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Good luck getting off the couch tomorrow!
If you think you need weights for a good lower-body burn, let the dumbbells off the hook. This home leg workout will leave you too sore to get up off the couch tomorrow (promise!)—and it doesn’t require any equipment.
By incorporating a variety of bodyweight exercises—including jumps, isometric holds, and single-leg moves—you can ~totally~ create a leg workout at home that challenges every muscle from your glutes to your calves. The best part of all, though: Whether you want to get stronger, develop power, or build muscle, this sweat sesh is easy to customize to match your fitness goals.
Want more cardio? Focus on the squat and lunge variations below that involve jumping. Amped to build strength? Perform each move slower, like you’re moving through peanut butter. Focused on feeling super powerful? Do a jumping move right after an isometric hold (like squat jumps after a static squat).
Whatever you want your home leg day to look like, you’re about to prove to yourself that bodyweight exercises can leave your lower body feeling like Jell-O.
Of course, though, if you have looped resistance bands or weights at home, you always can use them to up the challenge of any of these movements even further. Heck, you can even grab household items like filled reusable water bottles or a backpack filled with books to level up your sweat.
Whether you opt for added resistance or not, the key to a great leg day workout at home is to work your muscles to fatigue. For some of the exercises below, you’ll be toast after just eight reps, while for others you may be able to churn out 12 before burning out. Even without weights, you can absolutely build those leg muscles; you just have to give these moves your all!
Time: 20–30 minutes
Equipment: workout mat (optional)
Good for: lower body (glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves)
Instructions: Select six exercises. Perform the indicated number of reps for each, then rest for 15 seconds and continue on to the next. After you’ve completed all six movements, rest for 60 seconds. Then, repeat the entire circuit two or three more times for a total of three to five rounds.
Skaters
Muscles worked: entire lower body, core
How to: Start standing on right foot at far right end of mat with left leg bent, left foot lifted and crossed behind right leg, left arm bent and crossed in front of body, right arm behind back, and torso tilted slightly forward. Hop to left end of mat, switching arms and legs to mirror move on opposite side. Hop back to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12.
Single-Leg Box Squat
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing facing away from a box (or chair) with weight in left foot, right foot hovering, and arms at sides. Engage core, bend left knee, and push hips back to sink down into a single-leg squat until butt touches box, simultaneously extending arms out straight in front of body and right foot out slightly for balance. Once seat taps box, press through left foot to return to standing position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Pro tip: If needed, gently rest right heel on floor to use right leg as a kickstand throughout the movement for more stability.
Single-Leg Deadlift
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, core
How to: Start standing with legs together, weight on left leg, left arm extended out to side for balance, and right arm pointed straight down toward floor. Engage abs and slowly lean forward, extending right leg straight back behind body and lowering torso until both are parallel to floor and right hand is almost touching it. Drive into left heel to return to start position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Step Up
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Start standing facing a box or other sturdy, elevated surface with hands on hips. Engage core, then step left foot up onto the box. Press through left foot to re-straighten left leg while driving right knee forward in front of body and up to hip height, maintaining a 90-degree bend in right knee and coming to balance on left leg on top of box. Return to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Side Leg Lifts
Muscles worked: glutes, core
How to: Start by lying on right side, feet flexed. Put left hand on floor in front of chest to stabilize the body. Keep body in a straight line, tailbone tucked. With left foot flexed and leg straight, lift leg toward the ceiling without rolling hips backward. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Sumo Squat
Muscles worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings
How to: Stand with heels shoulder-distance apart, then turn toes open slightly. Gently clasp hands in front of chest, or, if you have one, hold a weight in front of hips with straight arms. Without moving arms, bend knees, reach hips back, and lower down into a squat until thighs are parallel with floor. Pause at the bottom for two seconds, then drive into heels to return to standing. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Squat Jump
Muscles worked: entire lower body, core
How to: Start in a squat (feet under shoulders, toes facing forward, thighs parallel to floor) with torso upright and hands clasped in front of chest. Press through feet to straighten legs and jump up off the floor while swinging straight arms behind body. Land back in a squat position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Staggered-Stance DeadliftSquat Jump
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, core
How to: Start standing with right leg straight and left foot back, slightly outside of left hip, arms extended with hands clasped in front of body. Keep toe in line with heel of front foot, left heel high. Push hips back, weight on front leg, and softly bend over right leg until hamstring stretches, torso is parallel to floor, and fingertips are in front of shin. Return to standing. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Lateral Lunge with Balance
Muscles worked: glutes, quads, hamstrings
How to: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands at your side. Take a big step to the right, then push your hips back, bending your right knee and lowering your body until your right knee is bent 90 degrees. Push back to an upright position, as you lift your knee and pull it into your chest with your arms. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Bulgarian Split Squat
Muscles worked: glutes, quads, hamstrings, core
How to: Start standing tall with right foot forward and left back (as if standing on railroad tracks), top of left foot resting on a box or step, and hands on hips. Shift weight into front right foot, engage core, keep torso upright, and bend at both knees to lower body until back knee hovers just above floor or gently taps it. Press through right foot to straighten legs and return to start position. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Down Up Squat
Muscles worked: entire lower body, core
How to: Start kneeling on floor with arms crossed in front of chest. Keep hips level and stand up into a squat with right foot followed by left. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12, alternating lead foot each rep.
Curtsy Lunge
Muscles worked: glutes, quads hamstrings, core
How to: Start standing with feet under hips and arms clasped in front of chest. Engage core, lift right foot off the floor and take a big step back and to the outside of left foot. Then bend at knees until right knee taps floor behind left foot; keep right heel high. Drive through left heel to reverse the movement and return to start position. Repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Isometric Squat
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, quads, core
How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart and hands at sides. Simultaneously bring hands to clasp in front of chest while pushing hips back and bending knees until thighs are parallel to floor. Hold for 5 seconds, then return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 5.
Jumping Lunges
Muscles worked: entire lower body, core
How to: Start in a lunge with right leg forward and left back, both bent at 90 degrees, right arm straight at side, and left arm bent, hand in line with chin. Jump up quickly off floor, switching legs in midair to land in lunge with left foot forward. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12.
Alternating See-Saw Lunge
Muscles worked: entire lower body, core
How to: Start standing with feet under hips and hands at sides. Engage core and take a big step back with left foot. Bend both legs to 90 degrees. Then, push through feet to reverse the movement and step left foot forward, again lowering into a 90-90 lunge. Drive through left foot to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Standing Glute Kickback
Muscles worked: glutes
How to: Stand with weight on right foot and left leg long behind body with toes pointed and resting lightly on floor. Bend right knee slightly and hinge at hips to lower torso forward slightly. Clasp hands in front of body. This is your starting position. Engage through left glute to kick straight left leg back and up until nearly parallel with floor. Slowly and with control, reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 8 to 12 on each side.
Isometric Glute Bridge
Muscles worked: glutes, hamstrings, core
How to: Lie on back with knees bent and feet on the floor 12 to 16 inches from butt. Brace core, then press into heels and squeeze glutes to lift hips toward ceiling until body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Maintain space between chin and chest and keep upper back pressed into floor. Hold for five seconds, then return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 5.
Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/g32460473/home-leg-workout/?slide=1
