Strength training is officially having a moment, cemented as a mainstay and one of the most popular - not to mention effective - workouts you can do. But if you're looking to save money on a gym membership, it might be worth checking out the best home leg workouts to stream from home.
Incorporating lower-body sessions into your workout rotation is key to building a strong base but also improving your agility, balance, recovery and general health. And home leg workouts, in particular, are a great way to boost your fitness if you're looking to save money or are short on time. "Short home workouts are accessible, effective, and fit into even the busiest schedules," award-winning health and wellness expert and certified personal trainer Sonia Jhas explains. "By showing up for yourself, even in small ways, you’ll feel stronger and more capable in every aspect of your life."
Bottom line: A strong base will help power up workouts and support your body in recovery too. Sure, an IRL class is hard to beat, but the beauty of the best YouTube workouts is that they can slot easily into pretty much anyone's lifestyle. Whether you're juggling work, family or just general life admin, taking even ten minutes out for yourself is great for your fitness and wellbeing. And most of the time, all you need is an exercise mat...
Ready to get going? Below, we've picked top experts' brains for the best leg movements to do from home, all brilliant for helping you to build a solid foundation. None of the below take your fancy? We've got expert-approved guides to the best bodyweight leg workouts, best lower-body dumbbell workouts, and the best leg exercises, period. Resistance band fan? We've got the best resistance band leg workouts, best resistance band leg workouts for beginners, and best advanced resistance band leg workouts, here.
These are the best home leg workouts, according to personal trainers with years of industry experience
What is a leg workout?
At it's most basic, a leg workout focuses on the major lower body muscles, like your quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. The fun here is that there is such a good variety of movements you can do to feel the benefits.
Holly Haywood, Senior Trainer for Sports and Performance at Third Space shares a few favourites: "Squats target all major leg muscles - quads, hamstrings, glutes - whereas lunges build single-leg strength, improve balance, and engage stabilizing muscles, making them excellent for injury prevention. Glute bridges strengthen the posterior chain." The latter is really good lower body move for anyone who does a lot of desk work, too.
What are the benefits of leg workouts?
It's easy to overlook the importance of lower body strength, but it can be pivotal for runners, cyclists and other types of athletes in everything from training to recovery. As Haywood says. "Strong legs are essential for daily activities, athletic performance, and injury prevention."
It's not just the super active that benefit, either - building a strong lower body is key to boosting functional fitness and injury-proofing your body day-to-day. Studies like this paper highlight that older adults with better lower body strength experienced less chronic disease. Another study notes how better lower limb strength might also improve balance in later years and stresses the importance of strength training all around for positive daily living.
And that's not all. "Leg exercises, particularly weight-bearing ones, can also increase bone density, which is crucial for preventing osteoporosis as we get older, particularly women as we go through menopause," adds Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris, founder of The FIT MAMA Way. A strong base supports joints, helping prevent pesky strains and sprains too. Bottom line: if you're on the fence, it'd only be a positive thing to add some leg workouts into the mix.
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Are home leg workouts effective?
Take a holistic approach to your home leg workouts and you will reap the benefits, share our experts. "To get the most out of home workouts for your legs, focus on compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups," says Sonia. "Think squats, lunges, and glute bridges, all exercises that engage your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves."
Not forgetting that working out, in or out of the gym, is an opportunity to be more present and really tune into your body which in itself has added benefits. "Add in proper form, intentional breathing, and full muscle activation, and you’ll notice better posture, improved stability, and legs that feel as strong as they look," continues our expert.
Now, without further ado, let's see what home leg workouts our experts recommend.
5 PT-recommended home leg workouts to try from your living room
1. A 10-minute express lower body workout with dumbbells
What? A quick and intense workout with a little weight if you want the challenge.
Why? "Dumbbells are versatile for home workouts, and this routine uses them to activate your quads, glutes, and calves with standing exercises. It’s a great way to build lower body strength while keeping the intensity high," says Sonia.
How long? 10 minutes. Got more time? If you love a lower-body workout with dumbbells, we've rounded up some of the best, here.
2. 15-minute no equipment leg, butt and thigh workout
What? "A quick and intense workout that targets your quads, glutes, and hamstrings with squats and lunges," says Sonia.
Why? Equipment-free, upbeat and uplifting, this is a great pick from the PT. "It's perfect for toning and strengthening your legs in just 15 minutes, and I love how the trainer demonstrates and explains proper form throughout."
How long? 15 sweet minutes. AKA: enough for a little reset between meetings or social events.
3. A Pilates workout targeting the glutes and thighs
What? A steady-paced lower body and glutes home workout
Why? "If you’re new to pilates, this is a perfect starting point," says Sonia. "This quick workout targets the glutes and legs with pilates movements, ideal for toning, strength, and flexibility."
How long? A speedy 15 minutes with household YouTuber Nicole.
4. 15-minute mobility class for happy, healthy hips
What? An intentional class for mobility
Why? Slower-paced and ideal to build a strong foundation from home. Holly from Third Space is a fan of the athlete @kdkinetics from Toronto. "She posts lots of lower body strength workouts and predominately with body weight too," says the PT. "Her focus is strength but with a huge look on single-leg stability."
How long? A chill 15 minutes.
5. A Pilates workout with shoulder bridges
What? A lengthier, more layered workout
Why? Gede Foster is one of this PT's favourite online instructors, and this particular video features a key movement for building strength in the legs too. "Pilates is a full-body workout, but I would say that the shoulder bridge series is most effective as it can be layered to make it more challenging and can work on lots of elements such as stability and balance," says Carolin Bragg, Pilates Master Trainer at Third Space. "It also targets the posterior chain, which is very important to keep strong as we sit down for too long."
How long? A satisfying 40 minutes.
Shop MC UK approved home leg workout kit that we love RN
This is a great quality exercise mat from lululemon, with plenty of grip and padding for your home sessions. Not to mention, it makes an aesthetically pleasing home addition for a leg workout, yoga and more.
Gritin Resistance Bands
Ideal to incorporate into your home leg workouts and other types of resistance training, resistance bands are simple to use, affordable, and seriously effective.
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Can I build leg muscle without weights?
100 per cent, as you can see from the videos, no equipment is required for most - just your body. You can add weights to squats, lunges and glute bridges but otherwise, the magic is in the movement itself. Remember to focus on form above all and to gradually increase resistance for best results. "Always listen to your body and don’t push yourself too much, especially when starting off," adds Sanchez-Morris. "Start easily and slowly increase difficulty and you’ll see your strength increase massively."
How can I make my home leg workout more intense?
For a boost without weights per se, consider resistance band leg workouts to target smaller muscles like the gluteus medius and minimus (sometimes sidelined when focusing on the maximus).
"To increase the challenge, you can increase reps and sets, slow down the tempo, add pauses, and perform unilateral exercises – doing them on one leg and then the other," adds Sanchez-Morris who lists other items you can use. "Don’t be afraid to use household items like chairs or stairs to make your workout more intense or try new exercises like Bulgarian split squats or step-ups!"
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