Legs Strength Training

Updated on July 28, 2007

Squats (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Squats are an excellent lower body workout. They can work nearly every muscle in the lower body if done slowly, but they primarily work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and butt.

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and your legs slightly bent. Maintain good posture.
Hold your arms out in front of you. (You can hold onto a chair for more balance, or you can put your hands on your hips if you want to practice improving your balance.)
Lower your body by sitting down in mid air (not in a chair). During the sit / squat, do not let your butt go lower than your knees, and your toes should always be visible (you shouldn't have to look around your knee to see your toes). Also, keep your head up.
Slowly raise yourself back up to a standing position.

For more resistance, hold dumbbells or a weighted bar on your shoulders, or stand on a resistance band and pull on it as you raise up.

Forward Lunges (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Forward lunges, like the squat, work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and butt, but they also incorporate balance which works stability muscles. They can even help you improve your reflexes.

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and your legs slightly bent. Maintain good posture.
Take a large step forward.
Bend your knees to lower your body. During the bend, do not lower your butt below the level of your front knee. Keep your head up and look forward.
Use your leg muscles to push yourself back up.
Bring your forward leg back, so that you are again standing with your legs shoulder width apart.

For more resistance, hold dumbbells at your sides.

Side Lunges (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Side lunges are similar to the forward lunges, but since you move sideways, you work different stability muscles and increase the workload for the inner and outer thigh.

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and your legs slightly bent. Maintain good posture.
Take a large step to the side, keeping your feet and knees facing forward.
Bend your knees to lower your body. During the bend, do not lower your butt below the level of your front knee. Keep your head up and look forward.
Use your leg muscles to push yourself back up.
Bring your leg that's out to the side back, so that you are again standing with your legs shoulder width apart.

For more resistance, hold dumbbells at your sides.

Side Leg Raises / Lifts (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Side leg raises (also called side leg lifts) work the outer thigh and hip.

Lay on your side, ensuring that your body is aligned, so your hips chest, head, and legs forms a straight line. Rotate your hips, so your top hip is directly over your bottom hip (don't let top hip roll forward or behind the bottom hip).
Bend your bottom leg and point your top leg.
Slowly, lift your top leg into the air as high as you comfortably can. Keep your knee and foot facing forward.
Slowly lower it back down, but try not to rest it on the floor (or your bottom leg).

For more resistance, wrap ankle weights around your ankles.

Thigh Squeeze (Calinsthenic)

The thigh squeeze works your inner thighs.

Sit in a chair while maintaining good posture.
Place an object between your knees and thighs. (Balls and cushions are the most comfortable objects to use.)
Squeeze your thighs together as if you are trying to squish the object.
Relax your thighs, but don't drop the object.

For more resistance, you can use a pilates ring, a firm ball, or even one of those gadgets designed for thigh squeezes.

Leg Extensions (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Leg extensions work your quadriceps.

Sit in a chair while maintaining good posture. Keep your feet on the floor.
Slowly straighten out one leg, moving only at the knee, so the ankle is nearly at the level of the knee.
Slowly bend your leg, bringing your ankle and foot back down to the floor.

For more resistance, wear ankle weights.

To use more muscles, lay on your back while holding your legs up as if you were sitting in a chair that was on its back, and extend your legs straight up in the air.

Leg Curls (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

Leg curls work your hamstrings.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your legs slightly bent. Hold onto a chair for balance, or skip the chair and practice balancing.
While standing on one leg, slowly bend the other leg, bringing your ankle to the same level as your knees.
Slowly lower your leg back down.

For more resistance, use ankle weights.

Stair Climbing (Calinsthenic)

This is exactly what it sounds like. Find some stairs and climb them. If you don't have stairs, use a step bench. If you don't have a bench, use the curb on your street.

Stair climbing works the entire lower body while giving you a cardio workout.

Calf / Heel Raises (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

The calf raise (also called the heel raise) works the calf muscle.

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and your legs slightly bent. (For a more intense workout, stand with your heels hanging over the edge of a step.) Do not lean forward or backward; maintain good posture.
Push your heels up off the ground, so you're only standing on the ball of your foot and your toes.
Lower your heels back down slowly.

For more resistance, try holding dumbbells at waist level or hold a weighted bar on your shoulders. You can also stand on one foot rather than both feet, but be sure to have something you can grab to maintain your balance.

Toe Raises (Calinsthenic, Weight Lifting)

The toe raise works the front of your lower leg.

Sit in a chair with both feet flat on the floor or with toes just slightly pointing down (to have your toes point downward, you'll need to sit in a chair high enough for your feet to hang down without touching the floor). Be sure to maintain good posture.
Point your toes upward.
Bring your toes back down.

For more resistance, wrap ankle weights around the middle of your foot.

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