No equipment on leg day? No problem. Whether you can’t make it to the gym or want squeeze in a lower-body workout at home, this bodyweight leg workout makes it easy to incorporate movement into your day — no exercise equipment necessary.
Let’s talk about:
- The best lower-body exercises for at-home workouts
- How to warm up and cool down during a lower-body strength workout
- How to build a leg workout routine
- 7 exercises to strengthen and tone your lower-body muscles: glutes, calves, quads, and hamstrings
Tips for your best lower-body workout at home
Before you get started, consider these tips to maximize your results, avoid injury, and improve your overall health:
- Stay hydrated before, during, and after your workout to protect your joints and organs and improve your digestive health.
- Wear appropriate gear, including clothing with sweat-wicking fabric and tennis shoes.
- Make sure you have lots of space around you and use an exercise mat to improve your grip and minimize impact.
How to build your own lower-body workout at home
There are several ways to structure your own leg workout routine at home — the option that works best for you will depend on your fitness level, your exercise goals, the amount of time you have, and your personal preferences. Try one of these options to get started.
- Work and rest intervals: Divide your leg exercises into periods of work and rest. For example: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off — for more of a challenge, try 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off. If you’re doing single-sided leg exercises, switch legs halfway through each interval of work. Working in intervals keeps you focused and can improve your cardiovascular health.
- Sets and reps: Dividing your leg workouts at home into sets and reps means you can go at your own pace and rest as needed. It also allows you to take your time through each rep to focus on your form. To build strength on leg day, aim for 3–5 sets of 8–12 reps per exercise.
Warm up for your bodyweight leg workout
Your warm-up is just as important as any other exercise in your bodyweight leg workout. A proper warm-up improves your mobility, increases blood flow and energy, and reduces your risk of injury. Try this short warm-up to wake up your lower-body muscles before your leg workout routine.
Overhead Squat
How to:
- Stand upright with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing straight ahead, and your arms raised straight up above your head.
- Lower your body toward the floor, bending at the hips and knees, keeping your arms overhead. Keep your torso upright and your heels flat on the floor.
- Push through your feet to return to the start position, keeping your back neutral and your arms overhead throughout.
- Perform 10–15 reps.
Single-Leg Reach
How to:
- Stand upright with one foot off the floor, knee bent at 90 degrees and your arms by your sides.
- Bend forward at the waist, lowering your torso down and reaching toward the floor, keeping your standing leg straight.
- Push off the standing foot to return to the upright position.
- Perform 8–10 reps each side.
Lateral Step to High Knee
How to:
- Start with your feet in a wide stance.
- Step out to the right with one foot, and stabilize your body as you drive your left knee up.
- Continue alternating side to side, with a controlled high knee raise.
- Perform 8-10 reps each side.
After the warm-up, you’re ready to take on leg day. We’re sharing the seven best lower-body exercises for leg workouts at home. Put them all together into a complete lower-body strength workout or incorporate a few into your leg workout routine.
7 Exercises to Try During Your Next Leg Workout
1. Classic Squats
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, adductors
How to:
- Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, with your hands together in front of your chest.
- Hinge at your hips and flex your knees, lowering your body toward the floor.
- Return upright and lower your arms to the starting position.
Modification: B-Stance Squat
If you’re ready for a more challenging exercise, try B-stance squats. They work all the same muscles as traditional squats with an extra emphasis on your hip stabilizers and core.
How to:
- Stand upright with one foot slightly forward in front of you. Keep your toes in the air and heel on the ground.
- Lower your body down into a squat position, keeping your back neutral and your front foot on the floor.
- Push off your back foot to return to the start position.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
2. Forward to Reverse Lunge
Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, core
How to:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Take a step forward, dropping your back knee to the floor and leaning your torso slightly forward with your weight on your front leg.
- Push off your front foot and step backward with your other leg, dropping your knee toward the floor with your weight on your front leg.
- Push off your front foot to return to the start position.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
Modification: Alternating Jump Lunge
For a killer quad workout at home, progress to an alternating jump lunge.
How to:
- Start in a lunge position, knees bent at 90 degrees with your left leg forward and right leg behind you.
- Jump straight up from the split lunge position, switching your legs midair.
- Land softly with your right knee forward and left knee behind you.
- Repeat.
3. Single-Leg Squat Reach
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves
How to:
- Stand on one foot with the same arm raised straight up overhead.
- Bend at your hips and reach the overhead arm toward the floor. Raise one leg behind you and your other arm out to the side.
- Reach your hand to the inside of your standing foot.
- Slowly return to the upright position and repeat.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
4. Step-Ups
Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes
How to:
- Stand upright in front of a step with your arms at your sides and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Place one foot up onto the step, bending your knee.
- Step up by pushing down on your front foot, keeping your knee in line with the first and second toes.
- Step back down to the start position and repeat.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other.
Note: You can perform Step-Ups in your home with plyometric boxes, on the bottom step of a staircase, or using another sturdy object.
Modification: Step-Up to Knee Drive
Increase your explosive power and balance by adding a knee drive to your step-ups.
How to:
- Stand upright with one foot on the box and your arms at your sides.
- Explosively drive your body upward with the leg that is on the box.
- Extend the leg that’s on the box and drive the opposite knee up.
- Bend your hip and knee and return to the starting position.
5. Split Jumps
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves
How to:
- Stand upright in a split stance with your arms at your sides.
- Lower your body toward the floor, bending at the hips and knees and leaning your torso slightly forward with your weight on your front leg.
- Push off your front foot and jump up off the floor.
- Land in a split squat and repeat quickly.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching to the other side.
6. Skaters
Muscles worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves
How to:
- Stand with one leg stretched out behind and across the other leg, reaching your arms to the same side.
- Push off your front leg, jumping laterally to land on the other side of your mat.
- Switch your legs and immediately jump back in the opposite direction, using your arms for momentum.
7. Wall Sit
Muscles worked: Quads
How to:
- Stand with your back flat against the wall.
- Lower your body until your knees are at 90 degrees and hold.
- Hold for 30–60 seconds, or as long as you are able.
Bonus: 3 leg exercises to tone thighs
Want more exercises for toned legs? Try one of these lower-body workouts that you can do with or without equipment:
Cool down after your lower-body strength workout
Just like your warm-up, cooling down is essential to any workout routine. A few minutes of mindful movement and stretching after your workout will kickstart muscle recovery and prevent soreness.
Related: The Best Cooldown Routine
A final word on leg workouts at home
No matter where you work out — at the gym, at home, outside — remember to listen to your body and make adjustments as needed. Experiment to find which leg exercises work for you and what challenges you the most, and embrace the workout journey. A consistent exercise routine not only improves your physical health, but mental well-being as well.
More at-home workouts
Keep the burn going with these no-equipment workouts that you can do anywhere:
Get advice for effective leg workouts at home — and so much more — with the personalized guidance of an Anytime Fitness Coach. Get started with a free session with a Coach.
