The Best Leg Workouts For Women to Construct Muscle

Is there any higher accessory than strong, well-defined leg muscles?

I’m talking in regards to the form of well-built muscles that look amazing in your workout shorts while indicating you possibly can squat heavy weights with the most effective of them.

Sounds good, right?

And in case you’re considering that feels like your #gymgoals, but you simply do not know how you can achieve it along with your training, you’ve gotten come to the fitting place! This text not only features two leg workouts geared toward women, but it is usually going to debate how you can do each exercise, together with the important thing components all ladies’ leg workouts must have.

In case your next leg day workout is coming up and also you’re bored with not getting results, things are about to alter.

Table of Contents:

• The Best Leg Workouts For Women
• Methods to Progress This Leg Workout
• Major Muscle Groups of the Leg
• 11 Best Leg Exercises For Women
• 4 Key Features All Women’s Leg Workouts Should Have
• Summary

The Best Leg Workouts For Women

Let’s get into the most effective leg workouts straight away! I’ve included two sessions here, which it’s best to do in the identical week, with just a few days in between so you possibly can effectively rest your leg muscles.

Leg Workout Session A

Leg Workout Session B

How To Progress This Leg Workout

If muscle hypertrophy is your goal, run these leg workouts twice every week, each session once per week. Do not forget that the farther you get into your workout, simply training to failure becomes more essential than being specific with what weight you utilize.

All it is advisable do is be persistent, specializing in progressive overload and adding weight as you go. It’s crucial to essentially consider the primary exercises of your workout. So long as you do that, you’ll improve.

Further, this will act as a template for further leg workouts for ladies. All it is advisable do is swap some exercises around now and again. For instance, after you run this program for 8-12 weeks, swap the walking lunge for a reverse lunge to maintain things fresh.

What Are The Major Muscle Groups of the Leg?

Let’s briefly go over the most important muscle groups that you’re going to be targeting in your leg workouts.

• Hamstrings: The hamstrings are a set of three muscles that sit on the back of the upper thigh. All three hamstrings cross the knee joint making them your primary knee flexor. Nevertheless, one also crosses your hip joint, making it a vital muscle in hip extension. You will see each of those movements in the most effective hamstring exercises.
• Glutes: Your glutes consist of three large muscles that sit in your buttocks. These three muscles are the body’s powerhouse and are involved in nearly every movement within the lower body, in addition to hip extension. Examples of fine glute exercises include hip thrusts, step-ups, and the deadlift.
• Quadriceps: Your quadriceps consists of 4 muscles on your upper thigh. All 4 quadriceps muscles cross the knee joint, making them the body’s primary leg extensors. One quadriceps muscle also crosses the hip and acts as a hip flexor. A few of the most effective quad exercises include the barbell back squat, split squat, and Bulgarian split squat.
• Calves: The calf is a smaller group of muscles that sit on the back of your lower leg. Its primary job is ankle dorsiflexion, which is while you point your toes. This muscle is important because it’s answerable for propelling the body forward every step we take, together with jumping and landing. Do not forget your calf exercises!

11 Best Leg Exercises For Women

It is time to go over step-by-step directions for every of the most effective leg exercises for ladies. This may include the entire lower-body exercises I think are required to satisfy all of the needs of a girl’s leg workout.

1. Back Squat:

The back squat is the muse of your lower body workouts. It is the king of leg exercises, hitting all major muscle groups. As well as, it’s also possible to place a heavy load on the muscles.

Combined, this implies the squat exercise targets the leg muscles so efficiently that in case you were going to select only one exercise to your lower body, it ought to be this.

Although the squat is technically a lower-body exercise, you’ll feel it in your entire body. This is particularly true for the back and core because it must brace hard to support the burden.

Methods to do the Back Squat:

• Rack a barbell on a squat rack at the suitable height. You don’t need it to be so low that it is advisable kneel excessively, but you furthermore may don’t desire to must get in your tippy toes.
• Place the barbell on the center of your back with hands wider than shoulder-width. The precise distance will vary for everybody but use what’s comfortable for you. Use an overhand grip.
• Unrack the barbell and take two steps backward.
• Place your feet flat and barely wider than hip-width apart. While on this standing position, you maintain “soft knees.” That is while you don’t necessarily keep your knees bent but don’t fully lock out.
• Tighten your core and start the descent by pushing your hips back. Your primary goal is to have the barbell drop down in a straight line.
• As you thrust back, be certain your knees stay according to your feet. Proceed until you’re at the underside of your squat position.

2. Barbell Hip Thrusts:

Barbell hip thrusts are almost universally agreed upon as the most effective leg exercise to your glutes¹.

It is a bit of a singular movement because it’s technically a single-joint exercise (the hips), but it surely allows a substantial amount of weight. This makes it the one single-joint exercise that acts as a fundamental exercise, as that sometimes goes to compound exercises.

Regardless, in case you desire a shapely rear end, you will need to commonly put barbell hip thrusts in your leg workout.

Methods to do Barbell Hip Thrusts:

• Arrange a bench to support your back. In the event you need it or feel more comfortable, you possibly can place it against a wall.
• Sit in front of the bench along with your knees bent. You must have your feet hip-width apart, and your knee bent. Your shin ought to be vertical along with your feet flat on the bottom.
• Place a loaded barbell in your torso in order that it sits in your hip crease. You should use your hands to assist stabilize the barbell if needed.
• Let your hips drop until your butt touches the bottom. Powerfully extend your hips up until your hips are straight.
• So as to add some variation, prioritize one leg. For instance, consider driving your left heel down for the left leg after which the fitting heel for the fitting side.

3. Leg Press:

I really like the leg press machine, and it’s principally the one machine-based exercise I utilize consistently. One among the explanations I take advantage of it a lot is due to its versatility. While it is a single machine, you possibly can alter the muscle activation by altering your foot position.

Further, you possibly can place your feet closer together and low for more quadriceps activation or put your feet wider than hip-width and high for more posterior work.

A couple of feet placement options include: hip-width apart with toes barely bent out, feet high and wider than shoulder width with toes barely bent out, and feet narrow and high.

Methods to do the Leg Press:

• Set the pad for the leg press to your required height. I prefer a basic 90-degree angle or a rather more open one. If you’ve gotten the selection, you possibly can adjust as needed.
• Place each feet hip-width apart on the pad. Again, you possibly can make it wider or narrower.
• Keep your feet flat on the footrest and unrack the burden. Before you start, adjust your starting position as needed. Nevertheless, all the time keep a slight bend in your knees. Keeping your knees soft will prevent the potential for hyper-extending your knee.
• Let the sled come down toward your chest while keeping your knees according to your toes. Come down so far as possible, then drive your feet upward.
• Don’t let your butt come off the pad in the course of the movement.

4. Romanian Deadlift:

While I really like doing traditional deadlifts, if I could only pick one for version, my pick is the Romanian deadlift. That is primarily since the Romanian deadlift can elicit muscle activation within the glutes and hamstrings².

Further, due to biomechanics of the Romanian deadlift, you don’t want to make use of as heavy a load, which could be a huge plus, particularly in case your weight selection is restricted.

Nevertheless, don’t let this idiot you into considering the exercise is simple. As they isolate the hamstrings and glutes more, they may evoke a much stronger burn. Further, they’ll train the whole posterior chain.

Pro Tip: When performing Romanian deadlifts, I prefer to use a mind-muscle connection and give attention to muscle contraction.

Methods to do the Romanian Deadlift:

• You may decide to either use dumbbells or barbells, but I like using dumbbells, so that is what I’m specializing in for these directions. Select a pair of dumbbells and grab them with a neutral grip and stand with feet hip-width apart and toes identified in a straight line.
• Let the dumbbells hang naturally down the front of your legs.
• Begin the movement by dropping your torso and letting it fall forward. Keep your knees barely bent throughout the movement. You would like a minimal bend to permit your torso to drop while keeping a neutral spine. To assist accomplish this, pull your shoulder blades to maintain your scapula retracted.
• Proceed dropping your torso while attempting to construct tension within the hamstrings. There isn’t a minimum distance, but your hands should find a way to drop to shin level.
• When you get to a spot where your form is about to interrupt, you’ll perform the next actions concurrently: pull your hips forward, squeeze glutes, and push your feet down (in case you want more quadriceps activation.
• Proceed the above actions until you are back within the standing position.

5. Walking Lunges:

I really like walking lunges as they supply a singular stimulus unlike other exercises. That’s, they require more activation out of your lower body stabilizer muscles.

Further, the lunge is considered one of the few leg exercises that occur with motion. Get able to feel the burn!

Methods to do Walking Lunges:

• Your starting position might be your normal standing position with feet shoulder width apart (or barely wider).
• Start the movement by taking one giant step out along with your right foot. It should take a while to search out the proper distance for you. Subsequently, before you begin your set, take time to get a feel for the movement.
• To do that, it is advisable get into the lunge position. Your right leg’s shin (forward leg) ought to be vertical, while the highest of the quad ought to be parallel to the ground. The quadriceps of your left leg (rear leg) ought to be vertical, while its shin ought to be parallel to the bottom.
• Once you’re feeling comfortable, you possibly can begin the movement. Take an enormous step forward and are available straight down into the lunge position. Drop and let your knee barely touch the bottom, then push yourself back up. Switch legs and repeat.

6. Bulgarian Split Squat:

Ouch. Ladies, your quads have never hurt so good.

The Bulgarian split squat is a split squat that is performed with the rear leg raised. This not only places your entire body weight on the front leg however the body can be pushed farther forward.

Unless you have already been using these in your training program, perform these unweighted first.

Methods to do the Bulgarian Split Squat:

• Find an object that means that you can raise your left foot off the bottom. A daily bench for bench pressing works advantageous. Place the highest of your left foot on the bench so it’s about mid-way up the foot.
• Keep your other foot forward. It ought to be just a few feet ahead in order that your back leg is prolonged at about 75%. Remember to have your right foot flat, and your toes pointed forward.
• Drop straight down until your back knee touches the bottom, or your right leg bends below a 90-degree angle. Power back up by driving your right leg down. Keep your torso upright for the whole movement.

7. Goblet Squat:

The goblet squat is a fantastic leg finisher. I prefer to use high reps toward the top of a session to burn my legs out. It’s easy to do yet highly effective. The explanation it’s called a “goblet” squat is since you hold a dumbbell along with your hands cupped, which looks like a goblet.

Other than being an efficient leg finisher, it hits the core hard. As you are holding the burden high in your chest, the burden will need to pull you forward, just like a front squat.

Methods to do the Goblet Squat:

• Grab one moderately heavy dumbbell. You would like one that enables 8+ reps.
• Hold the dumbbell by placing your forearms together in front of your chest with the heels of your hands touching.
• Cup your hands which is able to hold the pinnacle. The underside a part of the dumbbell will hang down in between your forearms.
• Stand with feet hip-width apart and barely turned out. Begin squatting down, but you’ll keep your torso upright to offset the balance. In the event you don’t, you might be pulled forward.
• Come all the best way down until the highest of your thighs break parallel. Power your body back up.

8. Plie Squat:

It is a squat variation that is very just like the goblet squat. It is also very just like a sumo squat, except you utilize dumbbells. As you train your legs two times every week, you’ll alternate the goblet squat and plie squat.

The first difference is that you’ll use a stance with feet wider than shoulder length. In actual fact, you’ll stand about 1.5-2 times the gap of a daily squat position.

You then turn your toes out and externally rotate your thighs, which is able to nail the inner thighs.

Methods to do the Plie Squat:

• You should use one dumbbell or two. Place the dumbbell(s) between your legs and take your wide stance. Remember, your feet are turned out, and your thighs are rotated, so your left knee and right knee indicate.
• Grab the dumbbells with each hands and allow them to hang down in the midst of your legs.
• Sit down and let your hips drop. Your hips could have less motion backward as your legs are spread. Keep your torso upright, just like the goblet squat. Drop all the best way down until 90 degrees, then come up.

9. Leg Abduction:

The leg abduction exercise targets the glutes, specifically the gluteus medius. The outer muscle on the glutes creates that rounding effect you are trying to find.

Whenever you perform these, your primary concern is getting in reps and training to or near failure. You may either use a cable machine for this move or a leg abduction machine.

Methods to do Leg Abduction:

• Set a cable at the bottom setting and connect an ankle attachment. Start along with your right leg, meaning you may attach the cable to your right ankle. Get in your starting position, standing, so the cable runs across your body. Your left foot ought to be near the cable while the fitting foot is away.
• Move away to get out all of the slack. Let the cable draw your right leg across your body while your left foot stays planted.
• Now swing your right leg across so it crosses your body after which swings upward. Come down slowly.

10. Glute Kickback:

The glute kickback is one other cable exercise that isolates the hamstrings and glutes. This may simply use hip extension to kick the leg back.

Again, it’s an easy exercise that is very effective. Like leg abduction, give attention to getting high reps and training to or near failure.

Methods to do the Glute Kickback:

• Set a cable on the bottom setting and use an ankle attachment. Stand back to tug out the slack with each feet hip-width apart.
• Select a leg to begin with (we’ll say the fitting leg). Keeping your left leg planted, slowly kick your right foot back, keeping your leg prolonged. Pull way back to you possibly can until you reach your max. Next, allow your right foot to maneuver forward, slow, and controlled. Repeat as obligatory.
• Don’t set your foot down between reps, at the very least at first.

11. Calf Raise:

The wonderful thing about the calf raise is you possibly can play with different foot positions, including pointing forward or feet turned out or turned in.

You too can alternate between using a standing calf raise and a seated calf raise in your workouts.

Methods to do the Calf Raise:

• Sit down or stand on the calf raise machine and adjust as obligatory.
• In the event you’re sitting, place the front a part of your foot on the foot pads and knees under the knee pads. For either machine, raise the burden to unrack the burden.
• Allow the burden to come back down by allowing your heels to drop. Then slowly, raise the load by performing dorsiflexion.
• Come up as high as you possibly can in your toes and hold.

4 Key Encompasses a Leg Workout For Women Should Have

So, what exactly makes a superb leg workout for ladies? These 4 features.

1. Use Heavier Weights:

I think everyone must have some training with heavier loads. Increasingly more research has shown that heavier loads provide advantages not seen with lighter weights³.

A few of these advantages include:

• Greater strength gains
• Stronger bones
• Improved neuromuscular control

Further, in strength training, “heavy” has a selected meaning. The word is usually thrown around loads to mean anything difficult. In point of fact, “heavy” refers to using loads equal to or greater than 85% 1RM.

2. More Focus On the Glutes And Outer Thighs:

I’m making a broad assumption here, but a women’s workout must have more emphasis on the glutes and upper thighs. That is solely because these areas are of particular interest to most girls.

So long as you are including your primary leg exercises and massive compound lifts, I feel giving certain areas special attention is perfectly acceptable.

3. Include Load Bearing Exercises:

As mentioned above, heavy loads can strengthen bones.

The excessive weight causes a slight bend within the bone that causes tiny holes. Whenever you go home and eat the right nutrients (vitamin D and calcium!), these holes are full of bone cellular material often called osteoblasts. Once repaired, you’ve gotten a thicker, stronger bone.

This is important for ladies as they’re more vulnerable to osteoporosis as they age.

4. Use Free Weights:

Free weights create greater activation within the stabilizer muscles as a result of a greater have to support the limbs. When talking about leg exercises, this implies your outer and inner thighs, akin to the gluteus medius.

This muscle sits in your outer thigh, which implies you’ll have greater activation in the difficulty area. As well as, free weights create a greater demand on the abdominal muscles and the whole core.

Leg Workouts For Women: Final Takeaways

Don’t make your training more confusing than it must be. An excellent leg workout for ladies is one that features the most effective leg exercises there are and focuses on progressive overload.

A couple of final pieces of recommendation: Do not be afraid to lift heavy as that is what will construct your major leg muscle groups. Also, consistency is vital.

Consider weight training as something you are in for the long haul. Gains and muscle definition will occur, but to ensure that them to occur, it is advisable hit the weights hard each training session.