Basic leg exercises. The best basic exercises for training legs. Various lunge options

Strong legs are an opportunity for an active lifestyle. Our body is designed in such a way that the legs bear the main load. Therefore, they need to be constantly trained.

Leg muscles: function and purpose

It is not always possible to go to the gym. Skillfully composed home workout could be a good alternative. You can do it yourself at home if you correctly determine which muscle group needs to be trained.

Many muscles extend over large areas of our body. The leg muscles are no exception. Their contraction or relaxation causes the bones to move. Small muscles help joints function and maintain posture. There are 4 large muscle groups located in the lower body:

back of the thighs;
front surface of the thighs;
gluteal;
calf muscles.

Muscle functions

Each muscle group has a specific function and purpose. Let's look at the main ones.

promote bending of the knees and extension of the torso.
The muscles of the anterior part extend the leg at the knee, participate in hip flexion and in tilting the torso forward.
produce flexion at the ankle joint.
promotes raising of legs to the sides.

What will it give?

Exercising your leg muscles helps you burn off a lot of calories.
Develops the overall endurance of the body and increases its strength and power characteristics.
Strengthens the muscles of the spine, pelvis, hips.
Strong legs can avoid sprains and injury.
Leg training has a good effect on the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.

hamstrings

When deciding to perform at home, you should remember that this muscle group bears the least amount of load. A sedentary lifestyle and sedentary work take their toll - usually these muscles are the weakest. Nevertheless, it is this part of the body that needs to be given a lot of attention - combine basic training and exercises for slender legs at home. The photo shows the basic principle of exercises for the back of the thigh. They can be performed in a lying or kneeling position.

Technique:

lie on the floor with your stomach down (or kneel);
bend your elbows, rest them on your chin (on the floor);
strongly straining the muscles of the buttocks, raise your leg up;
slowly lower your leg down, trying not to touch the floor.

Perform alternately with one and the other leg. You can make the exercise more difficult by attaching a weight to your working leg. When performing these exercises for slender legs at home, weights for girls can be completely replaced with bags of sand.

Lateral raises while lying down

One of the most effective exercises for the legs are lateral leg raises in a lying position. The weight used in this exercise is own weight.

Technique:

initial position- lie on your right side, the bottom hand is located at chest level in front of you, the left hand is behind your head;
exhale - lift the body and legs up at the same time;
inhale - lower to the floor.

The exercise is quite difficult, but effective. To reduce the load at the beginning of training, you can lift only your legs. With the help of this leg exercise at home for girls, the waist area is also perfectly worked out. Regular exercise will help you lose weight effectively.

Leg raises

Such exercises work out lower press, strengthen muscles. At the same time they make it flatter and toned stomach. This good load for the main muscles of the legs. The exercises are performed on your back, with your hands pressed tightly to the floor. You can press your arms to your sides for support. Raise your legs simultaneously or one by one. For beginners or for those who have not trained for a long time, it is allowed to bend their knees. This reduces the load on the lower abs and back.

Exercises for slender legs and thighs

The inner thighs are the most problematic area on a woman's body. This area is prone to fat accumulation if you are overweight. The inner thighs become weak and loose. But this deficiency can be controlled and the muscles strengthened with effective exercises. The muscles of the inner thighs belong to the adductor muscle group. These exercises are based on bringing the legs together. With leg weights, the effectiveness of exercises increases significantly.

Squats

These leg exercises at home can be done with or without support.

Technique:

starting position - stand as wide as possible;
turn your toes as far as possible;
squat as low as possible, stay for a couple of seconds at the lowest point;
rise without fully straightening your legs at the top point. Thus, inner part the hips are under strong tension throughout the entire exercise;
When performing the exercise, do not arch your back.

Lunges

Such workouts work well the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, and involve hamstrings. These exercises train the left and right sides of the body. The wider the step when performing the exercise, the more the buttock muscles are involved in it. For the greatest effect, you need to lower slowly and rise smoothly but quickly. Taking a breath, step forward and lower yourself down. Exhale simultaneously with pushing off the floor with your supporting leg. It is recommended to perform such leg exercises at home for men using dumbbells or a barbell.

Technique:

stand straight, legs hip-width apart, feet parallel;
hands on the belt, but you can cross them on the chest or spread them apart;
put your foot forward;
bending your forward leg, lower yourself down until your knee bends at a right angle. The leg behind rests on the toe, lifting the heel up;
pushing off with your front leg, you should then return to the starting position.

Where to start doing leg exercises at home?

First of all, it is necessary to determine what result is expected from the training. Then you need to think through and create a program for the development of individual muscle groups, select 2-3 exercises for each. For greater effect, the front should be “warmed up”. During one lesson, you can perform exercises aimed at developing any one muscle group. On the next one, thoroughly work on the other one. Thus, by alternating workouts, in a week you will work all muscle groups without overloading the body. You should plan your training regimen so that there is a two-hour break between exercise and meals.

Training mode

Taking into account your daily routine, you should create a training regimen. In the morning best time- from 11.00 to 13.00. For those who find it more convenient to train in the evening, the optimal time is from 17.00 to 19.00. For beginners, it is better to train 3 times a week for 30-40 minutes a day. The duration of training must be gradually increased.

During exercise, you need to monitor your well-being, as excessive stress can lead to injury. For those who are not new to sports, the initial duration of exercise should be 40 minutes a day. The regularity of training depends on how you feel and your goals.

The need to warm up

When performing exercises for slender legs and thighs (the photo above represents one of them), it is important to do a good warm-up. This is a prerequisite for any training. Warming up will “warm up”, that is, increase blood flow to the muscles, increase the effectiveness of the exercise and significantly reduce the risk of injury. Warm muscles are able to develop greater force.

Warm-up lasts about 10 minutes. What should it be like? This could be cardio exercise. Good for warming up your joints rotational movements. This is very important so that they are better lubricated during training. The more fluid there is in the joints, the less they wear out.

You should perform 2-3 stretching exercises as a warm-up. They make joints elastic. These exercises must be performed without sudden jerks. In this way, you can not only prepare yourself for safe training, but also increase its effectiveness several times by performing leg exercises at home. For girls (the photos in the article also show a warm-up element), as well as for men, performing these simple exercises is very important.

What successes can be achieved?

Leg exercises at home for girls will help not only strengthen the muscles of the legs and buttocks, but also get rid of extra pounds. If you wish, you can short term get slender legs and firm buttocks. It is necessary to exercise every day, supplement your workout with cardio exercises, and exclude high-calorie foods from your diet.

Regular exercise will help you get rid of extra pounds, and most importantly, increase muscle tone and develop endurance. Beginners should be patient and gradually increase the load. It is not recommended to rush and force their intensity.

If pain or discomfort occurs during exercise, reduce the load or stop the exercise. It is better to rest and start training every other day with less load or reduce the training time.

People don't like to swing their legs. The main reason is that this is the largest muscle group, which requires maximum effort to work. At the same time, the legs are the most important stimulant; their intensive training causes the body to experience maximum stress.

Many athletes have probably experienced a feeling of serious strength that prevents them from walking the next day after training. Pain means you have given your legs enough exercise to allow them to grow/shrink/get stronger. If you're serious about working out your lower body, it's important to know the best leg exercises to use.

A little about the anatomy of the legs

Before choosing effective exercises for the legs, it is worth studying their anatomy. Like other large muscle groups, the legs are made up of several large muscle groups and many small ones. It makes no sense to work small muscle groups, since they are involved in basic exercises and do not respond well to isolating load.

As for the large muscle groups, they are conventionally divided into the following groups:

Thigh muscles. This quadriceps thighs, hamstrings, adductors and abductors. It is these muscles that decide how the buttocks will look after training.
Muscles of the knee joint. These are the hamstrings and quadriceps. All of them are responsible for flexion and extension of the leg when walking.
The muscle of the ankle joint. These are the gastrocnemius and soleus. These also include the opposing muscles, which are responsible for moving the toes, but their training is impractical.

Understanding which muscles work in which exercises is especially important for women: by selecting correct exercises To strengthen the leg muscles, it is easier to carry out local body correction.

Unlike pectoral muscles and a back corset, our legs work almost constantly, so they require a special approach to training for growth.

Remember, your legs are used to high reps, so you need to perform low reps with maximum weight.
Watch the position of your socks. If necessary, use wooden planks to accentuate the load. Depending on the position of the heels and toes, the load in the same basic exercise can differ radically.
Remember the rule: first the basic ones, then the isolating ones.
Legs should not be heavily trained more than once a week.
Pay attention to your calves right away. Since they participate in all the basic exercises, they need extra stimulation from the very beginning, otherwise they will not grow at all.
Don't forget about traction. By eliminating deadlifts on leg day, many athletes experience serious hamstring lag.

Exercises

Unlike the muscles of the back or chest, a set of exercises for the legs should include exercises that are fundamentally different in mechanics. It is necessary to separately work out the front of the legs and back thighs, and pay special attention to the calves. Let's look at the most effective exercises for legs.

Exercise	Main muscle group	Accessory muscle group	Load type
Ellipsoids	Quadriceps femoris	Quadriceps and soleus	Cardio
	Posterior thigh	Quadriceps and hamstrings	Basic
	Posterior thigh	Quadriceps and hamstrings	Basic
Leg bending in the simulator	Biceps hamstrings	—	Insulating
Bringing your legs together on the machine	Inner thigh	—	Insulating
Leg extension on a block machine	Quadriceps	—	Insulating
Leg extensions to the sides on the machine	Outer thigh	—	Insulating
Working on the rider simulator	Biceps hamstrings		Cardio
	Quadriceps femoris	Calf and quadriceps	Cardio
	Quadriceps femoris	Quadriceps and soleus	Basic
	Thigh muscles	Quadriceps	Basic
	Quadriceps	Quadriceps femoris	Basic
Hack machine squats	Quadriceps femoris	Quadriceps	Complex
	Quadriceps	All thigh muscles	Basic
	Quadriceps	posterior thigh	Basic
Seated calf raises	Soleus	gastrocnemius	Insulating
Calf raises on a bench press machine	Soleus	gastrocnemius	Insulating
	Calf	Soleus	Insulating
Straight leg abduction on a block machine	Biceps hamstrings	posterior thigh	Insulating
	Posterior thigh	Quadriceps and hamstrings	Basic
Climber	Quadriceps	Biceps femoris + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings	Cardio
	Quadriceps	Posterior thigh	Complex
Deep gray hair	Quadriceps	Quadriceps femoris	Basic
	Quadriceps femoris	Back extensor muscles	Complex
	Posterior thigh	Biceps femoris + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings	Cardio
	Quadriceps	Quadriceps femoris	Basic
Exercise bikes	Quadriceps femoris	Quadriceps and soleus	Cardio
	Quadriceps femoris	Biceps femoris + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings	Cardio
Running on a treadmill	Calf	Biceps femoris + soleus + quadriceps + hamstrings	Cardio

Basic

Leg exercises at the gym usually involve heavy lifting of a barbell. The list of indispensable exercises for pumping consists of only two points.

Deadlift. The only basic exercise that seriously stimulates the growth of the hamstrings.

Squats with a barbell in any variation. Depending on the placement of the legs or the position of the barbell, only the emphasis of the work changes.

Insulating

Isolation exercises for the legs are traditionally work with machines to work out lagging muscle groups. This includes:

Leg press.

© Africa Studio - stock.adobe.com
Hyperextension.
Seated calf raises.

© Minerva Studio - stock.adobe.com
Breeding and bringing your legs to the sides on the simulator.

© alfa27 - stock.adobe.com

© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com

Leg bending/extension on a machine.

Exercises for the gym

Exercises to strengthen your legs don't have to involve basic work or classic machines. Today in the gyms there are a huge number of cardio-oriented equipment that perfectly work the legs.

Rider. A machine in which you need to lift your own weight with your feet. A key design feature involves isolating the load exclusively on the gluteal muscles.
Climber. Combining a stepper and a treadmill. Perfectly simulates climbing a high ladder.
Exercise bikes. A classic exercise machine for working out the thigh muscles.

© bnenin - stock.adobe.com

Ellipsoids.

Exercises for home

Leg exercises at home are quite varied. Unlike the back muscles, the legs can be pumped without special equipment, since the basic movements are natural to the body.

For example, a simple combination of basic exercises for home will be effective:

Air squats. Similar to barbell squats, but without weight.

© liderina - stock.adobe.com
Lunges. An excellent exercise for working the hamstrings.

© dusanpetkovic1 - stock.adobe.com
Bend to straight legs. Analogue deadlift.

© bernardbodo - stock.adobe.com

Jumping. For those who find little stress from air and deep squats.

In addition, we must not forget about running and other cardio exercises, which most often involve the legs.

Stretching

Stretching, which forms slender legs, deserves special mention. Used as a stretch:

Deep lunges without weight. Excellent for developing flexibility in the back of the thigh.

© Bojan - stock.adobe.com
Half twines – transverse and longitudinal. Develop flexibility of all muscle groups with proper technique.

© fizkes - stock.adobe.com
All kinds of twines. Mainly develop flexibility of the inguinal ligament and adductor muscles.

© Nadezhda - stock.adobe.com
Swing your legs. Similar to half splits.

Leg stretching with the help of a partner.

Focusing on muscle groups.
Working scales.
Number of approaches.
Creating a moderate lag in certain groups by excluding them from training.

Let's look at the main male and female complexes:

Complex	Exercises	Task
Male basic	Back squat 55 Press in the simulator 57 Leg extension on the simulator 312 Deadlift 55 Calf raises in the Hackenschmidt simulator 10*10	The main goal of these leg building exercises is to acquire basic strength in all major muscle groups. All exercises are performed with the highest possible weights and strict technique, including the use of a plank placed under the socks.
Women's basic	Front squat 415 Deadlift 320 Leg bending in the simulator 520 Seated calf raise 520	This complex is designed to strengthen all leg muscles and create a basic tone for subsequent workouts.
General strengthening	Air squats 520 Deep squats 412 Deep lunges 5*20 Jumping rope 120 seconds Running - intervals of 100 meters.	Used as preparation for heavy exercise in the hall. Additionally, it is recommended to use the main basic exercises with an empty bar to master the technique.
Home for men	Deep squats with narrow setting legs 520 Single leg calf raise 520 Pistol squats 35 Leg abduction to the side 520	A home variation of the men's split with an emphasis on the quadriceps.
Homemade for women	Deep squats with broad setting feet 5max Single leg calf raise 5max Lunges 5max Half-split 20 times on each side Cross lunges. 20 times Leg abduction to the side 520 Leg abduction 520 Lying leg extension 520 Leg raises lying on your side 3*15	A homemade variation of the female split with an emphasis on the hip and gluteal muscles.
Split with an emphasis on quadriceps	Back squat with a barbell. 55 Press in the simulator55 Leg extension on the machine 312 Seated calf raise 38 Running on a treadmill with an incline.	The main goal is to strengthen the legs as much as possible without increasing the volume of the gluteal muscles.
Split with emphasis on hips and buttocks	Deadlift 520 Deep squats with fit stick 520 Leg bending in the simulator 520 Lunges with weight 520 Leg abduction to the side in the block exercise machine 312 Leg abduction in the block exercise machine 312	The main goal is to maximize the volume of the gluteal muscles without affecting the quadriceps, which can make the legs knotty.

In all women's complexes minimum weights are used (20-30% of the one-time maximum), while men should work up to 80% of the one-time maximum.

Exercises with non-standard equipment

The legs are involved in almost all daily movements and sports. Therefore, you can easily work through them using specific equipment.

Note: This is not a complete list of specific equipment available to everyone.

Running in . It enhances the cardio effect and also creates additional stress on the hamstrings, which are responsible for bending the leg. Because of this, the legs become slimmer, and the load shifts from the quadriceps to the buttocks.
© Mikhail Reshetnikov - stock.adobe.com
Norwegian walking. For this exercise you will need ski poles. You will look very comical on the city streets, but you will be able to completely turn off your quadriceps, focusing the load on the quadriceps femoris muscle.

Regarding weight loss

When training your lower body, remember that exercises for losing weight on your legs and thighs, no matter what your trainer tells you. Losing weight in legs occurs due to the combination of several factors:

Global fat burning.
Toning “flabby muscles”.

It is due to this that the very effect of exercise for losing weight on legs is manifested. In fact, the legs do not lose weight, it’s just that when pulled up, the muscles are in better tone, which means they don’t sag so much from the attachment point.

If your goal is to exercise to lose weight in your legs, follow a few training principles:

Training in pumping mode. High reps, low weights.
Progress solely through increasing the number of repetitions. Any increase in weight threatens muscle hypertrophy, which will lead to their increase.
Focus on cardio-oriented exercises, they burn fat much more effectively, which allows you to quickly get ideal, slender legs.

If you have already pumped up your legs, you should reduce the weight as much as possible and work in the mode aerobic exercise in basic exercises. That is, instead of a 40 kg barbell for 20 repetitions, use a 20 kg barbell and a number of repetitions over 50. This will cause catabolism in red muscle tissue and create conditions for myofibrillar hypertrophy of white fibers, which are much smaller than red ones.

Results

Many people don’t like training their legs, because these are the most capricious muscles that require constant experiments to determine. optimal formula to increase strength and volume indicators. At the same time, leg training is exhausting.

Finally, we’ll give you some advice: if you use split training, give your legs a separate day, and if you don’t have enough load, work out small muscle groups, for example, the calf muscles.

Working out at home is much easier than you might think. You can properly load the muscles of the lower body without exercise equipment, a stepper or squats with a barbell. From the article you will learn how to pump up a girl’s legs at home without additional equipment. All you need is your body weight, maybe a chair, and a little motivation to give your quads, hamstrings, inner thighs, glutes, and calves a good workout. And of course, this list of 13 no-equipment leg exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere.

Strong legs will definitely come in handy. Even if you're not training for a race or aiming for a specific athletic goal, having toned legs will literally take you far in life. Any activity from walking up the stairs to lifting a heavy basket of laundry is much easier if you have strength in your legs. Luckily, effective leg exercises don't have to be complicated. In fact, they don't even have to require a gym membership. There are many bodyweight leg exercises that can be supplemented with training program to strengthen muscles or achieve gains in strength and endurance.

Bodyweight exercises are realistic and functional: they help tone the muscles we use in everyday life. For example, when we squat, we actually sit down on an imaginary chair, which helps us improve our posture while actually squatting on the chair. As we rise from a squat, we push through our heels and engage our core muscles, essentially creating great habits that carry over into our daily lives outside the gym.

Exercises for the leg muscles with body weight are also valuable because they allow you to learn correct technique some exercises before adding weights. You should not grab weights until you can do simple lunges and squats without weights. Another advantage of bodyweight training is that it is always with you and absolutely free, so you can do these exercises anywhere and anytime! You are interested in the best exercises that will help you easily pump up the legs of a girl working out gym? With exercises that can literally be done in any environment, you'll definitely want to include them in your training program.

The exercises suggested below will help develop strength and easily pump up a girl’s legs without special equipment while preparing the body for more difficult strength exercises with weights. Try them and feel your muscles.

1. Bodyweight Squat

Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart and point your toes slightly apart, placing your body weight on your heels.
Lean your torso forward, push your pelvis back, and lower yourself into a squat. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Push through your heels and straighten your body, returning to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes and tighten your core as you lift.

Start in a standing position with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart.
Step back with your left foot, landing on your toes and bending both knees to form a right angle.
Push through your right heel to return to a standing position. As you rise, draw your left knee toward your chest.
Repeat on the other leg.

3. Plie squat with calf raise

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes apart, hands on your hips or in front at chest level.
Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
While remaining in the squat position, lift both heels off the floor and hold for two seconds.
Lower your heels to the floor.

4. Jump Squat

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips.
Lean forward, move your pelvis back, lower into a squat. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Jump up as high as possible, straightening your legs. Help yourself with your hands, lowering them along your body, keeping your back straight and lifting chest.
Land on soft knees. Immediately go into the next squat.

5. Running with high knees and touches

Stand facing a bench or box (or chair if there is no other option), with your hands on your waist or along your body.
Touch the bench with the toe of your left foot, then switch legs and touch it with the toe of your right foot, quickly switching legs.
Throughout the exercise, straighten your back and lift your chest.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Take a big step to the right. Bend your right knee and push your pelvis back, keeping your left leg straight. Keep your chest lifted and your core engaged.
Repeat on the other leg.

7. Single leg calf raises

Raise your left knee to hip level, toes pointing forward, hands on your waist or behind your head (choose any position that helps you maintain balance).
Keep your core tight as you lift your right heel off the floor as high as possible and balance on your right toes.
Maintain this position for three seconds and lower your heel to the floor.
Repeat on the other side.

Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart.
Step your right foot back diagonally behind your left leg and bend your knees, lowering into a lunge.
Push through your right heel to rise up. Return your right leg to the starting position.
Repeat with the other leg.

9. Pistol squats

Stand with your feet together.
Lift your left leg off the floor a couple of centimeters and stretch it forward, pulling your socks towards you.
Bend your right knee, lean your torso forward, and lower yourself into a squat while raising your left leg to hip height. Extend your arms forward for balance.
If you succeed, try to bend your knee to a right angle. (This is extremely difficult exercise, don’t be discouraged if you don’t succeed the first time).
Push through your right heel, straightening your leg and returning to the starting position.
Repeat for the other leg.

Lie on your side with your legs straight and one on top of the other. Rest your body on your forearm (as shown in the photo) or lower your body completely onto the mat.
Slowly and in a controlled manner, lift your top leg toward the ceiling. Make sure that the movement is due to the work of the muscles of the thighs and buttocks, and not the lower back.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat on the other side.

11. Inner thigh raises

Lie on your side, legs extended and stacked on top of each other, torso lying on the floor or resting on your forearm.
Bend your top leg and cross it in front of your bottom leg so that your top foot is directly in front of your bottom knee.
Lift your bottom leg up in a slow, controlled motion. Keep your core motionless throughout the entire exercise.
Return to the starting position.
Repeat on the other side.

12. Glute bridge on one leg

Lie on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor.
Raise your right leg and straighten it up. Keep your thighs parallel to each other. Point your toe towards the ceiling.
Push your heel off the floor, lifting your hips by contracting your glutes. Try to create a straight diagonal line from shoulders to knee.
Stay in this position for one or two seconds and lower yourself to the floor.
Repeat the exercise with the other leg.

13. Inverted leg abductions to the inner thigh

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lift your right leg up, bringing your thighs together so they touch each other, and straighten your right leg toward the ceiling.
Slowly lower your right leg out to the side to the right as far as possible, keeping your hips still and your lower back pressed firmly into the floor.
Return your leg to the starting position.
Repeat on the other leg.

Upgrade Your Training Routine With These 10 women's exercises for legs. Work your thighs, glutes, quads, hamstrings and calf muscles at home to make your legs sculpted and your entire lower body toned and strong, just like you’ve always dreamed of!

A set of home exercises for leg muscles for women

Instructions for performing the complex

Warm-up

Leg training for girls, whether in the gym or at home, should begin with dynamic exercises for a warm-up that will warm up your muscles and joints in order to protect yourself from injury and get the maximum result from your workouts.

Set of exercises

Repeat this program three times, resting 60 seconds between sets.

Running with high knees: 60 seconds. Raise your knees to waist level and then slowly lower onto your toes.
: 30 seconds + 30 seconds. Shift your weight to your right foot, take a long step back with your left foot, and cross it behind your right leg. Bend your knees until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and return to the starting position. Make sure your toes point in the same direction as your knees.
Leg raises lying on your side inner surface hips: 30 seconds + 30 seconds. Lie on your side with your top leg crossed in front of your straight bottom leg. Pull the toes of your bottom foot toward you and lift your leg up and down for 30 seconds.
Jack squats: 45 seconds. Jump, spread your feet apart, bend your knees and push your pelvis back. Push through your heels and jump back to the starting position.
Bear Squats: 45 seconds. Get on all fours, straighten your legs and lift your pelvis up towards the ceiling. Return to the starting position and repeat.
Bulgarian split squats : 30 seconds + 30 seconds. Place a step platform or bench behind you. Place your right foot on the step platform, bend your knees and lower your pelvis until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position, repeat the exercise for 30 seconds and change legs.
Skaters: 45 seconds. Lean forward, keeping your back straight, move your left foot back, and left hand bring it forward. Jump to the left and take out right hand forward and move your right foot back. Repeat for 45 seconds.
Plie squats with calf raises: 45 seconds. Start by getting into a sumo squat position with your feet wide apart, toes pointed out, and thighs parallel to the floor. Lift your heels off the floor and squeeze your calf muscles. Lower your heels to the floor and repeat.
Single leg glute bridge: 30 seconds + 30 seconds. Lie on your back with your arms at your side, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise one leg and stretch your pelvis up as high as possible. Lower your pelvis, repeat for 30 seconds and change legs.
Wall Squats: 45 seconds. Stand, press your back against the wall with with bent knees and thighs parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 45 seconds.

In case you missed it: strong legs are a super-important workout benefit, even beyond the fact that they look chic. Your legs are literally what keeps you moving all day, so training your lower body (yes, including your butt) is critical. To pump up her buttocks, a girl doesn’t need any gymnastics! Ideal, beautiful, slender legs will only give you power training(even at home, not to mention the gym).

Unfortunately, too many people neglect leg day: a) because they think they have already worked out their legs all day and b) because the leg muscles are very large, and to see any results from training, you need to spend many times. You should exercise your leg muscles at least once a week

Include 3 or 4 exercises from this list in your workout and change them every 2 weeks. You may not see the difference right away, but you will definitely feel it.

1. Squats with dumbbells

Technique execution: Place your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the dumbbell in front of your chest, and point your elbows toward the floor. Push your hips back and bend your knees to squat down. Return to the starting position.

What This gives"This squat variation helps tone your legs and thighs while strengthening your quads, hip flexors, hips, glutes, and hamstrings, plus your lats," says Samuel.

2. Steps with an elastic band

Technique execution: Place a resistance band under your feet and stand shoulder-width apart with your knees slightly bent. Brace your core, step your left leg out to the side, and then repeat with your right. Then step back to the left.

What This gives: “This is an effective exercise for girls to activate their glutes and create a sculpted side butt.”

3. Single leg deadlift

Technique execution: Hold a kettlebell in your right hand and stand on your left leg, keeping it slightly bent. Bend forward, extending your right leg back until your torso is parallel to the floor and the kettlebell almost touches the floor. Return to the starting position. (For an added challenge, at the end of the set, lift your right leg until it forms a 90-degree angle.)

What This gives: “You’ll work your hamstrings and glutes, and you’ll also develop a sense of balance, which is less developed in women.”

4. Romanian deadlift

Technique execution: Take a kettlebell or two dumbbells in your hands, stand shoulder-width apart, keep your knees slightly bent. Place the weights in front of your hips, push your butt back, and lower yourself toward the floor with your back straight. Squeeze your buttocks as you return to the starting position.

What This gives: « Romanian deadlift, a great strength and endurance exercise, will work your hips, lower back, glutes and hamstrings.”

5. Dumbbell toe row

Technique execution: Hold the weights in front of your thighs with both palms facing your body. Step your right foot back and lift your heel off the ground. Push your hips back and bend over, lowering the weights down your legs. Once your hips reach a 90-degree angle, return to the starting position.

What This gives: “Another deadlift variation where you'll target your back, glutes, and hamstrings to get toned and toned.”

6. Side lunges

Technique execution: Stand shoulder-width apart with your arms folded in front of your chest. Take a large step to the side with your right foot, bend your right knee, and lower yourself until your right knee forms a 90-degree angle.

What This gives: “Lateral lunges are a great exercise for building strength in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. This exercise will also help your legs look visually slimmer and add even more beauty to them.”

7. Thruster

Technique execution: Take 2 dumbbells in your hands and place them above your shoulders, stand shoulder-width apart. Keep your torso as upright as possible throughout the exercise. Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Rise up and with a sharp movement, “throw” the dumbbells up. Lower them back to their original position.

What This gives: “Your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are essentially all the major leg muscles that need to be worked when squatting. And then this force will be transferred to top part body through the muscles of the abdomen and lower back."

8. Jumping to higher ground

Execution technique: Stand 15-20 cm from a 15 cm step (beginners can start at a lower elevation). Get into a position with slightly bent knees and quickly jump to the center of the step and back.

What does it give: “Plyometric movements like this build muscle fibers in your buttocks."

9. Bulgarian split squats

Execution technique: hold a dumbbell in each hand, stand 60 cm from the bench; take your right leg back and place it on the bench. Bend your knees to lower yourself as far as possible (or until your knee touches the ground). Keep your back straight the entire time. Pause, then press through your left heel and return to the starting position.

What does it give: “Bulgarian split squats target the quads, glutes and hamstrings, and performing the exercise with dumbbells also trains muscle balance. By doing this exercise, you will understand that your legs can become thin and beautiful even by training at home.”

10. Sumo squats

Execution technique: Stand slightly wider than your shoulders and point your toes out to the sides. Hold kettlebells or dumbbells in front of your thighs. Bend your knees, lower your hips back into deep squat. Pause at the bottom for two seconds, then return to the starting position.

What does it give: “Sumo squats place more emphasis on the internal hip adductors, allowing you to train your glutes and upper legs without stressing your knees.”

11. "Skater"

Execution technique: Stand shoulder-width apart. Place your left leg behind your right leg and bend your right knee to 90 degrees. Extend your right arm to the side and touch the opposite foot with your palm. Repeat the same with the other leg.

What does it give: “Not only does this exercise challenge your sense of balance by engaging your core, but it also works all the muscles in your legs, butt and back.”

12. Raises on toes

Execution technique: Stand on one leg and bend the other at a 90-degree angle. Stand with your back straight and retracted stomach. Rise onto your toes with straight knees. Pause at the top and squeeze your thigh muscles. Lower yourself down to the starting position.

What does it give: “This exercise specifically strengthens and tones your calf muscles, which will further visually make your legs look slimmer.”

13. Reverse lunges

Execution technique: Stand shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell in front of your chest. Step back with your right foot and bend your knees as you lower—your left knee should bend 90 degrees. Repeat the same on the other side.

What does it give: « Reverse lunges are safer on the knees because they apply less pressure than regular lunges.”

14. Exercise “Good morning”

Execution technique: Stand shoulder-width apart with a resistance band wrapped under your feet and around the back of your neck. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your torso straight, slowly bend your knees and push your hips back until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds and return to the starting position.

What does it give: “The exercise is primarily aimed at strengthening the hamstring area. Your glutes and hamstrings simply control the movement.”

15. Raises from the hips

Execution technique: Wrap one end of the rubber band around an anchor and the other around your hips. Place your hips shoulder-width apart and bring your knees together - you should end up with a triangle. Start by sitting on your calves and then lift your body up and down, pushing your hips apart. Squeeze your glutes at the end of the range of motion while avoiding overextending your lower back.

What does it give: « This exercise"focuses on the hip muscles and glute activation without putting pressure on the lower back."

16. Cross lunges

Execution technique: Stand up straight, hold the weight in front of you. Take a big step back with your right foot, crossing it with your left. Bend your knees and lower your hips until your left thigh almost touches the floor. Keep your torso upright. Return to the starting position.

What does it give: “This is another lunge variation aimed at internal muscles hips, as well as on the middle gluteal muscle, a smaller muscle in the buttocks that helps stabilize your hips to improve your posture.”

17. Stepping onto the platform

Execution technique: Place your left foot on the bench and your right foot on the floor. Using your left leg, lift your body until you are fully standing on the bench. Lift and bend your right knee until it forms a 90-degree angle. Pause and then return to the starting position.

What does it give: “Step-ups primarily work your quads and hips. But your glutes, thighs, and hamstrings also help propel the movement, making this an exercise that fully engages your lower body.”

18. Pistol Squats

Execution technique: Sit on a cube or chair. Raise your right leg and cross your arms across your chest or out to your sides for balance. Stand up from the chair using your left heel. Pause, then return to the starting position. Repeat the same on the other side. This is one repetition.

What is this gives: “Pistol squats work the same primary muscle groups used in running, including the hips, hamstrings, and quads.”

19. Jump Squats

Execution technique: Stand straight with your hands in front of your chest. Bend your knees, then jump as high as you can. Land softly on your toes and immediately lower into a squat.

20. Split squats

Execution technique: stand with your legs in a checkerboard pattern: the left leg is in front, and the right leg is at a distance of 60-90 cm. Lower yourself in this position as if in a squat. Quickly jump up and switch your legs in a jump. Once your feet land, you lower yourself into a squat. This is one repetition.

What does it give: “These exercises engage the type 2 muscle fibers in the glutes, resulting in more power and firmness.”

21. Leg abduction with elastic band

Execution technique: Get on your knees. Wrap one end of the resistance band around your right leg and hold the other end in front of you. Tighten your abs and glutes and slowly walk your right leg back until it is straight. At the extreme point, squeeze your buttocks even more tightly for a second.

What does it give: “This exercise effectively targets your glutes by isolating the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and hamstring muscles.”

22. Lying Lateral Leg Raise

Execution technique: lie down on left side, rest your head on your left hand and place your right hand on the floor in front of your chest. Your bottom leg should be bent and your top leg should be straight. Without moving any other part of your body, slowly lift your right leg as high as possible. Pause, then return to the starting position.

What does it give: “This exercise helps strengthen the sides of the buttocks and eliminate the bulges on the hips.”

23. “Rainbow” leg swings

Execution technique: Get on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, straighten one leg to the side or at a 45-degree angle so that your toes touch the ground. Lift your straight leg up and “draw a rainbow” behind you. Touch your fingers to the floor on the other side, and then return to the starting position.

What does it give: “This exercise will primarily target those firm buttocks, but you will also feel tension in your abs, hamstrings, and lower back. After this exercise, you will never find legs as beautiful as yours.”

24. Gluteal bridge

Technique: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor quite far from your buttocks. Brace your core, then rest on your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift your hips up. Hold the position for two seconds before lowering.

What does it give: “The glute bridge is another great step for activating your butt muscles as well as strengthening them.”

25. Glute bridge on one leg

Technique: Lie on your back with your arms extended to your sides, knees bent and feet wide apart on the floor. Raising your hips, straighten one leg up. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips evenly off the floor, then lower back to the starting position.

What does it give: “This variation will work the back and hamstrings much more than a standard bridge.”

Let's shake our legs! Let's become beautiful!

Leg muscles can be effectively worked at home. For this there is a set of best physical activity, aimed at each muscle group.

Which of them will be the most effective for girls and women? What are the features of training at home, and what points should you pay attention to?

Let's look into these issues.

A little anatomy

Leg muscles make up fifty percent of muscle mass of the whole body. The muscle groups of the buttocks, thighs and lower legs are responsible for their shape. By specifically training this area, you can achieve a harmonious, slender figure and beautiful leg line. complex special exercises able to cope with such shortcomings as too thin calves or full hips, saggy buttocks. These muscles respond well to loads, so regular training for girls will help create an attractive shape and reduce the volume of the legs.

A set of the best workouts for legs

The exercises in this complex for slender legs are selected in such a way as to effectively work all the muscles. They will help make them elastic and toned. By eating rationally and performing the complex, you can successfully burn excess body fat and purchase slim figure. This training excellent for cardiovascular and cardiovascular training respiratory system, is the prevention of varicose veins. Developed muscle groups help the heart pump blood well. By doing this, you will strengthen your muscles, blood vessels and the health of the body as a whole.

1. Stepping onto the platform

We perform the first exercises with our own weight, practice the technique, and select a comfortable rhythm for ourselves. Can be done in several ways:

Method 1.

We stand straight in front of the platform, arms down, shoulders slightly back. You can also bend your elbows to make this workout easier.
We first stand on the platform with one foot, then place the second.
We step ten times with our right foot, then the same amount with our left foot. Support leg must maintain a right angle.

We stand with our backs to the wall and retreat a little from it.
We slowly lower ourselves onto an imaginary chair. We simulate sitting on a chair for an average of thirty seconds to one minute.
We press the back and the back of the head tightly against the wall, Maintain a right angle in the knee joint.
Using the force of the hips and lower legs, we straighten our legs and rise. Shaking your feet, relax for thirty seconds.

Repeat three to five times.

3. Squats

They are an ideal load for the legs. They shape the relief and work on problem areas of the buttocks and thighs. One of the few exercises that successfully pumps inner side hips, develops hip, knee and ankle joints. This is a great move for. These areas often spoil the slender line of the legs due to excess fat and undeveloped muscles. The most effective types are:

Feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended forward, chin raised.
Bending your knees, we lower ourselves to a position in which a right angle is formed at the knee joint.

We do ten squats with three repetitions.

2. Plie squat

Accentuates the load on the inner thigh.

We squat with a straight back, arms can be extended forward or clasped around the shoulders.
Feet should be wider than shoulder width, toes pointed out.
We squat, as in the first case, not completely, at a slow pace.

We do ten squats with three repetitions. After practicing the technique, perform.

Carefully! More deep squat– when the buttocks approach the floor, it is dangerous to perform. This puts excess stress on the knee joints and creates a high risk of injury.

4. Lunges

Lunges are good for loading the thigh muscles - quadriceps, as well as the buttocks and calves. They perfectly stretch the hamstrings and gently load the leg joints. This seemingly simple exercise is included in many complexes. It trains the sense of balance and has a great effect on the cardiovascular system. Vigorous lunges help you win overweight and keep yourself in good shape.

Stand straight, chin raised, arms down. We take a step forward with our right foot, leaning on the entire area of the foot.
Maintain a right angle at the knee and maintain balance. Left leg At the same time, it is extended, the knee is close to the floor.
We tilt the body forward a little, We make sure to maintain balance.

We repeat fifteen to twenty times. When you adapt to the load and learn to follow the technique without difficulty, you can do two or three approaches at a fast pace.

This is interesting! For variety, you can use walking lunges, taking long steps in a circle. The wider you step into the lunge, the more the target muscles are loaded.

5. Gluteal bridge

One of the most effective exercises for the hips and buttocks. Good for stretching the abdominal muscles.

We lie on our backs, with our heads comfortably placed on the floor. Hands lie along the body.
We bend our legs at right angles, We spread our feet, slightly turn out our toes.
Leaning on the area of the shoulder blades and feet, we raise the buttocks as much as possible. We hold the position for several counts and lower ourselves.

Can be performed using dumbbells that are placed in the front of the thighs. The use of weights increases efficiency by an order of magnitude by increasing the load.

On a note! In this exercise, at the maximum point there should be a straight line: shoulders - stomach - knees.

6. Walking on your buttocks

The muscles of the hips and buttocks work, the hip joints are developed. Helps - fat deposits on the lower part of the buttocks.

We sit down on the floor, legs straightened, feet slightly apart. We don’t lower our heads, we look ahead.
We bend our elbows and, moving on our buttocks, move forward and backward. For a few counts - forward, and also back.
We help ourselves by making movements with our elbows.

Repeat ten times with three approaches.

7. Bicycle

We strengthen the abs, back and front surfaces of the thighs, gently load the knee and hip joints, increase the amplitude of their movement, and eliminate stiffness. The bicycle is widely used for.

We perform it while lying on our back.
We put our hands under our heads.
We raise our legs slightly above the floor level and “ride a bicycle,” bending our knees one by one. The closer the hips are to the floor, the more we work the abs.

Repeat ten times with three approaches. Rest for thirty seconds between sets to relax your lower back.

Attention! For those who have weak abdominal and lower back muscles, it is recommended to start with the bicycle with vertically raised limbs.

8. Scissors

The muscles of the hips, buttocks and abdomen work. They help get rid of the so-called.

We perform it lying on the floor.
The arms are located along the body.
We straighten our legs and raise them above the floor level.
At an average pace, we make movements with our legs, imitating the movements of scissor blades.

Repeat ten times with three approaches.

9. Calf raises (calf raises)

We load the ankle joints and calf muscles.

We stand straight, move our shoulders back, lift our chin.
We put our hands on our belts, rise on our tiptoes, and, pausing for three counts, lower ourselves.
We focus on the calf area.

Repeat ten times with three approaches.

10. Upward and Downward Facing Dog (Post-Workout Stretch)

They are final exercises that promote flexibility and relaxation of the leg muscles. Stretches muscles, eliminates tension and spasms that can arise from overexertion. Improve metabolism, improve blood flow, increase endurance. Exercises of eastern practices are performed at a slow pace, alternating phases of tension and relaxation. You need to adapt to such an individual rhythm so that the muscles have time to completely relax. This period can range from one to three minutes.

We get on all fours and, straightening our knees, raise our buttocks.
The body, ideally, should form a triangle with the buttocks at the top point. Usually it is not easy to achieve such a position right away. By stretching the muscles of your back and hamstrings, you will gradually get closer to the standard.

We perform it three times, do not forget about the relaxation phases.

Lie on your stomach and place your palms under your shoulders.
Legs are straight. Feet slightly apart.
With emphasis on our palms, we bend our back and look up. Hold the position for a few seconds and lower your upper body to the floor.

We perform it three times, between which there is a relaxation phase.

Be careful if they start after training. In this case, you need to immediately stop exercising and understand the causes of the pain. To perform a special healing.
Warm-up should always be the first stage of training. By preparing for exercise, you will warm up your muscles and protect yourself from injury.
An important part of the training complex is correct breathing. Exhale - tension, inhale - relaxation!
Increase the load gradually. Remember that the intensity of training is individual for everyone. Choose the mode that suits you.
If you are not physically fit, increase the amount of exercise you do. step by step, giving the opportunity to strengthen the lower body gradually.
Only after the body adapts to the load can a full-fledged training regimen be set. Doctors often have to treat injuries caused by inadequate loads when performing any, even the most simple exercises. Any should alert you

The Importance of Cardio Exercise for Fat Burning

Cardio exercise is absolutely necessary for lean and beautiful legs. For training, it is good to include running, swimming, and exercises with a skipping rope.

You can also use various simulators: treadmill, elliptical trainer, stepper. They perfectly complement the above complex and allow you to achieve more lasting results. With the help of fat-burning cardio workouts, you can control your weight and stay in shape. They are capable, when used intense loads, burn extra calories, even if you occasionally break your healthy diet.

Using the given complex, you can achieve your goal in a few months- perfect legs. But it is necessary to remember that you need to lead an active lifestyle all the time. If you skip workouts, consume excess amounts of high-calorie foods and exercise little, the results achieved will not last long.