Leg Exercises You Can Do at Home

I've said this before and I'll say it again, your legs are some of the most important body parts to train. Not only do you contain a significant amount of your mass in your legs but you also store quite a bit of hormones that are extremely beneficial to building muscle. Too many people neglect to train their legs and this is in my opinion because it is not "cool" to train legs at the moment. With that being said, if you're too lazy or too embarrassed to train your legs in public then train them with these 5 highly effective leg exercises you can do at home.

Leg Exercises You Can Do At Home

• LUNGES

Lunges are quite easy to do at home and work several muscle groups at one time. In order to do a lunge, step one foot forward and keep the front foot flat on the floor, as you lower your hips until the front knee is over the ankle. Keep the back knee form touching the ground and push up slowly with the front foot to the beginning position. Then, continue with another step with the opposite foot and keep repeating this process.

• HEEL RAISES

To strengthen your calves, simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart and lift your heels up so you're on your tiptoes for a few seconds. Lower your heels and then repeat slowly and methodically. I recommend doing heel raise on a step, extending your heels below the edge of the step with each repetition. Calf muscles respond well to strength training so keep doing heel raises and you will be sure to see some results.

• SQUATS

Squats are an awesome way to firm and shape your gluteal muscles and upper thighs. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides or crossed. Keep an upright posture and slowly lower buttocks as though about to sit down in a chair then slowly stand up.

• JUMPING SQUATS

Jump squats take regular squats to a new level. A level where you're definitely going to feel your quads being used. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides. Start by doing a regular squat and then jump up as explosively as you can, and rise up reaching for the ceiling. When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep.

• JOGGING/RUNNING/SPRINTING

In addition to the aforementioned exercises, running is a great leg workout and an awesome form of cardio. I know many people that don't do any other form of leg exercises, besides go running, and they have some really strong legs, and highly developed legs.

That's going to do it for this one. Remember, you don't have to go to the gym in order to get a good leg workout in, you can simply do it at the convenience of your own home. In addition to running, which requires only a good pair of running shoes, you can do some great exercises to build strong legs at home. As always be sure to maintain proper form and control through your exercises.

To your fitness success!

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Best Leg Exercises For Bodybuilding

When it comes to building muscle and mass in the legs, everyone knows that they need to do it but many people neglect it. The reason why is because there is very little knowledge about effect exercises and it is one of the hardest parts of the body to build for many people. Training legs is also a demanding process as you probably have to use them the rest of the day after a workout. So what are the best leg exercisesto build muscle?

Probably the most well-known leg exercise is the lunge. In this exercise, you will usually hold a set of dumbbells on each arm. With your feet together, you will lunge forward with one leg while the other holds the position. Then you'll go back to your starting position and lunge forward with the other leg while the leg you just used holds the position.

The best exercise out of all the leg exercises is probably the squat. This is the one exercise that will build the most the most mass out of all the leg exercises. It is also known to stimulate testosterone, improve your overall strength, and exercises the quads - one of the biggest muscles in your body.

To do a squat you should have a barbell on a squat rack and rest it across your shoulders, behind your head. When you have a good grip and balance of the bar, raise it up straight then proceed by bending your knees until your thighs are almost in line with the floor. Make sure that you move all the way up and hold for a few seconds before bending your knees for another rep.

Another exercise to build your legs is the leg press. You've probably seen it being used by many people in the gym. It is the machine in which you lie on your back and push up with your legs upwards the incline. Because there is back support available in this exercise, you should be able to press more than a regular squat. Simply lower the weight by bending your knees back then push it back up until the next repetition of the exercise.

While the mentioned exercises mostly focus on the quads, it's important to develop your calves as well. A good exercise is the standing calf raise. You'll find a machine in which you hold with a handle and your calf is isolate in a weight. To do a proper calf raise, you need to adjust your knee pads so they are snug. With your toes pointing forward, raise the weight as much as possible until you are on the tips of your toes. Hold this for a few seconds then release the weight slowly.

These four exercises I mentioned will help you build an overall balanced body and help your leg muscles grow. Remember, it's important not to neglect your legs as it can stimulate hormones that help your overall growth.

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Legs Workout Routine - Build Tree Trunk Thighs With This Killer Routine

Have you achieved some decent upper body development? Do you have a big chest, thick arms, maybe even a broad back? What about your legs? Most lifters wuss out and neglect leg training. Whether or not you're one of those guys, now is the time to step up and take your lower body training to the next level. Here is a killer legs workout that will make tree trunks out of your thighs. All you've got to do is put in the hard work. Check out this killer legs workout routine...

1. Squats

That's right, squats! What other movement would you put at the beginning of your legs workout routine? If you've been making the leg press the mainstay of your lower body training, it's now time for the change that will take your whole physique to another level. The squat is called the king of all exercises for a reason - it's the best mass builder there is.

First of all, concentrate on perfect form. Take a medium-width stance that feels strong. There's really no point in brining your feet in close together just to involve more quads. You'll get plenty of quad development if you're squatting heavy weights! Place the bar lower on your rear delts if you can, and higher up on your traps if you can't do that.

Once you're in the standing position with the bar on your back, fill your belly with air and push your butt to the rear. The sitting back motion at the beginning will help you recruit your hamstrings and glutes and move more weight. Squat back and down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, and stand back up. Repeat until the set is over.

For this first movement, warm up and add weight gradually until you get to your heaviest set of five reps. Slightly more or fewer is okay, but aim for a weight that allows you to get five reps with no possibility of a sixth! After a few minutes' rest, drop the weight and do another set of 8-12 reps. If you've given your all, that's all the squatting you need for the day.

2. Leg Curls

Most lifters would head to the leg press next, but you're not most lifters, are you? Developing big, strong hamstrings is hard, and you need to prioritize it every legs workout if you want it to happen. Start by warming up with a few easy sets of 10-12 reps. Then, pick a weight that allows you to just barely eek out 15 reps. That last one should be a do-or-die effort. Rest 30 seconds, and do a few more. Rest 30 seconds again, and do just a few more again. Your hamstrings will be absolutely toast if you give each of these three "mini-sets" your full effort.

3. Walking Lunges

Nope, we're not going to the leg press yet! Lunges are a hard, free weight movement that you can't do properly if your legs are totally fatigued. Take a minute to recover from the leg curls, then put a bar on your back and start lunging up and down a clear space in the gym. Add just enough weight to the bar so that 3 trips of about 20 steps per leg is difficult. You don't need to kill yourself on these to get the full benefit, nor should you. Don't go to failure and make some poor employee mop you up off the floor because you killed yourself in this legs workout routine!

4. Leg Press

Finally, we get to the machine that most lifters unfortunately call home on legs workout routine day. You already squatted hard, though, so you've earned the right to blast away on an easier movement. Don't think it's going to be easy, though!

Use a foot placement that feels the strongest. For most people, this is relatively high and wide on the platform. No, it doesn't matter that your feet aren't low and close together - your quads will still gets LOTS of work. Moving lots of weight and involving your quads AND hamstrings is more important for overall leg development than feeling the burn in your quads, anyway.

You're already pretty warmed up, so quickly work up to a weight that challenges you for 10-12 reps. Make sure to use a FULL range of motion, going as absolutely low as the machine will allow. Most guys do a kind of half knee-bend with way too much weight just so they can load up tons of plates. Their legs still don't have much to show for it.

After that initial set, catch your breath, wait a few minutes, then lower the weight just a little bit and bust out a set of 20. I don't care if it takes five minutes and you have to take 10 breaths between every rep, you are GOING to get all 20 reps. This is the kind of hard training that will truly set you apart from the pack and give you tree trunks for legs.

5. Leg Extensions and Leg Curls

You're pretty much done at this point. You've stimulated your legs as much as is necessary with the first four exercises, and you are in store for some serious growth as long as you eat enough. To finish with a good pump, head on over to the machine area and do a few supersets of leg extensions and leg curls for 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps. These should not be too hard, but they should burn. After each round, stretch your quads and hamstrings. Hobble out of the gym and prepare to do it all over again in a week!

What About Calves

Whether they put them in their legs workout or do them on a different training day, most lifters do not give a good effort to their calf training. There's no way you're going to be able to train your calves proper about this grueling legs workout routine, so head on home and train your calves another day.

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The Top 10 Leg Exercises

Working on your legs can improve your stamina, shape and overall fitness. If you don't work on your lower body as well - you won't see the kind of 'whole body' benefits that you CAN achieve and the body shape and won't be in proportion. Great leg and butt exercises are a must. Here are my current top 10 leg exercises:

1. Step Calf Raises

This exercise is great for toning the calf muscles - you'll need a step and some dumbbells. Stand on the step and position your feet so that the heels are slightly off the edge. Hold the dumbbells to the side and push up on to your toes.

2. Lunges

Stand holding dumbbells at your sides with your feet about a hip width apart. Step forward with one foot - when the foot hits the floor bend it and lean forward so that your other leg bends towards the floor.

3. One Legged Squats

Stand sideways next to a wall and place the palm of your hand on the wall just under the level of your shoulder. Extend your arm and position your body so you feel comfortable - you'll use the wall for balance and support. Make sure that the foot that isn't next to the wall is at a 45 degree angle and bend the leg nearest the wall back. Keep upright and lower your body until the knee that isn't bearing your weight is close to the floor then push back up again.

4. Hamstring Bridges

Lie down flat on your back. Keep one foot on the ground and lift the other one up and hold it there. By using your hamstrings in your leg you can lift your body and then lower it back down again.

5. Squats

Using either dumbbells or a barbell, stand with your feet a shoulder width apart and lower yourself down until your knees are fully bent at a 45 degree angle and you are squatting. Push up until you are upright again.

6. Dumbbell Step Ups

Take your dumbbells and use one leg to step up on the step. Then step up with the other leg and step down again.

7. Dumbbell Plie

Squat down with your legs around a shoulder width apart. Hold your dumbbells in front of you with the palms of your hands facing inwards. Move into a standing position whilst opening your arms in a T position.

8. Leg Presses

Sit on a leg press machine - your feet should be around a shoulder width apart. Without altering the position of your hips bend the knees to a 45 degree angle while lowering the weight, then push it back up, extending and straightening the legs.

9. One Legged Press with Exercise Ball

Sit on your exercise ball and walk/roll forward until your knees are bent. Straighten out one leg, keeping the other one bent. Use the heel of the bent leg to push up on the exercise ball and push down on the heel of the extended leg as it drags in the movement.

10. Leg Circles with Exercise Band

Lie flat on the ground with one knee bent and the foot placed flat on the floor. Then extend the other leg straight up toward the ceiling. The band should be wrapped round the foot that is pointing upwards. You need to hold both ends of the band in the hand on the side of the leg that points up - keeping your leg straight, start to make circles with your leg at the hip in a counter-clockwise direction. Reverse and switch legs.

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The Top 10 Leg Exercises

Working on your legs can improve your stamina, shape and overall fitness. If you don't work on your lower body as well - you won't see the kind of 'whole body' benefits that you CAN achieve and the body shape and won't be in proportion. Great leg and butt exercises are a must. Here are my current top 10 leg exercises:

1. Step Calf Raises

This exercise is great for toning the calf muscles - you'll need a step and some dumbbells. Stand on the step and position your feet so that the heels are slightly off the edge. Hold the dumbbells to the side and push up on to your toes.

2. Lunges

Stand holding dumbbells at your sides with your feet about a hip width apart. Step forward with one foot - when the foot hits the floor bend it and lean forward so that your other leg bends towards the floor.

3. One Legged Squats

Stand sideways next to a wall and place the palm of your hand on the wall just under the level of your shoulder. Extend your arm and position your body so you feel comfortable - you'll use the wall for balance and support. Make sure that the foot that isn't next to the wall is at a 45 degree angle and bend the leg nearest the wall back. Keep upright and lower your body until the knee that isn't bearing your weight is close to the floor then push back up again.

4. Hamstring Bridges

Lie down flat on your back. Keep one foot on the ground and lift the other one up and hold it there. By using your hamstrings in your leg you can lift your body and then lower it back down again.

5. Squats

Using either dumbbells or a barbell, stand with your feet a shoulder width apart and lower yourself down until your knees are fully bent at a 45 degree angle and you are squatting. Push up until you are upright again.

6. Dumbbell Step Ups

Take your dumbbells and use one leg to step up on the step. Then step up with the other leg and step down again.

7. Dumbbell Plie

Squat down with your legs around a shoulder width apart. Hold your dumbbells in front of you with the palms of your hands facing inwards. Move into a standing position whilst opening your arms in a T position.

8. Leg Presses

Sit on a leg press machine - your feet should be around a shoulder width apart. Without altering the position of your hips bend the knees to a 45 degree angle while lowering the weight, then push it back up, extending and straightening the legs.

9. One Legged Press with Exercise Ball

Sit on your exercise ball and walk/roll forward until your knees are bent. Straighten out one leg, keeping the other one bent. Use the heel of the bent leg to push up on the exercise ball and push down on the heel of the extended leg as it drags in the movement.

10. Leg Circles with Exercise Band

Lie flat on the ground with one knee bent and the foot placed flat on the floor. Then extend the other leg straight up toward the ceiling. The band should be wrapped round the foot that is pointing upwards. You need to hold both ends of the band in the hand on the side of the leg that points up - keeping your leg straight, start to make circles with your leg at the hip in a counter-clockwise direction. Reverse and switch legs.

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Abs Are Sexy!

I am sure that many of you have watched numerous ab commercials suggesting products that would land you the perfect set of abs. You have probably wasted tons of cash on worthless products. I know I have. Do you know what you are doing every time you purchase one of these items? You are buying a dream. A dream that most likely will never become reality. In my opinion, there is no easy way to obtain six pack abs. You have to work at it. It is an ongoing process unless you were genetically blessed.

In order to develop your six pack, you will need to exercise regularly and set a strict diet. Doing one without the other will not cut it. You need both. I can not stress this enough, when you diet please form a plan. Do not just make up a meal as you go along. This could spell disaster for you. You should put yourself on a meal schedule and stick to it. I believe it is okay to go with a six and one plan. That is six days of dieting with one day off. You can diet Monday-Saturday, then take Sunday to enjoy yourself. To relax and enjoy your favorite food. This could prove to be very beneficial to your long term dieting plans.

Diet Sample

Breakfast
1 bowl of oatmeal with 2 hard-boiled eggs

Snack
1 Packet of nuts

Lunch
Tuna fish and cooked shrimps with any dips of your choice.

Snack 2
Ox tail soup or breadless cheeseburger.

Dinner 
Roast beef served with a large bowl of salad and a plate of berries (strawberries and blueberries) for dessert

Remember, along with the dieting you must get the proper exercise. Do lots of cardio. To see the best results, each exercise session should last 30 minutes to lose fat. Continuous cardio exercise such as walking, jogging, cycling or stair climbing should help tremendously. There is no set time for you to exercise. Just do it. You will burn fat whenever you exercise. However, to maximize your efforts it is suggested that you perform your cardio exercise early morning, before eating. You may find it difficult to get up some mornings to exercise, but you must stay motivated. Keep pushing yourself. Just imagine how good you will feel once you reach your goal. You will be more confident in yourself. You will attract the opposite sex. You will have increased levels of energy. You will most likely feel like a new person.

                                                   Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1029900

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Lower Body Exercises For Bodybuilding

While many people think that bodybuilding has to do with building the muscles of the upper body, you also have to pay attention to lower body exercises. This is because the largest muscles in your body are actually located in the lower part of your body. You need to develop them in order to support a bigger upper body. When beginning a bodybuilding routine, many people start off with heavy squats. This is something you should avoid and work into gradually.

Get started working out on exercise equipment that will train many muscles in the body at once. You do need to learn how to do these properly and it will take about three months to strengthen the individual muscles that you will need later.

There are five groups of muscles in the lower part of your body:
* Quads - these are the large muscles at the front of the thigh. Exercises that will help strengthen these muscles include squats, leg press, lunges and leg extensions.
* Hamstrings - these are the muscles at the back of the thigh. The exercises that will help you strengthen the hamstrings are leg curls.
* Gluteals - the muscles of the buttocks
* Hip Flexors - small muscles at the front of the pelvis. If you practice raising your legs, it will go a long way to strengthening them.
* Calves - these are the muscles at the front of the legs.

Exercises for the lower body include:
* One set of 10-15 repetitions on a leg press
* Three sets of 10-15 repetitions of leg extensions
* Three sets of 10-15 repetitions of hamstring curls
* Three sets of 10-15 repetitions of standing calf raises
* Three sets of 10-15 repetitions of seated calf raises

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Lower Body Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles which are capable of bearing significant weights. The temptation for beginners to go for broke by performing heavy squats should be resisted. To begin with you should concentrate on building the muscles safely by using machines that isolate muscle groups. The squat is an excellent compound exercise that trains numerous lower body muscles but it is one you should learn properly after spending three months strengthening the individual muscles that will be utilized later

The muscles of the lower body can be divided into five groups:

1. Quads – this is the big muscle group consisting of four muscles at the front of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing exercises such as squats, leg press, lunge and leg extension.

2. Hamstrings – these are the main muscles at the back of the thigh. These are the primary muscles used when performing leg curls.

3. Gluteals – these are the muscles that make up the buttocks.

4. Hip flexors – these are the small muscles at the front of the pelvis that allow you to raise your legs to the front.

5. Calves – these are the two muscles found in the lower leg.

For beginners these muscles should be exercised as follows:

1. Leg press – 1 set of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for the quads but it also works the hamstrings and glutes to a lesser degree.

2. Leg extension – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This is a useful exercise for adding definition to the quads.

3. Hamstring curl – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise isolates the hamstrings.

4. Standing calf raise – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the gastrocnemius muscle.

5. Seated calf raise – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise works the soleus muscle underneath the gastrocnemius muscle.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your lower body exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

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Top 5 Bodybuilder Leg Workouts for the Pro

People work out almost every muscle in the gym but usually leave one part of the body for granted – the legs. The legs serve an important function of the body it supports the weight of the upper body. Even if it isn’t exercised, it is important to keep it healthy to avoid knee injuries and other injuries of the lower extremity.

When exercising the upper body, it is also important to include the legs as well. A defined upper bod would be nothing with flimsy or thin legs. The exercises listed below are some of the simplest leg exercises one can do at home, with or without equipment.

Squats

There are many variations to the leg squats but it is a great full body exercise that targets specifically the thighs, the hips, the butt, the quads, the hamstrings, and even bones, ligaments, and tendons of the lower body. Starting position is standing near a wall, bent knees behind toes with dumbbells handing from hands. Stand slowly or roll up slowly along the wall, doing this smoothly until knees are nearly straight. End the exercise by going back to the original position. Important note is to never lock the knees. Don’t sit back down on the stool or bench but just barely touch it before doing the exercise again. Completion of this exercise can strengthen muscles and increase its size. This can be done in three sets of 6 to 10 repetitions.

Leg Extensions

Leg extensions are an isolated exercise which means that it targets the quadriceps group of muscles only. Starting position involves sitting on a multipurpose bench with leg attachment. Position the ankles behind the leg attachments. Lean on the bench using both hands but do not lie on the bench. Slowly lift up the weight to a horizontal position. Hold this position for a second then lower the legs back again to starting position. Completion of the exercise strengthens and tightens the quadriceps which helps in overall leg strength and preventing lower leg injuries. For best results, do 3 sets with 6 to 10 repetitions.

Calf Raises

Calf raises strengthen the calf muscles or the calves. Specifically, it targets muscles such as the gastrocnemius, soleus, and tibialis posterior muscles. Equipment needed is a set of dumbbells and a calf raise stand. Starting position is to place the ball of the foot just over the edge of the calf raise stand. Lower the heel as far as tolerated but don’t overdo it to avoid injury. End the exercise by raising the heel as high as tolerated in a slow and smooth motion. Three sets of calf raises of 6 to 10 repetitions are good. High repetitions can be done of up to 50 because the calves are composed of slow twitch fibers that respond best to lower weights and high repetitions.

Lunges

Lunges are great for exercising the butt and the quads. Starting position is to stand observing a natural stance with weights hanging from each hand. To start the exercise, take a big step forward onto a stepstool. End the exercise by pushing off from the stepstool and returning to starting position. Do not extend the knees forward of the toes to minimize knee strain. Lunges are great for strengthening and tightening the quads and butt for that firm and tone look. Three sets of 20 to 30 repetitions is a good start.

The Romanian Deadlifts

Muscles targeted for this exercise is the hamstring. Healthy quads are nothing with spindly hamstrings and can cause knee or leg problems. To strengthen the hamstrings, Romanian deadlifts are a good but advanced exercise that needs to be done properly. Starting position is to stand with legs locked and arms holding a barbell using opposing grips and the back in neutral position. 

Slowly drop down gently, feeling the stretch. Keep the torso fixed, avoiding to droop the shoulders. Keep the abs flexed to support the back. Keep the barbell close to the legs as possible to reduce pressure on the lower back while going down. End the exercise at the lowest comfortable position with the knees still locked and start to go back up. Avoid sudden jerking upwards. The number of repetitions depends on the amount the individual is able to do without frying the muscles.

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The Squatless Leg Workout

By beefing up those legs, you can generate muscle-growth conditions throughout your body. Here’s how to do it without squats. 

Leg day. Just the thought of kicking off the week with a few gut-wrenching sets of squats, leg presses and stiff-legged deadlifts is usually enough to send most guys running for the locker room. Why? Because building a solid set of legs is hard, for one. It takes time, not to mention a heck of a lot of effort. You can’t put your motor on cruise control when leg day rolls around. 


Secondly, let’s be honest: How often do you check out your legs in the mirror? Women always notice a broad set of shoulders, and, if you got ’em, the guns are almost always on display. But legs? Throw on a pair of jeans and who’s going to notice? Right? 


Wrong. While having a V-tapered upper body is desirable, it shouldn’t extend all the way down to your feet. Who wants to look like the Tasmanian devil come to life? If you’re neglecting your legs, you’re making a big mistake. A well-developed set of wheels is beneficial for the entire body. “That’s the foundation of the house,” says Jim Wright, Ph.D., science editor at Flex magazine. “You can’t build a big house on a foundation of matchsticks. Everything you do derives forcefully from your legs.” 

Prioritize Your Legs 
To improve a particular body part, you have to cut back on training the rest of the body. It’s an approach called priority training. “The single most important factor is to make legs your top priority,” says Wright. “You want to be able to put 100 percent into building them.” Setting aside Mondays for leg training after a weekend of rest not only gives your legs priority, it also ensures they’ll be fresh. 


If gaining size is truly your intention, cut back on cardio, or eliminate it altogether. Ask yourself why you’re doing cardio. If it’s for overall health, taking a month off and increasing your resistance training isn’t going to hurt. If you think you can gain muscle and lean out at the same time, you may as well be waiting for a date with Penelope Cruz. “If you want to grow, you can’t go in both directions at once,” Wright says. “You need that energy to recover.” 

Slow and Steady Makes You Big 
In the past, we’ve said there’s no faster way to build muscle than by lifting heavy weight. That statement still holds true. But if you aren’t using proper form, it doesn’t matter how heavy you lift. “Check your ego at the door,” says Wright. “It’s about mastering the mental process. The weight will come after that.” 


Unless you’re a powerlifter, the point isn’t to see how many plates you can pile on to the leg press. It’s to put the maximum amount of stress on the muscles you’re training. If you’re lowering or pushing the weight too fast, you’re not putting continuous tension on the muscle throughout the movement. Use a full range of motion on each movement, and concentrate on the feeling in the muscle by stretching on the way down and flexing on the way up. 


While we do provide a guideline for reps and sets, don’t worry about reaching the assigned numbers at first. Concentrate on form and tempo. When your form breaks, you’re done. Once you become comfortable with the exercises and your limits, start shooting for the prescribed reps. 

The Workout 
If you’ve always thought that a mass-building program for legs had to include squats, think again. While we’ll never diminish the importance of the squat as one of the greatest exercises you can do, there are ways to beef up your legs without it—which is exactly what we’re offering in the following workout. 


Whether you’re a first-timer at the gym, an occasional leg lifter or an experienced veteran, try out this once-a-week program. Give it a minimum of four weeks, but for best results, shoot for six to eight. 


Since you’re going for size, take longer-than-usual rest periods between sets. On compound movements such as the leg press and the barbell hack squat, take three minutes in between. On weighted hyperextensions and lying leg curls, take two. 

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Training Legs The Easy Way

Legs are a big group of muscles. Which includes muscles i-e Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstring, Calves mainly. The are used daily intensively while walking, running etc. In order to kick start growth of your leg muscles you have to use more volume and work your legs with different angle.

Barbell Squats :This is the most effective exercise for building Quads. You can do squats with a barbell or smith machine. Hold the bar and position it on the back of the shoulders, then lift it from the rack or smith machine. Bend knees while going down. Keep the back straight.Tip: Your feet and knees hould be pointing in the same direction and keep your back straight. Keep on lowering yourself until your hips are parallel to the floor. Keep a spotter near you if you are a beginner. Now extend your knees lift yourself upwards. Until your body is straight.

Muscles involved: Quadriceps mainly and glutes to some extent.


Lying Leg Curl :
Its very effective in hitting hamstring. Dont put stress on quads only. Building proper shape of hamstring is as important as building quads.
lye with your face towards the bench putting your feet below the lever pad. Hold the grips to fix your body on bench. You should be lying in such a way that your knees are at edge of the bench, to give you a good range of motion. Raise the lever to the back of the thighs slowly and drop it back. Do it for 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
Muscles involved : Hamstring mainly

Standing Leg Calf raise :
Calf muscles are very stubborn and hard to build unless you have good genetics or sincere devotion to build them. Standing calf raises hit them well enough.
Position the barbell on the back of your neck. You can use power rack to set the barbell easily or you can use Calf raise Machine if available in your gym. Stand on the calf block which should be right in-front of you. Tip: Dont lift weight and start walking or you can injure yourself badly. Your toes and balls should be present on calf block and your heals and your foot arches extending off. Raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as you can, stay at the peak for a second and then start declining slowly.
Muscles involved : Gastrocnemius or Calves

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Workout Tips for Bodybuilding Legs

 One of the bodybuilding buzzwords one hears a lot of is symmetry. Symmetry as in an ideal size relationship or balance between all parts of the body. And there are few body parts that can nuke symmetry in short order like legs can. A well developed torso and arms are going to loose a lot of appeal if the whole is rounded off by spindly legs.

Bodybuilding Legs

 Sadly though, bodybuilding legs seems to be an often neglected part of many bodybuilders overall routines. Loads of time and focus are spent on arms, chest and abs and legs get thrown in almost as an afterthought.

Bodybuilding legs to compliment the big picture takes as much effort and commitment as any other part of the body and this needs to be accepted and acted upon to get acceptable results. Leg routines should integrate basic principles applicable to other multi joint body parts, for example:

When bodybuilding legs, keep set sizes and total number of sets on the small side. Leg muscles benefit from the same kind of short, intense workouts as biceps and triceps.

Maintain good technique. Discipline in maintaining fluid, full motion in reps is critical for bodybuilding legs.

Exercise to failure. Structure your sets in such a way that you execute the last rep at breaking point or the last one that you can perform with correct technique. Short and hard is the key here.

Here is one good routine for bodybuilding legs.

Short workout:

Leg extensions – 5 sets of 15 to 20 reps. Use a light loading for a 20 rep warm-up. Thereafter increase the weight and do the required number of reps to failure. Hold each rep at the top for a second and the last rep in the set for as longs as possible. Keep increasing the weight load throughout the routine until you have the machines full spread for the last one or two sets. Rest for approximately 1 minute.

Below parallel full squats – 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. These will work the quads and the hamstrings at the bottom of the movement. Keep your torso as straight as possible, hold at the bottom for a second then press up with the ball of your foot. Rest for 2 minutes.

Walking lunges – 3 sets of the maximum number of steps possible. This works the upper leg in particular and should be performed by lunging to one side by pressing on the ball of the foot to work the quads, then pressing back into position with the heel to work the hamstring and glutes. Rest for about a minute and a half.

Single leg machine calf raise – 4 sets of 15 to 20 reps. Load the calf raise machine to a level that will allow for approximately 20 reps to failure. Emphasize the stretch part of the reps and hold the position for a second. Bear against the ball of the foot at the end of the movement to raise the weight and hold for a second. Perform continuously, alternating legs until the sets are complete.

This is only one of many good, short routines for bodybuilding legs. If you maintain the frequency of your leg workouts and focus on specific muscle utilization, maintaining technique and maximum stress you will keep your leg development in line with the rest of your regimen and keep that magic   symmetry that rounds of a great body so well..................................................................................

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Squat Your Way to Weight Gain

The first benefit of a free barbell squat compared to all the other alternatives is that it stimulates a full body workout. A barbell squat requires the ability to balance the weight high up on your upper back which engages the core as it sways left and right slightly when you squat. Compared to using a dumbbell, it does not recruit so much of the forearm so you will be able to pile on more weights and focus on activating more major muscle groups which will not fatigue as quickly as your forearm. Even when you are squatting on the smith rack or using the leg press machine, there is a higher tendency to hurt your back and your kneecaps due to the restrictions of space and mobility. The very thing that is supposed to make machines safer has actually harmed more people rather than help them.

The next benefit of the free barbell squat is that it allows you to grow bigger all over. Have you seen people who just focus on training just one part of their body and look lopsided? I have also seen people who just train up to the point that they are unable to train their lower back due to the sheer pressure pressing down on the disc column of their spine. Simply putting on 5 kilograms of mass solely on your upper body will increase the stress on your back, hips and kneecaps by over 400% due to the activity you engage in besides working out. Having a weaker back for an extended amount of time will just lead to an earlier retirement from the gym, not just for your workout but also permanently due to the injuries you may sustain.

The 3rd great tip in regards to free barbell squats is the ability to trigger a lot of the hormones responsible for growth. This is because the more muscles you engage during a workout, the higher amount of naturally occurring growth hormones will be released. This leads to more growth if it is coupled with a proper diet and sufficient rest. This is even more efficient to grow your muscles if you are able to actively squeeze the muscles required when you are coming up from the lowest point of your squat. Actively engaging the muscles will produce more microscopic tears in your muscles which will then provide a higher potential to grow bigger.

Next, a free barbell squat always has progression. Have you seen someone getting stuck at doing a workout at the gym? Getting stuck at the same weight and workout will stall your growth and could even potentially backtrack it. Having a progressive workout is important because it gives you a confirmation that your workout, diet and rest are all efficient to trigger the growth. When your workout produces the results you seek, it will strengthen the habit of going to the gym and doing the workout again. This works even better than having a fitness trainer to push you every time you work out.

The 5th reason why free weight barbell squat is good is because it works your legs and buttocks better than any fitness equipment out there. Getting a barbell, squat rack and weights as a set is cheaper compared to any leg workout machine on the market. Why would you pay so much more for something that cost 2-3 times more and only have the flexibility to benefit you less?                                                

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The 5 Best Muscle Building Exercises

Everybody wants to build more muscle and look great but not everyone knows the best muscle building exercises. Sometimes it gets hard with so many people telling you about "this" great exercise or "this" way of training that you don't know where to start. Luckily there are some common exercises that every single bodybuilder on the planet uses and always will.

Before we get into the best muscle building exercises, let's discuss what creates a good exercise. Compound movements are those that include more than one joint and muscle whereas isolation movements are those that focus on one target muscle and are single jointed exercise. To give an example, a overhead barbell shoulder press uses two joints (elbow and shoulder) and activates more than one muscle (deltoid, tricep, and trapezius) making it a compound exercise.

A bicep curl is what's called an isolation exercise as it uses the elbow joint alone and the bicep is the muscle performing the main contraction.

Compound exercises are known to speed up the metabolism and instigate more growth compared to that of an isolation exercise. Isolation exercises do still have their place and I use them every day to target smaller muscle groups in order to fine tune parts of my body.

Compound exercises are what every beginner, intermediate, and experienced lifter use. This is why compound exercises are the best muscle building exercises and isolation are more fine tuning exercises.

The 5 Best Muscle Building Exercises: 

1. Squat: Yep, you guessed it. This is number one. Why? It involves every muscle in the legs, core, and lower back making it one of the best muscle building exercises of all time. This is great exercise for building lower body strength and mass. Don't be tempted to go 'ass to grass' on this one as many 'hardcore' lifters will tell you to. Going lower than parallel shifts the focus away from the target muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings) and places unnecessary strain on the knee joint. Constant tension on the target muscle is what we want and going too low shifts the tension to other areas. If you are not comfortable with squats, try a 90 degree leg press instead.


2. Pull-Up: This is a hard one but if you can master this move, expect your back to grow! This move targets the core, biceps, latissimus dorsi (lats), trapezius (traps), and deltoids. This move will give you an amazing v taper and your strength will explode. Try using a lateral pulldown machine instead to work up to doing a pull-up.


3. Push-Up: This is often neglected by many lifts due to it being a bodyweight exercise and people prefer to push more weight. If you can't do push ups non-stop for 60 seconds then you have no business getting under a bar loaded with weights. Work your core, shoulders, legs, triceps, and chest muscles with this power move. If you can already smash out push-ups, try adding a clap to each push-up to really turn up the heat. For theses reasons, the push-up is one of the best muscle building exercises.


4. Military Press aka Shoulder Press: This move is killer for creating boulder shoulders and a killer physique. Using almost every muscle in the upper body, the shoulder press makes the cut for one of the best muscle building exercises. Use dumbbells or a barbell to transform your shoulders and amplify your strength. If you are a new and wish to increase your confidence first, use a machine shoulder press.
5. Clean and Press: This is one of the best muscle building exercises yet hardly anybody does this exercise as it is considered more of an Olympic lift rather than a bodybuilding lift. Any bodybuilder that does clean and presses is one that is focused on results. This move uses almost every muscle in the body. Picking a heavy barbell up off the ground and launching it above your head is hard but effective. Another benefit from this move is its effect on your metabolism. Studies show when training the entire body in one workout, fat burning is increased dramatically for the next 24 hours.

These are the foundation exercises behind any well thought out program designed to create results. You may be wondering why I didn't include the deadlift. Yes, this creates amazing power and strength but it is extremely risky and many injuries come from this move. For this reason it did not appear on the list. The exercises above are what I truly believe to be the best muscle building exercises available.

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