We all know how complicated and time-consuming exercising can be, especially for anyone with a job or a career, right?
But don’t worry; there are ways for you to complete your leg day workouts without leaving the comfort of your home.
In this article, I compiled 24 best at-home leg workouts for you. From beginner level to more advanced, these workouts will help you reach the same results as if you were going to the gym.
Home Leg Exercises For Men
Squat Jump
- The proper way to do it is to place your feet aligned with your hips
- Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor
- Jump while you are in this position
- Upon landing, make sure that you do so in a position that has your knees bent at around 45 degrees
For optimal results, pause in a deep squat for a second or two and repeat the jump.
Side Lunge
- To do this one the right way, you need to stand straight
- Keep your feet separated by about 3 feet
- Start from the right side and keep your left leg straight
- Push your hips backwards
- Make sure to bend your right knee and lower your body
- Repeat the process on the left side
You are doing it right when your thigh is parallel to the floor. Remember to always keep your feet flat on the floor.
To get the best results, pause for a few seconds. The more you remain in this position, the better. However, try not to overdo it, as you’ll feel unbelievable muscle soreness the next day.
Single-Leg Hip Raise
- Lie down on your back with your arms spread on the floor
- Make sure that your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are bent
- Align your right leg with your left thigh
- Stretch your leg while lifting it
- Squeeze your butt muscles
- Elevate your hips from the ground
To get the best results, stay in this position for more seconds and return to the starting point. Repeat the exercise by switching legs.
Quick Feet
- Position your body into a semi squat stance
- Run in place using very short steps
- Put the weight on the front of your foot during each step
For optimal results, run as fast as you can!
Home Leg Exercises For Women
Bodyweight Squats
- Stand straight, your feet aligned with your elbows
- Straighten up your torso in front of your hips
- Place your butt backwards, into a squat position
- Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground
- Use your heels to stand up straight
If you want to get the best results, make sure to point your toes out when working out. Also, make sure that your feet are flat on the ground.
Plié Squat Calf Raises
- Position your feet more than a shoulder-width apart
- Turn your toes out
- Place your hands on your hip bones
- Squat just like you would in a regular squat
- While you are in a squat position, raise your heels off the ground and stand like that for 1-2 seconds
To get the best results, make sure to have your back straight.
High Knee Toe Taps
- Get a chair or a box
- Stand in front of it
- Place your right foot on the box or chair
- Jump and swap your legs with quick actions
Make sure your chest is lifted at all times, and your back is straight. This will significantly enhance the results.
Side Leg Raises
- Find a comfortable surface, ideally on a yoga mat
- Lie on it on one side
- Keep your legs out straight, one above the other
- Lift your torso using your lower hand. It should be at a 30 degree angle from the surface
- Slowly lift your top leg
- Repeat a few times
- Switch sides
To maximize this exercise’s potential, make sure you lift the leg using your butt muscles, not your lower back.
Home Leg workouts for mass gain
Walking Lunges
- Place your right foot in front of your body, as far as possible from your left leg
- Leave your forward foot flat on the ground
- Lower your body and left knee until it touches the ground
- Complete the motion by bringing your left foot together with your right one
- Repeat from step one by switching legs
For best results, keep your back straight.
Split Squat
- Put one foot forward
- Squat down until your back knee touches the ground
- Get back up using your forward foot
Make sure to switch legs after each rep.
Step Ups
- Put a bench or a chair in front of you
- Step on the bench with one of your feet
- Step with the other foot as well in a quick motion
- Return to your initial position
Repeat this exercise several times and switch your leading foot.
Squat Pulses
- Stand and keep your feet 3 feet away from each other
- Squat down like you normally would
- Push your hips up and down a few times while keeping your back straight
- Return to your initial position
If you feel like it’s too easy, squat lower while doing this exercise.
Home Leg workout with dumbbells
Goblet Squat
- Stand up and hold a dumbbell with both hands
- Keep it in front of your thighs
- Lower your body
- Do a squat while holding the dumbbell in the same position
- Repeat the exercise
Make sure to keep your upper body steady throughout the exercise.
Reverse Lunge
- Take two dumbbell and place them on your sides, palms facing inward
- Put one foot backwards and drop your knee to the ground
- Hold this position for a few seconds
- Raise back up
- Repeat the exercise and switch legs
Try to pick dumbbell weights according to your fitness level.
One Legged Toe Raise
- Find a stepper and place one of your feet on the stepper
- Take a dumbbell and hold it on the side of your body
- Raise your body on the stepper by standing on your toes
- Slowly return to the initial position
- Switch legs and repeat
For maximum efficiency, use a higher stepper.
Dumbbell Swing
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands
- Start with your hands between your legs
- Crouch down with your hips above your knees
- Stand up and bring the dumbbell above your head, fully stretching
- Return to the initial position
For better results, make sure to have your back straight.
Suitcase Squat
- Stand up straight, in a shoulder-width stance
- Get dumbbells in your hands
- Let your arms rest along your body
- Do a squat
- Go back up
The heavier the dumbbells, the better the results.
Leg workouts at home with weights
Deadlift
- Stand up straight, in a shoulder-width stance
- Slightly bend your knees
- Let your arms rest along your body
- Hinge at the hips
- Further bend your knees and push your butt backwards
- Lower the dumbbells with your shins
- Return to the initial position by standing up straight using your heels
The key to this exercise is to have your upper body parallel to the ground.
Curtsy Lunge With Kick
- Stand up straight, in a shoulder-width stance
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand
- Rest your hands on top of your shoulder, palms inward, elbows bent
- Step backwards in a diagonal position with your left foot
- Lower your left knee until it touches the ground
- Bend your right knee at a 90 degree angle
- Use the power in your right heel to stand back up
- Kick your left leg to the left side
- Immediatly repeat the exercise
Pro tip: complete reps on one side, then repeat the same reps on the other side
Sumo Squat
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and stand up straight
- Point your toes out at about 45 degrees
- Hold a weight with both hands
- Bend your knees and make a squat
- Use your heals’ power to stand up straight
For best results, ensure you squeeze your glutes hard when you are at the top. Also, you can use heavier weights as you get stronger.
Leg Workouts At home Without Weights
Bulgarian Split Squats
- Find an elevated surface
- Stand with your back facing the elevated surface and place one foot on it
- Sink down as low as you can
- Go back up, keeping your back as straight as possible
- Finish off with a jump if you can
The higher the surface, the more efficient this will be. Make sure to switch legs after each rep.
Single Leg Squats
- Stand on one foot
- Keep the other leg bent at the knee
- Raise your arms for balance
- Squat down as low as you can without falling down or losing the form
If you want to increase the difficulty, extend the raised leg horizontally. This turns the exercise into a pistol squat which is more complex but more effective.
Curtsy Lunge
- Stand up straight
- Place one leg behind the other in a diagonal
- Squat down until your back knee touches the ground
- Go back up, repeat the exercise on the other side
For better effectiveness, you can do more repetitions and bend down as deep as you can.
Reverse Lunge
- Stand up straight and place your legs about shoulder-width apart
- Place one leg one step back
- Go down until your back knee touches the ground
- Go back up, do a few reps and switch to the other side
Make sure to keep your back as straight as possible and to remain balanced using your arms if needed.
At Home Leg Workout - Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need leg workout machines to exercise at home?
For everyone trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle in the quest for a better-looking body, buying workout equipment can be expensive and should not be done without thinking things through. The answer to this question revolves around two fundamental aspects:
Are you a beginner?
If the answer is no, skip to the second point. If your answer is yes, you don’t need to buy any equipment. Start slowly with less demanding workouts to see how things go. It will take time for your body to get used to working out.
During beginner days, machines would be a liability as they would take up space in your home. You can easily use the exercises listed in this guide and have the time of your life working out without actually spending a dime.
Once you become more experienced and accustomed to working out, ask yourself the following question:
Are you an experienced athlete who needs to work out often?
At this point, you have already mastered the regular workout routines like the ones I mentioned above. If you think working out without equipment isn’t going to cut it anymore, step up your game.
You can reasonably invest and allocate space to set up a home gym. Instead of spending valuable time going to the gym, you’ll have your equipment available to you instantly at any time.
How can I build leg muscle at home?
Building muscle is not something that happens overnight; it is a long process that requires dedication. It took me more than a month for any significant difference to be visible.
The main thing you can do to build muscle in your legs at home is to work out at least three times a week. This won’t overwork your body, and you’ll quickly achieve some results.
In addition, make your leg workouts count. You aren’t doing it right if you feel painless and comfortable. You must test your limits.
The last piece of advice that I must give you is one that many forget: You need to rest!
For your muscles to regenerate and get stronger, they need to rest. Get some quality sleep and take some days off from working out.
How do I tone up my thighs?
The best way to tone your thigh muscles is to be equally dedicated to building muscles. Toning up the muscles can be even more complex than building them. Both goals are tough to achieve, but beginners often forget the most critical aspects of toning.
First, you must use resistance training. You can quickly get some if you don’t have resistance bands or other resistance equipment at home, and these aren’t expensive and are indeed worth the investment.
Second, go complete cardio. Not only is it great for your heart and lungs, but it is also a great way of staying fit. Cardio will also help keep your thighs and other muscles toned.
You can run around in the neighborhood and the park. All you need are some good running shoes. Cardio also helps you lose extra weight and is excellent for overall body detox.
- High End Exercise Bands. Our 12"³ By 2"³ Heavy...
- Great With Any Workout. This Resistance Band Set...
- Multiple Uses. While These Resistance Bands Are...
- Superior Quality. All Of Our Exercise Resistance...
- What You Get: Five Exercise Bands With Color-Coded...
Are wall sits bad for the knees?
I asked myself the same question as a beginner, as I felt terrible pain, and my legs were shaking within the first 2 seconds of any wall sitting. Aside from being great for overall body toning, wall sits can also be helpful for your arms if you use weights or a resistance band.
However, the question is, are they bad for the knees, and the answer is definitely NO. Wall sits often suggested by doctors specializing in orthopedics for people who suffer from knee pain. They activate the knees after a few repetitions and are great for long-term knee regeneration.
Do squats make your thighs thinner?
The fact is, squats work your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes. This means that whenever you are doing squats, you are activating several muscles, tightening them in the process. However, this question is heavily discussed amongst experts. This is because genes play a massive role in our body type (thus, muscles) and how our body burns calories.
We all know that squats are compound movements. The more you do them, the more calories you burn. If you burn calories, it is reasonable to assume that you will be losing weight.
However, some people can get bigger thighs by squatting. This is because higher repetitions of a particular exercise will make your muscles grow in size. But don’t worry, you cannot easily overdo them, as, at a certain point, your muscles will stop changing visually and will be just more enduring.