Shorts season is here, and if your leg training has lagged behind your upper body, there’s still time to build serious lower-body muscle. Experts Luke Carlson (Discover Strength) and Eddie Baruta (Ultimate Performance) offer a guide to effective leg exercises that prioritize muscle growth and functional strength.
Why Train Legs Now?
- Bigger muscles, faster gains: Legs contain more muscle mass than the upper body, so results come quicker if you train hard.
- High potential: Most people under-train legs, meaning there’s lots of room for improvement.
Top Leg-Building Exercises
1. Leg Press
Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Why it’s great:
- Isolates legs better than squats by removing lower back strain.
- Avoids spinal compression.
How to do it:
- Sit on the machine, feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower with control, back flat.
- Press back up without locking knees.
Trainer Tip:
Use a hack squat as a backup if no leg press is available.
2. Walking Dumbbell Lunge
Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
Why it’s great:
- Builds balanced strength.
- Improves stability and fixes leg imbalances.
- Requires no machine.
How to do it:
- Take long strides, lower slowly.
- Press through heel and ball of foot.
- Alternate legs over 10–30 yards.
Trainer Tip:
Short space? Use heavier weights over less distance.
3. Leg Extension
Muscles worked: Quads (especially the VMO—teardrop-shaped inner thigh muscle)
Why it’s great:
- Isolates the quads and enhances visible definition.
How to do it:
- Extend legs fully, toes pointing forward.
- Hold at the top, then lower slowly.
Trainer Tip:
Pointing toes forward allows full quad contraction by relaxing the hamstrings.
4. Leg Curl
Muscles worked: Hamstrings
Why it’s great:
- Isolates and strengthens hamstrings.
- Supports balance and injury prevention.
How to do it:
- Curl legs inward slowly.
- Focus on control and avoid momentum.
Trainer Tip:
No machine? Do stiff-leg deadlifts using any available weights.
5. Straight-Leg Calf Raise
Muscles worked: Gastrocnemius (the bulk of your calf)
Why it’s great:
- Builds size and shape of the visible part of the calves.
- Easy to modify using body weight or dumbbells.
How to do it:
- Raise heels while legs are nearly straight (tiny bend at the knees).
- Pause at the top, then lower slowly.
Trainer Tip:
Feel a good stretch at the bottom of every rep. You can do these with dumbbells or on a step.
With focused effort on the right leg exercises—leg press, lunges, extensions, curls, and calf raises—you can still transform your lower body in time for summer. Consistency, intensity, and control are key. So start today—your shorts (and your quads) will thank you.