Bodyweight workouts are a popular and convenient method of improving strength and conditioning without equipment. To build strong legs, you must perform bodyweight leg exercises. Regarding more muscular legs, bodyweight movements offer you various options to target the muscles in your lower body. Having strong legs is essential for achieving fitness goals. Bodyweight workouts help you build an athletic body.
Two types of bodyweight leg activities are the squat and lunge patterns. These exercises allow you to progress and improve your strength without relying on equipment. Also, there are many benefits to bodyweight leg exercises. Some of these are as follows:
- You can sidestep the gym
- Also, you can dominate the basics
- You can terminate your leg day while travelling.
The bodyweight activities are realistic and functional, which means they help you strengthen the muscles that work in your daily life routines. Bodyweight leg exercises are the best routines for your legs to build them more robust and heavier. Both beginners and advanced athletes can efficiently perform these bodyweight workouts.
8 Advanced Bodyweight Leg Exercises
There are also many bodyweight leg workouts, but here we talk about the best and most advanced, which help you achieve your goals quickly. In this routine of bodyweight leg exercises, beginners should perform three sets of following workouts with 10 to 12 reps per exercise. However, advanced athletes should perform five sets with 15 reps or more per exercise. The eight best bodyweight movements are as follows:
- Bodyweight Squat
- Lateral Lunge
- Sumo Squat
- Calf Raises
- Wall Squat
- Split Lunge
- Jump Squat
- Single-leg deadlift
1. Bodyweight Squat
An essential exercise that works for several muscular groups, the bodyweight squat is an excellent addition to any fitness program. It gives great results for your leg muscles. If you want quick progress in your legs, add this to your bodyweight exercise routine. It is also one of the best bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Place your feet hip-width apart and tip your toes slightly outward while you stand tall.
- Keep your back straight and your core active. Breathe in, then push your hips back as if you were sitting down, bending your knees simultaneously.
- Once your thighs parallel the floor, lower yourself, if mobility permits, much more profoundly. Preserve a flat heel position on the ground.
- Squeeze your glutes at the peak and exhale as you push through your heels to stand back up.
2. Lateral Lunge
The lateral lunge is a bodyweight workout that works your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip abductors, and core. It’s an excellent body-weight method for building your legs. It is also one of the finest bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Position your feet hip-width apart and take a tall stance. Engage your core and maintain a neutral spine.
- Keep your arms relaxed at your sides, or place them in front of your chest for balance.
- Bend your knee as you step out sideways and lower your body. The other leg should stay straight.
- Drop until your hips are parallel to the floor (as low as possible while maintaining proper form is optimal).
- To get back to where you were before, push through your heel. Do the same on the opposite side.
3. Sumo Squat
The sumo squat is a fantastic bodyweight exercise that works your inner and outer thighs, glutes, hamstrings, and core. It’s a compelling twist on the standard squat that offers unique advantages. It is also one of the best bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Place your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, about one foot (30 cm) on either side of your shoulders. Using your toes, point them 45 degrees outward.
- Maintain a straight back, an elevated chest, and relaxed shoulders while engaging your core.
- You can hold your arms at your sides or stretch them straight in front of you for balance.
- As though you were sitting in a chair, bend your knees and hips and push your hips back.
- Once your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, lower yourself. To prevent your knees from giving way, keep them tracking parallel to your toes.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top and push through your heels to get back to the starting position.
4. Calf Raises
Calf raises are basic yet effective bodyweight workouts that work the calf’s gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. They can be done anywhere, don’t require special equipment, and can be tailored to your preferred fitness level. The calf is also one of the best bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Set your feet hip-width apart and take a tall stance. Maintain a straight back and engage your core.
- Lift your heels off the ground gradually by pushing through your toes. Keep your ankles from rolling inward or outward.
- At the peak of the exercise, clench your calf muscles. Feel the constriction as you hold for a brief moment.
- Return your heels carefully and slowly. Avoid putting your heels on the ground.
5. Wall Squat
The wall squat is an excellent bodyweight exercise to improve your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core. It’s easy to adapt to varying fitness levels, equipment-free, and suitable for beginners. It is also one of the best bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Put your back against a wall and stand there. Step slightly in front of yourself and space your feet shoulder-width apart. Make your back straight and tighten your abdominal muscles.
- As though you were going to take a seat, bowed knees, and your torso sliding down the wall. Maintain a straight back and keep your knees in line with your toes.
- Get as low as you can comfortably go until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Maintain a raised chest with your back against the wall.
- After a few moments of holding at the bottom, push through your heels to return to the beginning position.
6. Split Lunge
The split lunge is an excellent bodyweight workout that works your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. This unilateral exercise promotes balanced strength and stability when working one leg at a time. It is also one of the finest bodyweight leg exercises.
How to do it:
- Place your feet hip-width apart and stand tall. During the exercise, maintain a neutral spine while using your core.
- Step forward with your dominant leg and land on the ball of your foot. Lower your body until your rear knee almost touches the ground, and your front knee makes a 90-degree angle by bending both knees. Remain nearly parallel to the floor with your front shin to prevent excessive valgus (inward knee bending).
- Pushing through your front heel is necessary to regain your starting posture. Ensure your shoulders and hips rise equally when you stand up to prevent overrotating your body.
7. Jump Squat
The jump squat is a great exercise that works your quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. To provide stability and explosiveness, it also works your core. It is one of the best bodyweight leg exercises. The jump squat is an excellent variety for your leg muscles.
How to do it:
- Maintain a little pointed-toe position and a contracting core.
- Keep your back straight and your chest up while bending your knees and pushing your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair. Go for a depth where your thighs are either slightly below or parallel to the floor.
- Jump as high as possible while completely extending your hips and knees by pushing through your heels.
- As you land, stoop back down by bending your knees to absorb the impact. Enter the following jump right away, keeping your movement flowing.
8. Single-Leg Deadlift
A great bodyweight exercise for building your hamstrings, glutes, core, and balance is the single-leg deadlift (SLDL). It is also one of the finest bodyweight leg exercises. A leg deadlift is fantastic for building more muscular legs.
How to do it:
- Set your feet hip-width apart and take a tall stance. Straighten and extend one leg back, keeping it an inch off the ground. Follow a neutral lumbar spine and contract your core.
- You can hinge your hips by bending your standing knee slightly and pushing your hips back. Avoid rounding your shoulders and maintain a straight back.
- Once your glutes and hamstrings start to stretch, lower your torso. When you stand, try to keep your shin aligned with the ground.
- Push through your heel while standing to return to where you were before.
- Do the same with the second leg, completing the same number of reps on each side.
People Also Ask
What are bodyweight leg exercises?
Leg exercises that use only your body weight as resistance are known as bodyweight exercises, designed to strengthen the muscles in your legs. These workouts increase muscle tone, strength, and general lower-body fitness.
Can bodyweight leg exercises help with weight loss?
When paired with proper nutrition and frequent aerobic exercise, bodyweight leg movements can help with weight loss. These workouts contribute to muscle mass growth, which raises metabolism and increases calorie expenditure throughout the day.
Are bodyweight leg exercises suitable for older adults?
Bodyweight leg workouts assist in retaining independence and lower the risk of falls by improving strength, balance, and mobility in older people. It’s critical that senior citizens select exercises based on their fitness level, practice them correctly, and seek supervision when necessary.
Are bodyweight leg workouts suitable for individuals with limited space or access to equipment?
As bodyweight leg workouts can be done almost anywhere at home, in a hotel room, or outside, they are perfect for anyone with limited space or equipment access. These workouts are accessible and convenient for people with different lifestyles and circumstances because they don’t require a lot of room or equipment.
Can bodyweight leg workouts be done at home?
You may perform bodyweight leg exercises at home, as they don’t require any special equipment and take up little room. You can do these exercises on your lawn, living room, or any other open space where you have enough space to walk around freely.
Conclusion
People of all ages and fitness levels, even those with limited room or equipment access, can benefit from bodyweight leg workouts due to their accessibility and practicality. Including these exercises in your program can help you develop a more substantial, more athletic lower body, regardless of whether you like bodyweight exercises or are working out from home or on the go.
You may develop more robust, muscular legs and successfully meet your fitness goals by combining the eight advanced bodyweight leg exercises covered in this article and modifying the sets, reps, and intensity according to your current fitness level.
