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Leg exercises need not be overly complicated for greater effectiveness and efficiency. Numerous bodyweight leg exercises exist to develop strength without requiring equipment or weight machines.
Simply incorporating such bodyweight leg exercises into your workout routine will help strengthen your muscles and enhance your body's functional movement. These exercises will also improve posture.
Leg exercises are fundamental to lower body training
1) Squat jumps
Squat jumps are among the best leg exercises that will help burn a higher number of calories, increase the body's overall strength, build explosive power, and improve your athletic performance.
How to do this exercise?
- Begin this exercise in an upright standing position with both your feet apart slightly wider than the hip distance.
- Assume squatting by sitting on your butt and hinging forward from your hips.
- Bring your thighs to the ground by bending your hips in a parallel position.
- With explosive movement, jump upward in the air while straightening your legs and swinging your hands to the sides for greater momentum.
- Make sure that your chest remains lifted and your back straight. Softly land back on the ground and directly assume the squatting position. Repeat.
2) Reverse lunges with knee lifts
This exercise combines knee lifts and reverse lunges that will provide two-fold benefits: greater stability, increased strength in your leg muscles, and blasting fat from your complete body.
How to do this exercise?
- Begin in a straight standing position with your feet apart at shoulder distance.
- Take a wide step to the back with your right foot and the ball on the floor.
- Bend your knees to form a ninety-degree angle with your right knee hovering just above the ground.
- Drive through your left heel to assume the standing position of the body and immediately thrust your right knee towards your chest. Swap sides and repeat.
3) Marching glute bridge
This will effectively engage your glutes and core muscles and efficiently stretch your posterior chain. This exercise will also build a strong core by targeting your obliques.
How to do this exercise?
- Begin this exercise in the lying position on the ground with your feet apart at the hip distance and knees bent.
- Press your lower back onto the ground with your core muscles engaged. Raise your hips upwards from this engaged position and squeeze your glutes.
- Raise your left foot off the ground by hinging your hips at an angle of ninety degrees and driving your left knee towards your chest.
- Immediately bring your left foot back to the ground while repeating the process with the right foot. Keep doing this marching position by alternating your legs. Repeat.
4) Side leg raises
Side leg raises are also among the great leg exercises which will provide numerous advantages, including increased range of motion, increased core strength, better stability of the body, and greater muscular endurance.
How to do this exercise?
- Begin by laying down on the right side of your body with your legs extended straight and your left leg stacked over the right one.
- Prop your body upwards with your right forearm. Raise your left leg to the ceiling while engaging your hips and butt in a controlled and slow movement.
- Bring the leg back to the initial position and repeat. Swap sides and repeat.
5) Pistol squats
Pistol squats are also amongst the popular leg exercises that will help you improve the health of your joints along with increasing the overall balance of the body.
How to do this exercise?
- Start this exercise in a straight standing position with both your feet positioned together.
- Next, raise your right leg a few inches before extending it to the front with your feet flexed.
- Squat down by bending your left knee, sitting back, and hinging forward from your hips while raising your right leg at the hip height.
- Extend both your hands to the front for a greater body balance. Press onto your left heel to assume the initial standing position and repeat.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Conclusion
The leg exercises listed above are among the best and most effective ones that will benefit your fitness level. The aforementioned exercises will improve your everyday life with better functional movements.
You can also perform leg training without using any weight gym equipment and within the comforts of your home. These workouts will enable you to perform more complex exercises efficiently.
