Most of the time, the biggest hurdle to clear in terms of getting in a good workout is finding the motivation and energy to start the workout in the first place.
Once you get going, you almost immediately start feeling better, both physically and mentally, sometimes leaving you to wonder why you were reticent or unmotivated to get your exercise done in the first place.
Doing leg workouts at home is a great way to remove the barrier or obstacle of needing to summon the energy, time, and motivation to go to the gym for a leg workout.
In this article, we will explain the benefits of at-home leg workouts and then provide ideas for lower-body workouts at home.
We will cover:
- How to Do Leg Workouts At Home
- 2 Excellent At-Home Leg Workouts
Let’s dive in!
How to Do Leg Workouts At Home
Although many people think that you need to have all sorts of fancy exercise equipment for a lower body workout at home, it is actually possible to do plenty of bodyweight leg exercises at home or do at-home leg workouts with minimal exercise equipment.
If you do have access to adjustable dumbbells or resistance bands, you will be able to enjoy greater variety in your lower body home workouts, and you will be able to make greater improvements in strength and muscle size than just doing bodyweight leg exercises.
With that said, particularly if you are a beginner, you can still get a great at-home leg workout with just your own body weight.
We have created lower-body home workouts that incorporate various pieces of home exercise equipment for those who have access to these types of training tools or who are interested in purchasing a few pieces of home exercise equipment.
We also have some bodyweight at-home leg workouts for beginners for those who are traveling and do not have access to dumbbells, resistance bands, or other exercise equipment.
2 Excellent At-Home Leg Workouts
Dumbbell or Bodyweight Lower Body Workout At Home
This is a great lower-body home workout because it does not use any exercise equipment.
As you get stronger, if you do have adjustable dumbbells or a pair of dumbbells that you can handle, you can use them for any or all of the exercises as you see fit.
- Warm-up: 60 seconds of jogging in place and then 60 seconds of jumping jacks
Complete 1-3 sets of the following lower body exercises. If you have dumbbells, feel free to use them. Beginners can focus just on bodyweight exercises.
- 60 seconds of squats
- 60 seconds of alternating forward lunges
- 60 seconds of alternating reverse lunges
- 60 seconds of jump squats
- 60 seconds of sumo squats, with your feet turned outward
- 60 seconds of mountain climbers
- 30 seconds squat hold: squat down into the lowered position of a squat and hold that position for 30 seconds. Make sure to keep your hips back so that your knees are not coming forward beyond your toes.
- 60 seconds of calf raises: Begin with two legs, and as you get stronger, do 60 seconds per leg or 30 seconds per leg, one leg at a time.
- 60 seconds of alternating lateral lunges with air punches across your chest (when you launch to the right, use your left arm to punch towards the right)
- 45 seconds of single-leg glute bridges per leg
- 60 seconds of crossover mountain climbers, bringing your right knee towards your left shoulder and your left knee towards your right shoulder
- 60 seconds of burpees
- 45 seconds of Bulgarian split squats per leg. Put your foot on your leg that is behind your body up on a chair, sofa, or coffee table.
- 45 seconds of step-ups per leg, meaning that you will lead with your right leg stepping up onto the step for 45 seconds, and then switch, leading with your left leg for 45 seconds. Use a sturdy chair or step if you do not have some sort of box that can support your body weight.
- 30 seconds mini single-leg squats per leg (if you are not yet strong enough to do a full pistol squat or single-leg squat, do mini squats one leg at a time, lowering as far as you can without losing your balance and while maintaining good form)
Resistance Band At-Home Leg Workout
There are two primary types of resistance bands, small loop bands, often called booty bands, and long tube bands that have handles on the ends of them.
While both of these types of bands can be great for at-home leg workouts, a simple loop booty band can be all you need for a challenging lower body home workout that targets your glutes, hips, hamstrings, quads, and inner and outer thigh muscles.
Most of these exercises involve placing the resistance band around both of your ankles or just above your knees. As you get stronger, use a thicker or stiffer resistance band.
- Warm-up: 60 seconds of jumping jacks and 60 seconds of jump squats.
Then, complete 3 sets of the following leg exercises at home:
#1: Banded Monster Walks
For this exercise, place the resistance band around your ankles. Squat down so that you are in a good squat position.
Then, step your right leg forward and outwards, and then your left leg forwards and outwards so that you are pulling your legs against the resistance of the band and maintaining that squat position.
This is an excellent exercise for your glutes, quads, and hips. Depending on the space that you have available in your home, try to take at least 15 steps per leg.
#2: Banded Lateral Walks
Maintaining the same band position, straighten your legs so that you are standing fully upright.
Then, keeping your leg straight, take a giant step out to the right, maintaining tension on the band as you step your left leg towards your right leg. In other words, don’t bring your feet completely next to one another.
Maintain a good amount of space between your two feet so that the band always has tension on it. This is a great exercise for your gluteus medius and other hip abductors.
Try to take at least 15 steps per leg.
#3: Banded Touchdown Jacks
Now, slide the resistance band up to just below your knees, and jump your legs out to the side as if doing jumping jacks while simultaneously sitting your hips back as if doing a squat.
As you do so, tap one hand down to the floor in front of you, alternating which hand touches the ground.
Jump your feet back in as you stand upright, and then jump right back down into another rap. This is a great cardio leg exercise that targets your glutes, inner and outer thighs, quadriceps, hamstrings, and core muscles.
Perform 12 reps.
#4: Banded Glute Bridges
Place the resistance band just above your knees and then perform glute bridges.
Lie on your back and squeeze your glutes, lifting your hips all the way up so that they are in a straight line from your knees down to your shoulders.
You should maintain tension on the resistance band by keeping your legs at least hip-width apart. This will engage your inner and outer thighs and strengthen your gluteus medius muscle.
Perform 12 reps.
#5: Clam Shells
Keeping the resistance band just above your knees, roll onto your side.
Lift your two feet up so that they are off the ground and your knees are still on the ground.
Then, lift open your top leg as if opening up a clam shell. Slowly return the leg to the starting position.
Perform 12 reps per side.
#6: Banded Squats
Performing bodyweight squats with a resistance band placed just above your knees will help force you to use the proper form without allowing your knees to cave inward.
Focus on pressing your knees outward against the resistance of the band as you squat down. This will engage your inner and outer thighs and help maintain proper knee alignment.
Perform 15 squats.
#7: Banded Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
For this exercise, step onto the loop band with one foot and hold the other end in your hands. Squeeze your glutes to return to the standing position, allowing your other leg to extend behind your body as a counterbalance.
Once you are fully upright with all of the tension in the band, slowly bend back down towards your foot.
Perform 15 reps per leg.
Try to do two leg workouts per week. Keep in mind that as your fitness progresses, or if you are going to be doing a lot of lower-body workouts at home, it is usually a good idea to invest in some basic exercise equipment.
We recommend the Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells.
