16 Body Weight Leg Exercises To Strengthen Your Lower Body

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Bodyweight training is very accessible, popular, and requires little or no equipment at all. With bodyweight exercises, you can target your lower body muscles in different ways to help build stronger legs.

Before jumping into weighted movements, these workouts are great for nailing proper technique. Plus, they not only help you gain strength but also prepare your body for more challenging weightlifting exercises down the line. So, here are some body weight leg exercises to enhance your lower body:


1. Bodyweight Squats

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Bodyweight squat is a basic exercise that targets all of the key muscles in your lower body. They are also a useful building block, giving you the basic movement pattern needed in more advanced lower-body workouts.

Steps To Do It:

  • Maintain proper posture and stand erect.
  • Maintain a raised chest, a tight core, and relaxed shoulders.
  • The distance between your feet should be a little more than hip-width.
  • As though you were going to sit in a chair, bend your knees and simultaneously lower your butt back.
  • At the bottom of your squat, stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor and your legs are at a 90-degree angle.
  • To get to your feet, push through your heels.
  • Depending on your level of fitness, advance this exercise by holding each squat for 5 to 30 seconds.

2. Glute Bridge

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An excellent bodyweight exercise for beginners is the glute bridge. First, place both feet simultaneously on the ground. As your strength increases, go on to a single-leg bridge, which involves pressing through one heel at a time while raising one leg straight into the air.

Steps To Do It:

  • With your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent, lie on your back.
  • Next to your body, place your hands on the ground.
  • Cross them across your chest to advance this exercise.
  • Contract your glutes and raise your hips until your knees and shoulders form a straight line.
  • Hold this position for two to three seconds while tensing your glutes.
  • Lower yourself back down slowly.

3. Jump Squats

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A plyometric exercise that helps you develop explosive strength and power in your calves, quadriceps, and glutes is the jump squat. This technique will raise your heart rate, which will offer you a little cardio workout in addition to being an excellent full-body workout.

Steps To Do It:

  • Maintain a straight back, engage your core, place your thighs parallel to the floor, and place your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Engage your core and swing your arms back at the bottom of the squat.
  • Extend your legs, push through your feet, and raise your arms into the air.
  • To ensure a smooth landing, bend your knees and land on the balls of your feet.
  • Return to the squat posture, repeat the exercise with control, and keep your form correct.

4. Single-Leg Hip Thrust

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Although the glute bridge is a fantastic bodyweight leg exercise for beginners, more experienced athletes can move to a single-leg hip thrust. By putting all of your body weight on one leg, this isometric action will be more challenging.

Steps To Do It:

  • Place your upper back and shoulder blades on the long edge of a coffee table, couch, chair, or weight bench.
  • Keep your feet flat on the floor and bend your knees to about a 90-degree angle.
  • Raise one leg off the floor to do a single-leg hip thrust. Either hold it in the air or place it on the other leg's thigh or shin.
  • Lower yourself till your butt is just above the floor.
  • Use your hamstrings and glutes. To return your body to the starting position, push through your planted foot.
  • Before lowering the body back to starting position, squeeze your glutes for two to three seconds.
  • Shift to the other leg once you finish all the repetitions on the first leg.

5. Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

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Often referred to as the Bulgarian split squat, this exercise is an excellent method of focusing the burden on your front leg's quadriceps and glutes. You may place your back foot on a chair, coffee table, or a box if you're doing this exercise at home. Use a weight bench in the gym if you're there.

Steps To Do It:

  • Place your rear foot's toes on the bench behind you. You should plant your front leg far enough forward so you can lunge without your knee going past your front foot's toes.
  • Keep your shoulders down, your chest high, and your core tight.
  • Bend your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor, then drop into a lunge.
  • To go back to the starting posture, pause in this position and then push through your front heel.
  • Before moving on to the other leg, finish all of the repetitions on the first leg.

6. Step-Ups

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One of the finest workouts for strengthening the lower body is the step-up. You might be surprised at how effective this easy movement is. Look for a strong chair or a flight of steps at home. Take advantage of a plyometric box if you're in the gym.

Steps To Do It:

  • Lean one leg up onto the box.
  • Use your core and lower body muscles. Until you are standing solidly on the box, push through the front leg.
  • Using the leg you used to lead, take a step back down.
  • Before moving on to the other leg, finish all of your repetitions on the first leg.

7. Heel Slides

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Your hamstrings, a vital muscle for running, walking, and climbing, may be strengthened with heel slides. You must perform this exercise on a "slippery" surface, like a hardwood or tiled floor, while wearing socks. You may use sliding discs to do this exercise at a gym.

Steps To Do It:

  • Place your heels on the floor while lying on your back.
  • Raise your hips into a glute bridge position.
  • Slide your heels away from your butt and slowly straighten your knees. Ensure that your glutes remain raised off the floor.
  • Maintain hamstring tension. Return to the starting position by sliding your feet. Make sure your shins are parallel to the ground.

8. Box Jumps

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You can go from low-impact step-ups to explosive box jumps if you're an experienced athlete. Leap up onto the box using both legs, rather than one at a time.

Steps To Do It:

  • For momentum, use your arms. Pull them back and bend your legs into a half-squat.
  • Leap up onto the box and fling your arms forward explosively.
  • To soften your landing, let your arms swing behind you as you touch down on the box.
  • Before beginning the next rep, jump or step back down.

9. Curtsy Lunges

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Your gluteus medius and gluteus minimus muscles, as well as the adductors and hip rotators, are strengthened with curtsy lunges.

This movement relies heavily on muscular engagement and balance. Engage your lower back and abdominal muscles to gain stability.

Steps To Do It:

  • Maintain proper posture and stand erect. Your feet should be hip-width apart.
  • Raise your right leg. Behind your left calf, cross it. Make a lunge with your left knee bent. To counterbalance, extend your arms.
  • Tap your right toe to the outside of your left foot and behind it.
  • To get to your feet, push through your left heel. Return the right leg to its initial position.
  • Continue doing this activity for 10 reps, then switch the legs.

10. Calf Raises

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Calf raises should be performed on a step rather than on the floor. Your heels will have more range of motion because of this small adjustment. Also, it will lengthen the exercise's eccentric phase, which is more effective in increasing muscle development and strength than the movement's concentric contraction.

Steps To Do It:

  • Using the balls of your feet, stand on the step's edge. Get up onto your tiptoes by using your calf muscles.
  • Take two or three seconds to pause at the highest position.
  • Lower yourself gradually. Lower your heels below the step's level.
  • Take another one to two-second pause.
  • To get back up on your toes, push into the balls of your feet. Start the subsequent rep.
  • You may advance this exercise by looping one leg under the calf of your other leg while performing it as a single-leg workout.

11. Single-Leg Squats

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Single-leg squats, also referred to as pistol squats, are an excellent advanced bodyweight leg exercise. By stressing the muscles of the weight-bearing leg, this exercise increases strength by inducing the creation of muscle proteins.

This exercise also addresses muscular imbalances because it features unilateral movements. To find stability, use your hip and ankle muscles as well as your core.

Steps To Do It:

  • Keep your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart when you stand. Keep your core active and your chest up.
  • Extend your left leg in front of your body by lifting it. Sit back with your hips and bend your right knee.
  • Without losing your balance, squat as low as you can. You might only be able to perform a half squat if you're a beginner.
  • Wait a moment. To get back on your feet, push through your heel.
  • Before moving on to the other leg, finish all of your reps on the first leg.

12. Jumping Lunge

The jump lunge is a more difficult version of the walking lunge exercise that involves a leap to increase intensity. Jumping high in the air and changing your front foot before landing is the plyometric transition.

Steps To Do It:

  • Place your feet shoulder-width apart as you stand. This is where you start.
  • Jump your right foot back and your left foot forward while maintaining an engaged core. Then, bend both knees to lower yourself into a lunge.
  • Return to the starting position by hopping with both feet.
  • Now put your left foot back and your right foot forward, then drop into a lunge on the other side. This is one repetition.
  • Every time you land, keep leaping and switching sides.
  • By swapping feet midair and instantly sinking into a lunge each time, you may make this exercise more difficult.

13. Frog Pump

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One of the best bodyweight workouts is the frog pump. The frog pump is the offspring of the glute bridge and butterfly stretch. To put it briefly, you lay on your back, spread your knees apart by bringing the soles of your feet together, and then raise your hips toward the sky.

Steps To Do It:

  • With your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent, lie face up on the floor or a mat.
  • Make a diamond shape with your legs by pressing your heels together. This is where you start.
  • Lift your butt off the mat by squeezing your glutes and bringing it straight up to your knees. At the peak, pause for one or two seconds.
  • To return to the beginning posture, lower your hips. This is one rep.

14. Fire Hydrant

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Also known as quadruped hip abductions, it features the movements of a dog peeing on a fire hydrant. Although some varieties also work the core, they mostly target the gluteus maximus. Regular use of fire hydrants can reduce the chance of injury, relieve back discomfort, and tone your glutes.

Steps To Do It:

  • With your knees beneath your hips, wrists beneath your shoulders, and core active, begin on all fours.
  • Raise your right knee sideways toward the ceiling while maintaining a bent leg, as though it were being dragged by a thread.
  • As you lift, be careful not to let your body tilt to the left and maintain an engaged core.
  • For one repetition, lower your knee to the starting position, then repeat. Complete all of the reps on one side, then switch to the other.

15. Donkey Kicks

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A simple bodyweight workout that works your glutes is the donkey kick. While maintaining your body stable during the workout tones your core and shoulders, it also works as a great balance exercise.

Steps To Do It:

  • Begin in a tabletop pose. The knees will be beneath your hips and the hands beneath your shoulders.
  • Engage the glutes and use your hamstrings to bring your right foot forward as you kick it up and toward the ceiling.
  • Stop lifting before you arch your lower back, and maintain an engaged core to prevent tipping to the left.
  • Complete every rep on one side, then switch to the other.

16. Good Morning

Source : verywellfit

The hip hinge exercise called "Good Morning" is usually done with a barbell in the back rack position. It’s considered one of the best exercises for strengthening the glutes and hamstrings because it works the muscles through their full range of motion in a hip-hinge pattern.

Steps To Do It:

  • With arms behind your head and your feet hip-width apart, take a back-rack stance with a barbell. This is where you start.
  • Maintaining your legs straight and your core active, hinge at the hips and progressively bend forward with a flat back. When your chest is level with the floor, stop.
  • For one rep, go back to the starting position.

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