The legs make up the largest muscle group in the body and are involved in all full-body movements. Failing to train them can lead to weaker hips and core, and a lack of balance and stability. But the good news is that you can build strong legs with simple exercises and a little dedication.
The key to successful leg training benövningar is focusing on compound movements that work more than one muscle group at a time, like squats, deadlifts and lunges. These will help you to get strong and powerful legs, but don’t forget about isolation movements that target a single muscle group, like seated calf raises or standing hamstring curls.
Aim to do a few sets of each exercise for a total of 20-30 minutes in your workout, but always start with a warm-up. This will help to raise your heart rate, increase your body temperature and stretch out the muscles you’ll be working.
Whether you want to shred body fat, run faster or simply feel more confident walking up stairs with your squirming toddler in tow, having strong legs will make all the difference. Almost every type of movement you can think of involves your leg muscles: sprinting, jumping and throwing all rely on your lower body, and your knees, quads and calves need to be strong to support them.
So how do you get those amazing, strong legs? To develop your lower body, you need to work the major muscles in your legs: your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and adductor (inner thighs) muscles. The best way to train these is with a combination of compound moves, which target multiple muscle groups at once, and isolation exercises that target a single group, such as seated calf raises.
For a comprehensive leg workout, you should aim to do a couple of sets of each exercise for between 3 and 12 repetitions. The more repetitions you can do, the more effective the workout will be at building muscle.
In fact, research shows that doing high volumes of a few different exercises in a short amount of time produces better results than training the same muscle groups over and over again (5).
Keeping it simple is the key to getting stronger legs, especially for beginners. Stick to the basics, and focus on squats and lunges to start. As you progress, you can include more complex movements, but for now focus on a few basic exercises done well and watch your strength and confidence grow.
Aside from being incredibly important for everyday movement, having strong legs will also give you greater endurance for all types of physical activity and sports. Whether you’re hiking with friends, running at your local park or even dancing into the night, your legs will be stronger and more capable of carrying you through the day. That’s why it’s important to train them regularly and dedicate some time to your leg workouts.