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Best CrossFit Leg Exercises

These Are the 24 Best CrossFit Leg Exercises If You Want Strong, Lean Legs

If you've ever seen a CrossFit athlete, you'll notice that they have super strong, muscular legs. Sure they do tons of heavy barbell squats, but that's not the only exercise that targets their legs. Here are the leg-strengthening exercises our CrossFit coach has us do. I've definitely noticed a difference in not only how sculpted my legs look, but also how much power I have when running and skiing. If you're not into CrossFit, that's OK! You can still benefit from working your legs with these dynamic moves.

Image Source: Getty / mihailomilovanovic

Goblet Squat

  • Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width, with your toes pointed slightly out. Hold your dumbbell at chest level with both hands. Keeping your back flat, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your elbows touch your knees.
  • With your weight focussed on your heels, push yourself up to the starting position to complete one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Dumbbell Thruster

  • Stand with your legs just slightly wider than hip-distance apart, arms raised to shoulder height with elbows bent, holding weights by your ears.
  • Bend your knees as if you were sitting in a chair, keeping weight on your heels.
  • Press the dumbbells overhead as you straighten your knees to return to standing.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Single Arm Overhead Squat

  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-distance apart.
  • Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in your right hand and straighten your arm overhead. If this is too difficult, or you don't have the shoulder mobility, bend the elbow and rest the weight on your shoulder.
  • With the weight overhead and the elbow locked out, keep the core engaged as you bend the knees into a squat, lowering the hips just below the knees. Extend the left arm out for balance. (The photo on the right is demonstrating the exercise on the other side).
  • Try to keep equal weight in both feet as you stand up, keeping the right arm straight.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: Getty / South_agency

Wall Ball

  • Stand in front of a wall holding your med ball with both hands in front of your chest.
  • Squat down low with your hips below your knees. As you straighten your legs, throw the ball up to a specific spot on the wall or a target, about eight to 10 feet from the floor. You want to use the power of your lower body to propel the ball up, coming onto the balls of your feet.
  • Keep your arms extended, ready to catch the ball after it bounces off the wall. This counts as one rep.
Image Source: Getty / yoh4nn

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Box Jump

  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than hips-width distance apart in front of a sturdy box that's six to 24 (or more!) inches tall.
  • Bend your knees and swing your arms back.
  • Jump onto the top of the box with both feet, swinging the arms forward to give you a little momentum.
  • Step one foot at a time back to the floor or jump down softly with both feet.
  • This counts as one rep.
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Dumbbell Box Step-Up

  • Find a sturdy bench, coffee table, wooden box, or kid's chair that allows your knee to be at about a 90-degree angle or larger when you place your foot squarely on it.
  • Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand by your side (or, for a more advanced version, in the front rack position at your shoulders).
  • Step your right foot onto the box, then your left, so both feet are on top of the box.
  • Softly step the right foot back to the ground, then the left.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: Getty / franckreporter

Kettlebell Swing

  • Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes slightly pointing out. Squat down, and pick up a kettlebell with both hands. Allow it to hang between your legs.
  • With a flat back and your core engaged, inhale to bend your knees and push your butt back. Your weight should be back on your heels so your knees are in line with your toes.
  • Keep your abs strong and arms straight. On an exhale, press into your feet, squeezing your legs and glutes as you aggressively explode up, extending through your hips and legs to stand, which drives the kettlebell overhead. If you have mobility issues in the shoulders or lower back or an injury, do a Russian kettlebell swing instead, where the bell only raises to shoulder height.
  • Inhale, and with control, come back to the starting position, allowing the kettlebell to swing back between your legs.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Front Squat

  • Start with a loaded barbell; 65 to 75 pounds is a great starting point. Beginners should start with just the barbell, gradually adding weight as they become familiar with the movement.
  • Position your hands about shoulder-width apart on the barbell and lightly grip the bar.
  • Rest the bar on your clavicle and shoulders as you lift your elbows up. Your elbows should go as high as your mobility allows.
  • With your feet about hip-distance apart, lift the barbell off the rack. Take 1 to 2 steps backwards.
  • Shift your weight back into your heels. Brace your abs as you begin to lower into a squat, keeping your head and back straight. Your knees should be as close to 90 degrees as possible.
  • With your core still braced, drive through your heels to stand back up. Be sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of your squat.
  • That's one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

Back Squat

  • Start with a loaded barbell; 75 pounds is a great starting point. Beginners should start with just the barbell and gradually add weight as they become familiar with the movement.
  • Position your hands about shoulder-width apart on the barbell, and lightly grip the bar with an overhand grip.
  • Step in front of the rack, and rest the bar on your trapezius muscles (the muscle closest to your neck/upper back).
  • With your feet about hip-distance apart, lift the barbell off the rack. Take one to two steps backwards.
  • Shift your weight back into your heels. Brace your abs as you begin to lower into a squat, keeping your head and spine in a neutral position. Your knees should be as close to 90 degrees as possible. Hold for one second.
  • With your core still braced, drive through your heels to stand back up. Be sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of your squat. That's one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

Overhead Squat

  • Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width distance apart and toes pointed slightly outward, holding a barbell (or dumbbell) on your shoulders. Your hands should be wide.
  • Raise the barbell overhead, keeping your arms straight.
  • Sit back into your squat, bending your knees to 90 degrees while keeping your elbows straight.
  • Straighten your legs to standing, keeping the weight overhead, to complete one rep.
Image Source: Getty / mihailomilovanovic

Deadlift

  • Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
  • Push your butt back as you bend your knees, grasping the barbell with your hands just outside the hips, with the shoulders slightly in front of the bar. Have both palms facing you, or if it feels more comfortable (or you're lifting very heavy), turn one palm facing out. Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
  • Stand up, raising the hips and shoulders at the same time, lifting the barbell off the floor so the bar moves over the middle of both feet.
  • Keep the heels down and make sure to fully extend the hips and knees to straighten the legs. This completes one rep.
Image Source: Getty / alvarez

Single-Leg Deadlift With Kettlebell

  • Hold a kettlebell (between 10 and 20 pounds) in your right hand, and lift your left foot slightly off the ground.
  • Keeping your back neutral, lean your entire torso forward while raising your left leg, which should stay in line with your body. The kettlebell will lower toward the ground. Keep your left shoulder blade pulled down your back.
  • With your back straight, return upright, coming to your starting position. This completes one rep. Maximise this move by keeping your right foot off the ground as you go through your reps.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Dumbbell Deadlift

  • Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides with straight arms.
  • Push your butt back as you bend your knees, squatting down just enough to tap the front end of the dumbbell to the floor. Keep your back straight, not curved or arched. Your chest should be parallel with the floor.
  • Straighten your legs to stand up.
  • This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Ball Slam

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width distant apart with the medicine ball on the floor in front of you.
  • Squat down and pick up the medicine ball, keeping your head up and trying not to round the spine.
  • Stand up, lifting the medicine ball above your head, fully extending the arms straight above you.
  • Forcefully slam the ball down on the floor as hard as you can. If the ball is light enough, catch the ball as it bounces slightly off the floor.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Jump Squat

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Start by doing a regular squat, then engage your core and jump up explosively.
  • When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

Burpee

  • Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
  • Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
  • Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to a plank.
  • Jump the feet forward to the hands, and come into a squat.
  • Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Burpee Squat Press

  • Begin standing with a 10-pound dumbbell on each side of your body. If this is too heavy and you find that your form is incorrect, use lighter weights.
  • Holding onto the dumbbells, lower down and perform a burpee. If this is too much pressure on your hands or wrists, you can set the dumbbells down in front of you for this part. If you're a beginner, you can perform a modified burpee.
  • With control, push your body off of the ground as you simultaneously pick up the dumbbells. Be sure to keep your core engaged and your spine in a neutral position when pushing yourself off the ground.
  • Standing tall with your core engaged, bend your arms and hold the dumbbells on or slightly above your shoulders and lower down into a squat. As you stand up, push both dumbbells overhead.
  • This counts as one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

Lateral Band Walk

  • Place a resistance band just below your knees.
  • Begin standing with feet directly underneath your hips, and squat about halfway down.
  • Take a step sideways to the right as far as you can. To fully activate the muscle, be sure to step onto your heel, rather than your toes.
  • Actively resist the pull of the exercise band as you bring your left leg slowly toward your right, returning to the starting position.
  • Step to the right 20-30 times, then reverse directions stepping to the left 20-30 times.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Jump Rope

While this is meant as a cardio move, jumping rope absolutely will work your legs, especially your calves.

Image Source: Getty / alvarez

Alternating Forward Lunge

  • Stand tall with your feet hips-width distance apart. Bend the elbows at your sides or rest your hands on the hips.
  • Step forward with the right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Keep the front knee directly above the ankle, and lower the left knee to just above the floor.
  • Keep the weight in your heels as you push back to the starting position.
  • Repeat stepping with the left foot this time, completing one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Studios

Walking Lunge

  • Stand upright, feet together, with 10-pound dumbbells at your side. Take a controlled step forward with your left leg, lowering your hips toward the floor by bending both knees to 90-degree angles. Your back knee should point toward but not touch the ground, and your front knee should be directly over your ankle.
  • Press your left heel into the ground, and push off with your right foot to bring your right leg forward, stepping with control into a lunge on the other side.
  • This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tamara Pridgett

Single Arm Dumbbell Overhead Lunge

  • Stand with the feet hip distance apart, holding a medium sized dumbbell in your right hand.
  • Press the dumbbell overhead, locking your elbow.
  • Step the right foot forward into a lunge position so both knees are at 90-degree angles, and your left knee just taps the floor.
  • Step the right foot back to complete the rep.
Image Source: Getty / yoh4nn

Surrender

  • Stand holding weights in both hands just above your shoulders, with bent elbows, and bring your right knee to the ground.
  • Bring your left knee down so you are kneeling.
  • Lift your right foot up and place it in front of you. Bring your left foot forward as you stand up. This completes one rep.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

Wall Sit

  • Stand with your back against a wall, placing your feet about two feet in front of you. Feet should be hip-distance apart.
  • Bending your knees, slide your back down the wall until your knees are at 90-degree angles. Your knee joints should be over your ankle joints, so you may need to inch your feet farther from the wall to create proper alignment. Don't let your knees fall into the midline of your body or sway outward.
  • Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, and then stand up.
  • Make this even more challenging by resting a soft medicine ball on your lap.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Kat Borchart

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