People don't like to swing their legs. The main reason is that it is the largest muscle group that requires maximum effort to work out. At the same time, the legs are the most important stimulator of anabolic processes, their intense training makes the body experience maximum stress.
Many athletes have probably experienced a feeling of severe dizziness that prevents them from walking the day after class. Pain means you have given your legs enough stress to grow / lose weight / get stronger. If you're serious about targeting your lower body, it's important to know which leg exercises are best to use.
A little about the anatomy of the legs
Before choosing effective leg exercises, it is worth studying their anatomy. Like other large muscle groups, the legs are made up of several large muscle groups and many smaller ones. It makes no sense to work out small muscle groups, since they are involved in basic exercises and do not respond well to insulating load.
As for the large muscle muscle groups, they are conventionally divided into the following groups:
- Thigh muscles. These are the quadriceps femoris, hamstrings, adductors and abductors of the thigh. It is these muscles that decide how the buttocks look after exercise.
- Knee muscles. This is the back of the thigh and quadriceps. They are all responsible for flexion and extension of the leg while walking.
- Ankle muscle. They are calf and soleus. They also include the opposing muscles, which are responsible for wiggling the toes, but training them is inappropriate.
Understanding which muscles work in certain exercises is especially important for women: by choosing the right exercises to strengthen the muscles of the legs, it is easier to carry out local body shaping.
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Training recommendations
Unlike the pectoral muscles and back brace, our legs work almost constantly, so they require a special approach to training for growth.
- Remember, your legs are used to high reps, so you need to do small reps with maximum weight.
- Watch the position of your socks. If necessary, use wooden planks to accentuate the load. Depending on the position of the heels and toes, the load in the same basic exercise can be dramatically different.
- Remember the rule: first - basic, then - insulating.
- Legs should not be heavily trained more than once a week.
- Pay attention to your calves right away. Since they are involved in all basic exercises, they need extra stimulation from the start, otherwise they won't grow at all.
- Don't forget about cravings. Due to the elimination of deadlifts on the day of the legs, many athletes have severe hamstrings behind.
Exercises
Unlike the muscles of the back or chest, a set of exercises for the legs should include exercises that are fundamentally different in mechanics. It is necessary to separately work out the front of the legs and the back of the thighs, and pay special attention to the calves. Let's take a look at the most effective leg exercises.
| Exercise | Major muscle group | Accessory muscle group | Load type |
| Ellipsoids | Quadriceps femoris | Quadriceps and soleus | Cardio |
| King's thrust | Back of the thigh | Quadriceps and hamstrings | Basic |
| Sumo pull | Back of the thigh | Quadriceps and hamstrings | Basic |
| Leg curl in the simulator | Hip biceps | – | Insulating |
| Bringing the legs together on the simulator | Inner thigh | – | Insulating |
| Extension of the legs on the block trainer | Quadriceps | – | Insulating |
| Raising the legs to the sides on the simulator | Outer thigh | – | Insulating |
| Work on the simulator rider | Hip biceps | Hamstrings + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings | Cardio |
| Jumping rope | Quadriceps femoris | Calf and quadriceps | Cardio |
| Farmer's walk | Quadriceps femoris | Quadriceps and soleus | Basic |
| Wide leg squats | Thigh muscles | Quadriceps | Basic |
| Pistol squat | Quadriceps | Quadriceps femoris | Basic |
| Hook squats | Quadriceps femoris | Quadriceps | Complex |
| Barbell Shoulder Squat | Quadriceps | All thigh muscles | Basic |
| Front squats | Quadriceps | back of the thigh | Basic |
| Seated Calf Raises | Flounder | calf | Insulating |
| Calf Raises in a Press Machine | Flounder | calf | Insulating |
| Weighted Calf Raises | Calf | Flounder | Insulating |
| Abduction of straight legs on a block trainer | Hip biceps | back of the thigh | Insulating |
| Deadlift | Back of the thigh | Quadriceps and hamstrings | Basic |
| Climber | Quadriceps | Hamstrings + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings | Cardio |
| Leg press | Quadriceps | Back of the thigh | Complex |
| Deep gray hair | Quadriceps | Quadriceps femoris | Basic |
| Hyperextension | Quadriceps femoris | Back extensor muscles | Complex |
| Jumping out | Back of the thigh | Hamstrings + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings | Cardio |
| Air squats | Quadriceps | Quadriceps femoris | Basic |
| Exercise bikes | Quadriceps femoris | Quadriceps and soleus | Cardio |
| Burpee | Quadriceps femoris | Hamstrings + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings | Cardio |
| Running on a treadmill | Calf | Hamstrings + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings | Cardio |
Basic
Leg exercises in the gym usually involve heavy barbell work. The list of indispensable pumping exercises consists of only two items.
Insulating
Isolation leg exercises are traditionally used with machines to target lagging muscle groups. This includes:
- Leg press.
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- Hyperextension.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
- Seated Sock Raise.
© Minerva Studio - stock.adobe.com
- Breeding and bringing the legs to the sides on the simulator.
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© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
- Flexion / extension of the legs on the simulator.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
Exercises for the hall
Leg strengthening exercises do not have to involve basic work or classic machines. Today in the halls there are a huge number of cardio-oriented shells that work out the legs perfectly.
- Rider. An exercise machine in which you need to lift your own weight with your legs. The key design feature is the insulating load exclusively on the gluteal muscles.
- Climber. Combination of stepper and treadmill. Perfectly simulates climbing a high staircase.
- Exercise bikes. The classic trainer for working out the thigh muscles.
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- Ellipsoids.
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Home Exercises
Leg exercises at home are quite variable. Unlike the back muscles, the legs can be pumped without special equipment, since the basic movements are natural for the body.
For example, a simple bundle of basic exercises for the home will be effective:
- Air squats. Analogous to the barbell squat, but no weight.
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- Lunges. Great exercise for working out the back of the thigh.
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- Bends to straight legs. Analogue of deadlift.
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- Jumping out. For those who have little load from air and deep squats.
In addition, we must not forget about running and other cardio loads, which most often involve the legs.
Stretching
Stretching deserves special mention, which forms slender legs. Used as a stretch:
- Deep lunges without weight. Perfectly develop the flexibility of the back of the thigh.
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- Half-twine - transverse and longitudinal. Develop flexibility in all muscle groups with the right technique.
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- All kinds of twines. Basically, they develop the flexibility of the inguinal ligament and adductor muscles.
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- Swing your legs. Similar to half-twine.
- Stretching the legs with the help of a partner.
© Aleksei Lazukov - stock.adobe.com
Complexes
Unlike other muscle groups, leg workouts are traditionally divided into male and female. The main differences are:
- Focusing on muscle groups.
- Working scales.
- The number of approaches.
- Creating a moderate lag in certain groups by excluding them from training.
Consider the main male and female complexes:
| Complex | Exercises | A task |
| Male basic | Squat with a barbell on the back 5 * 5 Press in the simulator 5 * 7 Extension of the legs on the simulator 3 * 12 Deadlift 5 * 5 Raise on toes in the Gackenschmidt simulator 10 * 10 | The primary goal of these leg pumping exercises is to acquire the base strength of all major muscle groups. All exercises are performed with the highest possible weights and strict technique, including the use of a board under the socks. |
| Female basic | Squat with a barbell on the chest 4 * 15 Deadlift 3 * 20 Leg curl in the simulator 5 * 20 Seated Calf Raise 5 * 20 | This complex is designed to strengthen all leg muscles and create a base tone for subsequent workouts. |
| General strengthening | Air squats 5 * 20 Deep squats 4 * 12 Deep lunges 5 * 20 Jumping rope 120 seconds Running - at intervals of 100 meters. | Used to prepare for heavy gym exercises. In addition, it is recommended to use the main basic exercises with an empty bar to master the technique. |
| Home for men | Deep squats with a narrow stance. 5 * 20 Rise to the toe on one leg 5 * 20 Pistol squat 3 * 5 Abduction of the leg to the side 5 * 20 | Home variation of the men's split with an emphasis on the quadriceps. |
| Home for women | Deep squats with wide stance 5 * max One leg toe rise 5 * max Lunges 5 * max Half twine 20 times on each side Cross lunges. 20 times Leading the leg to the side 5 * 20 Leading the leg back 5 * 20 Breeding legs lying 5 * 20 Raising the legs lying on the side 3 * 15 | Homemade variation of the women's split with an emphasis on the thighs and glutes. |
| Split with an emphasis on the quads | Squat with a barbell on the back. 5 * 5 Press in the simulator 5 * 5 Extension of the legs on the simulator 3 * 12 Seated Calf Raise 3 * 8 Running on a treadmill with an upward incline. | The main task is to strengthen the legs as much as possible, while not increasing the gluteal muscles in volume. |
| Split with emphasis on the hips and buttocks | Deadlift 5 * 20 Deep squats with fit stick 5 * 20 Leg curl in the simulator 5 * 20 Lunges with a weight of 5 * 20 Abduction of the leg to the side in the block simulator 3 * 12 Leading the leg back in the block trainer 3 * 12 | The main goal is to maximize the volume of the gluteal muscles without affecting the quadriceps, which can make the legs knobby. |
In all women's complexes, minimum weights are used (20-30% of a one-time maximum), while men must work in a mode up to 80% of a one-time maximum.
Exercises with non-standard equipment
The legs are involved in almost all daily movements and sports. Therefore, you can easily work them out using specific inventory.
Note: this is not a complete list of specific inventory available to everyone.
- Running with weights. It enhances the cardio effect, in addition, an additional load is created on the hamstrings of the hip, which is responsible for bending the leg. Because of this, the legs are more slender, and the load is shifted from the quads towards the buttocks.
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- Working with a rubber band (loop). The list is quite wide. The loop can simulate any leg muscle exercise using iron.
© Mikhail Reshetnikov - stock.adobe.com
- Norwegian walking. You will need ski poles for this exercise. You will look quite comical on the streets of the city, but you can completely turn off the quads, emphasizing the load on the quadriceps muscle of the thigh.
Slimming
When training your lower body, remember that exercises for slimming legs and hips, so that you are not told by the trainer. Losing legs is due to the combination of several factors:
- Global fat burning.
- Toning of "flabby muscles".
It is due to this that the very effect of exercises for losing weight is manifested. In fact, the legs do not lose weight, it's just that the muscles are in better shape when pulling up, which means they don't hang so much from the attachment point.
If your goal is to do exercises to lose weight on your legs, follow a few training principles:
- Training in pumping mode. High reps - low weights.
- Progress solely by increasing the number of repetitions. Any increase in weight threatens muscle hypertrophy, which will lead to muscle gain.
- Focus on cardio-focused exercises, they burn fat much more effectively, which allows you to get perfect slim legs faster.
If you have already pumped your legs, it is worthwhile to reduce the weight as much as possible and work in an aerobic mode in basic exercises. That is, instead of a 40 kg barbell for 20 repetitions, use a 20 kg barbell and the number of repetitions over 50. This will cause catabolism in red muscle tissues and create conditions for myofibrillar hypertrophy of white fibers, which are much smaller than red ones.
Outcome
Many people do not like leg training, because these are the most capricious muscles that require constant experimentation to determine the optimal formula for the growth of strength and volume indicators. At the same time, leg training is exhausting.
Finally, we will give advice: if you use split workouts, allocate a separate day for your legs, and if you do not have enough load, work out small muscle groups, for example, the muscles of the lower leg.
