Design a Lower-Body Workout with the Best Leg Exercises

Why it’s great: The barbell back squat is royalty as far as lifts go. It’s a highly functional movement that targets numerous muscles in your lower body, namely the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings, to build incredible lower body strength and endurance.

RELATED: What Muscles Do Squats Work?

How to do it: 

1. Set a barbell on the J-hooks of a squat rack or power rack and load it to the desired weight. Then, unrack the bar on your upper back across your shoulders.
2. Bring your hips back and bend your knees as you lower your butt as though sitting down in a chair. Keep descending until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
3. Pause briefly, then push your heels into the floor to return to a standing position.
4. Repeat as needed.

Why it’s great: The barbell front squat provides strength and hypertrophy benefits to the lower body muscles, just like the back squat, but places less strain on the lower back⁶.

How to do it: 

1. Load a barbell to the desired weight, then unrack it into the front rack position. The bar should sit across your shoulders and the top of your chest.
2. Hinge forward by bringing the hips back, then bend your knees as you lower into your squat. Keep your chest tall and your elbows pointed forward as you descend.
3. Push your heels into the floor to return to a standing position. Push your knees outward as you stand and bring the hips forward at the end.
4. Repeat as needed.

Why it’s great: The Bulgarian version ups the ante of the standard split squat by requiring you place your back leg on an elevated surface. This increases the challenge and improves mobility in your ankles, knees, and hips.

How to do it: 

1. Stand facing away from a weight bench and place one foot behind you on the bench.
2. Bend your front knee, lowering yourself into a squat, until it forms a 90-degree angle. 
3. Drive through your front heel to return to standing.
4. Repeat as needed, then switch sides and repeat the set.

RELATED: The 9 Best Quad Exercises

Why it’s great: Walking lunges, reverse lunges, forward lunges—the reason there are so many lunge variations is because they’re all great at targeting your lower body muscles. Plus, they enhance posture and balance and correct muscle imbalances.

How to do it: 

1. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step forward with your left foot, dropping the right knee until both legs form 90-degree angles.
3. Pause, then push into the floor with your left foot while bringing the right foot forward. Now, shift your weight forward, while both your right and left knee form right angles.
4. Continue walking until you’ve completed the desired distance or number of reps.

Why it’s great: Hip thrusts activate your glutes big time, making them a great exercise that translates to other lifts and movements that require explosive hip movements like the clean, the snatch, and the kettlebell swing.

How to do it: 

1. Place a loaded barbell parallel to a weight bench, then sit perpendicular to the bench with your upper back and arms resting on top.
2. Roll the barbell over your hips into the crease.
3. Push your feet into the floor and your upper back into the bench as you thrust your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the peak position.
4. Slowly return to the starting position.
5. Repeat as needed.

Why it’s great: Glute bridges improve hip mobility, build lower back stability, and, as the name would suggest, target the gluteus maximus, too.

How to do it: 

1. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Extend your hips and push with your feet to get your butt off the floor.
3. Squeeze your glutes, then slowly come back down.
4. Repeat as needed.

Why it’s great: Loads of movements get your leg muscles to push and pull against resistance, but what about abduction? The banded hip abduction utilizes a resistance band to strengthen your hip abductors, which is important for good mobility, stabilization, and injury prevention.

How to do it: 

1. Wrap a mini band around your quads, just slightly above the knee, and lie on your side.
2. With your knees vertically stacked, lift your top knee away from your bottom knee.
3. You should feel this movement primarily in the glutes. Continue moving until you feel your back or core begin assisting the movement.
4. Slowly return the top knee to the starting position.
5. Repeat as needed, then switch sides and repeat the set.

RELATED: Best Resistance Bands for Glutes

Why it’s great: The good morning exercise, by itself, is an excellent bodyweight movement that trains the hip hinge movement, improves core strength, and enhances overall mobility. Add in a barbell, and you’ve got a lower body muscle builder, too!

How to do it: 

1. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. If using a barbell, unrack it as though you’re about to back squat, keeping your back straight and core tight.
2. Bring your hips back while lowering your chest toward the floor. Continue until your chest is nearly parallel with the floor.
3. Slowly return to the standing position, bringing your hips forward at the end.
4. Repeat as needed.

RELATED: The Good Morning Exercise

Why it’s great: The RDL switches up the movement pattern of the conventional deadlift in order to increase activation of the hamstrings, enhancing their strength and flexibility.

How to do it: 

1. Grab a barbell, or pair of dumbbells, and hold them with your arms fully extended and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Shift your hips back, lowering your chest and the weights toward the floor.
3. Continue descending until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
4. Return to the starting position by driving through your heels.
5. Repeat as needed.

RELATED: RDL Workout

Why it’s great: A 2021 study⁷ published in the International Journal of Exercise Science found that the single-leg deadlift builds the glutes better than the conventional deadlift. Plus, you can perform it using a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even a med ball.

How to do it: 

1. Grab your weight and stand with your right leg off the ground.
2. Hinge forward from your hips, bringing the weight toward the ground and your right leg behind you into the air. Your planted left leg should have a slight bend in the knee.
3. Once you’re nearly parallel with the floor, slowly return to the starting position.
4. Repeat as needed, then switch legs and repeat the set.