Sets of exercises for legs - how to quickly build muscles at home for men or women. Pumping up your legs: the best exercises with descriptions and photos

Slender and beautiful legs are the cherished dream of many girls. The time of emaciated top models is a thing of the past, and beautiful, elastic and toned female silhouettes are in fashion. Moreover, in modern world, where the population suffers from physical inactivity, slender female legs, barely covered by a miniskirt - a real holiday for men's eyes. In other words, the question of how to pump up your legs at home is more relevant than ever.

Regular exercises for the corresponding muscle groups will help improve the shape of your legs and make them attractive.

Today I will talk about five of the most effective and popular ones. Among other things, almost all exercises involve you in work gluteal muscles.

Standard squat

Place your feet parallel, slightly wider than your pelvis. Keep your back straight. You can put a bodybar on your shoulders or take a barbell with a light weight (depending on your level of training). At the very initial stage, you can do it without any additional weights at all. Squat slowly, making sure that your knees in the squat do not go forward beyond the level of your toes. We lower the pelvis to right angle in the knee joint.

gluteus maximus muscle;
biceps femoris (muscle on the back of the thigh).

This exercise is a basic exercise for working the lower body and is rightfully considered one of the most effective. When answering the question of how to pump up your legs at home, the squat is the first thing that comes to mind for most trainers. The buttocks are also perfectly worked out.

Classic forward lunge

When performing lunges, both legs should be bent at the knee joint at an angle of 90 degrees. The working leg is the one in front. It is on this that we transfer the weight. We only support ourselves with the leg standing behind us, and do not hit our knee on the floor (there should be a couple of centimeters left to the floor.) We keep the body straight, the knee of the leg in front does not go beyond the line of the toe.

Classic lunges are one of the main exercises for beautiful legs.

In fact, any lunges in any direction are exercises for working the legs. The classic forward lunge is one of the main leg exercises.

quadriceps femoris muscle (quadriceps);
gluteus maximus muscle.

Hip extension to kneeling position

We take the emphasis while lying down. We place our hands on our forearms, our feet on our knees. When performing the exercise, the back is straight, there is no deflection in the lower back, and the abdominal muscles are tightened.

We raise the leg, bent at the knee, up to such a level until your thigh makes a straight line with the body, maybe a little higher. At the same time, the foot is contracted, as if you are “pressing” into the ceiling with your heel. The knee is bent at a right angle.

Be careful not to arch your back (this is the most common mistake). Gently lower your knee to the floor without impact. This exercise should be performed with a mat underneath. You can use additional weights on your legs.

Please note that you should not swing and throw your leg up by inertia. Perform the exercise slowly, feel the work of each muscle.

biceps femoris (muscle on the back of the thigh);
gluteus maximus muscle.

Hip adduction in side decubitus position

Lie on your side on the mat and rest on your lower forearm. Palm upper hand place it in front of you at stomach level. Your body will turn slightly upward. Bend your upper leg at the knee and rest it on the floor. Bottom leg straight, the foot is shortened, the inner surface of the foot is facing upward, we try to point the heel towards the ceiling.

In this position, lift your straight leg as high as you can without turning your foot toe up. You should feel tension on your inner thigh.

adductor muscle (muscle on the inner thigh).

This exercise is very important because everyday life The adductor muscles of the thigh are weakly activated. And in order to create a harmonious program that answers the question of how to pump up a girl’s legs at home, it is necessary to give exercises to all the main muscles of the lower extremities. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you do not forget about the muscles of the inner thigh.

Half toe raise

This exercise will allow you to tighten your calves, making them more defined and beautiful.

In a standing position, rise onto your toes, lowering with your heels, without touching the floor. It is convenient to do this exercise by standing on some height - a step platform or a door threshold. Then the range of motion will be greater and, accordingly, the load on the calf muscles will be higher.

It is very convenient to perform half-toe lifting by standing on a step platform or any other “step”.

calf muscle.

So, these are the five basic exercises to pump up your legs at home. You can vary the number of sets and repetitions depending on your fitness level. After just a month of training, you will notice that the shape of your legs has begun to change and your dream of slender, toned legs is only a short distance away.

Pumping up your legs at home is a completely doable task, you just have to want it.

Hello friends, today on our agenda is the most unloved topic “how to pump up your legs” and the largest muscle group and for many the least favorite, because it is the hardest to train. I was always surprised by the “huts on chicken legs”, guys with a big torso and with matches below the waist. It looks ridiculous, a man should be big and strong everywhere. Also, lack of leg training limits upper body progress.

Let me say right away that there is no single scheme for pumping legs. Some people grow well from heavy weights in a low repetition range, thereby training fast-twitch muscle fibers. Someone even reached 300 kg, but their legs did not grow, and then they find a way out in training endurance muscle fibers. It’s better, of course, to develop both at once.

Legs can be divided into 3 main muscle groups

Quadriceps – quadriceps femoris muscle (function is extension of the leg at the knee joint).

Biceps femoris – biceps (flexes the leg, extends the torso when the legs are fixed).

The lower leg is the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. The gastrocnemius works when the leg is straightened, the soleus - when the leg is bent at the knee.

Pros of leg training

1. Hormonal. The heavier the exercise, the more anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone are produced following the load, and leg training is the hardest.

2.Functional. The stronger your legs, the more stable you are, the harder it is to be knocked down, you will run faster, jump higher, etc.

3.Aesthetic. A healthy body on skinny legs looks stupid. Even in bodybuilding, the level of an athlete is in most cases measured by his legs, because... They are the hardest thing to develop and you can immediately see from a person who is plowing and who is netting in training.

You need to train your legs completely, not just your quadriceps! No matter how you look at the gym, it’s either a squat or a leg press, and this is the maximum set for most.

Exercises for leg muscles and their effectiveness

1.Squat

The most powerful and effective exercise that involves all the muscles of the legs. There are 2 differences in squats, this is the power one as used by powerlifters and the bodybuilder.

Lifters hold the barbell below the trapezius, place their legs wide, and their back is slightly tilted forward, all this allows them to take as much weight as possible. The wider the legs and the deeper the squat, the more the adductor and gluteal muscles work.

Buildersky. The barbell is as close to the neck as possible, keep your back as vertical as possible, feet shoulder-width apart, squat depth to parallel. The narrower the position of the legs, the more the quadriceps works.

For those who have back problems, I would recommend hack squats.

2. Leg press

The second most effective leg exercise. Most people love this exercise because it allows you to lift heavy weight, but still this exercise is less effective than squats. In the leg press, the hip joint is fixed, so it is a more isolated exercise than the squat. Never straighten your knees completely, otherwise you may get injured. We always leave a slight bend, this will protect you from injury and the muscles are constantly under tension, which is good for pumping them up.

The wider the legs are spread on the platform, the more the adductor muscles work.

The narrower and lower your feet are on the platform, the more the quadriceps work.

The higher the legs, the more the hamstrings and gluteus are activated.

3. Leg extension

The third effective exercise. You need to start your workout with this exercise to warm up the muscles and finish it with it to “finish off”. Here it would be appropriate to use super techniques, for example drop sets (weight loss).

When setting up the simulator for yourself, pay attention to the position of the rotating mechanism itself; it should be level with the knee. This will make it as safe and comfortable as possible. You should also lean your back tightly. It’s also good to do a peak contraction when you straighten your leg, you need to stay at the top point for a second, it details the muscles very well.

By turning the foot and lower leg inward or outward, you can shift the emphasis in the work of the hips.

4.Deadlift (straight-legged deadlift)

The basic and most powerful exercise for developing hamstrings. The most important thing is to learn to work specifically with the thigh muscles, and not with the back. Try to start the exercise with the pelvis moving back, and not with the back tilted, and also lift the pelvis forward. Also try to hold the barbell or dumbbells as close to your legs as possible, this will shift the center of gravity and you will feel the hamstrings as much as possible, and not your back.

5.Leg bending while lying or standing

Finishing, isolated exercise for the hamstrings. The work occurs only in the knee joint, the hip joint is fixed. Adjust the machine so that the rotation mechanism is at knee level. Do not straighten your legs completely, this will protect you from injuries and the muscles will be constantly tense.

6. Standing calf raise

One of the best exercises for developing the lower leg. Trains the calf muscle. Try to do the full amplitude. Lower yourself as much as possible, stretch your muscles and lift as much as possible, peak contraction at the top for 1 second. Try to take as much weight as possible, because... These muscles are very hardy, they need to be surprised by the load, because they are accustomed to everyday long hikes.

7. Seated calf raise

Trains the soleus. It passes under the calf. It's like a brachialis under the biceps. The larger the soleus, the more it pushes out the gastrocnemius and the greater the volume of the lower leg.

Reasons why your legs aren't growing

1.Train them too easily or too rarely

2. Too hard or too often, thereby your legs do not have time to recover, and you mark time. One step forward - one step back.

On my initial training path, I encountered a stop in progress; I trained my legs once a week. Having read a lot at that time useful literature, came to the conclusion that I did not have enough time to recover, and I decided to train them once every 2 weeks. And lo and behold, my legs began to grow. Friends, look for your optimal load and optimal rest between workouts. There is no single scheme; everything needs to be adjusted to each individual.

Hi all. In this issue, we have on the agenda the largest and strongest muscle group - LEGS. Today we will discuss how to quickly pump up your legs, how to avoid injuries, what to pay more attention to: we will analyze the anatomy, exercises, their technique and implementation features, various secrets, tricks gained over the years of training, and finally I will write out for you specific training programs based on this course . Well, let's go!

ANATOMY OF LEGS

Friends, I certainly understand that I’m too lazy to read, etc. but in order to know how to swing your legs correctly, you need to understand how they are structured and how they work. This applies not only to the legs, but also to other muscle groups, moreover, to everything that interests you in life!

In short, LEGS are conventionally divided into three heads:

QUADRICEPS(located in front, function - to extend the leg at the knee).
BICEPS THIGH(located at the back, function is to bend the leg at the knee).
SHINS(located behind the legs, under the knee).

This is what interests us. It is these 3 heads that we will train. This is what in bodybuilding is called leg training!

QUADRICEPS- (the word QUADRO means four, so you can also find the name quadriceps muscle of the reed). This is a muscle group that is located on the front of the thigh. As you probably already guessed, the quadriceps consists of 4 HEADS! This is why the LEGS ARE THE BIGGEST MUSCLE GROUP! Main function: extension of the legs at the knee joint.

BICEPS THIGH - (biceps femoris) it located behind (under the buttocks) as you probably already guessed, it consists of 2 HEADS!

TWO MAIN FUNCTIONS:

Bending the leg at the knee joint
Extension of the torso with the shin fixed during movement

CONCLUSION: In order to develop large hamstrings, it is important to perform not only leg curls while lying in the machine, but also torso extensions (but the shins are fixed), i.e. This is a deadlift, a deadlift).

SHINS - are located behind the knee, consist of two muscles: the gastrocnemius muscles (CALVES) and the SOLEUS MUSCLES (these are the muscles that are located under the calves). Main function: extension of the foot relative to the lower leg. But here it is also worth considering that the CALVES work only when the legs are straightened at the knee joint, and the soleus muscles work only when the legs are bent at the knees.

CONCLUSION: The lower leg should be trained both sitting and standing in exercise machines. You can’t do it either here or there, it has to be both here and there!

Now there is another equally important question that I would like to address in this topic. Some bodybuilding gurus, beachgoers and other people claim or simply simply GIVE UP on leg training, they say I’m not interested in legs, or I’m tired of working out my legs, etc. in this spirit.

To pump or not to pump your legs?

I propose to divide leg training into PROS and CONS. Then analyze and make a final DIAGNOSIS.

BENEFITS OF LEGS TRAINING

First, if you train your legs (i.e. lower body) properly, you will have a strong lower body (i.e. strong legs), and therefore upper part the body will strive for the same. Those. This is a kind of full-fledged aesthetic appearance of an athlete, because both the top and the bottom are developed.

Since we are now discussing bodybuilding, this is one of the most important advantages. There are a lot of others that are just as useful for other sports (especially martial arts), but we won’t talk about that now. That's enough!

DISADVANTAGES OF LEGS TRAINING

Visual effect, because when your legs are pumped up, the smaller your upper body appears(width of arms, shoulders).

Risk of joint injury, i.e. there are exercises, such as squats, which, with proper working weights, can contribute to the destruction cartilage tissue. Therefore, it is important to approach leg training correctly, warm up by jogging for 5-10 minutes, and then warm up (pre-tire, etc.). Still there is a risk.

There is also a chance to miss the growth of bones in length. This disadvantage is mainly for young people, under 20-25 years old. As a rule, it is up to this age that bones can grow in length. And if a young individual overdoes it with heavy weights in squats (which often happens in order to show how tough I am in front of the girls), then this can slow down your growth in length.

CONCLUSIONS: In my opinion, training your legs is a must! But this must be done with extreme caution (as I already said, warm up, pre-exhaust the knee joint, perform exercises technically and smoothly, without sudden jerks, etc., and all in order not to damage the joints). In addition, you need to train your legs evenly, i.e. all THREE HEADS (quadriceps, femoral biceps and calf) so that it looks athletic and so that in the future you don’t have to eliminate the backlog.

The most effective exercises for legs

Squats with a barbell on your shoulders
Leg press in the simulator
Seated leg extensions
Deadlift
Seated calf raises

The entire technique for performing the above exercises was described in another article, see below.

But today we’ll go over something new, because a number of new nuances have appeared that you should know about!

SQUATS

The main exercise for building leg muscles, and not only for the legs, but for the whole body! This basic, heavy, powerful exercise engages many of the large muscles in our body. No other exercise can compare with this exercise in terms of strength gains and muscle mass bodies.

However, barbell squats are not the most useful exercises for the knee joint. Too much weight, incorrect exercise technique, poor warm-up, jerking and much more can lead to inflammation and pain in the knee joints. Therefore, as I already said, you need to warm up very carefully: jog for 5-10 minutes, perhaps do some preliminary fatigue (more on that later), and then start doing squats. And then pay attention to how you need to perform them:

First, you need to squat with your own weight for about 20-30 repetitions (or with an empty bar), then throw on 2 weights of 10-20 kg (it will come out to either 40 or 60 kg), it depends on what your working weight is. So they threw it on and did about 15-20 repetitions. (This was a warm-up). Next, add more weight and do 8-12 repetitions (this is a kind of lead-in). After which you can perform working approaches. And so it always is! Remember, these numbers are just a guideline for you, adapt to yourself. It’s better to do more warm-ups and lead-ins, and then 2-3 workers. If you don’t warm up as you should, you could end up with a serious injury to your knee joint and forget about sports for a long time!

Okay, we've sorted out the most important thing. What's next, how to squat in general?

There are bodybuilding and powerlifting squats. Those. they differ significantly from each other in the mechanics of execution.

Bodybuilding exercises involve the quadriceps the most (let's call them isolating).
But powerlifting - on the contrary, they are more powerful, they use many muscles (let's call them basic).

So what are the differences? A the differences are small details , which to an ordinary person It’s unlikely to be noticed, but it’s all the same: foot placement, squat depth and position of the barbell on the shoulders.

We won’t look at powerlifting squats particularly deeply, because... We are interested in bodybuilding.

In general, the main difference here is that the strongman who performs the squat strives to take an extremely large weight, therefore he lowers the WEIGHT of the barbell lower (on the shoulder blades) in order to lower the center of gravity, after which he places his legs wide in order to include the gluteal muscles. After which he bends forward slightly, prepares to remove the bar from the racks, and begins to squat. Ultimately, all this technique allows him to lift a lot of weight; this cannot be done in bodybuilding.

Bodybuilding squats

Now we will discuss in order the important points of bodybuilding squats, namely:

How will the bar rest on your shoulders?
What is the position of the feet?
What is the depth of the squat?
What should be the position of the hands (when squats)?
What should be the position of the heels (when squatting)?
How to breathe correctly when squatting?

1. The bar should lie high and straight on the trapezoid. To prevent you from leaning too forward. Look strictly straight (forward at the mirror or whatever) in no case up or down, clearly straight! This will stabilize your body and simplify your movement mechanics. And if you look down and up, you will easily lose your balance and perish: D.

2. The positioning of the legs is also special here. The legs do not need to be placed wide (as in powerlifting), here the legs need to be placed relatively narrow. The reference point is shoulder width. Turn your socks about 45 degrees. (a kind of right angle should form, since the socks are facing each other).

3. Squat depth - parallel. I don’t recommend lowering it below the parallel, because... the risk of injury to the knee joint is higher than with parallel.

4.The position of the hands should be whatever suits you. Usually a little wider than shoulder width. In general, not narrow, but not wide either, choose one that suits you so that you can comfortably hold and control the bar.

5.Position of heels. Your feet should rest firmly on the floor so that your position is stable. There are a number of nuances and tricks here. Let's talk about it.

If people have poor ankle flexibility. It is not convenient for them to push off the floor with their heels, so they lean forward slightly and push with their toes. This is a big mistake. Under no circumstances should you do this; your knees should not go beyond your toes. Now I will explain everything. You may have seen people who put pancakes (or some kind of surface) under their heels - THIS IS LIKE THIS CASE. They lack flexibility, they put some kind of surface under the pair’s heels, and began to perform them correctly and comfortably (this is a kind of TREATMENT). So if you are one of these people, now you know how to deal with it.

6. Breathing as in almost all exercises - exhale with effort. Those. for example, in a squat, when we sit down, we inhale, and when we stand up, we exhale.

Secrets based on the load vector (foot position)

Loudly said, secrets. However, these tricks will help you focus on one or another area of the leg muscles when squatting. Namely, the chips are in the position of your feet:

The more you turn your toes to the sides, the more your buttocks are involved in the work.
The wider you place your legs, the more the adductor muscles of the legs + buttocks are activated.
The narrower your legs are, the more emphasis is placed on the quadriceps.

LEG PRESS

The next thing that comes after squats is the leg press. It is also a basic exercise. The exercise is not as effective as squats, but it is still very effective and therefore ranks 2nd in the ranking. In this exercise, one joint works (the knee), and the hip joint also works, but very passively due to the fact that our body is in a supine position. That is why this fixation allows us to perform complete isolation on the quadriceps.

By this I want to say, if before this you did squats with large scales, and nothing has grown except your ass, then you should think about this exercise. Because the main emphasis is on the quadriceps. And this is exactly what we need.

Now we will discuss in order the important points of performing the leg press, namely:

What is the position of the feet on the platform?
What is the position of the body when lying down?
What is the position of the heels on the platform?
Should you straighten your legs all the way or stick to bending your knees at the top?
How to breathe correctly?

1.Place your feet shoulder-width apart. There are a number of nuances here that we will now discuss:

The more you point your toes out, the more your adductors and glutes will be activated.
The closer you place your toes, the more the outer quadriceps will work.
The higher you place your feet on the platform, the more your quadriceps will work and the less your glutes will work.
The lower you place your feet on the platform, the more your glutes will work.

2. Body position important point, please note that your body should press tightly against the back of the machine throughout the exercise. Your buttocks should also be pressed tightly against the backrest, note that the lower you lower the platform, the more your buttocks come off, the greater the danger to the joints and the more your buttocks work.

3.Position of heels , as in squats. Push with your heels, not your toes. You cannot lift your heels off, because you will not be loading the quadriceps, but the buttocks and joints.

4.Do not fully straighten your legs at the top point , maintain a slight bend in your knees. Especially in order not to load the knee joints, but rather to maintain the load in the quadriceps.

5. Breathe as always, exhale with effort. Those. lower the platform down - inhale, raise its top - exhale.

SITTING LEG EXTENSION

This exercise is isolated. Because loads one joint (knee). This is the last exercise in our arsenal that specifically loads the quadriceps.

This exercise can be used:

Before training (at the very beginning to warm up the knee joint, before heavy exercises such as squats, leg presses).
At the end of the workout (to finish off tired muscles)

In terms of technique, it is quite simple. There's nothing to even tell. Unless, Try doing a superset sometime: seated leg extensions + leg press. I guarantee, you’ll understand what I’m talking about, your quads will explode into rubbish, which means they will grow! There are some other methods, for example peak contraction. Those. linger at the top point for a couple of seconds, then you won’t get many repetitions, and your quadriceps will burn! Also in this simulator You can perform drop sets and partial repetitions. That's basically it.

LYING LEG BENDS

It is an isolating exercise, since only one joint works (the knee). The hip and ankle are not included in the work! This exercise develops the back of the thigh (those at the bottom of the buttocks) well. Usually, tired hamstrings are finished off with this exercise at the end of the workout! Again, there is nothing special to say, the main thing is not to do any jerks, pushes or anything like that. Because isolated exercise, don’t chase the weight (don’t cheat), raise the handle up, lower it smoothly, everything is under control.

DEAD PULL

I don’t know why I put this exercise after the lying leg curls. I've probably already signed up, but This exercise is basic. It is many times more effective than lying leg curls. It doesn't matter at all, forget it. If you are interested in powerful hamstrings, your arsenal is deadlifts and lying leg curls. That's it, period.

The main mistake when performing this exercise is working the back muscles, not the hamstrings. It is vitally important to learn to turn off your back and turn on your hamstrings. If you don’t learn how to do this, the exercise can be excluded from the list!

How to learn to do this?

This is primarily a technique of execution. Start in the correct position, grab the bar with your hands, bend slightly at the waist. Begin the movement by pushing your hips and buttocks back slightly, while the bar slowly lowers along your legs below your knees. (your hands are just like hooks, they hold the bar no more, don’t strain them). In the final position, the bar should stop below the knees and the pelvis should be pulled back. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings in this position; hold for a couple of seconds. Then smoothly return to the starting position without jolts or jerks. VOILA! Heh.

CALF RAISES, STANDING AND SITTING

These are the TWO MAIN exercises for developing the lower leg muscles.

CALK RAISES, STANDING - performed standing in the simulator. It mainly develops the CALF MUSCLES (these are the muscles that are located on the outside).

The position of the toes and heels is parallel. This is the best option, no need to be fancy. Maybe in the future try something new for yourself, but not now. The parallel is considered a classic! Next, begin to lower yourself as low as possible (stretch your calves as much as possible). lowest point amplitude of movement) do not under any circumstances reduce the amplitude of movement, because The whole point of this exercise is lost.

Use heavy weights and repetitions to the maximum! The weights are large because the calves work in everyday life, we walk on the floor, they work, etc. the load on them is constant, because only heavy weights can shock them. Don’t count repetitions at all, use them until you completely fail.

But sitting calf raises - This is the second important exercise for the lower leg muscles. IT develops the soleus muscle (which is located under the gastrocnemius). And as you understand, one cannot exist without the other. If there is a gastrocnemius, but not a soleus, then the shape will not be so impressive. Therefore, it is important to train both. The soleus only works when the knee joint is in a bent position (which means sitting in a machine). The technique and tips are the same as for standing calf raises!

Training programs for leg muscles

Rest between squats - 2 minutes, in other exercises no more than 1 minute!

At the initial stage

Squats with a barbell on the shoulders 2x15-20 (warm-up) + 1-2 lead-ups (10-15) + 3-4 workers X6-12

More for beginners

Squats with a barbell (warm-up + warm-up) and only then working 4x6-12
Leg press 1-2x10-15 (warm-up) + 4x6-12 working

For intermediate level of training

Squats with a barbell (warm-up, lead-up) and only then working 4x6-12
Leg press 1-2x10-15, 3-4x6-12
Seated leg extensions 4x10-15

For intermediate and advanced levels

Squats (warm-up, warm-up) then work squats 4x6-12
Leg press 1-2x10-15, 4x6-12
Seated leg extensions 4x10-20
Lying leg curls 4x6-15
Calves, standing in the 4x10-20 machine
Calves sitting in the 4x10-20 machine

For experienced

Squat
Leg press
Seated leg extensions
Deadlift
Standing calves
Sitting calves

Or you can try this trick for experienced

Do pre-exhaustion of sitting leg extensions 4x15-30
Leg press
Deadlift
Standing calves
Sitting calves

Or some other crap for the experienced

Seated leg extensions + leg press (superset)
Squats
Deadlift
Standing calves
Sitting calves

In general, you can come up with a lot of things. I have given you clear programs, enjoy them to your health. If you don’t like something, make it your own, now you know how to do it!

Best regards, administrator.

Video: how to properly pump your legs

How to pump your legs?

"Leg Day"

“Don’t skip leg day,” is a phrase often told to beginners. And for good reason. After all, everyone has probably observed when, despite a fairly developed torso and shoulder girdle, a person has disproportionately thin legs. We are, of course, talking primarily about the hamstrings and quadriceps. Skinny calves are not too noticeable, but they can also spoil your appearance to a large extent.

And, if in autumn-winter period Such a lag is not very noticeable due to wearing trousers, but in the summer the picture is different. After all, it is powerful legs that distinguish a professional bodybuilder from an amateur who is more busy swaying his chest and biceps than harmonious development whole body. And it is precisely because of weak legs that many bodybuilders never received the coveted titles.

But why is “leg day” so disliked by many athletes? Firstly, the fact is that the legs are exactly that area human body, which is extremely reluctant to respond to loads. This is especially true for the gluteal and calf muscles. It would seem that no matter how much effort you put in, they still don’t grow. This is, of course, not true. They are growing. Only much slower than, for example, the same biceps and chest.

Secondly, squats and deadlifts are among the most energy-consuming and difficult exercises in bodybuilding. Squats can bring an athlete to a semi-fainting or even fainting state - in the literal sense of the word. These include darkening of the eyes, increased blood pressure, and dizziness... In a word, they are extremely difficult for the body.
Naturally, a beginner begins to “evade” leg training in every possible way. And as a result, he gets the famous “chicken legs”.

Ways to train your legs

If you want to have truly developed legs, then it makes sense to adhere to the following rules.

For a beginner fundamental principles There are two workouts:

performing squats with free weights. Precisely with free people, and not in Smith’s car. After all, free weight squats affect literally every part of the body, in fact, not just the legs. They increase overall muscle mass, which is important in the first years of training. In addition, they increase stress resistance and endurance. It’s not for nothing that squats are included in the list of the so-called “base”;
deadlift. If squats are mainly needed to develop the quadriceps and buttocks, then the deadlift “breaks through” the hamstrings and gluteal muscles as well. The classic deadlift, just like squats, works to develop the entire body, also strengthens almost all muscles and promotes the growth of muscle mass. Deadlifts, along with squats, are included in basic exercises in bodybuilding.

Weider's principles

principle of partial repetitions. It lies in the fact that at the very end of the approach, when the strength is already running out, several repetitions are performed at incomplete amplitude. This may require the help of a partner;
drop set: after performing an exercise with maximum weight, you need to reduce the working weight by about 20% and perform another set. And then reduce it by the same amount - and another;
choose a weight at which only 2-3 repetitions are possible. Complete these two repetitions, rest for 20-30 seconds, and perform another 2-3 repetitions. Then again a short rest - and another 1-2 repetitions.

Preload principle

It consists in the fact that after a good warm-up, a weight is taken that is significantly higher than a normal working one. The maximum possible number of repetitions is performed with it, and then the weight is reduced to the usual working weight. This will allow you to then more repetitions, since the body has already mobilized for enormous weights.

The so-called low bar squats train the legs very well. In this case, it is important to keep your back tilted at the lowest point of the movement and keep your head straight. The squat does not have to be deep: it is enough to squat until it is parallel to the floor.
The low position of the bar shifts the center of gravity, so that as a result, the back and lower back are largely excluded from the work. But it’s the legs that are loaded.
Romanian deadlift. The essence of the exercise is that the bar of the barbell is lowered only to the middle of the shin. This reduces the load on the lower back and specifically targets the hamstrings.
Leg extension in the simulator. A familiar exercise for developing leg triceps. Some love it completely, while others, on the contrary, consider it something frivolous. It is quite possible that both sides make the mistake of keeping their feet parallel to each other. It would seem that this is a trifle. However, it significantly reduces the effectiveness of the exercise.
Feet should be kept apart different sides, if you want to draw the patella muscle (the so-called “drop”). And vice versa - brought together - if you need to distribute the load on the outer part of the quadriceps.
Hack machine squats. An indispensable exercise if you want to pump up the front of the thigh in isolation. In this case, the feet should be placed narrower, approximately shoulder-width apart or even narrower. However, with such squats, all other muscles are turned off. Therefore, the hack trainer should not be used by beginners for whom it is important to obtain the overall volume of the leg.
Wall squats. Legs are spread wide, toes pointing in different directions. Squats should be performed with a weight plate at your chest, since, of course, you cannot press tightly against the wall with a barbell on your shoulders. The squat is not performed to its full amplitude, but only to a position as if the athlete was sitting on a chair. At the bottom point you need to linger for a couple of seconds - and then push yourself up with a powerful jerk. At first, you can squat without any weights at all, using your hands to help straighten your knees.

If an athlete has a back injury, he can do squats with dumbbells for a while. In this case, the arms with dumbbells should be kept lowered and parallel to the body and careful attention should be paid to ensure that the body is not tilted.

To have pumped up legs and toned buttocks, you don’t have to spend a lot of time and money going to the gym. Today we will tell you how to quickly pump up your legs, and also offer a set of the best exercises for legs at home, which is suitable for both men and women.

Before moving on to the analysis of exercises, it is important to understand which muscles are targeted during leg training.

Anatomy, benefits of training

Leg muscle atlas includes large number muscle groups that are involved when performing exercises. But there are several main ones that the training will focus on. Namely:

calf muscles;
biceps femoris (biceps);
quadriceps femoris muscle (quadriceps);
gluteal muscle.

If your goal is to target the hamstrings, you can find information about training this muscle in the article “Exercises for the hamstrings.”

There are several objective reasons to pay attention to working on the leg muscles:

Many athletes deliberately ignore leg exercises, which results in a violation of the correct body proportions.
Leg training speeds up the body's metabolism and promotes weight loss. The reason for this is the fact that there are quite a large number of muscle groups on the legs that are involved in work at the same time.
Leg exercises increase overall endurance and help strengthen the cardiovascular system.

You can train your leg muscles at home using available equipment. The most important condition will be your personal motivation. To ensure your workouts are as effective as possible, there are a few tips you should follow.

Having studied all the nuances and benefits of training, it’s time to figure out how to pump up your leg muscles at home.

Leg exercises - technique

Squats

This exercise is rightfully considered one of the best for working the upper legs and buttocks.
Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Turn your toes out 45°. The knees are in the same plane as the foot. Keep your hands clasped in front of you. Fix your body in a vertical position, slightly arching your back at the lower back.

As you inhale, do a squat, moving your pelvis back. The movement will resemble trying to sit on a chair. In this case, the body weight should be transferred to the heels and not lift them off the floor. If your stretch does not allow this, you can put something under your heels.

Make sure your knees do not protrude past your toes. This will minimize your chances of getting a knee injury. Do not go much lower than parallel to the floor. As you exhale, rise to the starting position, engaging the muscles of the hamstrings and buttocks.

Errors during execution

Leaning body forward.
Exit of the knee beyond the toe.
Bringing your knees together during the exercise.

Depending on the width at which you place your feet, you can use one or another muscle group more. When the legs are set wide, the inner part of the thigh is activated more; when the legs are narrow, the load on the back surface increases.

Lunges

Place your feet narrower than shoulder width. Keep your body straight with a arch in your lower back. Hands in front of you. Take a step forward, and while inhaling, lower yourself down until the angle is at knee joints will become straight. As you exhale, rise to the starting position.

Errors during execution

Leaning body forward.
Step too wide. This will make it impossible to form the required angle at the bottom point.
Shallow squats.

To increase the load, you can perform this exercise with the leg that remains behind resting on a hill. In this case, the exercise is performed on the spot.

Cross lunges

Starting position as in the previous exercise. As you inhale, move your right leg diagonally behind your left and squat down until a right angle is formed in your left leg. Here it is also important not to move the knee of the leg that remains in front beyond the toe.
As you exhale, rise to the starting position. Perform the indicated number of times on each leg.

Errors during execution

The leg that goes back is placed very far. In this case, you simply will not be able to keep your balance.
Moving the body forward. You must try to keep your body vertical.

Walking to higher ground

You can use a small stool or sofa as a height at home. The main condition is that this elevation must be stable. To determine the optimal height, just place one foot on a hill. In this position, the angle in the knee joint should be straight.

In the starting position, the legs are narrower than shoulder width. Place your right foot on a hill, with your foot fully planted. Then lift left leg to a right angle at hip joint. Now lower your left leg to the starting position and do the required number of repetitions on each leg.

You can vary this exercise. When both legs are elevated, lower yourself to the starting position, starting with right leg. Next, repeat the exercise on your left leg.

Errors during execution

The elevation is too high. This will inevitably lead to knee injury.
Leaning body forward. Try to keep your body as vertical as possible.

All of the exercises listed in to a greater extent aimed at working the upper legs. There are separate exercises for working out the lower leg.

An excellent option for working out the lower leg would be to complicate the squat with a wide stance. Here, at the lowest point, you need to rise on your toes, hold for a few seconds, lower yourself onto your entire foot, and only then lift your body up.

Walking on your toes

You can perform this exercise without interrupting your daily housework. It is enough to walk on your toes until a burning sensation appears. calf muscle. Next, take a short break of up to 60 seconds and repeat the exercise.

Hill climbs

The exercise can be performed at any elevation. You can use a step or even a thick book. Place your toes on the book and leave your heels below. As you exhale, rise on your toes as high as possible. Hold for a while and inhale as you lower down.

We also recommend including running in your training, and it is better to jog daily.
And if you have absolutely no time for training, and you live in a multi-story building, use the steps for your exercises several times a day.

You can also make some exercises more difficult. For example, jumping from a squat position. You can also combine squats with lunges. Here, by turning the body from a squat position, the transition is made to a lunge.

Today we have discussed with you the complex, which includes the most effective exercises for feet at home. It is not necessary to do all the exercises in one day. You can create your own training program and alternate exercises with each other.
To diversify your training, we suggest you watch the following video.

Leg exercises at home - video

After watching this video, you will find out what other exercises you can use to work your leg muscles without special equipment, without leaving your home.

In the end, it is worth noting once again that working on the leg muscles will not only allow you to achieve attractive shapes, but will also improve the functioning of the entire body. And regular training will be the key to your success.

What exercises do you use to work your leg muscles and why? What do you use as weights at home? Share your experience and results in the comments.