Best Workout for the Legs: Your Top List of Bodybuilding Exercises

Best workout for the legs equals muscular calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps—this is how bodybuilding offers our lower body — many people skip to do workout leg training because they believe that they already have well-built leg muscles. But without proper leg workouts, muscles in your legs tend to tear apart when they are not prepared for intense activities.

Best workout for the legs is vital to improving your performance and daily function activities at home or in your work. Like other exercises, leg workouts also benefit your other muscles; improve agility and stamina, as well as stability.

But, if your body lacks leg exercises, you will feel a burning sensation and shaking. Sometimes your legs will resist if you’re a force beyond what has been prepared for you. Keep in mind that your legs are the essential parts of your body that keep you moving, literally, anywhere and anytime. But how will you know if you have a healthy lower body? Well, you cannot tell if you have sturdy legs just by seeing the muscles in your calves. Also, you cannot prove the strength of your lower body with perfect thigh muscles.

However, you can do many ways to improve and maintain your lower body to stay fit physically. You can take many exercises and training focusing your calves, quads and hamstrings. With the best workouts for the legs, you can do the following activities to make your lower body firm and stable.

Know what equipment to use as best workout for the legs

The first thing you need to do on how to get big legs is to find the best equipment for training. If you have workout plans, then it will be easier for you to choose. So, here are some of the material for the best workout for the legs.

Leg Press Machine

Are you looking for the best equipment for toning and firming of your calves, quads, and hamstrings? Then you will need the leg press machines. To use this machine, you will have to shift your feet into a different position so that you will give different focus on your other leg during your workout.

For better results in toning and shaping your legs, you can try the diagonal, horizontal, seated leg, lever seated leg, and 45-degree leg press. These are the types of leg press machines.

Calf Machine

Well, you do need to shape your calves muscles. With strong quads and hamstrings, you will need to balance your workout with your calves. Balance performance will give both strength and tone muscles. The, you will need calf machines to do that. You can enjoy seating or standing while doing your calf workout.

Leg Curl Machine

For your thighs, which include your hamstrings and quads, you will need to use the leg curl machine. The leg curl machine can strengthen and develop your thigh muscles.

Leg extension Machine

If you need strong thighs that extend to your knees, you will have to do workouts with leg extension machines. Also, you can do exercises with mix use of leg extension and curl machines for your thighs and knees.

Leg Adduction and Abduction Machine

Perfectly shape inner and outer thighs will need the 2-in-1 leg machine. Your inner thigh muscles need firming so you will have to use adduction machine. Then for your thigh muscles, you will need the leg abduction machine to have toned muscles.

Plan for your best workout for the legs

After knowing the equipment for your lower body, you will have to decide what exercise you will undergo as the best workout for the legs. Make sure that your body is fit and well prepared before doing your workout plans. Also, seek the guidance of a physical trainer, especially when you are a beginner.

As you read along, you can imagine yourself doing some leg workouts. These are only basics but consider as the best workout for the legs, which can help beginners to adjust with the sets and repetitions over time. So, how to build muscle legs?

Doing the basic squat

One of the best workouts for your lower body is doing squat. Basic squats can develop your muscle and strength in the lower body. But you can do more when your feet have different positions and depth during the squat. While doing squat, you can use the barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other equipment for better results.

Before going all the way with your squat exercises, make sure your body is in good form. Keep your back straight and your glutes extended. Also, while bending your knees, make it a practice that your knees should not past the tips of your toes. It will keep your knee joint intact. Further, start your weight lifting with your capacity to hold, combining with 1 to 3 sets with 6-10 squats.

Front Squat

So, what is the best workout for the legs that will include squat? For beginners or to those who want to take it easy at first, you can do the front squat.

You can do front squat by setting the barbell on a power rack equivalent to the height of your shoulder. Using an overhand grip to your shoulder and raising your elbows until upper arms should be parallel to the floor. Let the bar rest on your fingertips after getting it from the rack. Make sure your elbow is positioned above when doing it. Then step back and place your feet in line with your shoulder width while toes turned out slightly. Make a squat as low as you can while keeping your back straight.

Further, if you want to do back of the front squat, you need to use the smith machine squat for additional support and safety. The smith machine squat is like a framed rack of weights. You should expect limited motions while using this machine if you will compare to a freestanding squat.

Bulgarian Split Squat

Another best workout for the legs is the Bulgarian split squat. You will need a bench or sturdy chair to complete this exercise. The equipment will keep your focus on your front leg, and your back leg will provide balance support. It also targets your hamstrings, quads, glutes, lower abdomen and lowers back.

Other than the equipment, it will need a lot of balance and coordination skills from your end. Of course, you cannot do a perfect split squad in your first try. You will encounter challenges because it consists of compound movement. As compound movements are complex to do, the benefits in doing so will make your body in excellent perform including your upper parts of the body.

Your starting position is your feet stand apart about two feet away from each other to do the perfect Bulgarian split squat. Make sure your upper body is facing straight ahead. Then place one of your feet over the bench behind you. You have the liberty to choose any position. It is either your ankle to be aligned with the edge of the bench or make a balance between your foot and your toes. As you will do the squat, the foot behind you will serve as your balance.

The focus of this exercise is your foot in front. You have to secure the right spot of your balance. Once you get your perfect balance, you will have to bend your knee in front. While doing it, make sure your ankle in front can handle the pressure. Otherwise, get to your original position slowly. Repeat the squat slowly so that your legs and feet can adjust.

Hack Squats

Any exercise can, indeed cause injuries. Therefore, you need to opt for the best workout for the legs that can help you maintain your leg toned and firmed shape without being injured. In that case, you can have the hack squats.

The hack squats focus on your quads and glutes then to your hamstrings. Given this, your back is supported in the entire routine.

To perform this squat, you will need a hack squat machine. In the machine, place your shoulders and back against the pads. Make sure your feet are at a distance between your shoulder widths. Carefully unhook the safeties and lower yourself with your thighs parallel to the platform. Then slowly stand until you get back to your original position.

Dumbbell Lunges

Another exercise that you can do is the dumbbell lunge. It is your another option as the best workout for the legs because it will improve your lower body performance. Also, you only need small spaces if you will be doing this exercise.

If you have not yet mastered your balance, the dumbbell lunges are not for you. But eventually, you will learn to master it and develop stability and strength. So, here we go for the dumbbell lunges!

Your starting point is standing with your hands at the sides holding the dumbbells at thigh high. Place your one foot forward with 2 feet distance from your other foot behind. Lower your upper body down but keep your upper body straight while maintaining your balance. Make a slight push up using the heel of your foot. Slowly, return to your original position afterwards. Repeat the routine with your other foot.

Romanian Deadlift

If you want some movement for your hamstrings, you want to consider doing some leg curl to your knee joint. The strength of your hamstrings must correspond to the stamina of your quads.

To achieve the results of the deadlift, you will need to keep your back flat. Make sure you stand in an upright position holding the barbell. Then as you hold the bar, let it slide while going up and down along the front of your legs. By doing this in repetitions, you can build muscles in your hamstrings.

Hang and Block Snatch

Also, doing snatch is another exercise for your leg workout. Most common is the hand and block snatch in the front or above your kneecaps. If you have issues with your leg, you can make a hang snatch position, which is effective. Then you can make a hang position with your bar over the shoulders.

Thoughts to Ponder:

Doing the best workout for the legs has many alternatives, aside from what have we discussed earlier in this article. But they are the most useful and practical exercises that you can do from home or in training facilities. You can have the modifications as long as you seek advice from your trainer.

Workout for legs is essential to strengthening your lower body. So you will need proper breathing while doing it.

When doing exercises, either at home or your local fitness centers, you should always be in proper workout attire. Proper attire is sports shoes, preferably those cross-training ones, dry-fit or sweatshirts and gym shorts for men. Or you have the option to wear more comfortable clothes.

Furthermore, you can maintain the excellent body shape you desire by eating the right food and doing the same routine exercise. Making yourself fit both mentally and physically can make a difference in your life.