5 Best Beginner Leg Exercises to Tone your Legs

The legs are a very important part of the body, but they're often overlooked during exercises. Most people focus on their upper body when it comes to toning up and getting a good workout.

That's why most women have strong arms and shoulders but skinny, flabby legs. With leg exercises, you can get a more balanced look and feel healthier.

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Leg Exercises for Beginners to Tone Legs

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Glute Bridge

The glute bridge targets several muscles in both the upper and lower body: glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps (front of thighs). It's important to target these areas, as they are prone to becoming tight from sitting at desks or standing throughout the day.

This exercise can be incorporated into a workout routine by simply performing them as part of a warm-up before moving on to more intense activities, such as squats or lunges, that utilize similar muscle groups.

Here's how it's done:

• Lie on your back; bend your knees 90 degrees, and place your feet flat on the floor.
• Keep your arms at your sides, and lift your hips off of the floor by activating the muscles in your buttock and hamstrings.
• Hold this position for ten seconds before returning to the starting position.

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#2 The Sumo Squat

The sumo squat is a great beginner exercise that works the muscles in the legs and butt.

Here's how it's done:

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Turn your toes out as if you're standing on an invisible line, and lower yourself into a squat while keeping your weight in the middle of your feet.
• Make sure to keep good posture by maintaining an upright position and contracting through the core muscles to avoid slouching or losing balance during the lift.
• You can also perform lunges by stepping forward with one leg and lowering yourself down into another squat position before returning back up onto both feet.

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#3 Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is a great exercise for beginners to get started with. It can be done anywhere with no equipment needed.

Here's how it's done:

• Using a kettlebell (or dumbbell), load the weight in your hands, and squat down till your knees are slightly bent, keeping your back straight.
• Squatting down lowers the hips and level of the body to the ground, which increases tension on the quadriceps muscles that are used in walking, running, and jumping.

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#4 Bulgarian Split Squat

This exercise is great for your thighs, glutes, and hamstrings.

It can also be modified to target specific muscle groups by varying the amount of weight used or the distance between your legs. Do 3-4 sets of ten reps with a light weight (or no weight at all), and maintain correct form.

It's done as follows:

• Keep your back straight, chest up, and lean forward slightly as if you were about to sit down in a chair.
• Alternate legs when doing this move for both safety reasons and because it allows each leg to rest while working hard on the other side.
• If you need help getting into position or maintaining good posture during this exercise, use a bench or box instead of holding onto dumbbells or kettlebells.
• Make sure there’s enough space around that object so that you don’t accidentally hit anything with them as they swing down while performing reps.

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#5 Single Leg Deadlift

This exercise is easy enough to do at home, so if you're short on time but want to get leg toning, it's a great option. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and some space.

Here's how it's done:

• Start by placing one foot directly behind your body in line with the other leg, keeping both feet pointing forward.
• Bend at the waist till your hands are flat on the floor, and use that momentum to return to a standing position.
• Repeat 20 times on each side for a set.

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Takeaway

Leg exercises are important for everyone, even if you’re trying to lose weight. You can use leg exercises to tone your thighs, calves, and glutes without doing any cardio at all.

Don’t forget about using resistance bands — they make everything more challenging by increasing the amount of work your muscles need to do to complete each rep.