Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

This stretch helps loosen up the hips to get you ready for leg day at the gym. You don’t need any equipment, but it helps to have something soft to kneel on.

Kneel in a lunge position, with one leg behind you and the other firmly in front of you. Raise the arm opposite of the leg behind you and let the other arm hang. 

Keep pushing your hips forward until you can feel the stretch in front of your hips and legs. Hold this position for 30 seconds and complete four repetitions of this on each leg with no rest in between.

Standing Forward Bend

A standing forward bend helps you warm up your quads and get them ready for the rest of the workout. It also requires no equipment, and you can do it anywhere.

Start by standing with your two feet hip-width apart. Lean forward at the hips, and keep your knees slightly bent. Put your chest on your thighs and let your head hang forward towards the floor.

Keep slowly working your muscles until your legs have straightened out without locking your knees. Do this for a full 8-10 breaths.

Dumbell Step-Ups

Dumbell step-ups are a good exercise that targets the quad muscles. You can do this workout either at home or the gym with a step platform or a sturdy bench or box.

If you don’t have a good balance, we recommend that you do normal step-ups instead. You may cause yourself an injury if you use dumbells for this exercise without experience.

Start by holding one dumbbell in both hands with palms facing each other. Use one leg to step onto the platform and then pull yourself up with that leg. 

Bring both legs back down and pull yourself up with the other leg. Repeat this 8-10 times and do at least two sets for each leg. You can take a 15-30 second break in between to reassess your balance.

Barbell Squats

You can consider barbell squats as one of the best exercises for your legs. It works on many things such as your quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes, and core. You can do this at the gym or home if you’ve got the right equipment.

If it’s your first time doing barbell squats, you can use the bar and slowly add weights to adapt to it slowly. Using weights immediately as a beginner will have risks, and you can seriously injure yourself.

Start by holding the barbell across your upper back and standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. It is best to make sure that your head is in a neutral position and to make sure to keep your core tight throughout the exercise.

Slowly lower yourself down, like sitting down on a chair until your thighs are parallel to the ground. After that, use your legs to push the weight back up until you’re at the starting position.

Repeat this six times for a total of four sets while having 60-second breaks in between them as needed. Make sure to start with a lighter weight until you gradually get used to heavier weights.

Leg Press

The leg press is another one of the best exercises to work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. You can do this at the gym or home if you have the right equipment.

Move your feet lower and closer together if you want to focus on your quads. If you’re going to focus on your hamstrings, then put your feet higher and farther apart.

Keep your lower back pressed against the pad and your chest high during the whole exercise. When you’re ready, release the safety and bend your knees to lower the platform. Repeat this six times over three sets. Make sure to take a 30-60 second break if needed.

If you’re a first-timer, make sure to take it slow and steady. You don’t need to injure yourself by unnecessarily forcing the exercise.