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Similarly, a resistance band looped under the foot and held in each hand makes for a great tool to encourage the quads to work even harder. You can progressively make this move harder by holding a set of dumbbells in each hand, making sure not to round the back or shoulders during the lowering portion. Repeat this for the designated reps and swap legs. Pause when the thigh is parallel to the floor before bracing your abs and driving through your heel to an upright position. Now hinge at the knee of your leading leg and lower until your thigh is parallel with the ground below.Įnsure the ankle of your leading leg is the thing making micro adjustments for balance and support, your leading knee shouldn’t sway or wander forwards over your toes. Gain balance by focusing on a point dead ahead, keeping the chest high and shoulders back. Stand in front of a bench or raised surface (it needs to be around knee-to-waist height) and place the toes of your trailing leg onto it.
#LEG WORKOUTS AT HOME HOW TO#
Our guide to how to do a barbell squat can help.Ī powerful leg exercise that focusses on the quads (your thigh muscles), the Bulgarian split squat can be performed while holding dumbbells, a resistance band or just your bodyweight, making it great for all levels. The barbell squat is one of the most basic compound weight lifting movements out there, and learning how to perform it correctly will see you right throughout your fitness journey. Note: The above guidance says 10-12 reps with weights, but barbell squats allow you to add much more weight than you would ordinarily be able to lift, so you may choose to use fewer reps than normal. Don’t let your knees flare outwards and protect the back by keeping it flat, using the powerful glutes to drive your upper body back to a fully standing position and brace abs to stabilize. Practice this move without weights and then add a barbell across your upper back, dumbbells held at shoulder height or a kettlebell gripped at your chest when confident with form. Ensure the knees don’t creep over the tips of your toes, pause when the thighs are parallel with the floor below and then drive through the heels, keeping the chest high and squeezing the glutes to return to an upright position. Now, slowly lower your butt towards the ground by hinging at the knee, as if you were about to sit on a chair. Stand with feet hip-width apart (you can take a narrower or wider stance if more comfortable), keep your back straight, shoulders pinned back and chest high. Introducing a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebell or anything heavy later down the line is the perfect way to gradually increase lower body strength (see our pick of the best kettlebells and the best adjustable dumbbells if you don't have any home weights already).
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There are few other leg exercises that target all of the major muscle groups in the legs quite like a squat, and its scope for progressive overload (adding weights over time) is huge.