ALL LEG EXERCISES

Our full list of Leg exercises and their instructions.

Squats:

What it works: Quads and Glutes

How to perform:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
Keeping a neutral spine, your chest up, and your core engaged, start by simultaneously bending your knees and hips, lowering your butt.
Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground, then push through your heels to return to the starting position.
Squeeze your glutes at the top.

Beginner tip: Keep your nose moving vertically, like you’re jumping in water, not diving. Never tilt or lean forward, as this shifts the focus off of your quads and onto your lower back. If you struggle to do this, try elevating your heels slightly. An easy way to do this is to put a weight under each heel. We recommend either going barefoot or with flat-soled shoes.

BB Squats:

What it works: Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves, Upper Back, Traps

How to perform:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, and the barbell resting on your upper traps.
Engage your core and keep your back straight as you bend at the knees and hips, lowering your body into a squat position.
Descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below, ensuring your knees stay in line with your toes.
Push through your heels to rise back up to the starting position, fully extending your hips and knees.

Leg Extensions:

What it works: Quads

How to perform:

Sit on a leg extension machine with your shins positioned under the padded bar.
Adjust the machine so that your knees are aligned with the axis of rotation.
Place your hands on the handles and brace your core.
Extend your legs forward, lifting the padded bar by contracting your quadriceps muscles until your legs are fully extended.
Slowly lower your legs back down, ensuring a full stretch at the bottom.

Leg Curls:

What it works: Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves

How to perform:

Sit on a leg curl machine and position your legs above the padded bar.
Slowly contract your hamstrings, curling your legs downward and toward your glutes while exhaling.
Pause at the bottom of the movement to fully squeeze your hamstrings.
Allow the bar to rise back up in a controlled manner, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
Be sure to keep your knees pointing upward throughout the entire movement to minimize risk of injury.

Standing Calf Raises:

What it works: Calves

How to perform:

Hold a dumbbell or barbell and stand on a raised surface such as a step or block with the balls of your feet, allowing your heels to hang off the edge.
Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Slowly raise your heels as high as possible by extending your ankles, squeezing your calf muscles at the top of the movement.
Hold for a brief moment, then lower your heels back down in a controlled manner until you feel a stretch in your

Seated Calf Raises:

What it works: Calves

How to perform:

Sit on the leg press machine with feet shoulder-width apart. Your heels should be hanging off the bottom of the surface, all the weight on the balls of your feet.
Keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Slowly raise your heels as high as possible by extending your ankles, squeezing your calf muscles at the top of the movement.
Hold for a brief moment, then lower your heels back down in a controlled manner until you feel a stretch in your calves.