Bodyweight Leg Workout to Build Muscle
Carve Strong, Shapely Leg and Butt Muscles With This 3-Move Bodyweight Workout
The secret to building leg muscle isn't actually a secret: it's just progressive overload. And progressive overload is just what it sounds like: gradually upping the weight or resistance in your workouts, which ensures that your muscles keep growing and getting stronger.
That seems straightforward enough when you're working with weights, but it's also possible using just your bodyweight alone. Ashley Kelly, NASM, a certified personal trainer for Bach in New York and a 2016 track and field Olympian, told POPSUGAR that to build strong leg muscles, you'll want to start by getting your form down with regular bodyweight exercises. When those get easier, you can up the intensity by switching to single-leg moves, pulses, or plyometric or jumping exercises. You can also hit the TRX machine or strap on some resistance bands.
Check out the workout Ashley recommends, plus our suggestions for increasing the intensity as you get stronger. Remember to start with a dynamic warmup, like this one. Then, complete 12 reps of each exercise for a total of three sets, with 30-second rests between sets. Follow the workout with a cooldown like this full-body stretching routine.
Traditional Bridge Exercise
Donkey Kicks
Walking Lunges
