13 Home Leg Workouts: Your Body is Your Main Equipment

Strong legs equal an easier life. It’s simple: having strong legs enables you to achieve your fitness goals and deal with daily activities. 

Just think about it: whether you’re running a marathon, lifting a heavy barbell, or running from the neighbor’s dog, you need fit muscles to get the job done. 

We use our legs constantly and with enough effort, we can promote their strength and flexibility. 

Fortunately, your body cares little about the location you’re choosing for your physical performance. All it is concerned with is consistency, proper techniques and form, and intensity. 

This is what makes bodyweight workouts so appealing: they’re functional and suitable for all fitness levels. 

As a bonus, they don’t necessarily require equipment and offer effective alternatives for beginner individuals. Bodyweight leg exercises are also valuable for learning proper form before incorporating weights into certain moves. 

Today is your lucky day because in this article you’re about to survey the 13 top-notch home leg workouts: your body is your main equipment. 

On top of this, you’ll unveil a couple of home leg workouts for mass with additional equipment, and learn the answer to the most important question at this point: “Can you build leg muscles without weights?”. Let’s dig in. 

Can I build leg muscle without weights?

If your gym trainer told you that it’s impossible to build leg muscles without weights, you should consider a different trainer. There’s a popular belief that gaining leg muscles is impossible without weights while it may be more attainable with weights, it is still possible using only body weight movements. 

Yet, the secret to hypertrophy is to exhaust the muscles. Resistance training with or without weights in this case may be efficient for you (2). You can do this by doing a higher number of reps of low weight (or simply body weight) and various training methods. 

What truly matters is: 

• Time under tension which places your muscles under stress for longer durations of time. This can gives more prolific results for your muscle growth.
• Eccentric focus which highlights the lowering phase of a movement to focus on muscle lengthening, instead of contracting it.

Overall, your body doesn’t care how you’re engaging your muscles. As long as you apply enough intensity to create micro-tears in the tissue, your body will try to repair these cells, which provokes them to grow in size. This 28-Day Leg Challenge is going to shape your leg muscles, making them stronger and toned. 

If you tend to let yourself off the hook, raise the white flag when things get tougher than you expected, send yourself on an unconscious binge-eating trip – BetterMe app is here to help you leave all of these sabotaging habits in the past!

How can I work my legs at home?

You can work your legs at home by incorporating intensive leg workouts with or without using weights. At this point, you’ll uncover 4 powerful exercises with dumbbells and 3 – with resistance bands. 

In the following segments, you’ll be introduced to 13 no-equipment home exercises for your legs and booty. 

Leg workouts at home with dumbbells

Romanian Deadlift

How to perform: 

• Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart holding dumbbells in front of your body.
• Initiate the movement by bending at the hips to push them back, and slowly lower the ‘bells toward the ground. Keep the db’s in contact with your legs and Avoid rounding your back.
• As you start feeling a deep stretch in your hamstrings, pause once the db’s are approximately shin level and explosively return to an upright position.
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Reverse Lunges

How to perform: 

• Stand tall holding your dumbbells with straight arms by your sides
• Keeping your chest up, take a step backward with one leg and bend your front knee until the back knee touches the ground or is hovering above.
• Stand up, pause, and repeat with the other leg
• Repeat 16 to 20 times.

Dumbbell Deadlift

How to perform: 

• Stand with your feet at hip-width apart holding your weights in each hand in front of you
• Engaging your core, drive your hips back and bend your knees slightly to lower both dumbbells down to the floor in front of your legs
• Continue lowering until the hips are fully pushed back and the weights are close to the floor. Make sure to keep your back engaged and neutral
• Drive through the ground with your feet to push back to the starting position, and repeat
• Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Weighted hip bridges

How to perform: 

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Hold a dumbbell, kettlebell, or other item in front of your hips
• Brace your core and initiate the movement by driving through your heels into the ground. squeeze your glutes, and lift your hips until your shoulders, hips, and knees create a straight line. Slowly lower your hips back to the floor
• Repeat 8-13 times.

Leg workouts with resistance bands

Banded air squats

How to perform:

• Stand with your feet a tad outside hip width and place the band above your knees
• Push  your hips back while bending the knees , as if sitting in a chair
• Keep your chest up and focus on your hips breaking below your knee crease, while your knees track over your midfoot.
• With your weight evenly distribued through your whole foot, drive forcefully into the ground to stand back up.
• Repeat 3 sets of 12 reps.

Banded hip bridges

How to perform: 

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place the band right above your knees
• Brace your core, squeeze your glutes, drive through your heels and lift your hips until your shoulders, knees, and hips create a line.
• At the top of the bridge, pulse your knees out and back in
• Slowly lower your hips back to the floor
• Repeat 3 sets of 15 reps.

Read more: Thigh Workout Guide: 7 Effective Exercises for Building Leg Strength

Is leg day at home effective?

Surely, a leg day at home can be as effective as working out at the gym. There are plenty of bodyweight home leg workouts for individualswith no weights and there are plenty of options regardless of ability. You can increase your challenge by incorporating single-leg workouts. 

Single-leg movements require you to rely on the strength of just one leg to perform them, which means they often feel more intense than those done with both legs. As you start adding exercises like single-leg glute bridges, lunges, or single-leg calf raises to your at-home leg workouts, you increase the strength in your leg muscles. 

Another way to boost your performance is by introducing explosive movement. For instance, jump lunges, burpees, or pop squats are good for developing your power, and perhaps implementing a little bit of cardio too.

Yet, there is one important caveat: If you’re aiming to build serious strength and muscle, bodyweight no equipment exercises alone likely aren’t going to cut it. 

You need to overload your muscles to strengthen them. Overload is typically easiest with weights and bands that add resistance. Leg workouts at home with weights may be more effective as more loads equal higher intensity and power. Using proper weights can build muscle efficiently and be as effective as three sets of the same exercise. It’s a good idea to purchase differently-weighted dumbbells so that you’ll be using them based on the exercise and your strength. 

Besides, there’s no need to spend hours of training, unless you want to. Strength training 2-3 times a week for 20-30 can be enough, especially if you’re new to it (3).

Lastly, to make your leg exercises even more effective you should have warm-ups and cool-downs before and after the workout routine. 

Warm-ups are beneficial as they: 

• Improve performance;
• Promote blood flow;
• Speed up muscle concentration and relaxation;
• Improve oxygen efficiency;
• Prepare you mentally for the workout (4).

Cool downs are crucial as they: 

• Speed up the recovery process;
• Reduce onset muscle soreness.

To sum up, the best at-home leg workouts are beneficial for boosting strength and muscle endurance. Bodyweight exercises in particular are a great way to work on your form since you don’t have to use weights or any equipment and can instead focus fully on solid technique.

How can I train my legs without equipment?

Here’s the best part of bodyweight exercises: your body is the only equipment you’re utilizing. This means, training your legs without weights, or additional equipment is possible at any time and place. 

You may need to pay only for your workout clothes and a well-thickened fitness mat. Using breathable fabrics and comfy shoes is crucial for executing the exercise in proper form. 

To train your legs at home, you should search for functional leg-aimed exercises. From the title of the article, you’re expecting to explore 13 powerful leg workouts. Look at the list first and then get down to the execution techniques of each exercise.

1. Bodyweight Squat
2. Jump Squat
3. Side Step to Squat
4. Glute Bridge March
5. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
6. Lateral Lunge
7. Curtsy Lunge
8. Reverse Lunge to Single-Leg Hop
9. Good Morning
10. Single-Leg Calf Raises
11. Jumping Lunge
12. Donkey Kick
13. Fire Hydrant

Ready to explore each exercise? Pull into your comfortable clothing and sneakers and jump right into your home leg workouts with no equipment.

Bodyweight Squat

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, with your arms at your sides or extended out in front to help counterbalance.
• Engage your core, keep your chest up, and back flat while pushing your hips back, and bending your knees to lower into a squat.
• Bring your palms together in front of your chest bending your elbows/make sure your knees track over your midfoot
• Stand by driving through your whole foot into the floor and squeeze your glutes at the top for 1 rep.

Jump Squat

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
• Hinge forward at your hips and get into a squat. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Jump up into the air and straighten out your legs.
• Swing your arms down by your sides maintaining a straight back and chest lifted.
• Land back on the floor with soft knees.
• This is 1 rep. Go promptly into another squat.

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Side Step to Squat

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet together, engage your core, and hold your hands at chest height.
• Step your left foot to the left, so your feet are wider than hip-width apart.
• Hinge at your hips and bend both knees to get into a wide squat.
• Straighten your knees and bring your left foot back to your original position. This is 1 rep.
• Perform all your reps, then repeat on the other leg.

Glute Bridge March

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Lie on the mat with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart. Engage your core to press the lower back against the floor.
• Lift your hips and squeeze your glutes at the top. Hold here.
• Then lift your left foot off the floor, bringing your knee toward your chest.
• Stamp your foot on the floor and immediately lift your right foot off the floor to repeat on the other side. That’s 1 rep.
• Continue to march, alternating your feet, all while maintaining lifted hips with your core engaged.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Lie on your back on the mat. bend your knees and press your feet flat on the floor, hands at your sides. Engage your core to press your lower back against the floor.
• Lift your right foot off the floor and extend your leg.
• Push through your heel of your left foot, and with your core engaged squeeze your glutes as you lift your hips and do a glute bridge.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the floor. That’s 1 rep.
• Do all of the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.

Lateral Lunge

• Stand with your feet together and your hands on your hips.
• Take a big step out to the left.
• As your foot hits the floor, hinge forward at your hips to push your butt back, and bend your left knee to lower into a lunge.
• Pause for a moment and push off your left leg to return to the original position. That’s 1 rep.
• Do all your reps on one side, then repeat with the other leg.

Curtsy Lunge

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips or hold them together in front of your chest.
• Draw your left foot diagonally behind you and lower your left knee until it almost touches the floor. Bend your front knee to about 90 degrees.
• Drive through your right heel to return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side. This is 1 rep.

Reverse Lunge to Single-Leg Hop

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your core engaged.
• Step backward with your left foot, land on the ball of your left foot, and keep your left heel off the floor.
• Bend both knees to 90 degrees as you drop into a lunge.
• Swing your left arm forward and your right arm slightly back, elbow bent. Be sure your core is engaged and your hips are tucked.
• Jump up as high as possible with your right foot, driving your left knee toward your chest.
• Land softly on your right foot with control and then immediately get into another lunge. That’s 1 rep.
• Complete all your reps on one side. Then alternate sides and repeat.

Good Morning

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, and place your arms behind your head.
• Slowly bend forward with your flat back, keeping your legs straight and core engaged.
• Stop when your chest is parallel to the floor.
• Return to the starting position for 1 rep. Repeat.

Single-Leg Calf Raises

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Raise your right knee to hip level, keep your toes pointed and hands on hips or hold onto something for balance.
• With your core tight, lift your left heel as high as you can off the floor, balancing on the ball of your foot.
• Hold for two seconds, then lower the heel back down for 1 rep. Continue.
• When you’re done with all your reps, repeat on the other side.

Read more: Fire Up Your Muscles With Effective Resistance Bands Leg Workout

Jumping Lunge

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Engage your core, jump your right foot forward and your left foot back, and bend both knees so you sink into a lunge.
• Hop both feet back to the original position.
• Now hop your left foot forward, and right foot back, and sink into a lunge on the other side. This is 1 rep.
• Continue jumping and switching sides each time you land.

Donkey Kick

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Drop in an all-fours position, with your knees under your hips, and core engaged.
• Kick your left foot up and toward the ceiling, engage your glutes, and use your hamstrings to lift your foot upward.
• With your core engaged try to not tip to the right as this is a strength move, not a flexibility exercise.
• Bring your leg down to the starting position for 1 rep.
• Do all of the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.

Fire Hydrant

Step-by-step instruction: 

• Get on your fours, with your knees under your hips, wrists under your shoulders, and core engaged.
• With your bent leg lift your left knee to your side toward the ceiling.
• Engage your core and be mindful to not allow your body to tip to the right as you lift the knee.
• Lower your knee to the original position for 1 rep and repeat.
• Do all the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.

Ready to pump up your legs? Try these exercises at home and feel that burn after the first session. Additionally, you can incorporate Leg Exercises While Sitting – super beneficial for those who spend too much time at their desks. 

FAQs

• How can I tone my legs fast?

If you want to tone your legs, you should look for bodyweight exercises with or without weights. Implement these into your weekly regime (2-3 times a week will be perfect). That said, hoping for fast results is not advisable as building strong and toned legs takes time, consistency, and progression.

• Does walking tone your legs?

Yes, but opt for brisk walking or even uphill which can be more effective in toning your legs and engaging your abdominal muscles. Walking can also help you increase your range of motion, shifting the weight of your joints to your muscles.

• Will doing 100 squats a day make my bum bigger?

Doing 100 squats daily will not make your booty bigger. Still, it might help you build a more rounded, well-shaped booty which may look a tad bigger. However, be cautious of doing squats every day as your body requires rest. Instead, do squats day after day. Taking breaks is vital for muscle recovery and better performance. 

• What will 500 squats a day do?

Performing such a high amount of volume each day may not necessarily be the most effective approach. Instead, following a well-structured training program that includes ample volume, intensity and rest could be a better option. It depends on your consistency and proper technique as well as your overall diet.. 

The Bottom Line

Having no time for gym training? No biggie, as you can strengthen your leg muscles and tone up your legs with home leg workouts. 

In this article, you’ve explored 7 leg exercises with equipment. Adding weights and resistance bands to your leg exercises is going to build your leg muscles faster. 

You have also learned about potent 13 home leg workouts: your body is your main equipment. 

These bodyweight no-equipment exercises will promptly engage your legs; besides, bodyweight exercises are a great way to work on your form, since you don’t have to use weights or any equipment and can instead focus fully on solid technique.

Home-leg exercises are effective as long as you’re following all the instructions. Please consider taking daily breaks between your workouts as your body requires rest time for muscle recovery. It’s also essential to do warm-ups and cold-downs before and after your leg workouts. 

Don’t ignore pain while performing an exercise. Contact a healthcare provider if the pain becomes permanent.