Getting an excellent workout to build muscle can sometimes be challenging and overwhelming. There are so many different exercise plans it is hard to figure out which one to focus on.
One part of the body that sometimes be glossed over is a person's legs. Building good leg muscles should be a priority for those looking to bulk up, and there are some fantastic movements someone can use to help them build muscle and never skip leg day again.
Barbell Back & Front Squat
The first is the barbell back and front squat. Back squats are essential because they are one of the most challenging leg movements one can do. These work the entire lower-body musculature and have been shown to release a particular muscle-building hormone.
It is also great as a ham and glute exercise. The same goes for the front squat. The squat changes drastically when someone shifts the barbell to the front of their body.
The front squat focuses more on a person's quads over their glutes and hams. It also helps a person keep up a more vertical torso position which helps boost the depth of the squat and could reduce the risk of injury to the lower back.
Split & Hack Squat
If a split squat is done correctly is great for building leg muscles. They may not look it, but they can be tough to do partially because a person needs to be able to balance, but also because only one side is being worked out at a time.
A hack squat is a machine-based workout and great for leg muscles, although it does not do as great of a job as lifting free weights. The benefit of putting the hack squat as part of the leg workout is that it helps manipulate foot placement.
Deadlift
One of the more well-known leg exercises would have to be the deadlift. Deadlifts are not only for legs but are also considered part of a full-body workout because they not only strengthen the hamstrings and glutes but they strengthen the quads as well.
Leg Curl
The leg curl is another machine-based exercise that is considered a single-joint machine. It focuses on the hamstrings. Many may forget how important strengthening their hamstrings is. In order to have proper balance, a person needs strong hamstrings. They are just as essential as arm curls.
Lunge
Performing a proper lunge involves a lot of hip and knee extensions which is great for the thighs and glutes. To add a little bit of spice to this movement, one can add dumbbells or a barbell for a higher rep.
People can use four different variations of the lunge during a workout: a walking lunge, forward lunge, reverse lunge, and curtsy lunge. Each has its own benefit to building muscle on one's legs.
Leg Press
This is another machine-based exercise and another that is popular. Some may compare a leg press and squats to see which one is better, but both have a benefit to a leg workout.
Squats are for those who want to go hard for their workout, and leg press is for later in the workout. Similar to the hack squat, the leg press focuses on the position of one's foot to target the outer and inner quads, glutes, or hamstrings.
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Leg workouts can come in a variety of levels. Those who are beginners will want to work out the fundamentals such as squats, leg presses, and leg curls.
Those who want a heavier leg workout will focus on workouts that will build the most muscle. They will focus on barbell back and front squats, leg presses, lunges, deadlifts, and leg curls.
No matter if one is a beginner or a veteran, the important thing is not to skip leg day.
