The best leg exercises to strengthen your leg muscles.
Leg exercises are common during routine workouts. Though legs might not be the most important physical feature, insufficient leg strength makes the body appear top-heavy. Perhaps more importantly, completing leg exercises will provide a strong base for the muscles above.
Let’s take a look at some of the best leg exercises that will strengthen your legs.
Walking Lunges Are Some of the Best Leg Exercises
Walking lunges are considered one of the best leg exercises as they improve coordination and muscle strength. This unilateral exercise works the glutes, hamstrings, and quads. To perform the walking lunge, hold a dumbbell in both hands and step forward with your right foot. Bend your knees to move your midsection downward. Do not yet your knee dip down to toe-level. Pause as soon as your back knee contacts the floor and drive through the front foot heel while moving the back leg up to achieve a standing position. Step into a lunge with the opposite leg, replicating the pattern. Continue to alternate legs as you perform the walking lunge.
The Leg Press
The leg press targets the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. The feet remain firmly connected to the floor during this exercise. Be especially mindful of your form during the leg press to prevent injury. Align your feet with your shoulders as you sit in the leg press machine. Hold your chest upward, press the lumbar portion of your back against the pad, disconnect the sled and bend at the knees to lower the platform. Halt the press movement when the glutes extend off the pad. Extend the knees to lift the weight. You will see that this is one of the best leg exercises.
The Hack Squat
You can use a machine or barbell to perform the hack squat. Most opt to use hack squat machines as they are user-friendly and do not require as much space as required with a barbell. The hack squat is performed in a position similar to the standard squat. Use the hack squat machine and you can add more weight without compromising your form thanks to the ample back support.
Rest your back and shoulders against the pad. Align your feet slightly inside of the shoulders, maintaining flat feet throughout the duration of the exercise. Take off the safeties, gradually lower yourself and halt when your thighs are slightly past parallel with the platform. Press up to the starting position while slightly bending your knees at the top to guard against hyperextension.
The Pistol Squat
The pistol squat is one of the best leg exercises yet it is somewhat of an awkward exercise upon the first attempt. One can master this exercise in little time if they focus on maintaining balance. Start in the standing position. Move your left leg out ahead of your body while maintaining your balance with your right foot. Squat downward by lowering your glutes and hips to the floor, bending at the knee. Once the activated thigh is below parallel, the idle leg will be out ahead, allowing for improved balance. Push through the planted foot’s heel to reach the standing position. While this is a more challenging exercise, it is definitely one of the best leg exercises.
Contact Generation Fit to Learn More About the Best Leg Exercises
You can practice the best leg exercises with the assistance of a Dunedin personal trainer. Whether you are interested in group training, health coaching, or one-on-one training, Generation Fit is at your service. Give us a call at (813) 340-3008 to learn more about the best leg exercises, help you burn away the fat and reach your physical fitness potential.