Has quarantine made you gain weight? Is the constant lockdown hindering your gym workout routine? We have a solution to that, 20 leg workout exercises that you can do without any equipment, at any time, and in the comfort of your home.

Exercising has many benefits when it comes to the overall health of the mind and body. Today, we will contemplate 20 exercises that work out every muscle in your legs. These 20 exercises are efficient and help you get rid of chicken legs as well as maintain your toned and muscular legs.

20 leg exercises without equipment

Muscles loss occurs when your body lacks nutrition, muscle loss is terrible for your physical health. Just Working out alone will not help you gain muscle; you must pair your workout with a nutritionally balanced diet that contains high protein and enables you to repair the tear and grow your muscles. Taking out 30 minutes from your day daily to do these exercises has fantastic benefits.

It is a common misconception that leg training can only be paired with heavy weight training and machines; on the contrary, no equipment training also shows significant benefits.

You must maintain a perfect form with every exercise and focus more on doing it properly rather than the number of repetitions.

1. Walking lunges

Having less space is not an issue with this type of exercise, as if you don’t have a lot of space, you can take a step further and back.
Start by taking an enormous step as you can forward and do a squat.
While you come back up, try to maintain the standing position for some time, increasing your stability and working on the core muscles.
Redo the same steps with the other leg.
You can also skip the step of standing up and continuously do the walking lunge taking one step at a time and moving forward.
You must maintain a 90-degree angle of both the front and the back leg to attain a solid lunge position.

AUTHOR NOTE – You should take 15 seconds to break after every exercise or rep.

2. Lateral + curtsy lunges

Lateral + curtsy lunges are the combination of lateral and a curtsy lunge. These exercises work on the quads, glutes, and hips.
Keeping the right leg stationary, move your left leg to the side and do a squat without bending your stationary leg.
You will experience a stretch in the inside of the straight leg as well as in the quads and glutes of the right leg.
Now come back up and take the left leg across the midline of your body behind your right leg and do a squat.
Continue these steps with the left leg for 45 seconds and then switch to the right leg and repeat the same steps.

AUTHORS NOTE – You can do this exercise by holding weights in your hand to achieve better results and help burn fat faster.

3. Frog squats

This exercise mainly impacts your hamstrings and the back of your legs. It also helps tone your muscles and increase the strength of your legs.
To begin with, the distance between your legs should be as much as your shoulder width. Touch all the fingers of both of your hands to the ground
Da a squat bending your knee, make sure your knee does not touch the ground.
Get back up and repeat the steps for 45 seconds or 15 times.
Throughout these exercises, you will feel the fat burn and the stretch in your thighs, quads, and hamstrings.

4. Sumo squats with calf raise

Sumo squat and calf rice target your inner thigh and calf muscles. This exercise burns your fat and also tones your muscles.
As the name suggests, in a sumo squat, the distance between your leg is more as compared to a typical squat.
The first step is to take an appropriate distance between your legs and keep your back aligned straight. Do not bend forward.
Go down, bend your knees and raise your heel one at a time.
Touch your heels on the ground, come back up, then bend your knees and raise your heels. Keep doing this for 45 seconds.

5. Single leg Romanian deadlift

Single leg Romanian deadlift. It is a dominating hip exercise that targets the glutes and the hamstrings.
Start by keeping your right leg stationary and slightly bending it. Then lean forward and simultaneously lift your right leg at the back, forming a straight line from your head to your leg.
Get back into the starting position by bringing your leg down standing straight.
Repeat this exercise for 45 seconds.

Here are a handful of things that you are supposed to consider while doing a single leg Romanian deadlift closely:

make sure the leg which is floating does not go too far behind you.
Make sure you do not hunch over
some people squat both legs, which is the wrong way.
Maintaining your balance is essential, as instability does not reap any benefits out of this exercise.

AUTHORS NOTE: If you are doing this exercise with weights, make sure you hold the weight in the opposite hand of your stabilized leg.

6. Glute bridges

The glute bridges emphasize mainly the hamstrings and the glute muscle.
Begin by lying down on your back, hands touching the floor palms down or palms up, whichever you prefer.
Your legs should be positioned in such a way that the heel of your shoe touches your hand. Press your back to the floor.
Lift your hips, engage the core, make sure you do not overarch your back, exhale at the top and bring your hips back down
Carry on with this exercise for 45 seconds.
In this exercise, the knee angle is critical. Make sure your head touches the ground, as not doing so may cause a strain on your neck.

AUTHORS NOTE – in advance training, there is another variation of glute bridges where one leg is kept floating, pointing towards the roof. The process, however, remains the same.

7. Wall sit

This exercise helps build not only your glutes, hamstrings, thigh muscles but also increases your endurance and works on your core.
Touch your hip against the wall, keep your back straight and your feet at A 90-degree angle, make sure your knees align with your ankles.
Pushing back into the wall Hold this position for 45 seconds or for as long as you can.
You will instantly experience strain on your thighs and quads; this is nothing but your fat burning.
If you have just begun a workout and this feels difficult for you, you can come slightly upwards.

8. Elevated split squat

Elevated split squat, also known as the Bulgarian split squat, helps you with your core, thigh muscles, and hamstrings.
Place one foot on an upraised surface like a table or a bench. It is totally fine if you are missing a professional bench in your home, you can always improvise. Make sure your hip aligns with your heel.
Now bring your knee down. Hold for a second, then pressing on the heel, bring your knee back up.
It would be best to put all your weight on your front leg.
For most benefit from this exercise, make sure you go as low as you can.
Try doing this for 30 seconds or 15 times, keeping your weight on the heel and your core tight. Change your leg and copy at the same steps.
Do not shrink your upper body; keep it relaxed.

9. Sumo walks

A sumo walk exercise emphasizes your glutes, quads, and abductors
To begin with, get into a sumo position, take a wide stance, make sure your toes point at a 45-degree angle.
Walk forward, keeping your legs apart, bending down with both legs, and getting back up with each step.
Then walk backward, keeping your legs apart, bending down with each step, and coming up.
Sumo walks help in engaging your core muscles and your overall thigh muscles.
Go on with sumo walks for 45 seconds.

Make sure you take care of the following things while doing a sumo walk –

Do not hinge forward, as you may lose balance and fall. Your chest should always be upright
Your knees should preferably be at a 90-degree angle and not caving in.
When you take steps, make sure you land on your entire leg and not just the toe or the heel.

10. Switching lunges

Switching lunge or jumping lunge is an excellent exercise for your legs the emphasis is on every muscle from your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
You have to start by getting into a lunge position.
Place one of your legs back on your toe and the other leg forward.
It is necessary to keep your shoulders down, your core tight, and your hips in line.
Start by shooting upwards, coming back down, landing your back leg on your toe and your front leg in the forward direction.
You must maintain balance as you might injure your ankle while landing.
While jumping next time, make sure you switch your leg. Continue with this exercise for 45 seconds.

11. Squat side leg raise

Squat side leg raise exercise helps in emphasizing the glutes, quads, abductors, and core.
Start by standing in a squat position and keeping your leg distance as your shoulder width.
Do a regular squat while getting up, raise one of your legs to the side, and shift all the weight on the stationary leg. Take the leg back down, and do another squat raise the opposite leg while getting up. Alternate between your legs.
While doing a squat side leg raise exercise, make sure you do not jerk your legs as in doing so, you may get injured.

12. Assisted pistol squats

Assisted pistol squats are an excellent toning exercise that helps with your core, back thighs, and glutes.
You can do an assisted pistol squat standing, holding onto something, or with a chair.
People with high flexibility and good balance will find this exercise easier to do as it requires being on one leg for the maximum amount of time.
Go down, keeping one leg on the ground and the other in the air.
When you feel a good stretch, come back up and touch both legs on the ground.
This time you keep the opposite leg in the air alternating the exercise perform the same steps for 45 minutes.

13. Kickbacks

Kick back mainly helps you in working on your hamstrings.
You should do 25 seconds with one leg and 25 seconds with the other leg.
Take the support of a sturdy surface like a wall. You are facing towards the wall place both your hands on the wall.
Bring your knee all the way in towards the wall and kick all the way out in the backward direction until you feel your glute contract.
Repeat the process with the other leg.

14. Butt kicks

This exercise helps and works on our calves, glutes, hamstrings, as well as burning fat.
Bend your knee, bringing it up to the back, towards your butt. Keep switching sides in a running motion.
You will experience burn in your quads and knees. Continue with it for 45 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. You can also include your arms by moving them in a running motion. Butt kicks are also an excellent warm-up exercise.

15. Crab walk

While doing this exercise, you will find a remarkable resemblance between how a crab walks and this exercise. It is mainly focused on your thighs, glutes, and your core.
We will start by taking a sumo position and bending in your knees, keeping your back straight.
Start working sideways, taking one step at a time, going down and coming up.
Taking another step going down and coming up
Make sure you are consistently bending as low as possible throughout this exercise.
Once you are done moving in one direction, start repeating these steps by going in the opposite direction and working on the other leg.

16. Calf raises

This exercise focuses on our calves and glute muscles.
There are two variations available in this exercise; you can either do it standing up or in a squat position.

If you choose to do it in a standing position

Put your bodyweight against a sturdy surface.
Now raise your heels, experience a stretch in your calves, hold for a second and then come back down.
Perform the exercise without taking any breaks for 45 seconds

If you decide to do this in a squat position

Take a sumo squat position raise the heel of your leg one leg at a time, alternating this process for 45 seconds.
Once you get into a sumo squat position, make sure you do not stand up until the entire set is complete.
Doing calf raises in a sumo squat position is relatively tricky than standing up.
Doing calf raises standing up is ideal for you if you are a beginner or starting a workout after a long gap.

17. Pulse lunges

Pulse lunges are the best way to work on your inner thigh muscles along with your core.
Start by taking a lunge position, raise your hands on your thigh or straight in front of you.
Go up and down in one constant motion; while doing this, make sure your back leg is aligned straight with your front leg.
Remember, you are not supposed to touch your knee to the ground and keep your back leg on your toe.
Change the legs and repeat the exercise 30 seconds per leg.

18. Squat hold

A squat hold helps with toning, maintaining, and building all your leg muscles along with building endurance.
Get into a squat position making a 90-degree angle and stretch your hands forward or hold it at your convenience.
Hold the position for 30 seconds, get back up, and relax.
A squat hold can be more effective if you hold on as low as possible.

19. Outer thigh lift

The outer thigh lift exercise works on your core, thighs, glutes, and hamstrings.
Keep one leg on the ground, slightly bending it while keeping the other leg floating, slightly bent forward.
Move the floating leg sideways up and down. Ensure the floating leg does not touch the ground until the set is complete.
Continue this exercise for another 30 seconds, change the leg and continue the same process.

20. Side plank

The side plank exercise mainly helps with the core and thighs
Start by laying down on your side supported by your hand. Keep one leg on the ground and the other leg floating
Move the floating leg up and down. Make sure you stop when the set is complete
Continue with this exercise for 30 seconds and then switch sides.

AUTHORS NOTE – All leg exercises have significant benefits for the core muscles, as they help tone and burn fat at the site.

FAQs

1. How many times a week is a leg day?

Besides your leg muscles, all other muscles in your body need time to recover and rebuild. It is crucial that you rest your muscles properly and not work on them for consecutive days. It is ideal for working on your legs twice a week, but not more than four times a week.

2. Can you work on your leg muscles after recovering from an injury?

You can work on your legs after recovering from an injury only if your doctor or physical therapist gives you the green light. You should start small, taking baby steps initially and working your way up.

3. Can you gain muscle without using weights?

Movements associated with exercises like push-ups and squats have shown to be effective in building strength and muscle. It is not necessarily vital that you do weight training and machine training, although they help build muscles. Adding a load to your muscles and gradually increasing them over time can help you gain muscles in a shorter duration of time.

4. Do men and women have different leg training routines?

Although the muscle mass in men is comparatively higher than in women, it is not required that women train differently than men.

It may take a long time for women to gain muscle mass because many factors such as hormones come into play concerning burning fat or gaining muscles.

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Conclusion

These 20 leg workout exercises with no equipment can do wonders for males and females. These exercises have also proven to be fruitful for beginner and advanced level people; as these exercises have variations, you can increase the difficulty level of the basic training adapting to your requirements.

Take a step ahead in achieving your fitness goal. Go on, give this leg exercise routine a try. The results will be evidently visible in about 2 to 5 weeks, depending on the body type. Let us know if you are familiar with any other leg exercises in the comments section below.

20 Leg Exercises That You Can Do At Home Without Any Equipment