6 Best Leg Calisthenic Exercises for Men
Leg calisthenic exercises are a good addition to your workout routine, as they entail numerous benefits. They include strengthened leg muscles, improved muscle mass, high calory burn, enhanced endurance, and fat reduction.
The key concept behind calisthenics is to assimilate gravity force and bodyweight to create resistance required for training. Calisthenic exercises are also used by athletes for better sports performance and enhanced muscle endurance.
Best and Effective Leg Calisthenic Exercises
Here are six best leg calisthenic exercises men can include in their workout regimen:
1) Pistol Squat
Pistol squats are one of the most effective leg calisthenic exercises for improved strength of leg muscles. This exercise can also help in building better body balance and enhancing core stability.
How to do it?
Start in an elongated position with both feet together.Extend and straighten your right leg in front till your heels are just above the ground. Straighten your arms in front of you at shoulder level, keeping an engaged core and erect spine.
Bend your left knee, and descend your body towards the ground while extending your right leg till it's positioned parallel to the floor. Bring your body back to the center position. Alternate sides, and repeat.
2) Single Leg Glute Bridge
The single leg glute bridge is one of the staple leg calisthenic exercises. It helps in building a stronger core and legs while correcting poor posture.
How to do it?
Lie down flat on your back with one leg extended in front and the other bent at the knee. The extended leg should hover off the ground at hip level. With squeezed glutes, raise your butt, and get off the ground and towards the ceiling. Bring your body back to the center position before repeating.
3) Wall Sit
Wall sits are a great leg calisthenic exercise. It works on the core region and leg muscles, including calves, glutes, and quads. Wall sits can help enhance the isometric strength of the body and build endurance in the lower body.
How to do it?
Start off by standing with your back facing the wall and feet shoulder-width apart. Slide your back down the wall so that the thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping the core engaged.
Make sure the knees are stacked directly over the ankles, and the back remains pressed onto the wall. Hold this position for as long as you can before getting back to the starting position.
4) Box Jump
Box jumps are a dynamic leg calisthenic exercise that can help strengthen the leg muscles and build significant explosive power in the lower body. This exercise can also help burn a decent number of calories and elevate the heart rate, leading to improved cardiorespiratory fitness.
How to do it?
Position a plyo box in front of you at approximately two feet distance. With both legs, jump off the ground while swinging your arms behind for momentum, and land gently on the surface of the box. Jump back on the floor, with both feet. Repeat. You can also step down on the floor one leg at a time.
5) Reverse Lunge
Reverse lunges are a decent leg calisthenic exercise, helping strengthen and tone the leg muscles without placing too much stress on the knees.
How to do it?
Start in an elongated position, with your hands on your sides. Bring one leg behind you with a large step. Start hinging down with your hips till the thigh of the front leg is parallel to the ground, and the rear leg is angled at 90 degrees to the ground. By pressing onto your front back, get back to the starting position. Swap sides, and repeat.
6) Bulgarian Split Squat
Bulgarian split squats are another great leg calisthenic exercise, helping build significant strength in the lower body.
How to do it?
Position a plyo box or a bench a few steps behind your back. Place the front side of your left leg on the box, keeping your back erect. Start squatting towards the ground till you feel a stretch in your rear leg before returning to the center position. Repeat. Alternate sides, and repeat the above steps.
Bottom Line
The aforementioned leg calisthenic exercises provide numerous benefits to men. They include increased explosive power in the lower body, muscle gain, lesser likelihood of injury, fat loss, strengthened muscles, better core stability, and more.
You can also add weight to some of these exercises for added resistance and challenge.
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