Leg exercises

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Leg Exercises

Learn how to work all your Leg Muscles with our Hamstring Exercises, Glute Exercises, Quadriceps Exercises, and Calf Exercises

Welcome to our Leg Exercises main page!


Here we’ve linked to all of our weight training exercises that target your leg muscles: the calves, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstring muscle groups. Each individual lower body exercise page comes complete with pictures, tips, and exercise instructions so you can immediately add to your leg workouts and other weight training programs.

Why Your Workout Routines Need Leg Exercises

Leg and Lower Body Exercises are happily (and stupidly) skipped by the majority of lifters. However, your leg muscles form the foundation to your POWERHOUSE and can’t be ignored.

Too often, people think:

“Who cares about my legs? I’m trying to sell tickets to the guns show and be able to bench press more than my buddies.”

While that may be the case, calling on this large leg muscle group releases more muscle building testosterone and growth hormone than training any other muscle group. These natural muscle builders supplement all your other lifts and don’t just build your leg muscles, but also pump up your chest muscles and all of the other glamour muscles.  

Lower body exercises also force your body to extract more energy (burn more calories) than upper body exercises. Burn fat build muscle – Nice huh? Which one you do will depend on your diet.

The Lower Body Exercises

We’ve divided up the page to give you a few options:

  • Continue reading below to see all our leg exercises sorted by equipment required – barbell, body weight, cable, or dumbbell exercises.
  • View Each Lower Body Exercise by Primary Muscle Trained
    • Calf Exercises
    • Glute Exercises
    • Hamstring Exercises
    • Quadriceps Exercises

  • Leave this page and check out our list of the Best Leg Exercises

Barbell Leg Exercises

Exercise
Name
Primary
Muscle(s)
Addl Equip.
Required
Barbell Deadlifts Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lats, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Traps, Upper Back Barbell
Barbell Hack Squat Quads, Calves, Forearms, Hamstrings, Glutes Barbell
Barbell Lunges Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell
Barbell Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
Bench Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
Bulgarian Split Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell, Bench
Front Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell
Front Squat to Bench Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell, Bench
Good Mornings Exercise Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell
Jefferson Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
One Leg Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
Overhead Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back, Shoulders Barbell
Power Clean Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Shoulders, Traps Barbell
Reverse Lunge Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell
Rocking Standing
Calf Raise
Calves Barbell
Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lower Back, Upper Back Barbell
Side Lunges Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Abductors Barbell
Side Split Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Abductors, Lower Back Barbell
Speed Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
Standing Calf Raises Calves Barbell
Sumo Deadlifts Hamstrings, Forearms, Glutes, Hip Adductors, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Traps, Upper Back Barbell
Suitcase Deadlift Hamstrings, Abs, Calves, Glutes, Lower Back, Quads, Traps Barbell
Step Ups Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Barbell, Bench
Stiff Leg Deadlift Hamstrings, Calves, Glutes, Lower Back, Upper Back Barbell
Wide Stance Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell
Zecher Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Barbell

Check out all our Barbell Exercises divided by muscle group trained!

Body Weight Leg Exercises

Exercise
Name
Primary
Muscle(s)
Addl Equip.
Required
Back Extension Exercise Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings Hyperextension Equipment
Donkey Calf Raises Calves None; Partner
Flutter Kicks Glutes, Hamstrings Body Weight Exercise
Glute Bridge Exercise Glutes, Hamstrings Body Weight Exercise

Check out all our Body Weight Exercises by muscle group trained!

Cable Leg Exercises

Exercise
Name
Primary
Muscle(s)
Addl Equip.
Required
Cable Hip Abduction Hip Flexors Machine
Glute Kickbacks Glutes, Hamstrings Cable

Check out all our Cable Exercises divided by muscle group trained!

Dumbbell Leg Exercises

Exercise
Name
Primary
Muscle(s)
Addl Equip.
Required
Dumbbell Calf Raises Calves Dumbbells
Dumbbell Deadlifts Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lats, Lower Back, Quadriceps, Traps, Upper Back Dumbbells
Dumbbell Lunge Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Dumbbells, Bench
Dumbbell Split Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Hip Flexors Dumbbells
Dumbbell Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Dumbbells
Dumbbell Squats to Bench Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Dumbbells, Bench
Dumbbell Step Up Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Dumbbells, Bench
Reverse Lunges Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Dumbbells
Rocking Standing Calf Raise Calves Dumbbells
Romanian Deadlifts Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lower Back, Upper Back Dumbbells
Sissy Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Dumbbells or Weight Plate
Sumo Squat Quads, Abs, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Dumbbells
Walking Lunges Exercise Quads, Abs, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Dumbbells

View all our Dumbbell Exercises divided by muscle group trained!

Weight Machine Exercises

Exercise
Name
Primary
Muscle(s)
Addl Equip.
Required
Calves Press on Leg Machine Calves Machine
Hip Abduction Exercise Hip Flexors Machine
Hip Adduction Exercise Hip Flexors Machine
Leg Curls Exercise Hamstrings Machine
Leg Extensions Exercise Quads Machine
Leg Press Exercise Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Machine
Machine Hack Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Machine
Narrow Stance Hack Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Machine
Narrow Stance Leg Press Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Machine
Seated Calf Raise Calves Machine
Smith Machine Goodmorning Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings Smith Machine
Smith Machine Hack Squats Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings Smith Machine
Smith Machine Reverse
Calf Raises
Calves Machine
Smith Machine
Romanian Deadlifts
Hamstrings, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lower Back, Upper Back Smith Machine
Standing Calf Raise Calves Machine
Standing Leg Curls Hamstrings Machine
Smith Machine Squat Quads, Calves, Glutes, Hamstrings, Lower Back Smith Machine

The Most Popular Leg Exercises:

Rather than viewing exercises by primary leg muscle or from the list above, check out the most popular lower body exercises. Each page links to all of the variations of these popular lower body exercises.

  • Calf Raises Exercise
  • Front Squat
  • Deadlifts Exercise
  • Hack Squats
  • Lunges Exercise
  • Split Squats
  • Step Up Exercise

Leg Exercises by Primary Leg Muscles Trained:

Are you trying to be more specific? Maybe you want to focus on your quads or build your own hamstring workout, glute workout, or calf workouts. Check out each of the exercise pages for these muscle groups listed below.

  • Calf Exercises
  • Glute Exercises
  • Hamstring Exercises
  • Quadriceps Exercises

Finally, if you found this page of interest, check out these related pages:

  • Best Leg Exercises
  • Weight Training Exercises Main Page
  • Compound Exercises
  • Fat Loss Workouts and Fat Burning Exercises
  • Muscle Building Workouts and Strength Training Exercises

You’ve seen the Exercises, now check out the Workout Routines.
Start at our Home Page.

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