The Top Five Free Weights Leg Exercises
Although the appeal of washboard abs and toned arms and biceps is obvious, it’s important to remember that your legs are the foundation of your strength and power. Because your leg muscles are the largest and most powerful muscle group in the body, developing leg strength will help you lift more weight in a variety of free weight exercises and will help you passively burn more calories than any other muscle group. Men interested in growing muscle mass will also be interested to know that developing the leg muscles will stimulate a higher level of growth hormone to be released than working out any other muscle group. Complex free weight exercises are the best way to work out your legs. Five of the most effective exercises are described below.
Barbell Back Squats
Barbell back squats are the foundation of any series strength training programs, because squats engage all of your leg muscles simultaneously and also engage about 95% of the rest of your muscles as stabilizer muscles. Learning proper form and choosing a challenging weight for barbell back squats will help you build strength and muscle mass faster than any other single exercise. This video demonstrates the barbell back squat:
Practice proper form for your squats before working out with the barbell. To begin, place your feet about shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your entire foot firmly on the ground while lowering your hips toward your heels. Go as low as you can while maintaining a slight arch in your lower back and keeping your upper back upright and your head up. If you have healthy knees, deep squats are perfectly safe, and the maximum range of motion will produce the most benefit from this exercise. If you have injured knees, you can play it safe by going no deeper than thighs parallel to the floor. One the ascent, list straight up, without twisting or turning the body in any direction. Check with a fitness expert if you are unsure of your form, and once you feel solid in your form, start adding weight.
To perform a barbell back squat:
- Place a barbell on a squat rack at about collar-bone level.
- Grip the bar with an overhand grip and your hands spaced slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Tuck your head under the bar and position your body so the bar rests across your upper back and shoulders. You should never rest the barbell on your neck or spine. Keep in mind that the lower the bar rests on your back, the easier it is to maintain an upright head and neck position.
- Position your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing outward.
- Inhale as you bend your knees and lower yourself into a full squat, keeping in mind the proper form described above.
- Exhale as you ascend, powering through your sticking pointing as steadily as possible.
Barbell Front Squats
The barbell front squat is a modified version of the barbell back squat, performed the same way except that the barbell is placed in front of your shoulders.
To perform a barbell front squat:
- Place a barbell on a squat rack at about collar-bone level.
- Grip the bar with an overhand grip, then position the bar across you collarbone either by moving your body beneath the bar or lifting the barbell toward you so your elbows are pointing up and forward, your upper arms are about parallel to the floor, your palms are facing up and your fingers are hooked below the barbell.
- Position your feet shoulder width apart with your toes pointing outward.
- Inhale as you bend your knees and lower yourself into a full squat, keeping in mind the proper form described above.
- Exhale as you ascend, powering through your sticking pointing as steadily as possible.
Barbell Lunges
Barbell lunges use the same barbell form described for the back barbell squat. To perform a barbell lunge:
- Place the barbell across your upper back and shoulders.
- Stand straight, engaging your abs, and inhale.
- Take a large step forward with your lead leg and plant your foot firmly on the floor. Allow your following leg to bend slightly at the knee.
- Maintaining an upright posture, lower your body toward the floor by allowing your lead knee to bend to 90 degrees. Make sure your lead knee is directly above your lead foot and does not go past the front of the lead toe. Lowering your following knee as much as necessary, but do not allow it to rest on the floor.
- Forcefully exhale as you push off the floor with the lead leg to get back into starting position.
- Switch lead legs and repeat.
There are a wide range of lunge styles, but two of the most common are stationary and stepping lunges. In a stationary lunge, you lunge forward and then push up back to the same starting point. In a stepping lunge, you lunge forward and then push up to the point where your lead leg was planted, so each lunge takes you forward as you alternate lead legs.
Barbell Step-Ups
Step-ups are a great exercise because they mimic motions performed in real life, engaging multiple stabilizer muscle groups as your body moves through multiple planes of motion. To perform barbell step ups:
- Place the barbell across your upper back and shoulders, as in the barbell back lift.
- Stand before a study step up box or bench. Stand straight, engaging your abs, and inhale.
- Step onto the box with your lead leg and plant your foot firmly.
- Shift your body weight onto the lead leg while keeping your torso upright.
- Exhale forcefully as you straighten your knee and drive your body up to plant your following foot firmly beside your lead foot.
- Inhale, then slowly exhale as you bend the knee of your lead leg and allow your following foot to return to the floor.
- Step off the box with your lead leg, switch lead legs, and repeat.
Sprints
Sprinting combines the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic exercise, as well as being a great functional exercise. Working on the speed of your sprints will help you develop more explosive power in your legs, as well as improved whole-body coordination.