How to get perfect legs? Instructions for girls

Without pumped up and strong legs it is impossible to imagine an attractive athletic figure of a man.

When organizing workouts at home, it is important to include in the complex exercises that allow you to work all muscle groups of the lower extremities.

Exercises should be regular, including moderate strength loads. Working out the leg muscles with properly organized exercises usually takes 4-8 weeks.

Training at home: rules, recommendations, common mistakes

Working on the leg muscles is important for all men, regardless of their age, lifestyle and level of physical fitness.

Why is it important to have trained muscles of the lower extremities:

• the level of physical endurance increases;
• the correct position of the pelvis is created;
• provides prevention of varicose veins and thrombophlebitis;
• metabolism accelerates, fat deposits are burned faster.

During leg workouts, the muscles of the buttocks and thighs are used. You can organize at home without visiting the gym.

Important! First of all, the loads must be regular. It is optimal to devote 3-4 days a week to leg fitness, maintaining equal intervals between sessions. The recommended duration of one lesson is 40 minutes.

To choose the right leg exercises for men, performed at home, you need to know what the muscles of the lower extremities are. It includes a large number of large, medium and small muscles that have a close relationship with each other.

A men's leg workout should include fitness techniques that work the following muscle groups:

• quadriceps (front of thighs);
• the hamstring muscles located under the buttocks;
• buttock muscles;
• soleus and gastrocnemius muscles.

The muscles of the legs are of the slow type. She quickly adapts to the monotonous loads associated with running, standing and walking. To gain sculpted muscles in the legs, they need to be subjected to strength loads, which help to use all the muscles of the limbs during one workout.

If a man has excess fat deposits in the thighs, calves and buttocks, then just doing strength exercises will not get rid of excess weight. You can pump up noticeable muscles in the lower extremities only after losing weight.

Important! Proper nutrition with a limited calorie diet and the exclusion of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates will help eliminate excess fat. Cardio exercises, which you need to devote about 30 minutes daily, will help speed up your metabolism, thereby starting the fat burning process.

Basic recommendations for organizing training at home:

1. Before each session, you need a five-minute warm-up to warm up your muscles and tendons. Ignoring fitness techniques to prepare muscles for exercise significantly increases the risk of injury.
2. The complex should consist of fitness techniques for pumping all muscle groups of the lower extremities.
3. provided regular and proper training is possible in at least a month. There are no sets of fitness techniques that allow you to achieve the desired result in a few days.
4. A diet that includes protein nutrition helps to increase the effectiveness of exercise. Sufficient amounts of proteins help build muscle.
5. Alternating strength training with cardio exercises will help normalize metabolism and increase physical endurance.

Typical mistakes of men who intend to pump up the muscle tissue of the lower extremities:

• the desire to achieve results within a few weeks, focusing on grueling training;
• daily classes seven days a week;
• reduction of the knee joints when performing squats of any degree of difficulty;
• hunched back when performing lunges and squats.

Correctly organized training allows you to avoid problems with joints and tendons, as well as harmoniously pump up the muscles of the lower extremities.

How to tighten muscles at home: organizing a workout

Even the most effective workouts require regularity and proper technique. Before training, you need to do a warm-up that:

• prepares muscles for stress, makes them more elastic;
• improves blood circulation;
• prepares the joints.

You need to know that leg muscles require more repetitions. Exercises should be done slowly. The legs quickly adapt to the loads, so their effectiveness decreases. Hence, it is important to use super training techniques - performing two or more exercises of different types without a break between them. The correct load is expressed in a pleasant burning sensation in the working muscles.

General recommendations:

1. For beginners, 1-2 exercises are enough to strengthen the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
2. Leg exercises are recommended 2-3 times a month. But if the goal is to build muscle mass, then you will need 3-4 workouts per month.
3. For the thighs you need to do 8-10 repetitions, for the legs - 10-15.
4. If there is a lot of fat, you first need to lose weight and cut. This includes changes in diet: increased protein intake and decreased carbohydrates and fats, cardio exercises 2 times a week, water consumption - within 2 liters per day.
5. A good result will be when weights in the form of dumbbells and barbells are used.

The best results always come from those who correctly perform leg muscle training. Common mistakes are:

1. Rounding your back during squats. This gradually leads to deformation of the discs responsible for the flexibility and mobility of the spine.
2. Lifting your head up during squats. This is fraught with problems with the cervical vertebrae, especially during squats with weights in the form of a barbell. It is also harmful to twist your neck to the sides during squats with a heavy barbell on your shoulders.
3. Carrying out cardio training and leg exercises on the same day. Both use muscle glycogen, and muscles should be protected, not destroyed. Therefore, before leg exercises, it is better to use light cardio exercises that promote blood flow to the muscles.
4. Conducting training the day before going to dances, movies, or skiing. That is, when training on Fridays, it will be difficult to actively rest on the weekend. Your legs will hurt and this will become a hindrance.
5. Too much eversion of the foot when squatting. In this position, the load on the inner thigh muscles increases. But the joints of the knees are also loaded, and this is fraught with injury.

Attention! When doing cardio exercises, you need to monitor your heart rate. At the highest load, the maximum permissible limit for the number of heartbeats is calculated as follows: age must be subtracted from 220. If you are 30 years old, then the maximum number of heart beats is 190.

Be sure to check out:

All the ways to quickly pump up a girl’s calves at home and build up her legs for men and women Effective exercises for pumping up legs for men at home Effective exercises for legs at home for girls and women Inner thighs: the best exercises and methods

Effective loads for the calf muscles and thighs

Each fitness technique from the complex should ensure a full pumping of the leg muscles.

The table shows the best exercises for different muscle groups of the lower extremities for men:

Muscles	Exercises	Execution technique
Calves and soleus muscles	Calf raises	The legs are placed together, and the hands are on the belt. As you exhale, tense your calves and lift them onto your toes, and as you inhale, lower your feet to the floor. It is recommended to do 20 rhythmic repetitions in one approach.
	Pulling your legs towards your buttocks (you will need a dumbbell weighing up to 2 kg)	You need to lie on your stomach on the floor. A dumbbell is held between the feet. As you exhale, bend the limbs at the knee joints, pulling the feet with the load towards the buttocks. It is optimal to perform 15 repetitions in 2-3 approaches.
Muscles of the thigh and buttocks	Squats	Place your hands behind your head and straighten your posture as much as possible. The legs stand at the same width as the shoulders. The feet and knee joints must be at the same level. As you exhale, spread your knees and squat, bringing your pelvis as close to the floor as possible. The foot rests completely on the floor. As you inhale, return to the starting position. It is optimal to do at least 15 repetitions in 3 sets. You can complicate the fitness routine with dumbbells.
Scissors	Take the same position as for performing lunges. As you exhale, make a high jump, changing the position of your limbs in the air. During landing, they rely on the limb set back. The landing should be soft. This exercise is repeated 15-20 times.
Spring lunges with dumbbells	You need to stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. The knee joint of the leg extended forward is bent at a right angle. The second leg stands behind in line with the other limb. Take dumbbells in your hands and straighten your limbs “at the seams.” As you exhale, strain your thigh and squat down, lowering the knee of the leg laid back to the floor. As you inhale, you need to get into the starting position. Do 15 repetitions for each limb.
Gluteal bridge	Lie on your back and place your arms along your body. With your feet fully on the floor, place them shoulder-width apart, bending your limbs at the knee joints. As you exhale, tensing the muscles of your shoulder blades and calves, lift your buttocks and hold them at the peak point for several seconds. As you inhale, lower the sacrum to the floor. The fitness technique is repeated 15-20 times in 2-3 approaches. The advantage of this exercise is that it also puts stress on the calf muscles.

On days free from training, you can pay attention to half-hour cardio exercises, during which the muscles of the lower extremities are involved. In the morning, you can organize a run at a moderate pace. If this is not possible, then jogging is replaced by walking at a fast pace. Cycling is also the best option.

Advice from professionals and craftsmen

Yaroslav Brin, famous blogger, trainer and bodybuilder

The athlete believes that the best exercises for the muscles of the thighs and buttocks for women are lunges. They come in many variations that are suitable for both beginners and professional athletes.

Ekaterina Usmanova, fitness model, winner of 2nd place in bodybuilding in the Czech Republic in 2012

In her video training, Ekaterina also recommends lunges and squats as exercises for the hips. As for the calf muscles, the athlete does not advise women and girls to exercise more than once a week.

Olga Putrova, famous athlete, model, winner of the 2015 Champions Cup in a fitness bikini

Olga's training consists of supersets performed once a week. They include mandatory lunges with dumbbells, leg bending and spreading, and swings.

Rules for organizing training

An exercise with an emphasis on the muscles of the legs begins with a warm-up. Its duration is 5-10 minutes, and it includes light exercises such as jumping, running in place, and circular rotations with toes placed on the floor.

The main training begins by performing fitness techniques to work out the lower part of the legs - the calf and soleus muscles. It is optimal to perform 2 effective exercises for these muscles.

At the next stage, lunges and squats are performed, the number of repetitions and approaches of which depends on the general athletic training of the man.

In the middle of the class, you can pay attention to cardio training, for example, jumping rope. You can finish the training with an exercise performed in a lying position. The best option in this case would be a gluteal bridge.

The total duration of the training is 30-40 minutes.

The best exercises to pump up your legs

Want to know how you can pump up your legs? Despite the fact that the legs are involved in almost all strength exercises, you should not rely only on this passive involvement. Unlike targeted training, such a load is ineffective for the leg muscles. As with any muscle group, use a mix of compound and isolation exercises to target your legs in every way. The proposed 5 exercises for the development of quadriceps guarantee a full workout of not only the quadriceps muscles, but also the entire leg. You will see how your overall body tone will improve, and you will be pleasantly surprised by the size of your toned legs.

The best complexes: 3 options

One complex includes 3-4 exercises performed in 3 approaches. Each fitness move takes 3-4 minutes to complete. A mandatory warm-up period of at least 5 minutes is given at the beginning of the lesson. The same amount of time is allocated for 1 cardio exercise.

First complex:

• warm-up – 5 minutes;
• raising on toes while sitting on a chair with weights on the front surface of the thigh - 15 repetitions in 3 sets;
• squats with dumbbells weighing 1 kg in each hand – 10 repetitions in 3-4 sets;
• scissors with jumping – 20 repetitions in 3 sets;
• cardio – 3 minutes;
• gluteal bridge – 15 repetitions in 3 sets.

Second complex:

• warm-up – 5 minutes;
• classic calf raises in a standing position - 20 repetitions in 3 sets;
• lunges with dumbbells – 10 repetitions in 4 sets;
• squats without dumbbells - 15 repetitions in 3 sets;
• cardio – complicated “bicycle” exercise (15 repetitions in 3 sets);
• gluteal bridge – 15 repetitions in 3 sets.

Third complex (the most difficult, for advanced athletes):

• warm-up – 5 minutes;
• pulling the legs to the buttocks (dumbbell weight – 2 kg) – 15 repetitions in 3 sets;
• lunges with dumbbells – 20 times in 3 sets;
• squats with dumbbells – 15 times in 3 sets;
• scissors – 10 repetitions in 2 sets;
• Bulgarian squats, which are lunges in which the leg is pulled back and stands on a stool - 10 repetitions in 3 sets;
• jumping rope – 5 minutes;
• gluteal bridge – 15 repetitions in 2 sets.

Exercises should be comfortable, causing slight swelling in the muscles of the legs. In case of acute pain in the joints, stop training immediately.

Leg exercises with a barbell:

Squats with a barbell on your shoulders

Squats are one of the best exercises for developing bigger quads and glutes. Moreover, you can shift the load either towards the development of large quadriceps, or towards the gluteal muscles. It all depends on how you position your feet. Wide stance and deep squats increase the load on the buttocks (at the same time, the quadriceps receive less load) and the inner thighs. Narrow leg positioning and squatting to parallel (or slightly higher) give maximum load to the quadriceps (the buttocks receive less load).

Front Squats

Similar to regular squats. Its only advantage is that with a narrow stance of the legs, the load shifts more to the inner head of the quadriceps. In principle, you can alternate these two types of squats.

Deadlift on straight legs

The most effective exercise for developing large and sculpted hamstrings. Also, it perfectly loads the gluteal muscles. We can say that squats with a barbell on the shoulders + deadlifts on straight legs are an excellent combination for the full development of quadriceps, hamstrings and buttocks.

Lunges with a barbell

This exercise specifically works the gluteal muscles. Lunges with a barbell are perfect for those people who want to develop larger and firmer buttocks. I recommend doing them after the main exercises (squats and deadlifts).

Bulgarian lunges with barbell

A very difficult exercise that can create hellish conditions for your buttocks. I don’t recommend doing it at the beginning of a workout; it’s better to do it at the end (as a finisher) with light weight (or no weight) to completely kill your gluteal muscles.

Standing (or sitting) barbell calf raise

The most effective exercise for developing the legs. When you perform this exercise while standing, the outer part is loaded to a greater extent. If you do it while sitting, then more load goes to the inner part (soleus muscle). The soleus muscle seems to push out the outer part, and the lower leg looks much larger.

Entering the bench with a barbell

Stepping onto the bench loads the quadriceps, glutes and calf muscles. I don’t recommend this for beginners, because you need to maintain balance. First, learn how to walk correctly without weights, then with dumbbells, and finally you can try with a barbell.

Side lunges with barbell

Lunges with a barbell to the sides differ from regular lunges in that the load falls on the lateral quadriceps and gluteal muscles. I recommend doing it in the second half of the training program.

Unusual squats that few people use. The main load falls on the hips and buttocks. Also, the shoulder girdle works in statics, because you need to hold the barbell correctly in your hands. The front of the thigh (quadriceps) works the most.

Overhead squats

This type of squat is considered functional because it uses the whole body. The main load is received by the quadriceps, buttocks and middle deltoids. In addition, the whole body is static to hold the barbell above your head. These squats are very dangerous and are only suitable for advanced athletes.

Smith machine squats

In classic squats, the main load is taken by the quadriceps. If you bring your legs forward in Smith, then part of the load will shift to the buttocks and hamstrings.

An unusual strength exercise that shifts the load to the quadriceps. The back of the thigh, buttocks and shoulder girdle are additionally loaded.

Pelvic lift with barbell (glute bridge)

An excellent exercise for developing beautiful and strong buttocks.

Perhaps these are the most basic leg exercises with a barbell . For a person who has been working out in the gym for 1-2 years, only three exercises will be enough to fully pump up all parts of the legs: Squats with a barbell on the shoulders (quadriceps and buttocks); Deadlift on straight legs (hamstrings and glutes); Standing barbell calf raise (calf raise).

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Recommendations from coaches and athletes

Fitness experts will tell you the key nuances of organizing training to pump up the muscles of the lower extremities.

Alexey Khodonovich, fitness blogger

He recommends starting your home workout with jumping squats. This fitness move activates both the thigh and calf muscles.

Demin Vlad, fitness trainer, author of a video channel dedicated to home training

Squats with your own weight are a basic training exercise for the leg muscles, during which a lot of mistakes are made. You need to squat with a straight back. The knee joints should not extend beyond the line of the feet. Squats are always performed at a smooth pace, without jerking.

Why pump up your leg muscles?

The general plan of any gym goer should be to develop a program that will develop all muscle mass in a balanced manner. This means that each muscle group requires regular and alternating training. And for optimal results, each muscle group must work in conjunction with each other.

Whether you're working on bulking up or looking to gain strength and boost your metabolism, you should definitely do exercises that will help you tone your legs.

The legs, particularly the muscles of the upper thighs, are the largest muscle groups in the entire body. Regardless of your goals, they are the source of strength. That is why exercises to pump up leg muscles should be included in any workout. In many strength exercises you work the muscles of the shoulders, chest and arms, but keep in mind that the legs are the source of strength and energy in any load. Strong legs will allow you to:

• Lift heavier weights
• Create a foundation for the growth of other muscle groups
• form a powerful source of lean muscle mass, which will speed up metabolism

Leg Curls

Leg curls in a machine are an isolated exercise that can be done both as a warm-up before performing the “base”, and as a “finisher” after. It works great on the hamstrings without involving the glutes.

Technique:

1. Lie on your stomach. For convenience, grab the handles located near your head.
2. As you exhale, lift your legs until they contract at the top.
3. As you inhale, slowly lower them down.

Leg extensions

Leg extensions are an isolation exercise that specifically targets the quadriceps. It is good for warming up, shaping the relief, and even for gaining weight. But in the latter case, you need to be careful, since excessive loads can cause injury to the knee joints.

Technique:

1. Sit comfortably in the leg extension machine.
2. Grasp the handrails with your hands to secure the position of your torso.
3. As you exhale, straighten your legs to peak muscle contraction. At the top point, pause for 1-2 seconds.
4. As you inhale, slowly lower your legs down. At the lowest point, do not extend them completely so that the muscles do not relax.