You don’t need a gym membership or machines to build powerful legs. With a little space and your own bodyweight, you can get an effective lower-body workout right at home. You can also enhance your training with home fitness tools like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 or Gym Pal.
Either way, these at-home leg workouts target major muscles, including your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Whether you’re short on time, space, or equipment, this guide makes it easy to strengthen your legs anywhere, anytime.
Understanding Lower-Body Muscles
Understanding some basic muscle anatomy allows you to target specific muscle groups more effectively, enhance your gains, create a balanced exercise routine, and prevent injuries.
Quadriceps
The quadriceps, also known as quads, are the largest leg muscles, making them essential players in any leg strength training, whether with or without a leg extension machine.
The quadriceps have four heads:
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The vastus medialis is the medial part of the quads on the inside of the knee, where its primary function is knee extension.
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The vastus intermedius is the medial part of the quads, hidden beneath the rectus femoris and the knee, where it also plays a role in knee extension.
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The vastus lateralis is the lateral part of the quads on the outside of the knee, which also helps with knee extension.
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The rectus femoris is the only part of the quads that is attached above the hip, where it primarily assists with hip function, especially hip flexion.
Hamstrings
On the back of your thighs are the hamstrings, powerful muscles that are also crucial in leg strength training. Hamstrings are made of two main sections:
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The biceps femoris is the outer lateral part of the hamstrings, where it assists with knee and hip flexion, and lateral rotation of the knee.
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The semitendinosus is the inner lateral part of the hamstrings, where it also assists with knee and hip flexion, as well as medial rotation of the tibia, helping rotate the lower leg inward when the knee is bent.
Adductors
The adductors are an essential group of muscles that are often neglected. They are located on the inside of the thighs and anterior chain, where they help with rotation and flexion.
Abductors
The abductors are on the outside of your legs and are even more neglected than the adductors. These play a critical role in moving your legs outward while maintaining stability during single-leg exercises.
Calves
Finally, the calf muscles on the bottom of your legs are made of two parts.
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The gastrocnemius is the larger part of the calf, playing a crucial role in plantar and knee flexion, as well as stability. It tends to be selectively targeted when building larger calf muscles.
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The soleus, located behind the gastrocnemius, is just as crucial for building larger calves because it pushes the gastrocnemius out farther, making the entire calf look larger. The soleus assists in plantar flexion, maintaining posture and balance, and helps pump venous blood in your legs back up to your heart.
8 Essential At-Home Exercises for Lower-Body Strength
Squats
What They Do
Squats are crucial for working the glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and adductors, and can be easily done at home.
How to Do It
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Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, placing your hands together in front of your chest.
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Hinge at your hips and bend your knees.
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Lower your body toward the floor.
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Return to the upright position and lower your arms to the starting position.
You can fast-track your gains by adding resistance and doing cable squats on the Speediance Gym Monster 2 for a more intense lower-body workout.
Step Up
What They Do
Step-ups are another easy way to strengthen your legs and can be easily done at home. They primarily target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but also engage the calves, adductors, and core muscles.
How to Do It
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Place one foot on a bench or elevated platform.
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As you stand up straight, drive through your planted foot.
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Avoid leaning or hinging at the hip as you move.
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Your non-working leg can be left to trail behind, or for an extra workout, drive your knee up in line with your hip at 90 degrees.
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Lower slowly back to the starting position.
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Repeat, alternating sides.
Glute Bridges
What They Do
Glute bridges are similar to a hip thrust, but they’re done with your back on the floor rather than elevated on a bench. It’s an excellent posterior chain exercise that targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. It’s also ideal for those with injuries that prevent them from performing squats or lunges.
How to Do It
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Lie down with your knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart, flat on the floor.
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Push your heels into the ground while you raise your hips off the ground.
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When you reach the top, squeeze your glutes and keep your abdominals tight; avoid arching your lower back.
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Lower your hips.
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For additional strength training, hover your glutes just above the floor rather than resting them on the floor.
Split Jumps
What They Do
Split jumps are perfect for targeting the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
How to Do It
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Stand upright with your arms at your sides in a split stance, with one foot forward, leg slightly bent and bearing most of your weight. The other foot is extended back for support, like you’re preparing for a lunge.
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Lower your body toward the floor, leaning your torso slightly forward while bending at the hips and knees.
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Next, push off your front foot and jump up off the floor.
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Land positioned in a split squat.
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Repeat rapidly, completing all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
Skaters
What They Do
Skaters primarily target the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, while also engaging the calves, hip flexors, and core muscles, all while improving balance and coordination. Since each side is forced to move quickly and independently without rest, it simultaneously enhances muscular gains and cardiovascular fitness.
How to Do It
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Stand in an athletic stance with your knees slightly bent.
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Quickly hop your left foot to the right, landing on your right foot while your left leg is slightly bent and hovering somewhat behind you. Use your arms to generate momentum to complete the movement.
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Hold briefly, then push off your right foot to jump laterally to the left. This time, land on your left foot, with your right leg slightly bent and hovering behind you on the left.
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Repeat, alternating from one leg to the other.
Sumo Squat
What They Do
The sumo squat is a squat variation that targets the adductors, quads, and glutes more effectively, engaging the hip and groin.
How to Do It
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Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, having your toes turned out 45 degrees.
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Start lowering into a squat while maintaining upright posture.
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Drop your hips toward your heels while your knees drive out; this will result in deeper squats than traditional squats.
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Push your heels down and out to stand again, while you push your hips forward to a fully extended position.
Hip Abduction On The Floor
What They Do
A hip abduction on the floor, also known as the clamshell, targets the outer thigh, hips, and glutes.
How To Do It
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Place a leg band around both legs, above the knees.
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Lie on a mat on your side, with your knees bent.
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Don’t rest your head on the arm that is on the floor.
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Stack your feet on top of each other.
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Keep your knees bent while you lift one knee to externally rotate your hips. Try to get your maximum range of movement in your upper leg.
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Slowly lower your leg.
You can also perform cable hip abductions using the Speediance Gym Pal for even faster gains.
Lunges
What They Do
Lunges are excellent lower-body pushing exercises that target your thighs, calves, and glutes. You can do this exercise with just your body weight, or hold a dumbbell or kettlebell for additional strength training.
How To Do It
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From a standing position, take one step forward with your left foot and plant it on the ground in front of you.
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Bend both knees until your quads are parallel to the floor. Keep your back foot flexed and supported on your toes.
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Raise yourself back up to the starting position, keeping your weight on the heel of your front foot.
How to Build Your Own At-Home Leg Workout Plan
Before you get started, consider these tips to avoid injury and maximize your gains:
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Stay hydrated before, during, and after.
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Wear appropriate moisture-wicking clothing and quality shoes.
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Ensure your space is open without obstructions.
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Use an exercise mat to improve your grip.
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Design your routine according to your fitness level, goals, preferences, and time.
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Try different exercises to find which works best for you.
Now, for the exercises:
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Always warm up before doing any exercise routine.
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Try dividing your leg exercises into separate work and rest periods. For instance, do 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off.
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If you’re doing single-sided leg exercises, switch legs halfway through each time interval. Working in intervals allows you to track your progress and can improve your cardiovascular health.
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Alternatively, divide your workouts into reps and sets, which allows you to go at your own pace. This is ideal for beginners and those recovering from injuries, since you can take your time and focus on your form. Start with 2-5 sets of 8-12 reps of each exercise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Home Workout Is the Best for Legs?
Some of the best leg exercises are those that target multiple muscles, such as squats, lunges, and glute bridges. For additional resistance and strength training, use a cable machine.
Can I Build Leg Muscle Without Weights?
You can build leg muscles without weights because muscle growth occurs when muscles are challenged beyond their current capacity. Use bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and split jumps, then increase the number of reps or sets to encourage growth over time.
Final Thoughts
Training your legs at home is easy and effective using your bodyweight and a few smart strategies. You can target every major lower-body muscle group, improve your balance and mobility, and build real strength.
Whether you’re squatting, lunging, or jumping, consistency is key. Remember to listen to your body, focus on form, and choose exercises that challenge you. To enhance your training, tools with adjustable resistance, like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 or the Speediance Gym Pal, can help you level up faster and rapidly increase your gains.
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