Leg strength workout: How to have more strength in the legs in bodybuilding?

Leg strength workout The feeling of “severed legs” after climbing the stairs is an unpleasant sensation that we have all felt at least once. Sufficiently muscular legs and thighs allow you on a daily basis to be able to carry loads or pick up objects without difficulty and without injuring yourself.

Some targeted exercises are very effective for getting results quickly. The important thing is not so much the load as the regularity of your sessions.

Why train your legs?

Buttocks/legs sessions are usually part of your muscle strengthening program. Many exercises and machines provided for this purpose are offered in the gym.

It is after these sessions that you usually suffer from body aches for a few days. To stay motivated and not give up on your squats or lunges, remembering the benefits of building leg muscle is key.

Feel more strength in the legs

Have you just gotten up and already feel tired in your legs? The feeling of heavy legs can quickly become restrictive when you plan a lot of activities in your day.

Many food supplements have arrived on the market promising to restore vitality to your calves, but without lasting results over time.

There are two main causes of heavy legs:

poor blood circulation ,

a lack of muscle .

If you have blood circulation problems, dietary supplements can provide some relief.

But sport remains the most effective solution to put an end to this feeling of fatigue.

Another important point: during the effort, you will solicit your cardiovascular system . Even if you find it difficult to perform your first squats, your blood circulation will improve .

You may have aches the next day, but you won’t feel that heavy leg feeling after your session. With stretching before and after each session, without forgetting to hydrate yourself well, aches will be just a bad memory.

Avoid injury

It is not only in sport that an injury can occur. If you don’t have enough muscle in your legs and back, just carrying too much of a load can cause you to tear your muscles .

These accidents don’t just happen to the elderly. Breaking or tearing, these injuries are very painful and can disable you for several weeks or months.

Whether you are a woman or a man, you have to do movements in your day that can put too much strain on one of your muscles.

To avoid all muscle injuries that take a long time to heal completely, it is better not to neglect sport in order to keep a muscular body .

Have an aesthetic and athletic body

Gentlemen, a muscular and wide bust on a pair of thin legs like green beans is not very harmonious. Having sufficiently muscular thighs, calves and buttocks is always more aesthetic to look at.

Ladies, if you want to say goodbye to your cellulite, saddlebags or excess fat between the thighs , targeted muscle-building exercises on the legs are the only effective long-term solution.

There is no miracle recipe for turning your fat into muscle apart from regular exercise. This solution will bring you results quickly without spending a fortune on special leg slimming creams with more or less proven effects.

The type of exercise that brings the most strength to the legs

There are many exercises for the legs. Without equipment, with weights, with a machine, each muscle that makes up your calves and thighs can be worked in isolation.

If you want to gain strength in your legs to be in shape and have beautiful legs , exercises similar to the movements you do daily are to be preferred.

During your day, you may have to climb the steps of a staircase, take a weight on the ground, etc.

If you no longer want to climb the steps of a staircase with your legs no longer supporting you, do regular lunges . Deadlifts and squats can strengthen your thighs and improve your posture so you don’t hurt yourself when picking up a heavy load from the floor.

In addition to these exercises, you can do a few movements on machines to have a complete session.

3 simple exercises and their variations for a complete leg workout

These exercises will allow you to effectively strengthen your quadriceps , your calves , your hamstrings , your adductors as well as your gluteal muscles .

During your session, you can vary these different exercises and do several sets of each movement. For rapid progress, do not hesitate to seek advice from a sports coach who can establish a personalized program with you on the number of sets and repetitions according to your level and your objectives.

Front squats

The front squat or front squat allows you to strengthen your quadriceps . This poly-articular exercise also strengthens your gluteal muscles , your adductors , your hamstrings and your gluteal muscles .

To start, stand in front of a squat rack. Stand your feet shoulder-width apart and cross your arms. Come grab the bar with your arms crossed, positioning it on top of your pectorals.

Keep a straight posture and perform a series of classic squats by bending your knees, until your thighs are horizontal. Remember to sheath your abdominal strap during the effort then return to the initial position by soliciting the strength of your legs.

Inhale before bending your knees, hold your breath during the descent then exhale when you return to the starting position.

Be careful not to choose a bar that is too heavy to start with. The effectiveness of the exercise largely depends on the correct execution of the movement, and not on the load you are carrying.

Back squats

The back squat or back squat requires the same body placement as the front squat. The difference between the two lies in the grip of the barbell. As its name implies, the back squat is performed with the bar at the back of your back, resting on your trapezius muscles.

The back squat is widely practiced in crossfit to strengthen the legs , abs and lower back . It can also be dangerous for beginners in bodybuilding. Be careful not to round your back during the effort at the risk of injuring yourself. Your back must always remain straight while sheathing your abdominals.

Do not hesitate to ask your sports coach to accompany you for the execution of this movement. He can correct your posture if necessary and secure you if you have difficulty holding the bar.

sumo squats

The sumo squat is practiced at the base like the back squat, with the difference that this time your legs will be apart during the effort. The objective here is to solicit the inside of your thighs and more precisely your adductors . For those who do not like the adductor machine, it is a good alternative.

The positioning of your feet should be at a width greater than those of your shoulders. Also remember to point your toes outward to stay stable during flexion and extension.

Front lunges

This exercise is ideal for strengthening your quadriceps , your hamstrings and your gluteal muscles .

To perform this move, start by standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight then put both hands on your waist.

Take a big step forward so that you have a 90° angle at the level of the knee positioned forward. Your back leg should be parallel to the ground, with good support on the tip of your foot.

Then push on your front leg to return to the initial position. Do a few repetitions and then alternate the position of your legs.

Raised rear foot lunges

The elevated back foot lunge or Bulgarian squat engages both your gluteal muscles as well as your quadriceps .

You can perform this exercise in the gym with a bench or at home using a chair or low wall.

Position the top of your foot on a bench or other support. The other foot should be placed stably with a 90° angle at the knee.

Look straight ahead and bend your leg to the floor. Then return to the initial position by resting on your foot on the ground. Do a few repetitions and then reverse the position of your feet.

The deadlift

It is a complete exercise to strengthen your quadriceps , your calves , your adductors as well as your gluteal muscles .

Stand in front of a barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, keeping your back straight, grab the barbell from the floor. Contract your abdominals then raise the bar to the height of your knees. Then raise your bust. Then return to the initial position.