Best Leg Exercises - 11 Exercises To Strengthen Legs And Calves
The leg muscles make up almost half of the body, and the best leg exercises not only target the lower muscles, but also work to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles as well.
Best Leg Exercises
These are not the only reasons why training the muscles of the legs is very important, but there are many other reasons that we will learn about in this article, in addition to a list of the best wonderful leg exercises that work to strengthen and enlarge the muscles of the legs and calves.
Benefits of leg exercises
Leg exercises may arouse some intimidation for some, but after a short period of time it becomes one of the most important days in training programs only when they know the great amount of benefits that leg exercises offer you.
For example, this is a list of the most important benefits that make exercises to inflate and strengthen the legs very necessary.
1- Leg exercises help build muscle in the entire body
The truth is that the best leg exercises are basically compound exercises, so every time you train the muscles of the legs, you benefit from several things:
It strengthens and amplifies the muscles of the legs and calves
It prompts your body to produce more testosterone
Testosterone is a steroid hormone that is naturally produced in your body and plays a major role in men's health, helping to increase the growth of muscle mass and strength. Compound movements, such as squats and deadlifts, that use large muscle groups like the leg, help raise his levels.
And in a recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology by measuring the hormonal response during individual bouts of heavy resistance exercises. They found that the most noticeable changes appeared in the testosterone response.
In other words, compound leg exercises produce more testosterone, which means more muscle gain.
2- Rapid weight loss
The muscles of the legs are among the largest muscle groups in the body, “even the buttocks muscle is the largest muscle in the human body.”
In view of the fat burning mechanism, the large muscle groups such as the “leg muscles” need a large amount of energy to be trained, and this specifically helps the body to get rid of excess fat as quickly as possible.
So if you have problems with excess fat covering your muscles, training your legs will be an ideal solution to get rid of fat as soon as possible.
3- The muscles of the legs are characterized by a very attractive appearance
Only this, inflating the muscles of the legs gives a very impressive and attractive appearance.
Where many do not have huge and attractive leg muscles, so this may be your chance to be special.
4- Leg exercises help you lift heavier weights in the rest of the exercises
Let's take a quick example, "the bench press exercise". In fact, the man intervened in this exercise in a very large way without realizing it.
The stronger your legs, the more stable your body will be on the bench when lifting. This is reflected in your ability to lift significantly, which results in an increase in lifting weights.
Also the back, most of the leg exercises work to strengthen the lumbosacral region very significantly, and the lumbosacral muscles form a large part of the back, and the stronger the lumbosacral muscles, the more you can perform the back exercises correctly.
Performing exercises correctly is one of the most important factors in building muscle.
5- It will reduce the risk of injuries
This point is related to the two previous points.
Leg exercises fix the body well on the ground, which provides more focus during push-ups, such as bench, shoulder, and triceps.
It strengthens the lumbar spine to stabilize and correct the body during pull-up exercises such as back and biceps.
The best man exercises
Given the size of the muscles of the legs and the fact that they consist of front and back muscles in addition to the calves, targeting all this amount of muscles requires a large number of exercises.
But fortunately, there is a group of compound exercises that can reduce leg muscle hypertrophy by targeting more muscles at the same time.
We just have to organize these muscles to target all parts of the muscle equally, and we can divide them like this.
Exercises targeting the whole man
Front leg exercises
Back leg exercises
Calf exercises
The most powerful front and back leg exercises
There are three exercises that inflate the entire legs from the front and the back that you can make the focus of the day "leg workout".
1- Squat
good leg workouts
This exercise is considered the best man exercise ever, “in fact, it is the best bodybuilding exercise in general,” as this exercise activates about 200 muscles in the body.
How to do the squat exercise
Stand and place the barbell on your shoulders, keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body slowly, controlling the weight, by pushing the knees forward and the hips back.
Stop when your hips are parallel to the floor.
Slowly raise your body back up while completely controlling the weight while keeping your chest tight.
Repeat the process until the recommended repetitions are finished.
2- Romanian dead lift
best quad exercises
This exercise targets the back leg muscles more, but it also works to amplify the front leg muscles.
And his presence gives balance as the squat works on the front muscles more. This exercise also works to strengthen and inflate the calves in an excellent way, in addition to strengthening the lumbar spine.
In other words, this exercise is one of the best exercises for the leg, “and the entire back of the body, through the fat to the upper back.”
How to perform the Romanian deadlift
There are two types of dead lift, “one for the lumbar and the other for the muscles of the legs, and it is called the Romanian.” The difference between them is that the second leg is partially extended during the movement. How to perform
Stand up straight and feet approximately shoulder width apart.
Bend over and grab the bar while keeping the back leg straight.
Start with a very slight forward bend in the knee, pushing your chest forward and shoulder back. And keep the spine straight to avoid injury.
Lift the bar off the floor slowly and control it close to your body, making sure that your arms are well straight.
Keep lifting until your body is straight.
Lower the weight again, “it is not required that it touch the ground.”
Repeat the process until the recommended amount of repetitions are finished.
3- The stabbing exercise
best leg workouts for men
Although this exercise is seen as a front leg exercise, research proves that it is one of the most powerful exercises for the back, front and calves as well.
Also, this exercise in particular works to treat sciatica, or curvature, in the lower back.
You can perform this exercise with a bar or with dumbbells, as you prefer the same benefit, and you can also perform this exercise with walking with weight, but it is an advanced movement that I do not recommend for beginners. Watch this video for clarification.
How to perform the lunge exercise
This explanation for performing the exercise with dumbbells “If you prefer the bar, the only difference is that you put the bar on your shoulders - like a squat exercise -”
Stand upright with a pair of dumbbells in your hands.
Take a big step forward with your right leg.
You should keep the front leg flat on the floor, while lifting the heel of the back leg.
Lower your body until your back knee almost touches the floor, and your front thigh makes a 90-degree angle with the floor.
Push your body back up while keeping your core and abdominal muscles tight.
The most powerful front leg exercises
The above exercises work to strengthen the muscles of the front and back legs together, but if you are looking to strengthen the front leg muscles in particular, there are some great exercises.
1- Front squat
A lot of research indicates that this exercise is one of the best front leg exercises, and it is very similar to the back squat, but it works to amplify and divide the front leg muscles more.
How to perform the front squat exercise
There are many versions of this exercise and they differ in the way the bar is held, such as the direct grab, the reverse grab or the use of bars.
This explains the performance of the direct grab “being the best and safest”.
Fix the bar in the special cage and put the appropriate weight.
Stand in front of the bar and adjust your body so that the bar is on top of your chest muscles.
Hold the bar with both hands firmly (it's okay to just use two or three fingers to relieve pressure on your wrist).
Straighten your back and push your chest forward well, keeping your neck tight and looking forward.
Slowly lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Lift the weight again until you reach the starting position.
Repeat the process until the required reps are over.
Note that: You can use the grip you prefer, but in general, the direct grip is the best.
Although the reverse grip is easier, it may expose you to injury since there is a higher elbow than the other, and there is also a greater possibility of the bar slipping out of your hand.
2- The man pressed the device
Another great exercise for men and is very suitable for beginners due to its ease of performance as it moves only the knee joint, unlike squats that move more than one joint.
How to perform this exercise
Adjust the seat so that you can lie down comfortably.
Install your feet in the designated place so that your legs are straight.
Make sure your legs are approximately shoulder width apart.
Slowly lower the weight by bringing your knees toward your chest until they form a 90-degree angle.
Do not lower the weight more than that, as you may injure your lower back.
Lift the weight back up to the starting point.
Repeat until you have finished the recommended reps.
3- Extending the front leg with the cable
One of the most powerful front leg exercises and works to divide the leg in a great way.
What is unique about this exercise is that it works to strengthen the front leg muscles due to the anti-gravity movement throughout the exercise.
How to perform cable front leg extension
Sit on the device and install your feet in the place designated for them.
Select the appropriate weight.
Lift the weight until your legs are straight, and it is not required to be completely straight so as not to expose the hamstrings to injury.
Lower the weight again and repeat the process until you are done.
The most powerful back leg exercises
The Romanian deadlift exercise that we mentioned above is the most powerful hind leg exercise. But you may need to add an exercise or two more to target the muscle well.
As strengthening the back leg muscles helps greatly to strengthen the back muscles from the back because they are closely interconnected.
1- Cable back leg curls
Like an extension exercise, this exercise works to strengthen and amplify the back leg muscles. There are two types of devices that provide this movement.
1- By lying down completely and pulling the leg up.
2- By sitting and pushing the weight back.
There is little difference between the two movements you can use the device provided.
How to perform this exercise
Let's say the available device is to push the leg back.
From a seated position, straighten your legs and place them in place.
Clench your hands in iron fists.
Straighten your back and chest well.
Press the weight until you reach the end of the movement.
Slowly raise the weight again with complete control.
Repeat until the end of the recommended number of repetitions.
2- Pushing the hip on the bench
The exercise works to strengthen both the back and lumbar leg together.
It is considered one of the best back leg exercises and I highly recommend it if you have weak back leg muscles.
The best exercises to strengthen the calves
Many people neglect the calf muscles, although they are one of the most important muscles in the body and help a lot in stabilizing the body and increasing balance.
Also, the calf exercises are easy to perform, so I will not explain how to perform the exercise, but I will explain the most important tips that help in enlarging and strengthening the calves.
1- Weights: It is preferable that the weights be medium, because the calves muscles are short-term and need many repetitions.
2- Repetitions: It is preferable that the repetitions be between 12 to 15 repetitions, because the duration of the movement is very short, and it is preferable that the muscle reach muscle tension in order to benefit from the exercise.
3- Range of motion: You must do the exercise in a full range of motion, meaning that you do the exercise from the starting point to the end of the movement completely, slowly and with focus.
4- Movement speed: It is highly recommended that you do calf exercises with a steady, medium or relatively slow movement to target all muscle fibers well.
Here is a list of the best exercises for calves.
1- Raising the calf while standing
You can perform this exercise on the machine or by placing a bar on your back, or you can even use a pair of dumbbells in your hands to increase the weight and intensity of the exercise.
2- Raising the calves from a sitting position
3- Pay the calves on the machine
As you may have noticed there are quite a lot of best leg exercises out there and this can cause some confusion while identifying the best exercises during a man's day.
But don't worry, I will help you choose the best leg workout based on your different goals
A man exercise to strengthen and amplify the front leg muscles
This exercise targets the entire leg, but with a focus on the front leg muscles in particular.
Back squats at the bar
Dumbbell stabbing
Front cable extension
Rear cable crimp
calf from a sitting position
A man exercise to strengthen and amplify the back muscles of the leg
An exercise that targets the entire leg with a focus on strengthening the calves.
Squat behind me
Romanian deadlift
Push the hip on the bench
Front extension with cable
Cable back crimp
Squat from a sitting position
Conclusion
Leg exercises increase testosterone and thus help increase the muscle mass of the entire body.
Strong legs help stabilize the body during the rest of the exercises, which reduces the risk of injury and weight gain.
There are tons of best leg exercises out there so you can design more than one look for your leg workout day.
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