Leg Exercises Names Using Barbell, Gym Machine Dumbbells and Bodyweight

When starting with leg training, terms like “Bulgarian split squat” and “Reverse lunges” might seem a bit daunting.

As a beginner, you might not be familiar with the many leg exercises available. And trying new workouts or understanding different routines can be challenging if you don’t know the names of the exercises.

But there’s no need to worry! This blog post will provide a comprehensive overview of the most common leg exercises.

This leg exercise list will offer clear images and simple explanations to help you understand leg anatomy and each exercise’s mechanics.

Be sure to bookmark this guide as your go-to resource for building strong, toned legs.

Barbell Leg Exercises Names

Barbells are a great tool for building leg strength. They allow you to lift heavy and overload your leg muscles.

This section will introduce over 15 popular barbell leg exercises with detailed descriptions and illustrative images.

The exercises will cover variations like barbell squats, lunges, deadlifts, and more. You’ll learn the proper technique for each exercise to maximize leg development safely.

Keep reading to discover the best barbell moves to build defined, muscular legs!

1. Barbell Squat

If there is only one exercise you want to do for leg exercises, then it should be squats. Nothing comes close to squat exercises to build muscle mass and tone the leg muscles.

The barbell squat is the king of all exercises, the only challenger being the barbell deadlift.

Men love this exercise because it is great for strengthening the legs and core, making the body release testosterone, and helping to build body-wide muscle and strength.

2. Barbell Lunges

The barbell lunge is a brilliant exercise to develop balance, coordination, and the unilateral (one-sided) functional strength of your legs, which is important for athletic performance and overall fitness.

Barbell Lunges are a power move to build thigh and butt muscles.

3. Barbell Front Squat

The front squat is a more advanced version of the barbell squat that works the muscles of the legs. The front squat will place a great deal of emphasis on the quads.

The barbell squat and the barbell front squat work the same target and synergistic muscles.

However, the barbell front squat recruits more stabilizer muscles, including various back muscles, your shoulders, and chest.

4. Deadlift

The deadlift is the King of all exercises. It is the best exercise for posterior chain muscle strengthening.

Deadlift works your whole body, including the Lower back, upper back, arms, legs, and buttocks. It is the biggest muscle builder, recruiting more muscle motor units than any other exercise.

This exercise can be performed using either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells. You must add this exercise to your hamstring workout to build Stronger and bigger legs.

5. Stiff-Leg Deadlift

The stiff leg deadlift is a variation of the deadlift and an exercise used primarily to target the muscles of the hamstrings gluteals and erector spinae.

The stiff-leg deadlift for hamstrings requires a lighter weight than the traditional deadlift lift to strengthen the lower back.

A grip with one palm facing forward and the other facing back keeps the bar from rolling.

6. Landmine Deadlift

The Landmine deadlift is a variation of the deadlift that lets you use the deadlift pattern in a fitness program that fits your needs.

The Landmine deadlift is extremely versatile and effective for building functional strength through all planes of motion and packing on some serious muscle mass.

It is a weightlifting exercise involving lifting a barbell anchored to a landmine apparatus. The barbell is positioned at an angle to the lifter, which allows for a different range of motion and changes the movement pattern of the exercise.

7. Zercher Squat

The Zercher squat’s set-up is unique, as you wedge the barbell in your elbow creases and hold the weight by bracing your core and arms.

The Zercher squat places a high amount of loading on the anterior legs, upper back and traps, and the biceps and elbows.

8. Barbell Step Up

The barbell step-up is a great exercise for building lower-body strength and power. This exercise targets the quadriceps and involves calves, glutes & hip flexors.

The step-up is a great all-round exercise that is perfect for all, since it can be modified to create a challenging workout for anyone, whether you have just started exercising or have been training for years.

It has a low risk of injury and, with a few adjustments, offers a good cardio and strength workout.

9. Side Lunge

The barbell lateral lunge is the best variation of the side lunge that people typically perform when they want a little more glute involvement with the movement pattern.

The unilateral movement of side lunges can help you to improve muscular imbalances, increase strength in each leg, and benefit from a functional movement.

10. Jefferson Squat

If you’re looking for a way to get more creative with your barbell leg workout, why not try Jefferson squats?

It is an old technique that you don’t see many people utilizing anymore, but it truly is an excellent workout because of the way that it tests and works your lower body.

It requires a balancing act (Asymmetrical movement). There’s an element of building up coordination and stabilization to keep the bar centered, which also helps to avoid injuries.

11. Barbell Lunges

You must do barbell lunges when doing leg workouts with the barbell, as it is a brilliant exercise that helps you strengthen your legs.

It is a power move to build Quadriceps and butt muscles. It develops balance, coordination, and your legs’ functional strength.

12 Barbell Hip Thrust

The barbell hip thrust is a popular exercise that is used to target the glutes and hamstrings for muscle and strength-building purposes.

Now, a lot of people are afraid to perform this movement or just not interested since it requires a little setup, and may even look a little funny.

13. Barbell Box Squat

The box squat is a compound exercise that uses a barbell and a plyometric box to work for muscle groups throughout your body.

The posture of box squats puts slightly less pressure on your knee joints when compared to front squats or back squats.

This is a great exercise for learning how to squat because it reinforces the sitting-back portion of the squat. It is the best option for a beginner who is doing a barbell leg workout.

14. Barbell Good Morning

Barbell Good Morning is a compound exercise primarily targeting the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

It is named after the gesture of greeting someone by bending forward from the waist.

• The erector spinae muscles of the lower back work isometrically to keep the spine in an extended position,
• While the hamstrings and gluteus maximus work isotonically to perform hip extension.

15. Landmine Squat

Are you tired of the same old squats in your workout routine? Looking for a new and challenging exercise to add to your leg day? Look no further than the landmine squat.

The Landmine Squat is an excellent power exercise to build quality thigh muscle mass. However, it requires more stabilizer muscles, including various back, shoulders, and chest muscles.

16. Landmine Hack Squat

The landmine hack squat, also known as landmine reverse squat, is a hybrid of the hack squat and landmine squat, which primarily targets the leg muscles while minimizing strain on the lower back.

It’s an excellent alternative if you’re looking to prioritize your quadriceps muscles in a relatively stable exercise and lack access to a hack squat machine.

17. Landmine Sumo Squat

The landmine sumo squat is a type of squat where you position your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, typically twice as wide. This simple change significantly impacts the exercise mechanics and targeted muscles.

Some people find this squat more stable and comfortable than using a dumbbell, which requires balance and coordination to keep from swinging.

18. Barbell Hip Bridge

When you spend most of your day sitting, your glute muscles can weaken, while the hip flexors in the front of your thighs can shorten, making them feel tight.

But when you practice glute bridges regularly, you target your glutes, hamstring, and lower back muscles.

19. Barbell Standing Calf Raise

The barbell standing calf raise is a machine-based exercise targeting the muscles of the calves, particularly the gastrocnemius or upper calf muscle.

It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, such as 12–20 reps per set or more, as part of the lower body portion of a workout.

20. Barbell Seated Calf Raise

The barbell seated calf raise is one of the best strength-gaining exercises that targets your calf muscles and accelerates their growth.

It specifically activates and stresses the soleus calf muscle, and so the exercise is best performed by maintaining an angle of 90 degrees at the knees.

21. Clean And Jerk

The hang clean and jerk is a complex exercise that involves multiple movements performed in quick succession.

It requires to be coordinated flexion and extension of various joints and muscles throughout the body, combining pulling and pushing motions into a single exercise.

It is an effective and efficient way to achieve a full-body workout in a short period of time.

Not only that, but it is one of the lifts that athletes do at events like the Olympics and other weightlifting competitions.

22. Barbell High Pull

The Barbell High Pull is an explosive and multijoint workout focusing on the upper body, including the arms, upper back, and traps. It’s a good way to make yourself more athletically strong.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell.
2. From this position, explosively extend hips, knees, and ankles, pulling the barbell towards your chin.
3. Raise the bar to chest or shoulder height, no higher.
4. Carefully lower the bar back to the starting stance.

23. Rack Pull

The rack pull is an exercise that can boost your pulling power and build up your back. It targets the posterior chain, including the glutes, hamstrings, lower back and upper back.

The exercise involves lowering the barbell from about knee-high, which reduces the range of motion compared to a standard deadlift.

It allows you to lift heavier weights, which can lead to impressive strength gains.

This exercise is beneficial for developing muscle hypertrophy, fundamental pulling strength, and grip strength.

24. Snatch Grip Deadlift

The snatch grip deadlift is an advanced variation of the traditional deadlift, with a wider grip on the barbell. The wider grip of the snatch grip deadlift works more of the upper back than the lower back.

The exercise is also known for its ability to improve grip strength and teach patience off the floor.

It is recommended to master the form for a traditional deadlift before attempting the snatch grip deadlift.

25. Barbell Hack Squats

The barbell hack squat is a variation of the traditional squat exercise.

Its primary focus is on the quadriceps; the barbell hack squat also engages the hamstrings and glutes, promoting balanced lower body development.

It involves holding a barbell behind your legs while performing a squatting motion.

26. Smith Leg Press

The Smith machine Leg Press is an alternative option if you can’t access a leg press machine.

The Smith machine leg press utilizes a more vertical pressing motion than the traditional 45 degree leg press.

But using a Smith machine to leg press is a bit “dangerous” than with a leg press machine, but if you set the safety bars up, you’ll be fine.

27. Smith Lunge

When doing leg workout with smith, them must do smith lunge, as it is a brilliant exercise that helps you to strengthen your legs without hurting your knees.

The primary muscle group targeted during the Smith machine lunge is the quads. However, depending on the width of the split stance you take during the Smith machine lunge, you can focus more on the hamstrings and glutes.

28. Smith Reverse Lunge

Smith Reverse Lunges are an excellent leg exercise to build thigh muscles and glutes. Along with squats, reverse lunges are highly recommended to build your butt muscles.

It is great for developing balance, coordination, and unilateral lower-body strength. Start light until you learn balance.

29. Smith Bulgarian Split Squat

The smith Bulgarian split squat also known as the single-leg smith split squat.

It is an effective auxiliary exercise for improving your squat and lunge. It is also great for enhancing your balance and developing unilateral functional strength.

To promote equal contralateral strength (equal strength in both sides), start with your weak leg, and do not do more repetitions with your strong leg.

Dumbbell Leg Exercises Names With Images

Dumbbell Leg Exercises are an excellent variation of traditional leg workouts. The advantage of using dumbbells is that they allow a full range of motion.

These exercises are among the best for building leg mass and strength, especially targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.

1. Dumbbell Squat

The dumbbell squat is a popular exercise that targets the leg muscles, particularly the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.

It is a compound exercise that works for multiple muscle groups at once and can be performed by people of all fitness levels.

One benefit of the dumbbell squat over the barbell squat is that you can perform it anywhere without needing a spotter.

2. Dumbbell Lunges

Along with squats, dumbbell lunges are highly recommended to build your butt muscles and glutes.

Dumbbell lunges require good balance, so if you have balance issues, start by doing the lunges exercise without weights.

3. Dumbbell Deadlift

The Dumbbell Deadlift Exercise is the best variation of the classic barbell deadlift. This is one of the best dumbbell exercises to add mass to the hamstring and other posterior chain muscles.

The deadlift exercise can be performed using either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells.

One of the biggest benefits of using dumbbells for deadlifts is that they increase the range of motion you can work in comparison to barbell deadlifts.

4. Dumbbell Sumo Squat

The dumbbell sumo squat is a popular leg workout using a single dumbbell held in front of the legs.

It is performed with a wider-than-shoulder-width stance, increasing the demand on the glutes, hamstrings, and adductors while benefiting the quads, core, and upper body.

The dumbbell sumo squat exercise is also easy on your lower back, which makes it suitable for people who suffer from lower back pain.

5. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat is another great exercise for your dumbbell quad workout.

Because your rear foot is elevated and not in contact with the floor, you have effectively taken it out of the exercise. This means that you are relying heavily on the quadricep of the forward leg to lift a significant portion of your weight.

It is an effective auxiliary exercise for improving your squat and lunge. It is also great for enhancing your balance and developing unilateral functional strength.

6. Dumbbell Step Up

The dumbbell step-up is a great leg workout for building lower-body strength and power.

This exercise targets the quadriceps and involves calves, glutes & hip flexors.

Whether you have just started exercising or have been training for years, the step-up is a great all-round exercise that can be modified to create a challenging workout for everyone.

7. Dumbbell Front Squat

The squat and the dumbbell front squat work the same muscles. However, the dumbbell front squat recruits more stabilizer muscles, including various back muscles, your shoulders, and your chest.

It is more advanced than the barbell squat, and the dumbbell front squat is the best option for leg workouts.

8. Lying Dumbbell Leg Curl

The dumbbell leg curl is useful when you can’t access a leg curl machine.

It is one of the best isolation exercises to build mass and strength in the hamstring muscles.

The most difficult element of the dumbbell leg curl exercise is learning how to hold the dumbbell securely between your feet. This becomes increasingly trickier the heavier the dumbbell becomes. Therefore, start light until you get used to the exercise.

9. Dumbbell Box Squat

The dumbbell box squat is a compound leg exercise that uses a dumbbell and a plyometric box to work muscle groups throughout your body.

The posture of box squats puts slightly less pressure on your knee joints when compared to front squats or back squats.

This is a great exercise for learning how to squat because it reinforces the sitting-back portion of the squat.

10. Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift

If you are looking for a straightforward dumbbell leg exercise to build mass and strength in your hamstring, then the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift is a great staple exercise to get you started.

The dumbbell stiff-leg deadlift for hamstrings requires a lighter weight than that used during traditional powerlifting for strengthening the lower back.

11. Dumbbell Farmers Walk

The dumbbell farmer’s walk is a great exercise for improving your grip strength and building your forearms. It also improves your overall strength and functional fitness by strengthening your core, back, glutes, legs, and gait.

The farmer’s walk exercise also called the farmer’s carry, is a strength and conditioning exercise in which you hold a heavy load in each hand while walking for a designated distance.

It might be one of the classic exercises and a move that man’s been doing since the beginning of time.

12. Dumbbell Swing

Dumbbell swings are based on the deadlift movement pattern and hit almost every muscle in the body, especially those of the posterior chain, resulting in a stronger back and hips.

This will be very helpful to your goals of increasing glute and hamstring hypertrophy.

It can be used in cardio circuits and to strengthen your posterior chain muscles.

13. Dumbbell Reverse Lunges

The dumbbell reverse lunge is great for developing balance, coordination, and unilateral lower-body strength.

It is an excellent leg exercise to build thigh muscles and glutes. Along with squats, lunges are highly recommended to build your butt muscles.

• A small lunge places emphasis on your quadriceps,
• Meanwhile, a large lunge places emphasis on your gluteus maximus.

14. Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat

The dumbbell Bulgarian split squat is also known as the single-leg dumbbell split squat and the back-foot-elevated split squat.

It is an effective auxiliary exercise for improving your squat and lunge. It is also great for enhancing your balance and developing unilateral functional strength.

To promote equal contralateral strength (equal strength on both sides), start with your weak leg and do not do more repetitions with your strong leg.

15. Dumbbell Jump Squat

Dumbbell Jump squats, also known as squat jumps, are the power-packed HIIT version of squats.

Dumbbell Squat jumps and their variations help shed fat from the body, tone your butt and legs, and improve strength and balance.

It is a great dumbbell exercise to include in-home Leg workouts, since they can be done in a small space without any equipment.

16. One-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts

The single-leg Dumbbell RDL is a unilateral movement, which will help increase the demand on your core and hips through anti-rotation.

It’s a great exercise for increasing hamstring and glute health, reinforcing proper hamstring engagement during deadlifts.

It improves joint function at the hips and enhances bilateral strength and performance.

17. Dumbbell One Leg Hip Thrust

The dumbbell hip thrust is a popular exercise that works the glutes and hamstrings and builds muscle and strength.

Now, a lot of people are afraid to perform this movement or just not interested since it requires a little setup and may even look a little funny.

18. Dumbbell Goblet Squat

The dumbbell goblet squat is a variation of the squat and an exercise used to build the muscles of the legs. In particular, the dumbbell goblet squat will place a lot of emphasis on the quads.

It will help you build serious leg and glute strength.

19. Standing Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

Single-leg calf raises are one of the best muscle-building methods.

Standing dumbbell calf raise is a very effective isolation exercise that targets the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles.

You can do the standing dumbbell one-leg calf raise on the floor if you don’t have a platform to perform the exercise.

20. Seated Dumbbell One Leg Calf Raise

The seated dumbbell one-leg calf raise places more stress on the soleus than it does on the gastrocnemius.

It may also be performed with both legs simultaneously, but doing it one leg at a time is recommended to execute it as properly and safely as possible.

It can be used as an alternative to the machine seated one-leg calf raise if you do not have access to the seated calf raise machine.

21. Dumbbell Overhead Squat

An overhead dumbbell squat is a compound exercise that involves holding dumbbells overhead while performing a squatting motion.

It combines elements of both a squat and an overhead press, making it a challenging full-body exercise.

The overhead dumbbell squat is an advanced variation of the squat that may be difficult for beginners. Often, this exercise exposes flaws in squat form and requires good mobility in the ankle and hip joints.

22. Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

This exercise can be performed anywhere with a dumbbell only, and it is also possible to perform the exercise without a machine. The calf raise is an exercise that can be found in many training plans.

To work your calve muscles harder than a bodyweight standing calf raise; you can add resistance to the move.

23. Dumbbell Push Press

The dumbbell push press is fantastic for building explosive power and sculpting your shoulders and legs. It combines elements of the overhead press and the leg drive.

Its explosive nature helps burn more calories and improve cardiovascular fitness.

GYM Machine Leg Exercises With Names

Machines provide stabilized forms of resistance to isolate the leg muscles through fixed planes of motion. This allows for heavier lifting with less risk of injury.

This list will explain over 10 popular machine leg exercises paired with names, descriptions, and illustrations.

You’ll learn how to perform the leg press, leg extension, leg curl, and more properly to maximize size and definition gains in your legs.

1. Leg Press

Leg Press is one of the best exercises to build thigh muscles. If you have back problems or are concerned about lower back pressure, then leg presses are the best thigh building and toning exercises.

In comparison with the barbell squat, the seated leg press exercises reduce the axial load on your spine and reduce the risk of backache.

Placing your feet low on the footplate emphasizes the quadriceps. Positioning your feet higher on the footplate switches the focus to the gluteals and hamstrings.

2. Leg Extension

The seated leg extension is an isolation exercise that is performed on a leg extension machine to build and shape your quad muscles.

The leg extension exercises should only be used to warm up your quads, pre-exhaust them before squats, or flush them at the end of a leg workout.

• Pointing your toes directly upward hits all sections of the quadriceps equally.
• Pointing your toes inward, internally rotates the tibia to target the inner quad.
• Placing your toes outward, externally rotates the tibia to hit the outer quad.

3. Leg Curl

Leg curl, or hamstring curl, is the best way to build muscle mass in the hamstrings (back of thigh muscles). It also works the calf and glute muscles.

• Pointing your toes straight targets all three hamstring muscles.
• Pointing the toes inward emphasizes the inner hamstrings (semimembranosus and semitendinosus),
• Pointing the toes outward focuses effort on the outer hamstrings (biceps femoris).

4. Hack Squat

The machine hack squat is a variation of the squat and an exercise used to build the muscles of the legs.

In particular, the hack squat will target the glutes & hip flexors, and quadriceps and also involves the calves and hamstrings.

The hack squat machine helps you keep your core stable, so your muscles do not have to work as hard as they would with the barbell squat.

5. Standing Leg Curl

The Standing Leg Curl strengthens the hamstrings, buttocks, and calves.

You pull your heels toward your buttocks from your position on the machine to do a leg curl.

In contrast to the lying leg curl, the standing leg curl is performed with one leg at a time, which helps muscle isolation and focus.

6. Smith Machine Squat

Squats on a Smith machine help stabilize your core and correct your posture while doing a squat.

An advantage of the Smith machine squat is being able to place your foot stance further forward than usual and target more of the glutes and hamstrings rather than the exercises being quadriceps-dominant

The Smith machine squat allows you to squat a heavyweight safely without a spotter. Just make sure that you use the safety pins.

7. Cable Deadlift

The cable deadlift exercise is the best variation of the classic barbell deadlift. This is one of the best cable exercises to add leg mass.

The Deadlift exercise can be performed using a barbell, a pair of dumbbells, and a cable.

One of the biggest benefits of using cable for deadlifts is that it offers a smooth, controlled motion and gives your muscles almost uninterrupted time under tension and a massive pump — each of which can help optimize muscle growth.

8. Cable Squat

Cable Squats are an excellent alternative to barbell squats to build quality muscle mass in the legs. These leg exercises are done standing with a cable machine.

One benefit the cable squat has over the barbell squat is that it is more evenly distributed, and you have more of a constant load on your leg muscles throughout the whole range of motion.

9. Cable Front Lunges

Cable lunges require good balance, so if you have issues keeping your balance, start by doing the lunges exercise without weights as you learn the proper form.

Be careful that the knee of the forward leg does not extend past the toes as you bend the leg. This can aggravate the knee joint if done too much and lead to an injury.

10. Cable Front Squat

The squat and the cable front squat work the same target and synergistic muscles. However, the cable front squat recruits more stabilizer muscles, including various back muscles, your shoulders, and chest.

The cable front squat is the best option for leg workouts; it is more advanced than the standard squat. However, it is not as effective at building mass because it doesn’t permit as much weight to be lifted.

11. Standing Machine Calf Raise

The standing machine calf raise is an excellent exercise for isolating the calves.

Standing calf raises work the two muscles that run down the back of your lower leg: the gastrocnemius and soleus.

Aim for a full stretch at the bottom and a full squeeze at the top to maximize the range of motion.

12. Cable Chair Squat

Cable Chair Squat is also known as Cable Narrow Chair Stand Up.

This exercise is a great way to build up the strength and size in your quads due to the load and body position. It involves less pressure on your hips and more resistance at your knees. 

13. Cable Pull-Through

The cable pull-through is a great compound exercise that trains the powerful muscles of the posterior chain.

These include the hamstrings, the glutes, and the lower back.

It is considered to be a great introductory variation to the deadlift and one of the best exercises to learn glute activation.

14. Cable Step Up

The cable step-up is a great leg workout for building lower-body strength and power.

This exercise targets the quadriceps and involves calves, glutes & hip flexors.

The step-up is a great all-round exercise that is perfect for all since it can be modified to create a challenging workout for anyone, whether you have just started exercising or have been training for years.

15. Cable Standing Leg Curl

The cable standing leg curl is useful when you don’t have access to a leg curl machine.

It is one of the best isolation exercises to build mass and strength in the hamstring muscles.

It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, at least 8-12 reps per set, as part of lower-body training.

16. Cable Glute Kickback

Cable kickback targets your gluteus maximus and improves both stability and toning to give you the shaped, toned look you desire. 

 It is an excellent isolation movement for targeting the glute and hamstring muscles.

17. Kneeling Cable Hip Extension

The kneeling cable hip extension is an isolation exercise that builds muscle and strength in the glutes and hamstrings.

It’s an unconventional movement, but it’s very effective for building the lower posterior chain muscles.

18. Leg Press Machine Calf Raise

The leg press calf raise is a variation of the machine calf raise and an exercise used to build the muscles of the calves.

The calves can be a very stubborn muscle group, so targeting them with plenty of different angles and a high training frequency is important.

It supports your upper and lower back. Hence, if you have problems with your spine or your back, use the seated leg press machine instead of the vertical moves.

19. Seated Leg Curl

The seated leg curl is a variation of the leg curl and an exercise used to isolate the hamstrings and add mass and strength.

This exercise will increase your lower body strength, help you prevent injury, and improve your performance in other exercises.

You can also perform seated leg curls unilaterally. Decrease the weight, let one leg rest, and complete each rep with the same form as the standard seated hamstring curls.

20. Glute And Ham Raise

The glute-ham raise focuses on the hamstrings, but the tension it creates on the backside of the body irradiates all the way up the chin.

That means that the glutes get involved as well (as the name of the exercise would imply), along with the spinal erectors, which run from the pelvis all the way up to the neck.

If your gym has this apparatus, you should add it to your hamstring exercises arsenal, which helps to build mass and strength in your legs.

21. Reverse Hamstring Extension

Reverse hyperextension exercise comes from the world of powerlifting but is now widely accepted as an excellent general strength, conditioning, and bodybuilding exercise.

In the concentric phase, by isolating the glutes and hamstrings, weighted reverse hyperextensions allow you to build up flexibility, power, and strength in them without creating soreness elsewhere.

22. Cable Standing One Leg Calf Raise

Cable standing Single leg calf raises are one of the best ways of building your calf muscles.

It is a very effective isolation exercise that targets the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles.

You can do the standing cable one-leg calf raise on the floor if you don’t have a platform to perform the exercise from.

23. Cable Hip Adduction

If the cable, hip adduction is a brilliant auxiliary exercise for toning your inner thighs.

It not only do you target the hip adductors of your strapped leg, but you also significantly activate the hip adductors of your supporting leg, as they have to work hard to keep your body stable as you pull your strapped leg in.

24. Cable Hip Abduction

The cable hip abduction activates and builds your hip abductors, thus adding shape to your hips and producing more of an hourglass figure.

25. Smith Machine Standing Calf Raise

The Smith machine standing calf raise is a machine-based exercise targeting the muscles of the calves, particularly the gastrocnemius or upper calf muscle.

It is usually performed for moderate to high reps, such as 12-20 reps per set or more, as part of the lower body portion of a workout.

26. Seated Machine Calf Raise

The seated calf raise is one of the best strength-gaining exercises that targets your calf muscles and accelerates their growth.

In the seated calf raise, your soleus is the target muscle and your gastrocnemius is the synergy muscle.

Since the soleus comprises slow-twitch muscle fibers, performing the seated calf raise builds the endurance required for running, cycling, and walking.

27. Hack Machine Calf Raise

Another best calf exercise is the hack machine calf raise. It is a strength exercise; when done correctly, it can effectively target your calves.

In this study, the researchers compare how different foot positions affect different areas of the calf muscles:

• If you turn your toes outward, your gastrocnemius’s inner (medial) head will be emphasized.
• However, if you turn your toes inward, the outer heads of your gastrocnemius will be activated.
• If you keep them pointing forward, your gastrocnemius’s inner and outer heads will be activated approximately equally.

28. Back Extension Machine

The Back Extension Machine is an essential piece of gym equipment specifically designed to target the muscles in your lower back and glutes.

The machine typically features a padded surface for your hips and thighs and foot pads to anchor your feet, enabling you to perform hyperextension movements for your back safely.

The machine offers a safer alternative to free weights for beginners and those recovering from an injury, since it provides a controlled range of motion.

It’s a simple exercise to learn, so you can start using it right away.

29. Smith Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a popular exercise that works the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back muscles to strengthen them.

The Smith machine allows you to load up on big weights and focus all of that loading into the glutes so that they get the best workouts.

This also gives you a good range of motion and the kind of continuous tension that really works the lower back and hip muscles.

Bodyweight Leg Exercises Names

Bodyweight training helps build strong, muscular legs through challenging exercises that use your weight as resistance. With calisthenics, maintaining good form is important for building the mind-muscle connection that is essential for muscle growth.

This glossary will overview popular bodyweight leg moves like squats, lunges, pistol squats, and calf raises.

Let’s build stronger legs with no equipment required!

1. Bodyweight Squat

If you’re looking for straightforward bodyweight leg exercises to add to your routine, the bodyweight squat is a great staple exercise to get you started.

The bodyweight squat is a strengthening exercise that can be performed virtually anywhere without equipment and limited space. It’s a highly functional movement, working all the major muscles of the legs.

2. Bodyweight Sumo Squat

The Sumo Squat is another great exercise for your bodyweight leg workout. It is a variation of a standard squat.

The key difference in this squat is that you take a wider stance and position your feet turned out.

While all squats work the glutes, hip flexors, quads, hamstrings and calves, the leg positioning of the sumo squat also works the inner thighs.

3. Lunges

Bodyweight Lunges are an excellent leg exercise to build thigh muscles and glutes. Along with squats, lunges are highly recommended to build mass in your butt and quad muscles.

It requires good balance, so if you have issues keeping your balance, start off by doing the lunges exercise without weights as you learn the proper form.

4. Sissy Squat

The sissy squat is a top leg, mainly quad-building bodyweight exercise that also works on your hip flexors and strengthens your core simultaneously.

While doing that exercise, act as if you were kneeling on the ground without moving your upper body. The only moving part of your body is the lower portion of the leg.

To add resistance, hold a weight plate on your chest with the arm that is not stabilizing your body.

5. Step Up

The step-up is a great exercise for building legs strength and power. This exercise targets quads and also involves calves and glutes & hip flexors.

The step-up is a great exercise for everyone because it can be changed to make a tough workout for anyone, no matter how old or new they are to exercising.

6. Jump Squat

Jump squats, also known as squat jumps, are the power—packed HIIT version of squats.

And their variations help shed fat from the body, tone your butt and legs, and improve strength and balance.

Squat jumps are a great leg exercise to include in in-home workouts since they can be done in a small space without any equipment.

7. Inverse Leg Curl

If you’re looking for a way to get more creative with hamstring exercises for mass, why not try an inverted leg curl?

It is an unconventional hamstring exercise that isn’t common, but that doesn’t make it any less effective.

The inverse leg curl (bench support) uses your body weight to work the hamstrings and is just as, if not more, challenging to do.

8. Good Morning Exercise

The good-morning exercise is one of the best bodyweight hamstring exercises for muscle mass and strength.

It is known as a good morning because of the movement in the erector spinae, which resembles the rise out of the bed to stretch.

You will put your glutes and hamstrings through a large range of motion, providing better muscle-building potential and increasing your posterior strength.

9. Hip Thrust

The hip thrust is a popular exercise that is used to target the glutes and hamstrings for muscle and strength-building purposes.

Try doing more challenging bodyweight hip trust leg workouts.

• Single-Leg Hip Thrust
• Band-Resisted Hip Thrust

10. Bulgarian Split Squat

The Bulgarian split squat, also known as the single-leg split squat, is one of the best bodyweight leg exercises.

It is an effective auxiliary exercise for improving your squat and lunge. It is also great for enhancing your balance and developing unilateral functional strength.

To promote equal contralateral strength (equal strength in both sides), start with your weak leg, and do not do more repetitions with your strong leg.

11. Superman

Superman is one of the best exercises to strengthen your posterior muscles like hamstring, glutes, and back muscles.

If done regularly, the Superman exercises may also help alleviate lower back pain that is related to weak back muscles and glutes.

You should add this hamstring exercise to your home workout arsenal to increase the mass and strength of your legs and back.

12. Hip Bridge

When you spend most of your day sitting, your glute muscles can weaken, while the hip flexors in the front of your thighs can shorten, making them feel tighter.

However, when you practice glute bridges regularly, you will target your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and lower back muscles. These muscles are meant to hold your body upright.

13. One-Arm Bench Dip

The one-arm bench dip is a challenging and very effective movement that primarily targets your triceps, but your glutes and quads also get worked secondarily.

Now, this is not a beginner’s exercise or for someone with inadequate upper body strength.

14. Jumping Rope

Jumping rope utilizes muscles that the seated calf raises misses. It builds endurance, strength, and coordination for the calf muscles.

Furthermore, jumping rope provides endless variations to keep the exercise challenging.

To jump rope, the individual must first ensure the rope is appropriate for their height.

15. Box Jump

The box jump is a plyometric exercise that develops an athlete’s lower body explosiveness and proprioception.

Plyometric exercises like the box jump help improve explosiveness, which combines power and speed to output force from the exerciser’s body.

This exercise is commonly used as part of an athletic training circuit, providing both leg muscle training stimulus and sports-specific skill development, such as proprioception, lower body stability, and multi-joint movement coordination.

16. Squat Hold Calf Raises

Squat-hold calf raises work the soleus muscles more than the gastrocnemius, but the latter still produces considerable force.

• Assuring a squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart would be best.
• And your hands in front or on the hips.
• Squat, and push up to stand on your toes before returning to the ground.

17. Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise

Bodyweight calf raise exercises effectively strengthen your calves because the calf muscles take on so much of your bodyweight. 

You only use bodyweight, so they’re a convenient calf exercise you can do at home or anywhere.

18. Donkey Calf Raises

Donkey calf raises are an excellent bodyweight calf raise exercise for building calf muscles. This raise is mostly the second option after standing calf raises.

• It primarily engages the two muscles comprising the calves: the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
• It secondarily activates the hamstrings and abs. When you bend over to initiate the calf raise, the hamstrings receive a stretch.

19. Pistol Squats

Pistol squats, also known as single-leg squats, are a challenging bodyweight exercise that requires strength, balance, and flexibility.

The unilateral movement strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, hip adductors (the muscles along the inner thigh), calves, and core muscles through a full range of motion, while training balance and stability.

20. Wall Squat

Wall sits are a great bodyweight exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, and calves.

They are a static exercise that involves holding a seated position with your back against a wall, and can be performed anywhere with a flat surface.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can hold a weight or a medicine ball in front of your chest.

21. Kneeling Leg Extension

The kneeling leg extension is a highly functional bodyweight exercise that targets the quadriceps muscles while also engaging the knee joint, lower back, and hamstrings.

It is a simple exercise that can be performed anywhere without any equipment.

22. Side Lunge

The bodyweight lateral lunge is the best variation of the bodyweight lunge that people typically perform when they want a little more glute involvement with the movement pattern.

The unilateral movement of side lunges can help you to improve muscular imbalances, increase strength in each leg, and benefit from a functional movement.

23. Seated Knee Extension

Seated knee extensions are a commonly prescribed exercise in physical rehabilitation programs.

This exercise isolates the knee extension mechanics to gently strengthen the knee joint and quads with minimal impact or excessive movement.

Seated knee extensions are particularly useful when the knee has a limited range of motion or when other leg parts need to remain immobile during rehabilitation.

24. Bear Crawl

The bear crawl is a full-body exercise that engages multiple muscles, including shoulders, chest, back, glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and core.

Regularly incorporating bear crawls into your workout routine can improve total-body strength and endurance.

This exercise is commonly used in agility workouts and has been shown to help athletes adapt to the physical and physiological demands of various training phases.

25. Bird Dog

The bird dog is an elegant exercise that is also very effective for training the core and back muscles. Other muscles, such as the glutes, are also worked on. 

It owes its name to the position alternating between sitting on hands and knees (dog) and stretching the arms and legs (bird).

26. Lying Band Hamstring Curl

It’s a perfect alternative when a traditional leg curl machine isn’t available because it involves executing a leg curl using a resistance band.

This movement also works the glutes and lower back muscles to keep the body in place during the curl.

27. Resistance Band Deadlift

The band deadlift is a variation of the traditional deadlift exercise, wherein the resistance is provided by a band instead of a barbell or dumbbells. This movement primarily targets the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

It places less direct stress on the joints than heavy weights, making it suitable for people with joint concerns or beginners.

28. Banded Pull-Throughs

The band Pull-Through is a popular exercise which is used to target the glutes and hamstrings for muscle and strength-building purposes. They are good for making your buttocks look toned and firm. They also help your core muscles, hip flexors, obliques, and abs.

Many people don’t want to do this movement because it takes a little setup and may even look funny. Try it out, it’s a good exercise.

29. Band Side-Lying Leg Lift

The band side-lying leg lift is a variation of the side leg raise that uses a resistance band to give the glute exercise more resistance and challenge.

It is a great move to target the gluteus medius and minimus. These smaller glute muscles on the outer hip help stabilize the pelvis and hips.

30. Resistance Band Standing Kickback

The resistance band standing kickback is an efficient way to isolate and work the gluteus maximus.

It’s a low-impact exercise that doesn’t require a lot of equipment, so it’s easy to add to home workouts.

31. Resistance Band Hamstring Stretch

Doing hamstring stretching regularly can help you move your hips and knees more freely, which can be helpful for different activities and exercises.

Stretching the hamstrings can improve blood flow to the area, aiding in muscle recovery and function.

Conclusion

With over 100 leg exercises covered, it’s clear there are plenty of ways to build, strengthen, and challenge the muscles of your legs.

The range is extensive, from classic barbell squats to unique variations like the Bulgarian split squat and sled leg press.

With this diverse collection of leg exercises extending beyond the basic routines, your lower body will experience unparalleled strength, size, and definition development.

Select your favorite leg moves from the list and prepare to see significant improvements in your leg muscularity, power, and athletic performance.

Whether you want to grow your quads, sculpt your hamstrings, or shape your glutes, these essential leg exercises have you covered.

Bookmark the same for future reference.

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.