6 Exercises to strengthen your legs at home

Training at Home: 6 exercises to strengthen your legs at home

The legs are a fundamental part of almost any sport, but there is something special about leg strength training. Since humans live in a standing position, supporting and moving around with only two legs, these are generally stronger than any other part of the body. This increases the training load required to improve leg strength compared to that required for the arms or other areas of the body, which are generally less in demand in our day-to-day lives. This circumstance is even more accentuated when we exercise at home where, in general, we cannot lift weights as heavy as those that can be mobilised in a gym, with almost unlimited machinery and weights for most amateur athletes.

For this reason, we have made a selection of exercises that can help you to work on your leg strength at home, regardless of your level and physical condition, you only need to modify the number of repetitions and sets to achieve a beneficial stimulus depending on your circumstances.

These are 6 exercises that work the main muscle groups of the legs and whose improvement will help you in almost any sport that involves movement or movement of the lower limbs, such as running, cycling, or trekking or team sports such as tennis, paddle tennis, football or basketball, among others.

Before starting these exercises, you must make sure that you do not have any injuries to your legs and especially to any of their joints, such as hips, ankles and above all knees. Avoid them or adapt them to your possibilities if you already have a chronic injury of this type.

Squat

Description

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, hold weights in your hands (e.g., dumbbells or a disc or weight braced against your weight).

In this position and facing forward, bend your legs to 90°, at the same time as the trunk over the hips. The vertical projection of the knees must not exceed the tip of the toes at the moment of 90° flexion.

Return to the starting position, standing, in a controlled movement without jumping.

Muscle groups

Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductors

Bulgarian Split Squat

Description

Standing, with a weight clutched to your chest or two dumbbells in your hands (one dumbbell in each hand). In this position, step forward with one leg while the other leg is in contact with the ground. Bend the forward leg to 90° of knee flexion while keeping the trunk upright. Prevent the vertical projection of the knee from exceeding the toe at 90° of knee flexion. Return to the starting position with a step back on the forward leg.

Muscle groups

Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings and adductors

Quadruped leg press

Description

On quadruped and with the head facing forward. Raise one leg backwards keeping the knee bent at 90° with a rubber band attached on one side and on the other to the heel of the foot of the raised leg. From 90° of flexion, bend the leg to bring or attempt to bring the heel to the glute.

Muscle groups

Hamstrings, glutes

Pistol squat

Description

Standing, gaze straight ahead and both arms raised parallel to the ground. Bend one leg while lifting the other leg forward. Flex the leg to 90° and extend it again to return to standing in the rest and starting position. Alternate bending one leg with the other.

Muscle groups

Quadriceps, adductors, hamstrings, glutes

Bench Step Up

Description

Standing in front of a bench or a platform between 30 and 40 cm high. With weight in your hands, e.g., dumbbells, stand on the bench or platform with one leg, while raising the other leg by bending your knee to 90° as you go up.

Alternate bench presses with one leg and the other. Always keep your back straight and your eyes straight ahead.

Muscle groups

Quadriceps, adductors, hamstrings, glutes