Top 5 Exercises to Include in Your Leg Day

Leg day is an important day to include in your weekly fitness routine.

It’s important that you add a leg day to your fitness regime so that you aren’t neglecting this area of your body.

Some people go a step further, and only do leg days, which should also be avoided. You need to give your legs time to recover, which allows you to work on other areas of your body.

For many, they don’t know what type of leg exercises they should be doing. They may show up to the gym and use the treadmill without thinking much further.

Whether you are diligently exercising your legs week-on-week and looking for new exercises or want to start incorporating leg days into your split. These workouts will be the perfect addition to your gym routine.

Leg Press

A leg press is a great compound exercise that targets the quads and glutes in one machine move, although most of the weight will be carried by your quads.

It is the perfect addition if you are looking to strengthen your legs. It can also improve your form for other leg exercises, like the squat.

If you want to hit your glutes and hams more, rest your feet higher on the platform. If you, on the other hand, are looking to target your quads, you can place your feet lower.

To hit your inner quads more, place your feet wider apart. Remember to keep a proper form, be careful with the weight you lift, and never lock your knees.

Research a step-by-step guide if you are unsure about how to perform the leg press.

Box Squat

As an alternative to the back squat or goblet squat, you can complete your squats by using a barbell or a kettlebell and a plyometric box.

This variation works your posterior chain if you extend further back than you would if you were to perform a typical squat.

In short, you perform the box squat by placing the plyometric box behind you. With each squat, you pause on the box before you stand back up.

Ensure to research the box squat step by step to ensure you do it properly and safely.

If you don’t do this, then you run the risk of potentially causing yourself some health issues during your workout, which could be painful to deal with.

Cable Pull-Through

The cable pull-through can be very effective for your glutes and might also improve your form for other leg exercises.

You will need to use a cable tower at your fitness facility and set the pulley all the way down to the bottom. Then, you will set a weight that will be right for you, and stand in front of the machine, facing it with your back.

You will lean over to grab the cable. At that point, your back will be parallel with the floor. While keeping a good form, you will pull the cable forward through your legs as you once again get into a tall standing position.

Cable Kickbacks

The cable kickback exercise will once again be performed at the cable tower. It primarily hits your glutes, but secondarily targets your hamstrings as well.

You will start by standing in front of the cable tower, facing the pulley at the bottom. Then you will attach your ankle to the cable using the appropriate strap. You can hold on to the tower.

While keeping good form, you will kick your leg back, keeping it straight. Bring it as far back as you can, so that you can feel your glute muscle. Then bring it back.

Romanian Deadlift

You are perhaps familiar with traditional deadlifting, which is weightlifting at its best and involves a very straight pick-up of the weight that is held for a short time.

This will be incorporated into most people’s fitness regimes. You may not be familiar with the difference between the Romanian deadlift and traditional deadlift.

This deadlift type involves using an overhand grip to hold the weight at the hip level. The main difference between a Romanian and a traditional deadlift is from the starting position.

It’s a great workout to add to your leg day and, indeed, your entire workout regime.

Where to Learn More

There are a number of online courses and resources that can support you on your fitness journey. However, ensure to only trust credible sources.

This ensures you are getting not only the best help possible, but it also helps ensure that you are getting value for your money.

If you feel ready to pass your fitness passion onto others and help them on their journey, you may be interested in personal trainer courses.

Study Active teaches a variety of courses that can help you pursue a personal training career or serve as a tool if you want to learn more about fitness and nutrition.

You should consider signing up for courses such as this, as they could help further your knowledge of fitness and nutrition.

This could be from a casual point of view, or it could be something that benefits your career, such as if you want to be a personal trainer.

It’s also worth speaking to some personal trainers in your local area, or indeed online. They could help you to find out what sort of exercise will work for you, and can help you improve your leg day experience.

Try some of the exercises we listed in this article for yourself, and see what you enjoy and what works for you.