with your right leg in the back. Perform all reps on one side before switching legs.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, and calves (also the challenge of balance and core stabilization!)
3) Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 12 reps
How-to: To perform this exercise you need to stand tall with feet under hips, holding weights by your sides in both hands (or hold onto the handle of a broom or a mop like a barbell) and bend knees slightly, and then hinge at your hips by keeping your core engaged, drive hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings and squeeze glutes and return to the initial position.
Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, glutes, core, and upper back
4) Step-ups: 3 sets of 10 reps on each leg
How-to: To perform this exercise you need to take a stool, bench, or box you can step on (the first step of a staircase can work, too, but will be a little short) and hold one weight at your chest and lift your right foot, placing it on the box by keeping the chest up and right shin vertical, push into the right heel and step up onto the box. Maintain control as you return to the starting position and if you don’t have a box or other object to step onto then start kneeling, step your right foot forward, and stand up and return to the kneeling position.
Muscles targeted: Glutes and hamstrings (Your calves, core, and lower back muscles will also involve to keep proper order.)
5) Weighted hip bridges: 3 sets of 12 reps
How-to: To begin with this exercise you need to lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor and you should be able to touch your heels with your fingertips. Now hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or other items in front of your hips and brace the core, squeeze glutes, push into heels, and lift your hips until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a line and then slowly lower your hips back to the floor.
Muscles targeted: Glutes, hamstrings, hip adductors, core, and obliques
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
