7 Best Leg Exercises to Build Confidence, Toned Muscles and Improve Your Body Functionality

Tone Legs Workout

Tick-tock, tick-tock!

Seconds on the watch is counting down.  How much do you think 1 minute is?

Quite short you may say.

But wait till you’re doing your squats or your lunges.

When your muscles start burning.  Then, you’ll know that a minute is such a long time.

Not to discourage you, but the best exercise to tone legs can be quite intense however, the result is worthwhile.

Flaunting your toned legs on the beach is anybody’s pride and that can be your achievement.

More than that you’ll discover your legs will carry you places farther than before.

Footballers will tell you the wonderful effect of getting stronger by using the best leg strengthening exercises.

  • Adductor muscle research, groin pain and groin injuries: according to research conducted in Norway, it was discovered that groin injuries were decreased immensely in them1.
  • Players that engaged in doing those workouts that strengthen the adductor muscles lessened their risk of having groin injuries.

If even professional athletes can seek out the best exercises to slim legs, why not give it a try?

The times have been hard for everyone.

The need for social distancing and the fear of the 2nd wave of COVID-19 can be worrisome.

Especially when it came to doing exercises, but you don’t have to worry.

You can enjoy expert guidance from your device while being at the comfort of your home while doing some of the best exercises to tone legs.

This will enable you to increase the functionality of your muscles.

Great muscles mass translates into sexier shapes, better immunity and health and a great state of mind.

best exercise to tone legs

Isn’t this a great time to learn more about the benefits of working out your muscles?

Why not read on!

1. LUNGES

This is a remarkable exercise and arguably one of the best exercise to tone legs.

  • But did you know that this exercise essentially engages the leg while sparing the back of unnecessary pressure?

Lunges are quite engaging as they utilise both legs at the same time.

To get a better result, you must engage your core muscles.

To execute your lunges properly you step forward and bend that leg at the knee to form a right angle.

Ensure your foot is planted firmly into the ground.

Kneel with the other leg behind simultaneously such that there’s 90 degrees angle at both knees.

During this exercise, don’t slouch.

Lunges exercise

Make sure to keep your back straight.

To stand up, put the weight on your foot sparing your toes but using the heel and back two-thirds of the front foot.

This will require some level of practice.

  • Do you desire a little guidance to do the right lunge?
  • Is mastering lunges one of your lower leg lifelong struggles?
  • Do you want to benefit from one of the best leg workouts?

Check out the following tips, and learn more now here!

  • Keep shoulders down with hands upright and look up ahead
  • Maintain an upright posture and back upright
  • Suck your tummy in and engage your core
  • Align your thigh parallel to the ground
  • Ensure your front knee is behind your toes
  • Don’t let your back knee touch the ground

Lunges give your lower extremities lots of strengthening but, your core and leg muscles will also benefit greatly.

You can benefit from several variations of this exercise.

This is one of the ways to adjust the workout to suit your goal.

You can either do weighted-lunges or just stick to the weight-free one.

However, if you’re battling with anterior knee pain, or ‘runner’s knee’ which is also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), it is best to avoid doing lunges.

And if that’s not the case for you and you’re simply in search of the best exercises to slim legs, this is an excellent addition.

What are your main challenges and goals?

For a limited time only request now a FREE CONSULTATION!

2. LEG PRESS

The leg press is the modern way of having strong legs.

In the past, people did everything on their heels rather than their wheels.

However, that has changed greatly thanks to several innovations.

Therefore, doing routine activities may be challenging without your legs in optimal condition.

This is why the modern age has a leg press as a potent exercise.

The leg press is one of the best leg strengthening exercises.  The regimen builds muscles by pushing your leg against a form of resistance.

This could be weighted in the gym or a resistance band in the room.

You push against the weight or resistance band.

This way you’re developing better metabolism but, also muscle mass in your:

  • Calf muscles,
  • Hamstring,
  • Quadriceps,
  • Glutes and hips muscles.

Performing leg press provides consolidated strengthening to both legs.

This is because evidence has shown that both limbs benefit from training.

Even if you don’t exercise both legs, the one that is not being exercised will also get relatively stronger.

So that simple cross-over effect is tangible.

The result of doing a leg workout leads to new muscle fibre growth and better performance.

  • Would like to know some of the pros all-time secret?
  • You may want to find out in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.
  • The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research shows that this tip I’m about to reveal causes increased voluntary contraction2.
  • Merely visualising your exercises especially during rest periods has its advantages too.
  • Also, it makes you do more repetitions.

This is a neat trick to increase your gains without any physical effort, just mental.

What are your main challenges and goals?

Would you like to increase your confidence, build more muscles, flexibility and strength and look great naked?

For a limited time only request now a FREE CONSULTATION!

3. SQUATS

  • Do you live in London and will benefit from a dedicated workout regimen?
  • Have you been told if you are not doing your squats well there is an increased risk of injuries?

Trust me you’re not alone so, I created for you this infographic visual.

best leg strengthening exercises

Copyright: Jazz Alessi Personal Training Master

It takes a while for people to do exercises well.  Maybe you don’t even realise that workouts differ from one body-type to another.

This will greatly influence the way you manage your routines and diet accordingly.

Getting a personalised trainer might be a hassle.

But it’s getting results is not as farfetched as you think.

You may benefit from having stronger legs with squats, definitely.

  • However, do you realise you’ll have an increased vertical jump like Cristiano Ronaldo?
  • Cristiano can top about 78cm off the ground3.
  • To put that into proper perspective, he can jump higher than a ping pong table.

Although lots of basketball players can do that as well.

Other things that come with squatting includes the following:

  • Builds more lean muscles
  • Reinforcing your joints
  • Losing more fats
  • Increasing your metabolism
  • Gaining better balance and control
  • Improves the activity of your immune system

So, are you looking forward to the next picnic or beach volleyball?

You may be showing off your vertical jump if you get your squats done well, you know.

Try the following steps.

  • Noggin in a neutral position – look right in front of you
  • Upright torso – ensure your chest is up and your hands parallel to your gaze
  • Strong lumbar – keep a straight back
  • The crease of hip below parallel – sit on the air downwards pushing your buttocks out
  • Knees tracking over but not beyond toes – ensure your knees stay behind your toes
  • Feet shoulder width – Both of them should be wide apart
  • Weight on heels – place your heels on the floor tightly

If the above steps have triggered your interest or stirred up questions, then get on, click now on this link and learn more now on this A to Z squat tutorial.

Other leg exercises that you may want to explore include the following:

4. SKATER SQUAT

Skater squat is one of the most researched unilateral exercises.

Interestingly, it has been found to be great for improving fitness or even for rehabilitation3.

Skater squat is particularly excellent as it is very dynamic.

It can be turned up or down and adapted to your strength.

Maintaining that the body remains in a straight axis is the main priority while squatting on one leg.

Simultaneously, stretch the other knee backwards to touch the floor slightly.

You can just picture your arm swing in front of you to help to stabilise your stance.

The entire foot of the stance leg must be fully on the ground or mat, while the other leg shouldn’t touch the ground.

The only part of the other leg touching the ground must only be the knee.

All these occur with your hips slightly going to the back your chest leaning forward4.

  • Would you like to increase your confidence, build more muscles and strength and perhaps look great naked?
  • What are your main challenges and goals?

For a limited time only request now a FREE CONSULTATION!

5. LEG CURL

This is another exercise that is good, leg exercises that target the hamstring muscles are not to be underestimated.

  • The protection it accords athletes is immeasurable.
  • If a footballer pulls a hamstring, that is the end of the game.

So, how do you do this efficient workout?

  • It is done by pulling your legs towards the back of your thigh against resistance.

There are a few variations of leg curls.

But they all serve to strengthen the muscles of the leg.

You can do them while sitting or when lying down and also while standing.

6. NORDIC LEG CURL

I’m sure you don’t want to be one looking like Johnny Bravo.

Having a strong upper body without the legs to go with is just poor practice.

But not to shame anyone, if you don’t have strong and buff thighs, you can always correct it.

And one of the best leg workouts you can ever try is the Nordic leg curl.

Exercises like this that focuses on strengthening the adductor muscle and have attracted numerous studies.

best leg workouts

The stand out quality is their effectiveness in preventing and rehabilitating groin injuries in performing athletes5.

7. COPENHAGEN ADDUCTOR BRIDGE

You might want to ask why you need strong adductors.

So that you will be protected and won’t suffer from groin injuries3.

Especially for weekend warriors and people into sports, to be the best, leg strengthening exercises is key.

This is how top athletes like Lebron James and Cristiano Ronaldo became legends.

When they say grind it out, they mean high intensity workouts.

Prepare your body for the glory.

And if all you seek is just improved immunity and fitness, this is the bitter elixir you have to partake of.

COPENHAGEN ADDUCTOR BRIDGE

If you’re wondering what the best leg workouts are then you need more studying or practice.

Regardless of the source of each exercise, they’re quite effective for everyone.

The interesting thing is that all workouts are connected and can easily be learnt and mastered.

Once the mastery is there, your goal and achievements are you in your hands literarily.

As much as COVID is real, boosting your immune system is key to combatting it.

Doing any of the good leg exercises enumerated above is one of the ways of getting that immunity high as usual.

  • Would you like to increase your confidence, build more strength and muscles and look great naked?
  • What are your main challenges and goals?

For a limited time only request now a FREE CONSULTATION!

REFERENCES

  1. Harøy, Joar, et al. “The adductor strengthening programme prevents groin problems among male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.” British journal of sports medicine3 (2019): 150-157.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-098937

  1. Lebon, Florent, Christian Collet, and Aymeric Guillot. “Benefits of motor imagery training on muscle strength.” The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research6 (2010): 1680-1687.

http://doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181d8e9

  1. Sarajärvi, Jani, Anna Volossovitch, and Carlos H. Almeida. “Analysis of headers in high-performance football: evidence from the English Premier League.” International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport2 (2020): 189-205.

https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2020.1736409

  1. Wilmot, Lachlan, and Craig Liebenson. “The Skater Squat.” Journal of bodywork and movement therapies2 (2018): 546-548.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.02.013

  1. Yousefzadeh, Abbas, et al. “The Effect of Therapeutic Exercise on Long-Standing Adductor-Related Groin Pain in Athletes: Modified Hölmich Protocol.” Rehabilitation research and practice2018 (2018).

https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/8146819

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