Home Workouts for Legs: 10 Great Leg Exercises
Are you tired of paying for a gym membership but still want to get a good gym leg workout? Don’t worry- we’ve got you covered. Working out at home doesn’t have to be boring, and there are plenty of ways to get an excellent glute and leg workout in from the comfort of your own home. This article will explore the best home workouts for legs, covering every muscle group from calves to quads. So, let’s take a look, shall we?
At Home Hamstring Workouts
The hamstrings are an important muscle group to train. They play a significant role in knee flexion and thigh extension, and they also help make your legs look larger and more aesthetic.
If you’re looking for a home workout to work your hamstrings, consider these options.
Good Mornings
Good mornings are an excellent exercise to work your hamstrings and are perfect for both beginners and more experienced individuals. To perform a good morning, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands behind your head. Next, push your torso down, keeping your hips straight and unmoving. Then push down until your chest is perpendicular to your hips. Finally, engage your abs, squeeze your hamstrings tight and push your hips forward until you reach your starting position.
Good mornings can be done with your body weight, making them an excellent choice for a home workout for legs. But, if you want to make the exercise harder, try adding two dumbbells (or a barbell) to the movement. Rest these behind your head with your hands, and you should notice an increase in difficulty. Good Mornings are a great glutes and leg workout that can be imported into an at home back workout.
Good mornings target the following muscle groups:
- Hamstrings
- Back
- Glutes
- Abs
Glute Bridge
Glute bridges are one of the best exercises to get an excellent glute and leg workout at home. They’re great for your hamstrings and are very simple to perform.
To perform a glute bridge, lay down on your back. Have your knees bent so that your feet at flat on the floor. Next, squeeze your abs and glutes and push your glutes into the air. Push until your shoulders and knees create a straight line. Hold this position for two seconds, then slowly ease back to the starting position.
If you want to make your glute bridges more challenging, try laying a barbell over your hips. The extra weight will make your glute bridges significantly harder, helping you to achieve effective gym leg workouts at home.
Glute bridges work the following muscles:
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Lower Back
- Abs
Romanian Deadlift
If you’re looking for a good leg workout with dumbbells to work your hamstrings, Romanian deadlifts (RDL) might be perfect.
To perform am RDL, grab a dumbbell (or barbell/kettlebell) and hold it out in front of you, with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees and lower the dumbbell to the floor while pushing your hips backward. Return to the starting position by pushing up your hips, keeping your core and back engaged. This exercise is best performed in front of a mirror to ensure proper form.
RDLs are one of the best home workouts for legs, as they work many muscles. They engage the following:
- Hamstrings
- Adductors
- Erector spinae
- Glutes
- Lower back
- Abs
Walking Lunges
Walking lunges make for an excellent leg workout with dumbbells because they target virtually every muscle in the legs. It’s also one of my favorite exercises because it really gets you moving!
To perform a walking lunge, you will need two dumbbells. Hold one in each hand and stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step with your right leg and drop your hips, lowering your left knee to the floor. As it reaches the ground, push up with your right leg. Repeat this for the other leg.
Walking lunges work the following muscles:
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Calves
- Abs
- Hips
- Glutes
Calf Exercises for at home
Calve exercises are some of the most underrated activities in the gym. So many people (including me) sometimes avoid training their calves because it’s seen as boring and repetitive. But calf exercises are actually some of the most enjoyable! Here are three exercises to put a smile on your face and get your calves pumping.
Jump Rope
As a boxer, jumping rope is an integral part of my training. It’s great cardio, improves coordination, and helps build bone density. But, it’s also an effective and enjoyable way to train your calf muscles.
All you’ll need is a skipping rope. Start with the handles at hip height, palms facing outward, and the rope behind your feet. Flick the rope around you using your forearms and jump before it hits your feet. Try doing this for 2 minutes at a time before taking a break.
Jumping rope will train the following:
- Calves
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
Standing Calf Raise
One of the most fundamental calf exercises you should implement into your leg workout at the gym or at home is the standing calf raise. It’s so simple yet so very effective.
Stand on an elevated surface on your toes to perform a calf raise. I use my doorframe at home if you’re struggling with ideas. Next, drop your heels down until you feel your calves engage. Next, bounce up with your toes until you are on your tiptoes. Hold this position for a second before coming back down.
Calf raises can be made harder with dumbbells or by doing them one leg at a time, making them one of the most versatile exercises for your home workouts for legs. They’ll also work the following muscles:
- Gastrocnemius
- Soleus
Jump Squat
If you love plyometric exercises, you’ll love the jump squat. To perform a jump squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, push your hips back and bend your knees until you are in a squat position. Then, drive your legs up and jump as high as you can. Upon landing, bend your knees to start another rep. Jump squats can be made more difficult by placing dumbbells in each hand.
This exercise will work the following muscles:
- Calves (worked on both ascension and landing)
- Quads
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
Quad Workout At Home
Your quadriceps muscle is one of the most prominent muscle groups in your leg. Training them helps to build a proportionate physique, and there’s a good variety of exercises to try. Here are three great quad workouts at home that you can easily perform.
Squat
The squat is one of the most common leg exercises in the gym and forms the basis of many people’s gym leg workouts. But, it can be performed just as easily at home.
To perform a bodyweight squat, start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Next, engage your core and push your hips back to the floor as far as possible, keeping your back straight. Hold your position for a second when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then, drive back up with your legs until you return to the starting position.
Squats can be made more difficult with a barbell. But, to perform a barbell squat, you will need a squat rack. Squat racks or power racks are one of the best pieces of equipment to ensure you get a great home workout and are worth the investment.
Squats work the following muscles:
- Quads
- Glutes
- Hamstrings
- Abdominals
Bulgarian Split Squat
Viewed by many as the most challenging leg workout at the gym, the Bulgarian split squat is one of the most effective quad exercises you can perform. But, of course, you’ll need a bench, chair, or stable surface to perform these.
Stand around 2 feet from the bench or chair you will use to start. Raise one leg onto this surface and step your front foot forward slightly. Next, lower your rear knee down until it nearly touches the floor. Then, to complete the exercise, drive back up with your legs until you are back in the starting position.
You can make Bulgarian split squats even harder by adding dumbbells, making them a great choice if you want to perform a leg workout with dumbbells.
The Bulgarian Split Squat is a great quad workout at home and works the following muscles:
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Glutes
- Calves
- Abs
Box Jumps
Box jumps are one of my favorite quad exercises because they add cardio to your workout. They can also be performed at home very easily. All you’ll need is a box or step to jump onto.
Stand around one foot away from your surface and begin to perform a squat. Once you’re halfway through your squat, swing your arms forward and drive your legs up to jump onto the surface. Then, gently step back down and return to your starting position to complete the exercise.
Box jumps work the following muscles:
- Quads
- Calves
- Abs
- Glutes
Final Thoughts
So, there are ten at-home exercises to build your legs. Most of these exercises can be performed without equipment if you’re just starting out or made more difficult with weights if you’re more experienced. These exercises are versatile and can be performed anywhere, so there’s no excuse not to give them a go. These exercises also show that you don’t need a gym leg workout to train your legs, and you can achieve great results without paying for a gym membership.
