Leg workouts from home— most people would think that they need to go to the gym and use several types of equipment in order to really power up those muscles.
However, leg workouts can also be done at home. As a matter of fact, doing it at home is a lot easier and as effective as doing it at the gym. Frankly speaking, you do not need that stair climber or a leg press machine or those squat bar in order to feel your lower-body muscles burning.
All you need is your own bodyweight, perhaps a chair, and the fiery motivation to feel the burn in your hamstrings, quads, calves, glutes and inner thighs. So, if you are looking to do legwork at home, here are the 5 best leg workouts you need to try.
5 Leg Workouts From Home
Before you even think of sweating, it is always advisable that you do some warm-up. If you have a piece of cardio equipment at home, try to fire it up for a few minutes to get your heart pumping.
Or you can also do at least 30 jumping jacks or just marching around the room for a few minutes. Just make sure to do anything to get your heart rate up and getting those muscles warmed up. Read Here: Benefits of Exercise: How Exercise Can Improve Your Mood
1) The Bodyweight Circuit
If you think that you need weights or equipment to fire up your legs, think again. Your body weight and a few feet of floor space are already enough.
What’s more, is that this series of bodyweight workouts can be done just about anywhere and anytime. Also, bodyweight workouts are the best place to start if you are new to exercise or have not worked out for a while.
Now, you might think that, just because you are not using any weight, you won’t feel the sore. Well, let’s see you talking after doing a total of 100 reps of the exercise below.
- Squats (25 Reps)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms stretched forward. Slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure that your knees are extended in the same direction as your toes. Then slowly return to your starting position. That’s one rep.
- Calf Raises (25 Reps)
Standing straight with your feet hip-width apart. Push through the balls of your feet, raising your heel until you’re standing on your toes. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Bodyweight Romanian Deadlifts (25 Reps)
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure that your head is up, facing forwards, your back straight and your shoulders back. Your legs should have a slight bend in your knee. Extend your arm in front, palms facing each other. Pivot forward at the waist keeping your shoulders from pulling back, and drive your chest towards the feet. Make sure to tighten your calves, hamstrings, and glutes, Stand back up to the starting position.
- Bridge (25 Reps)
Lie on your back. Keep your feet flat on the ground and your knees bent. Your arms should lie flat at the sides. Then lift your butt up slowly, pause, then down.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Try resting as little as possible between workouts. You can rest for 60 seconds between sets with the goal is 4 sets.
2) The Lunger
Lunges are probably one of the most dreaded leg exercises. Why? Well because they can be tough and requires a bit of balance. However, they are extremely effective and one of the best leg workouts that you can do at home.
Plus, they do not need any equipment, but that depends on you. If you want some extra resistance and you got some dumbbells lying around at home, then you can offer more burning into your legs.
This leg workout targets the larger muscles of your thigh including your quads, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings. Also, their work on your balance system, activating your core.
- Squats (25 Reps)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms stretched forward. Slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure that your knees are extended in the same direction as your toes. Then slowly return to your starting position. That’s one rep.
- Front Lunges (3 x 10 Alternating Legs)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with hands on your hips. Take a big step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Return to the starting position and switch with your left leg.
- Side Lunges (3 x 10 Alternating Legs)
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your toes pointed forward and your hands clutching together in front of your chest. Slowly shift your body weight to your right leg, bending the knee until it creates a 90-degree angle, keeping your left leg as straight as possible. Move back to the starting position and switch legs.
- Reverse Lunges (3 x 10 Alternating Legs)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with hands on your hips. Take a big step backward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Return to the starting position and switch with your left leg.
- Squats (25 Reps)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep your arms stretched forward. Slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Make sure that your knees are extended in the same direction as your toes. Then slowly return to your starting position. That’s one rep.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure to complete each given reps or sets for every workout before you move to the next one. Also, try to rest at least 60 seconds between sets.
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3) Reaching For The Sky
This leg workout includes jumping, so you need to make sure that your knees are in good condition before trying it out. In case your knees are not in the best condition, you can just modify these workouts, doing them without the jumping or only try one instead.
These jumping leg workouts can be a little plyometric, keeping your heart rate up as well as getting that intense burning in your legs.
For this series, you’ll need a workout bench or a stable chair you can stand on as well as an optional jump rope. Also, you need to make sure that there is enough ceiling height for you to jump to prevent head injuries.
- Jump Rope (60 seconds)
Stand with your feet close together. Holding the rope handle with each hand, place the rope behind you. Using your wrist, swing the rope overhead and jump. Make sure to jump on your midsoles and land softly. Keep your knees slightly bent and maintain slightly bent knees. Keep your chest and head up, looking forward as you jump.
- Squat Jumps (30 seconds)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Start the move by doing a regular squat. Engaging your abs, explosively jump. When landing, lower your body back into the squat position. That’s one rep. Make sure to land quietly as possible to have control.
- Jumping Lunges (30 seconds)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Jump your right leg forward and your left leg back into a lunge, ensuring that both knees are at 90 degrees. Then, jump again to switch legs midair, landing in a lunge with your left leg in front. Continue jumping back and forth without rest.
- Side Hops (30 seconds)
Stand with feet slightly close together. Put your hands in front of you. Doing a light bend of the knees, hop from side to side. If you want, you can add a squat on every landing.
- Jumping Jacks (30 seconds)
Start with arms by your side and your feet together. Then, jump up with your feet apart and your hands overhead. Jump back to starting position and do the next rep simultaneously.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Complete each workout in the sequence for the given period, circuit style. You can rest for 60 seconds in between circuits and aim for at least 4 circuits.
4) Leg Ladders
The leg ladders are an excellent way to do HIIT workouts. Depending on how you set it up, you can design a full-body workout to burn all kinds of calories or isolate one body part. The rest periods are short in order to keep your heart rate up, resulting in increased endurance and strength.
But, let me warn you: This one’s brutal.
- Squat Press
With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with feet hip-width apart. Place the dumbbells shoulder height and palms facing forward. Lower yourself into a squat, keeping your chest up and your thighs parallel to the ground. Standing up, push the dumbbells overhead while keeping them in front of the ears.
- Romanian Deadlift
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bending. Hold the dumbbells with both hands with palms facing thighs and positioned in front of the hips. Lower the dumbbells in front of your shins and keeping them close to your body. Once they pass your knees, don’t allow the hips to sink any further. Maintain a straight spine and drive through your heels to fully extend the knees and hips.
- Alternating Reverse Lunges
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with hands on your hips. Take a big step backward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Return to the starting position and switch with your left leg.
- Calf Raises
Standing straight with your feet hip-width apart. Push through the balls of your feet, raising your heel until you’re standing on your toes. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Dumbbell Swing
Hold a dumbbell in the middle with one hand. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly, push your hips back and swinging the dumbbell between your legs. Once the dumbbell is behind you, explosively contract your glutes, thrusting your hips forward, swinging the dumbbell to chest high.
At the top of the movement tighten your quads, glutes, and core. Allow the weight to swing back in between your legs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Perform each workout for 10 reps each without rest in between. Then do 9 reps each workout, then 8, continuing to 0). You can choose a set of dumbbells for each workout that you can complete 10 reps with the challenge.
5) The Leg Buster
This one is similar to traditional weight lifting. Only without the power rack and any space-taking barbells and heavyweight equipment. Dumbbells or kettlebells are the only things needed here.
The workout is quite simple. You will be using dumbbells or kettlebells to target the major muscle groups. The reps are designed for a maximum strengthening effect. Choose your weight s that the workout is challenging to finish by the desired rep counts.
- Goblet Squat (12, 10, 8, 6)
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold the kettlebell handle with both hands positioned at the center of your chest Look straight ahead and engage your core. Start bending your knees to make a squat. Press through your heels and return back to the starting position.
- Front Lunges (3 x 8 Alternating Legs)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with hands on your hips. Take a big step forward with your right leg, lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel with the floor. Return to the starting position and switch with your left leg.
- Calf Raises (3 x 12)
Standing straight with your feet hip-width apart. Push through the balls of your feet, raising your heel until you’re standing on your toes. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Romanian Deadlift (10, 8 , 6)
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bending. Hold the dumbbells with both hands with palms facing thighs and positioned in front of the hips. Lower the dumbbells in front of your shins and keeping them close to your body. Once they pass your knees, don’t allow the hips to sink any further. Maintain a straight spine and drive through your heels to fully extend the knees and hips.
- Isometric Wall Squat (3 x 30 seconds)
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lean against a wall and extend both arms in front of your chest. Elevate your heels and bend the knees at a 90-degree angle. Hold the position.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Simply follow the set/rep count for each workout and rest as much as needed. You will not need weight for the Bulgarian split squats since they can be intense as well as on the isometric wall squat.