An effective leg day is essential to building strong, muscular legs and glutes. Strong legs don't just improve your athletic performance – they contribute to better overall stability and balance too. Whether you're training for strength, endurance or aesthetics, a well-constructed leg day routine is a must. In this article we cover the ten best exercises for your legs and glutes, and how to build them into your programme for maximum results.
About the leg muscles
Your legs consist of several important muscle groups, each with its own function and role in movement and strength. The main ones are:
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Quadriceps
These muscles sit at the front of your thighs and are responsible for extending your knees. They play a major role in activities such as walking, running and jumping.
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Hamstrings
These run down the back of your thighs and handle bending your knees and extending your hips. They're essential to backward movement and to stability.
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Gluteus maximus
This is the largest of the glute muscles and plays a crucial role in extending your hips and maintaining an upright posture.
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Calves
These sit at the back of your lower legs and are responsible for flexing your ankles. They help with movements such as walking and jumping.
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Adductors
These sit on the inside of your thighs and help draw your legs inwards. They're important for stability and balance.
The benefits of strong legs
Strong legs bring plenty of benefits, to your everyday activities and your overall fitness alike. Tasks such as lifting, climbing stairs and walking all become easier. Strong leg muscles improve your stability and balance, which matters for preventing falls and injuries. Strong legs and glutes also help you maintain good posture and reduce back problems. On top of that, they're crucial to sports such as running, cycling and jumping, helping you move faster and more powerfully. And because your leg muscles are among the largest in your body, training them raises your metabolism and burns more calories.
How many exercises do you need for stronger legs?
For an effective leg day, it's important to include a mix of exercises that work all the major muscle groups in your legs. Aim for 5 to 7 exercises per session, performing 3 to 4 sets of each with 8 to 12 reps. Make sure you're using good form to avoid injury and get the best results.
Leg day exercise 1: Squats
Squats are one of the most effective exercises for training your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and lower your hips as though sitting down on a chair. Keep your back straight and your knees behind your toes. Drive back up to the starting position.
Squats can be done with your own bodyweight or with a barbell for extra resistance. They don't just build leg strength – they improve your stability and balance too.
Leg day exercise 2: Lunges
Lunges are excellent for targeting your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Start with your feet hip-width apart. Step forward with one foot and bend both knees to lower your back knee towards the floor. Push back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
This exercise can be done with bodyweight or with weights for extra resistance. Lunges improve your stability, balance and coordination, and are highly effective for developing strong legs and glutes.
Leg day exercise 3: Deadlifts
Deadlifts are essential for working your hamstrings, glutes and lower back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell in front of you. Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight as you lift the barbell by driving your hips forward. Lower it back to the starting position under control.
Deadlifts are a compound exercise that trains several muscle groups at once. They're particularly effective for building strength and muscle mass in your legs and lower back.
Leg day exercise 4: Step-ups
Step-ups target your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Place one foot on a raised platform such as a bench or step and push yourself up until your leg is fully extended. Lower yourself under control and repeat with the other leg.
This exercise can be done with bodyweight or with weights for extra resistance. Step-ups are excellent for improving your strength, stability and coordination.
Leg day exercise 5: Glute bridges
Glute bridges are perfect for isolating your gluteus maximus. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Push your hips up until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold that position briefly and lower yourself under control.
This exercise helps strengthen and shape your glutes and can be done with bodyweight or with a weight across your hips for extra resistance.
Leg day exercise 6: Calf raises
Calf raises target your calves. Stand on the edge of a raised platform with your heels hanging over the edge. Push yourself up onto the balls of your feet and lower yourself slowly.
This exercise can be done with bodyweight or with weights for extra resistance. Calf raises help strengthen and shape your calves.
Leg day exercise 7: Bulgarian split squats
Bulgarian split squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Stand in front of a bench and place one foot behind you on it. Bend your front knee and lower your hips until your back knee almost touches the floor. Drive back up to the starting position.
This exercise can be done with bodyweight or with weights for extra resistance. Bulgarian split squats improve your balance, coordination and strength.
Leg day exercise 8: Leg press
The leg press is an effective exercise for training your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Sit in a leg press machine with your feet on the footplate and press it away until your legs are almost extended. Lower the plate back to the starting position under control.
This exercise offers plenty of resistance and is ideal for building muscle mass and strength in your legs.
Leg day exercise 9: Romanian deadlifts
Romanian deadlifts target your hamstrings and glutes. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell in front of you. Push your hips back and lower the barbell along your legs until your hamstrings are fully stretched. Drive back up to the starting position.
This exercise is excellent for developing strength and flexibility in your hamstrings and glutes.
Leg day exercise 10: Leg curl
Leg curls are an essential exercise for isolating your hamstrings. You'll need a leg curl machine for this one. Start by lying face down on the machine, with your knees just over the edge and your ankles under the padded roller. Bend your knees and pull the roller towards your glutes. Then lower the weight slowly and under control back to the starting position, keeping the tension on your hamstrings.
Leg curls are an excellent way to strengthen and shape the back of your legs. Including this exercise regularly in your routine improves the strength and flexibility of your hamstrings, which matters for knee stability and injury prevention. Vary the weight and reps to raise the intensity and keep challenging your muscles.
Leg day with NRG Fitness
NRG Fitness has everything you need for an effective leg day. Think dumbbells in a range of weights, and a weight bench to help with step-ups or Bulgarian split squats. As you get more advanced, you may run into the problem of your wrists being too weak for the weight your legs can lift. For that, a set of lifting straps is the answer
Conclusion
An effective leg day routine consists of a mix of exercises that work all the major muscle groups in your legs and glutes. By training regularly and including plenty of variety, you can develop strong, powerful, well-shaped legs. Don't forget to pay attention to your form and technique to avoid injury and get the best results. Enjoy your leg day.
