Leg workouts are always tough. Anything that involves heavy squatting then doing anything else afterwards is generally not too pleasant. Because the legs are made up of such large muscles, and because so many lower body exercises are compound exercises, it is not difficult to work the legs hard. Your legs are big, so hit them hard with exercises that work each muscle thoroughly. The have also been some of the hardest workouts I have ever made it through.  If you’re interested in real weight lifting, then this article is for you. Here is a sample of what I would consider one of the best leg workouts possible.

For 5-10 minutes, warmup with a slow jog or 5 minutes on the exercise bike. Push it a bit at the end to really get your muscles warm and push your heart rate up.

Cable Squats

If you’re new to the cable/ weight stack apparatus, take a minute to find the right amount of counterbalance weight. If the machine is adjustable, move the pulleys and handle almost to the floor. During the squat, grip the handle or bar close to your chest, and allow the weight stack to counter balance as you flex your knees and push your hips back and down. As you lower your body, keep your weight evenly distributed between legs, and centered through your heels.

The wider your stance, the more you hit your hamstrings and glutes. Create a decent space between your legs. To really target your vastus medialis (inner quads muscle), do a set or two while squeezing a small, inflatable ball between your knees.

Try reverse lunges to really hit the hamstrings, leg by leg, while putting only minimal stress on your lower back.

Between barbell squats, calf raises, and plyometric lunges, and work with resistance bands, my legs felt like jelly as I left the gym.

Sidesteps with Resistance Band

If you do this one right, it should make your gluts and outer thighs burn. The benefit of this exercise is that it really nails those quads. Grip the handles of a resistance band and step on the center. Place your feet at a hip-width distance apart. Slowly under control, begin your decent. Pick up your right foot (the band should come with it) and take as large a step as possible to the side. Follow this with your other foot. For one set, take 10-15 steps to the right; then retrace your steps moving to the left. Try to keep your knees bent and move at a pace where you constantly feel resistance.

Plyometric Lunges

Any type of lunge is a great leg workout, as long as you focus on keeping your knee behind your foot and not letting your legs “wobble” back and forth. Plyos are a part of my best leg workout because of the extra workout required to propel your body off of the ground and land with control.  Granted, they aren’t up there with barbell back squats but they certainlly pack a punch. Begin in a standard lunge position. From the lowest position, jump up and switch your legs (moving one forward and the other back). Land in the opposite position to the one you started in, and lower yourself again into a squat. Concentrate on good form and upper body posture throughout the movement.

The best leg workout you’ve ever had should start off with a few sets of each of these exercises, for versatile, compound lower body movements. If you find yourself wanting more, try upping your squat weight, or using a band with more resistance for your side steps. Even if you won’t call it the best leg workout of your life, I’m betting that your legs will concede it’s a good one.

 

Tags: barbell squats, fitness, weight lifting
Filed under: Fat Loss