Leg Day Workout for Men And Women: Strengthen & Shape

If you are looking for an effective yet killer leg day workout for men and women, then you are at the right place.

When we are building a good leg workout plan, we try to focus more on the “simple is better” approach. For this, the basic movements of your lower body, such as hips, squats, and lungs, should make up the bulk of your programming.

These exercises practically target the primary leg muscular groups—the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.

Once you get proficient with these movements, there are tons of variants and methods to advance that will keep you engaged.

In this article, you’ll find the best leg day workout for men and women, which will help you maximize leg strength and growth.

Strengthening Your Lower Body: The Best Leg Exercises

Squat

The squat is an exercise that works several joints in the leg. The upper position of the torso during this particular exercise also helps strengthen the core. You may stimulate more quadriceps muscles with less weight by placing the strain on your front rather than your back.

This type of squat helps If you have a restricted range of motion in your shoulders or a history of shoulder injuries.

How to Perform a Squat

• Standing tall with your feet pointed out and your shoulders wide Place the barbell on your chest. Use an overhand grip to firmly grasp the bar. To support the weight of the bar, the triceps will continue to be parallel to the floor.
• Taking a deep breath, slowly lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor while maintaining your weight. At the squat’s bottom, pause, then swiftly propel your hips back to the starting position.

Trainer’s Tips:

• Throughout the workout, keep your chest up.
• Do not allow your elbows to collapse.
• Throughout the exercise, make sure your heels are firmly planted on the ground.

Leg Extensions on Machine

It’s the best exercise you can have in a leg day workout for men and women that helps build quadriceps muscles. It is a simple yet powerful exercise that can work as a good alternative to leg machines at the gym, ensuring you never skip leg day again.

How to Perform Leg Extensions on Machine

• Place your feet on the ground or just slightly off it while you sit on the edge of the bench. For your knees to move up and down, they should be bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Maintain a firm grasp on the edge of the bench with your fingers while keeping your palms there to effectively lift the weight.
• Once your quads are completely engaged, extend your knees while holding the dumbbell between your feet (but do not lock them).
• In that position, pause for a few seconds before lowering to the starting position. You only get one repeat.

Trainer’s Tips

• Try to perform low-weight, max-rep sets. Because utilizing a heavier dumbbell might put a strain on your knees, which could be detrimental in the long run.
• Maintain a straight back during the whole exercise.
• Don’t move too quickly when doing this. Make sure to squeeze your quads hard during each rep.
• At the apex, don’t lock your knees.
• Combine this exercise with other leg movements, including squats, lunges, and deadlifts.

Standing calf raises

Single leg standing calf raises works wonders if you want to increase the size and strength of your lower leg. It also drastically increases the built and motion range in the ankle.

How to Perform Single Leg Standing Calf Raises

• You can stride with your heels and mid-foot dangling off the edge to feel a stretch in your calf or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes flat on the edge of a box. To maintain equilibrium, lean on a wall or a rail. This is where you begin.
• Make sure you feel a stretch in your calves as you elevate your heels by pushing your toes into the box, stop, and then lower yourself back to the starting position.

Trainer’s Tips

• Don’t make this a bouncy motion. Instead, keep your movements under control.
• At the peak of the action, remember to clench your calf muscles.
• To get the best stretch, be sure to lower the heel as much as you can.
• As you go, maintain a straight leg position.

Seated Leg Curl

This is the strength training exercise that primarily focuses on the muscles of the hamstrings as well as the calf muscles to a lesser extent. This results in improving your leg strength and stability. Some leg machines at the gym are extremely helpful for maintaining your efficiency.

How to Perform a Seated Leg Curl

• Make necessary machine adjustments to ensure proper positioning. Your knees should be aligned with the joint of the machine.
• Bend your knees as far as they will go and push the weight down.
• Release the weight gradually once more.

Trainer’s Tips

• If you’ve never performed a sitting leg curl, start with a smaller weight to get used to the exercise and prevent overworking your muscles.
• Consult a fitness expert or healthcare practitioner for advice if you have any questions about your ability to execute this exercise safely or if you have any pre-existing medical illnesses, injuries, or concerns.
• The hamstrings are predominantly worked during seated leg curls. For balanced leg growth, make sure your exercise program includes moves that target the opposite quadriceps muscle group.

Elevated Goblet Squat Lifts

It is an intermediate-level exercise that puts a little pressure on the back, but elevated goblet squat lifts is also a versatile exercise that you can comfortably fit to alter your gym and bodybuilding goals.

How to Elevated Goblet Squat Lift

• With your palms facing up and your elbows just beneath your hands, hold the weight against your chest.
• For a conventional goblet squat, place your feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Squat until either your elbows contact your thighs or your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Extend your hips and knees to raise your body back to the starting position.
• Then, gently drop the weight in front of you after performing the required number of repetitions.

Trainer’s Tips

• Your thighs should be about parallel to the floor when you are as low as you can get.
• Your knees should be exactly over your toes at the bottom of a typical goblet squat.
• Make sure your knees don’t collapse inward or push outward; they should track in line with your toes.
• Maintain a somewhat straight spine and erect posture.
• At the peak, squeeze your quads.

Final Word

A well-planned leg day workout is crucial to have in your fitness regimen if you want to build a powerful and proportionate body. Your legs are the basis of your body, so by taking the time and making the effort to strengthen and shape them, you can improve not just your overall athletic performance but also your functional fitness. You have to remain consistent in this workout and never skip leg day.

This leg day workout for men and women guide has covered a variety of efficient exercises that target the quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes, among other leg muscle groups. By including these workouts in your program, you’ll strengthen your lower body, gain muscle, and enhance the appearance of your lower body.

FAQs