Leg Day Routine

The Ultimate Leg Day Workout: 8 Exercises for Stronger Legs

Looking for a killer leg day workout? Look no further! This guide features 8 exercises that will challenge your lower body and help you build huge legs!  

If you're looking to build strength and tone your lower body, a leg day workout is a must. This guide features 8 exercises that will target your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, helping you achieve your fitness goals. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced gym-goer, these exercises will challenge you and help you see Leg growth results.

Squats

The number 1. The King of Leg gains, in some respects the ONLY leg day workout you need...the Squat!  Squats are a classic exercise that target your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. To perform a squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if you're sitting in a chair. Keep your chest up and your back straight. Once your thighs are parallel to the ground, push through your heels to stand back up. Repeat for 10-12 reps. For Muscle growth you want to gradually increase the weight with each Squat Workout, side note if you can aim for 2 x bodyweight you are doing VERY well, double side note if you can build up to 3 x Bodyweight you are a squatting olympian cyborg and have completed Squats!


How To Squat

Lunges

Lunges are a great exercise for targeting your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. To perform a lunge, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Take a big step forward with your right foot, bending your right knee and lowering your body until your right thigh is parallel to the ground. Your left knee should be hovering just above the ground. Push through your right heel to stand back up and repeat on the other side. Aim for 10-12 reps on each leg. Lunges can be performed with no weight, but is mainly performed with either a barbell ( resting on your shoulders) or 2 x dumb bells in each hand. 


How To Lunge

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a compound exercise that work multiple muscle groups in your lower body, including your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. To perform a deadlift, stand with your feet hip-width apart and a barbell on the ground in front of you. Bend your knees and hinge at your hips to grip the bar with both hands, palms facing down. Keep your back straight and your core engaged as you stand up, lifting the barbell with you. Lower the bar back down to the ground and repeat for 8-10 reps. Make sure to use proper form ( like in the video below ) If you are a beginner to deadlifts leave your ego and the door and start with a very light weight, focus on technique before anything else, once you feel comfortable and feel that you have perfected the technique ( you will know when you do! ) gradually increase the weight.  Like deadlifts 2 x Bodyweight is great, 3 x Bodyweight you are a deadlifting God.  

How To Deadlift

Leg Press

The leg press machine is a popular exercise  that targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. To use the machine, sit with your back against the backrest and place your feet on the platform in front of you. Push the platform away from you with your feet, leave a bend in the knee ( do not lock your knees fully )  then slowly lower the platform back down to the starting position. Repeat for 10-12 reps. The leg press machine is a great alternative to squats for those with knee or back issues, and can also help improve overall leg strength and muscle tone. If you have never seen it there is a terrible video of how NOT to perform the Leg press, it is vitally important that you NEVER lock your legs when leg pressing, as this lady found out! Video below (watch with caution!) 



How To Leg Press

Calf Raises

Calf raises are a great exercise for targeting the muscles in your lower legs, specifically the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. To perform calf raises, stand with your feet hip-width apart and slowly rise up onto the balls of your feet, lifting your heels off the ground. Hold for a few seconds at the top, then slowly lower back down to the starting position. Repeat for 10-12 reps.  Calf raises can be performed in many variations, donkey calf raises ( seated) or standing calf raises, with the with resting on your shoulders.  calf raises can also be done on the leg press machine, pointing your toes at the very end of the leg press and pushing the tips of your toes back and forth.

How To Calf Raise

Seated Leg Extension 

The seated leg extension is a popular exercise for targeting the Quadriceps or Quads for short!  which are the largest muscle at the front of your legs.  This exercise is typically performed using the Seated Leg extension machine, making form easier to master.  This is an exercise typically performed to increase size and strength in the upper part of the legs.

It is important to start the exercise with your feet tucked behind the roller to start the rep, you then extend the legs upwards leaving a slight bend in the knee ( do not fully lock out the legs ) and slowly bringing the legs back to the start position.  This is an exercise usually performed in sets of 3 or 4 with reps in the range of 10-12


Seated Leg Extension

Laying Leg Curl 

The lying leg curl is a great exercise to attack the hamstrings ( the muscles at the back of the legs )  To perform this exercise, lie face down on a leg curl machine with your ankles under the padded bar. Slowly lift your legs towards your buttocks, keeping your knees and hips stationary. Hold for a moment, then slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position. Repeat for several reps, focusing on keeping your movements controlled and your form correct.

This is an exercise ( like the Seated Leg extension ) that is typically performed in sets of 3-4 with reps in the range of 10-12


Laying Leg Curl

Frequently asked Questions

What is the best workout for legs? 

There is not 1 'best' leg workout, but Incorporating a range of exercises to target Quads, hamstrings, & calves ensuring you use correct form is the best place to start, and of course Include the best leg exercise of all, Squats!  
What should i eat before a Leg Workout? 
This is a great question, ideally you want to load up with a high carbohydrate and Protein meal, to really satiate your muscles ready for battle! 
A meal of steak veggies & rice would be a good starting point, if you are a plant based lifter you can opt for sweet potato, veggies a handful of nuts with chia seeds & hemps seeds for extra protein and fibre.  A solid addition is a salted rice cake! trust us, its a secret weapon for gains! 
What is a good 30 minute leg workout? 
Compound exercises like squats and lunges are great for targeting multiple muscle groups in your legs at once. They also help to increase your heart rate and burn more calories, making them a great addition to any leg workout. Start with a set of 10-12 reps of each exercise, and gradually increase the weight or resistance as you get stronger. Remember to focus on proper form and technique to avoid injury and get the most out of each exercise.
What supplements should you take for Leg Day? 
Creatine monohydrate is numero uno for helping with explosive power, endurance and strength, it is well studied and will help you focus on your workout as well as helping to keep you training for longer, for an even further intense workout you can try German Pharma PR3 Pre Workout  for an explosive Leg Day Pre Workout. 
How often should you train legs 
Typically a solid leg session can be done twice per week, no more than that.  The legs have a lot of muscles and need time to repair damaged muscle tissue.  If you are doing an intense leg session every 5 days that should be sufficient.  
How do you get ripped legs? 
Decreasing fat on the legs is the same as decreasing fat anywhere else, it comes down to your diet.  Training a muscle part will not make that muscle part drop fat if you are in a coloric surplus, keep your calories in check, and train legs twice per week for Ripped legs 
What is a killer leg workout? 
Fortunately when it comes to let workouts we have some great ones, a killer leg workout looks like this: 
Walking Lunges (no weight) - 3x12 
Walking Lunges (weighted Dumbbells) - 3x10 
Squats (no weight/Bar weight only) - 1x12 
Weighted squats (gradually increasing weight) - 4x8 
Laying Leg Curl (weighted machine) - 4x12 
*side note if your gym does not have a laying leg curl machine, you can substitute for RDL's (Romanian deadlifts) Performed using a weighted bar*
Standing calf raises (weighted machine) - 4x12 
Seated Leg Extension (weighted machine) - 3x8 
If you are feeling brave, finish this with a 1/2 mile run! prepare to have jelly legs! 
Side notes:
It is important to factor in 2 things to your leg workout, Stretching and focusing on Form over weight, we cannot stress enough the importance of both.  Going into a heavy squat or lifting session with cold muscles is only asking for injuries, make sure to properly stretch and warm up (maybe with a light uphill walk for 5 minutes) followed by stretches, this will really help your workout.
On top of this leave your ego at the door, just because you have seen someone squatting 250kg (550lbs for our american friends) does not mean you should start with that!  Work up to a comfortable weight and focus on using proper form before attempting serious weight!  
If you need even more Leg Day inspiration check out Jeff Nippards video below: 

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