Doing leg exercises at home is probably a lot easier than you realize. You don’t need a leg press machine or a stair climber or a squat bar to fire up those lower-body muscles. All you need is your bodyweight, maybe a chair, and the motivation to put some burn in your quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and inner thighs.
Bodyweight thigh workout
How it works: Perform each exercise for the number of reps indicated, then repeat the entire circuit 2-3 times. Watch the above video to see Jenkins demonstrate a step-by-step breakdown of each move.
Plié on Toe
A. Start standing on toes with feet slightly wider than hip width apart, toes pointing out, arms reaching toward the ceiling.
B. Bend knees to lower into a plié squat, lowering arms to sides.
C. Return to start.
Do 16-25 reps.
Chair Pose with Reverse Lunge
A. Start standing with feet together, big toes touching. (Beginners can stand with feet hip-width apart.) Inhale and raise arms overhead so they’re perpendicular to the floor, elbows close to ears. Slowly lower into a squat, bringing thighs as parallel to the floor as you can. This is chair pose.
B. Step right foot back into a reverse lunge. Return to chair pose.
C. Step left foot back into a reverse lunge. Return to chair pose.
Do 20-30 reps, alternating sides.
Chair Pose with Side Tap
A. Start in chair pose, as described above. Allow your arms to gently rest on top of thighs.
B. Tap right foot out to side, opening arms out to sides. Return to chair pose.
C. Tap left foot out to side, opening arms out to sides. Return to chair pose.
Do 20-25 reps on each side.
Stationary Lunge with Twist
A. Start standing with left foot forward, right foot back.
B. Lower into a lunge, raising arms to sides so they’re parallel with the floor.
C. Twist upper body to the left to bring right arm directly above left leg and left arm directly above right leg.
D. Reverse motion to return to start. Complete 20-25 reps.
E. Return to standing. Switch legs so right foot is forward, left foot is back.
F. Bend knees and lower into a lunge, raising arms to sides so they’re parallel with the floor.
G. Twist upper body to the right to bring left arm directly above right leg and right arm directly above left leg.
Do 20-25 reps.
Add Pulse and Medial Delt
A. Start standing with left foot forward, right foot back.
B. Lower into a lunge, raising arms so they’re parallel to floor with slight bend in elbows.
C. Do three knee-bend pulses.
D. Straighten knees and lower arms. Switch sides.
Do 20-25 reps on each side.
