ATHLEAN-X founder Jeff Cavaliere has proven strategies for helping you build a more complete lower body. On July 20, 2025, he broke down his workout formula for growing bigger, better legs without using traditional squats.
Cavaliere boasts decades of experience in the fitness sector. He breaks down science-based topics into easy-to-understand training demonstrations. Whether he’s crafting the perfect workout for a specific body part or unearthing his ultimate guide to getting lean, Cavaliere has made a career out of mentoring others toward their fitness goals.
Jeff Cavaliere Breaks Down Workout Formula for Growing Bigger Legs Without Squats
Find his selections below featured in his recent YouTube video:
- Dumbbell Drop Squat
- Dumbbell Split Squat
- Reverse Lunge
- Single Leg Squat
Dumbbell Drop Squat
Cavaliere highlights the value of the dumbbell drop squat because it allows the lifter to identify and correct their squatting technique.
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“The reason for this is because this will mechanically fix your squat. A lot of times, the pain that you feel in your back or your knees is coming from the fact that you don’t have good mechanics on the squat.”
“By just holding the dumbbell and letting it drop straight down to the floor, it pulls you into the proper position for the squat. If you’re getting low back pain, leaning too far forward, or if you’re getting knee pain because you’re allowing your knees to go too far forward, this will actually give you the perfect amount of hip and knee flexion.”
Dumbbell Split Squat
Next, he pointed out a common mistake observed during dumbbell split squats: when lifters come up for a repetition, they push back and away from the front leg.
“You have to get the setup right because this is where it all goes wrong. Too many times I’ve seen people do the split squat, and when they go down, they look fine, but when they come up, they push back and away. You don’t want to push back and away from that front leg. You need to stay vertical over that top leg.”
Instead, attempt to keep the body vertical over the top leg:
“Start in the vertical position on that leg and start to reach back with the other foot. You have to go to the point where you avoid any of this knee bend. If you’ve bent the knee, you’ve gone too far with this back leg.”
Reverse Lunge
During reverse lunges, he shared that it’s best to step back and out to widen your stance, which provides more support so balance doesn’t limit performance.
“When you do the reverse lunge, you don’t step straight back in line with one foot in front of the other. That’s going to create a balance exercise and we’re looking to do a strength and muscle-building exercise.
Step back and out so you can widen your feet. When you do that, you have a lot more support and balance is not the limiting factor here,” he said.
Single Leg Squat
Lastly, he credited the single leg squat as an effective technique that can be performed with a box or bench.
“What you do is either get a bench or a box that will allow you to drop your leg down below the level of it, so you can get into a deeper squat.
Why is this so great? What you do is you come down, try to get down towards parallel, and you come straight up. This is not a pistol squat. It’s not out in front, if anything, it’s out to the side.”
It’s not just hypertrophy that Cavaliere is after. Longevity, mobility, and flexibility are all at the top of his priority list. He recently unpacked his six most overlooked exercises that, when performed properly, can promote a higher quality of life.
Cavaliere is adamant anyone can grow a stellar pair of legs without traditional squats. He emphasized the importance of safety so lifters can achieve long-term progress with these four movements.
RELATED: Jeff Cavaliere Explains How to Train for Size vs Strength
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