It is important to ensure a balanced workout routine between your upper body and lower body. While many enjoy exercising their upper body, always keep in mind that working out your lower body is just as important. Strengthening your lower limbs enables you to perform sports and movements that involve jumping, running, sprinting, and standing, which are all essential not only in physical activity but also in going about our day-to-day lives.
Leg Day Workout: Keep your back neutral and drive through your heels to power up your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. This is important to most of the leg exercises you do.
In this article, we will delve into the anatomy of the legs, so you know what muscles are engaged during your exercises and so that you can choose the appropriate workout routine based on your physique goals. Let's get started with your fitness journey!
How to perform the Squat
*Personal trainer from the HermQ team showing how to do the Squat.*
Learn the Anatomy of Your Lower Body
The lower limbs are comprised of several regions: the hips, thighs, knees, legs, ankles, and feet. The thigh houses the femur, the body's largest and strongest bone. The muscles in this region are divided into three groups:
Posterior (back)
Includes the hamstrings (biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus), which control knee flexion and hip extension. Think of movements like a leg curl or pulling your leg backward during a sprint.
Anterior (front)
Includes the quadriceps femoris (rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius) and sartorius, responsible for knee extension and hip flexion. Think of exercises like the leg extension machine or kicking your leg forward.
Medial (inner thigh)
Composed of the adductor muscles (pectineus, adductor magnus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and gracilis), which help with hip adduction and stabilization. Think of when you're stabilizing your legs while walking on uneven ground or squeezing your thighs together to hold something between your legs, like a ball or a bag.
Lower Leg
The leg muscles also fall into three groups, contributing to foot movement, balance, and propulsion:
- • Anterior (front): Includes the tibialis anterior, extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus, and fibularis tertius, primarily responsible for dorsiflexion (lifting the foot upward).
- • Posterior (back): Comprises the gastrocnemius, soleus, plantaris, popliteus, tibialis posterior, flexor digitorum longus, and flexor hallucis longus. These muscles aid in plantar flexion (pointing the foot downward) and foot control, especially during walking and running.
- • Lateral (outer side): Includes the fibularis longus and fibularis brevis (also known as peroneus longus and brevis), which assist in foot eversion and ankle stabilization.
Every lower-body movement, from squatting to sprinting, engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Whether you're training for strength or endurance, understanding these muscles helps optimize your workouts.
Let's explore the most optimal leg day exercises that you can add to your routine.
Exercises
Essentially, the main muscles active during a leg day exercise are your quads, glutes, hamstrings, adductors, and calves. For a leg day workout, you would usually incorporate compound exercises including squats, leg presses, RDLs, and isolation exercises specifically to target only your legs, such as leg extensions and leg curls.
Squat Strong: If you're struggling to find your ideal squat stance, try positioning your feet as you would for a maximum vertical jump—this often works well!
Here are examples of exercises that should be included in your workout routine:
Squats
One of the best leg exercises, this movement allows you to load heavy weights on the bar. When performed correctly, it's a staple for any leg day workout —be sure to include it!
Romanian Deadlifts
There are various types of RDLs, which could be performed with body weight, dumbbells, a barbell, or a kettlebell.
Bulgarian Split Squats
This movement is a single-leg exercise that mostly targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings and is performed with one foot elevated on a bench.
Seated Leg Curls
An isolation exercise that is performed by flexing your knees using the leg curl machine, targeting your hamstrings.
Leg Extensions
Are also an isolation exercise that targets your quads and is performed by using the leg extension machine, where you extend your knees to lift the weights until your legs are straight.
Standing Calf Raises
Are an exercise that targets the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. They can be performed using a calf raise machine or an elevated platform. To execute the movement, slightly bend your knees, push through the balls of your feet, and raise your heels off the ground in a controlled motion.
An Optimal Leg Day Workout Split
Leg Press Power: Adjust the seat, position your feet shoulder-width apart, and push through your heels for effective leg activation. Leg press is a fantastic exercise for your leg day workout.
Here's what your leg day workout program could look like
- 1. Squats for 3 sets, with 6 reps
- 2. RDLs for 3 sets, with 8 reps
- 3. Bulgarian split squats for 3 sets, with 10 reps on each leg
- 4. Seated leg curls for 2 sets, with 12 reps
- 5. Leg extensions for 2 sets, with 12 reps
- 6. Standing calf raises for 3 sets, with 12 reps
Control the Movement - No bouncing, slow and controlled reps are key for most exercises.
With this routine, you will see optimal results, as long as you practice proper form and consistency.
FAQs
1. How often should I train my legs?
For best results, train your legs 1-2 times per week, allowing time for muscle recovery and growth. One time week is usually fine and you will get good results. For the best results, we recommend two times.
2. Can I build leg muscles without weights?
Yes! Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and step-ups can effectively build strength and endurance, especially in the beginning. However, for more experienced individuals, adding weights and performing these exercises with proper technique will yield better results over time.
3. Should I train all leg muscles in one workout?
It depends on your goals. A full leg workout targets the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, but some prefer to split their training across different days. For most people, the best approach is to ensure sufficient sets per muscle group and train each muscle twice per week for optimal results.
4. What's the best rep range for leg muscle growth?
While the 8–12 rep range is traditionally recommended for hypertrophy, research shows that muscle growth can occur across a broad spectrum of rep ranges — as long as you're training close to failure. Lower reps (1–5) with heavier weights are more effective for building strength, whereas higher reps (6–30) can still stimulate muscle growth when performed with enough intensity. The key factors are progressive overload, adequate training volume, and consistently pushing close enough to muscular failure.
Dreaming of a fitter, stronger you? Discover our 5-day training program to build the muscle and power you deserve.