Three Killer Leg Workouts for Muscle Growth

Build your best legs ever with any of these tried-and-tested leg workouts. Warm-up before each one by doing some light cardio, a few dynamic stretches/joint mobility exercises, and 1-2 sets each of the main exercises using a light weight. That way, your body, and mind will be prepared for what you are about to do, and your risk of injury will be as low as possible. 

Ready to go? Let’s do this! 

Workout 1 – Machines Only

Resistance training machines often get a lot of bad press for not being “functional.” Machine detractors tell us that machines don’t improve performance because they don’t involve as much stabilizer muscles, balance, or coordination. But, guess what, when you want to build serious muscle, those so-called drawbacks are actually benefits.

With no weights to balance or tricky movements to master, you are free to focus on working your muscles to failure – an important factor for triggering growth.

Sure, if you are an athlete, too much machine training could be detrimental to your performance but, for bodybuilding, machines can be incredibly useful. As an added benefit, working your legs on resistance training machines provides your spine with plenty of support, and that’s good news if you have back pain.

Build your best legs ever with this machine-only workout!

Exercise descriptions

Leg Extensions

Use leg extensions to warm-up your knees and pre-fatigue your quads, making the next exercise even more challenging!

How to do it:

1. Adjust the seat on the leg extension so that your knees are in line with the machine’s pivot point. Adjust the leg pad, so it’s across your ankles.
2. Without kicking or jerking, smoothly extend your legs until your knees are straight. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds.
3. Bend your legs and lower the weights, but do not allow the weight plates to touch down.
4. Move quickly on to the next exercise.

Hack Squat

The hack squat machine is a compound exercise that emphasizes your quadriceps. With plenty of back support, this move is easy on your spine but tough on your legs.

How to do it:

1. Lean against the backrest, so your shoulders are under the pads. Stand on the footplate with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Release the safety catches, and with your feet flat, bend your legs and squat down as far as your flexibility (and knee health!) allows. Do not let your back round or your heels to lift.
3. Stand back up and repeat.
4. Rest and then return to the previous exercise.

Read also: The Hack Squat: Target Muscles, Benefits, Exercise Instructions, And Variations

Leg Curls

Leg curls isolate your hamstrings and will make the next exercise feel much more challenging. You can do seated, standing, or supine leg curls are preferred.

How to do it:

1. Adjust your chosen machine so that your knees are in line with the lever arm pivot point. Move the leg pad so that it’s across your lower calf/ankle.
2. Without kicking or jerking, smoothly bend your leg and pull your heels into your butt.
3. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then lower the weights. Do not allow the weight plates to touch down between reps.
4. Move quickly on to the next exercise.

Smith Machine Good Mornings

Good mornings with a regular barbell are a good posterior chain exercise, but doing them on the Smith machine eliminates the need to balance so you can focus 100% on the muscles you are working.

How to do it:

1. Set the bar on a Smith machine to about shoulder-height. Duck under the bar and rest it across your upper traps. Grip the bar with a firm, overhand grip. Unrack the bar and stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Without rounding your lower back, push your butt back and hinge forward from your hips. Lean over as far as your flexibility allows.
3. Drive your hips forward and stand back up.
4. Rest for the prescribed time before moving back to the previous exercise.

Leg Press

Your last main leg exercise is the mighty leg press! This move works all your major leg muscles while supporting your lower back. It’s your final big exercise, so make sure you give it your all, using the pyramid method described in the workout notes.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the leg press and place your feet on the footrest about shoulder-width apart. Move your feet up or down to find the best position. Too high, and you won’t get enough knee flexion. Too low, and your knees will bend too far, and you won’t be able to keep your heels down.
2. Unrack the weight and bend your legs. Descend as far as you can without rounding your lower back. Even with the back support, rounding your spine can still lead to injury.
3. Without bouncing, press the weight back up, stopping just short of fully locking your knees, and repeat.

Read also: Leg Press Exercise Guide – Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, Tips And Variations

Standing Calf Raise

No leg workout is complete without some direct calf training. Standing calf raises work your gastrocnemius muscle (upper calf) and soleus (lower calf), making it a very time-efficient move. Remember to do this exercise using the 21s/matrix training method.

How to do it:

1. Place the balls of your feet on the footplate, so your heels are free to move. Put your shoulders under the shoulder pads and stand up straight. Push up onto your tiptoes. This is your starting position.
2. Lower your heels about halfway down and then push back up onto your tiptoes. Do this seven times.
3. Next, lower your heels all the way down into a stretched position. Rise halfway up and then back down again. Do this seven times.
4. Finally, from the bottom position, do seven more reps using a full range of motion.

Read also: 9 Best Calves Exercises

Workout 2 – Barbell Only

There’s no school like the old-school, and barbells are the original old-school training tool. They might be low-tech, but barbells are still one of the best ways to build muscle size and strength. This barbell only workout is perfect for those days when you want to use brute force to lift heavy weights and embrace your inner powerlifter.

Exercise descriptions

Paused Back Squats

No barbell leg workout is complete without squats. This king of exercises will add slabs of muscle not only to the top your legs but your butt and lower back too. The purposeful mid-rep pause makes this exercise even more effective.

How to do it:

1. In a squat rack, rest and hold a barbell across your upper traps. Hold the bar tightly with an overhand grip. Brace your abs and step out into a shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward.
2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat down until your thighs are roughly parallel to the floor. Do not round your lower back.
3. Without relaxing, hold this position for five seconds.
4. Stand up as explosively as you can and then repeat.

Romanian Deadlift

Posterior chain exercises don’t come much better than the Romanian deadlift. Rumored to be a training favorite of Romanian Olympic weightlifters, this exercise will beef up your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

How to do it:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip in front of your thighs. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Push your butt backward, hinge from the hips, and lower the bar down the front of your legs as far as your flexibility allows. Do not round your lower back.
3. Stand back up and repeat.

Read also: 3 Deadlift Workout Programs To Enhance Strength and Performance

Front Squats

Front squats allow you to keep your torso much more upright, which makes them more quad-centric than back squats. You may also find you can squat a little deeper with this variation.

How to do it:

1. Rack and hold a barbell across the front of your shoulders. Your upper arms should be parallel to the floor, elbows pointing straight ahead. Stand with your feet between shoulder and hip-width apart.
2. Brace your abs, bend your knees, and squat down as far as you can without lifting your heels or rounding your lower back. Keep your torso upright and do not lower your arms, or you may drop the bar.
3. Stand back up and repeat.

Snatch Grip Deadlifts

Snatch grip deadlifts are like regular deadlifts but with a greater range of motion. This means they’re harder on your glutes and hamstrings than conventional deadlifts. Use lighter than normal weights to reflect this increase in difficulty.

How to do it:

1. Place your barbell on the floor and stand with feet about hip-width apart, toes under the bar. Squat down and grab the bar with a wide grip. Your hands should be between 1.5 and two shoulder-widths apart.
2. Drop your hips, lift your chest, and straighten your arms.
3. With your abs braced, drive your feet into the floor and stand up. Do not round your back or lean backward at the top of your rep.
4. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower the bar to the floor.
5. Reset your core and repeat.

Goose Step

Before calf raise machines were invented, this was how old-school lifters worked their lower legs. It might be an unusual exercise, but it’s very effective.

How to do it:

1. Rack and hold a barbell across your upper back, as though you were going to do a set of squats.
2. Push up on to your tiptoes.
3. Keeping your legs straight and without lowering your heels, walk the prescribed distance. Try to stay on the balls of your feet throughout.

Workout 3 – Dumbbells and Bodyweight

You don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to train your legs and have a killer workout. In fact, you can build muscle and strength using nothing more than dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. This workout is ideal for home exercisers, and anytime you find yourself in a badly-equipped gym. 

Exercise descriptions:

Non-stop Goblet Squats

Non-stop goblet squats are designed to keep tension on the target muscles for the entire duration of the set. This will flood your muscles with lactic acid while maximizing time under tension, both crucial factors for muscle growth.

How to do it:  

1. Hold a single dumbbell vertically in front of your chest. Your palms should be turned upward, so you are cradling the dumbbell by holding the underside of the innermost weight plate. Step out and into a shoulder-width stance, toes turned slightly outward.
2. Brace your abs, bend your knees, and squat down as deeply as you can without rounding your lower back.
3. Extend your legs and stand three-quarters of the way back up. Do NOT fully extend your knees.
4. Squat back down and repeat.

Single-leg Romanian Deadlifts

Performed with dumbbells or just your bodyweight, this exercise is good for building your posterior chain and improving your balance. It’s also an excellent way to spot and fix left-to-right strength differences.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides. Shift your weight over onto one leg. Bend your supporting knees slightly for balance.
2. Bending from your hips, lean forward and extend your non-weight-bearing leg out behind you for balance. Reach down toward the floor. Do not round your lower back.
3. Stand back up and repeat.

Bulgarian Split Squats

This challenging exercise is great for your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. It’s also useful for maintaining and developing hip mobility, coordination, and balance. Use just your bodyweight or hold a dumbbell in each hand as preferred.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your back to a knee-high bench. Bend one leg and place the top of your foot on the upper surface. Hop forward and into a split-stance.
2. Bend your legs and lower your rear knee down toward the floor. Keep your torso and front shin as vertical as possible.
3. Stand back up and repeat. Rest a moment, and then swap sides.
4. Do the same number of reps on each leg.

Dumbbell Leg Curls

No leg curl machine? No problem! You can still work your hamstrings using nothing more than a single dumbbell.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your front on the floor or on a bench. Place a dumbbell between your feet and squeeze your legs together to hold it in place.
2. Bend your legs until your shins are perpendicular to the floor, and then lower them again.
3. Keep pushing your legs together to maintain your grip on the weight.
4. Make this exercise harder by doing it on an inclined bench, with your feet lower than your hips.

Box Squat to Box Jumps

This combo exercise combines box squats with squat jumps to target your power-generating fast-twitch muscle fibers. It’s not the best muscle-building exercise, but it should have a positive knock-on effect on your lower body performance, making future workouts even more productive.

How to do it:

1. Place an exercise bench and a plyo box about 2-3 feet apart and stand with your back to the bench. With your feet about shoulder-width apart, squat down and back until you are sat on the bench. Do not relax.
2. Next, explosively stand up and, in one continuous motion, jump forward and up onto the box, landing with slightly bent knees to absorb the shock of landing.
3. Step back down, descend into another box squat, and repeat.

Single Leg Dumbbell Calf Raise

This simple calf raise is very effective because, using just one leg at a time, you’ll have to work extra hard to stabilize your ankles. Expect to feel this move in your deeper calf muscles.

How to do it:

1. Stand on the edge of a step on one leg. Cross your non-weight-bearing leg behind your other ankle, so it’s out of the way. Hold a weight in one hand and use your other arm for balance.
2. Lower your heel down toward the floor, giving your calf a good stretch.
3. Push up on to your tiptoe.
4. Complete the 100 prescribed reps in as few sets as possible.
5. Once you have done 100 reps, swap legs, and repeat.

Wrapping up

Whether you’ve been slacking on your leg training lately or are just looking for some new lower body workouts to try, these sessions will help. Leg training really is the cornerstone of a good workout plan, and mass added to your lower body usually means you’ll increase upper body muscle size too.

Of course, leg training isn’t easy, which is why so many exercisers are only too quick to skip leg day. But, when summer rolls around, and it’s time to wear shorts, they’ll be the ones with the unsightly chicken legs!

Train your legs hard and often, and your entire physique will improve. This bodybuilding rule is set in stone!