Stop waiting around for the squat rack. Make legs day count with these equipment-free legs exercises that’ll have your legs burning—and bulking—in no time.
For many years, it seemed guys only ever worked their quads if they were getting into bodybuilding and wanted to look great in a Speedo. That’s because most people tended to get a great workout through the motions of everyday life, whether it was working in the yard, lifting groceries, hoisting kids, or performing basic home repairs.
Now we live in a sedentary world, living in cubicles and hunched over digital devices all day. Were not only skipping the everyday chores of yesteryear—we’re also locking up our bodies by sitting all day. That makes training the quads not just an exercise in aesthetic improvement, but also a necessity to combat the damage of too much sitting and not enough movement. The squat is one of life’s basic movements, but some of us no longer have the mobility and stability to squat properly, which contributes to back problems and other issues.
That’s why this bodyweight quad workout, which goes heavy on the squats, will get you back to moving properly and make you more resistant to injury. Wearing a Speedo is optional.
Pete Williams is a NASM-certified personal trainer and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.
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Quadruped Rocking
Why: This move is a combination of two familiar yoga poses—cow and child’s pose—and provides a great stretch for the quads and hips.
How: Get down on all fours, and let the lower back sag. Push your hips back as far as you can, holding the lumbar arch. You should feel a stretch in and around the hips. Return to the starting position, and repeat.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets.
How: Step out into a lunge with your arms at your sides. Lower your hips by squatting back and down. Without letting your back knee touch the floor, drive your weight back up with the front leg.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10-15 reps on each side with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Per Bernal
Bulgarian Split Squat
Why: A variation on split squats, this move challenges you to achieve a deeper squat—and that extended range of motion can definitely translate into significant strength and mobility gains.
How: Place your back foot on a box or bench, and then lower your hips toward the floor by squatting back and down. Without letting your back knee touch the floor, drive your weight back up with the front leg. Don’t let your torso lean too far forward.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps to each side with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Squat Jump
Why: The quads are important for jumping. This move works the hips, knees, and ankles—key to the so-called “triple flexion response” that creates power in your jump.
How: Stand with feet just outside the shoulders, and hands behind your head. Squat, keeping your knees behind your toes. After holding this position for two seconds, jump up. Pull the toes to your shins in midair to prepare for landing. Land in the starting squat position, hold 3 seconds, and repeat.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Lateral Lunge
Why: Lateral movement is vitally important for sports and the motions of everyday life, but too often we ignore it in the gym. The lateral lunge hits the quads, glutes, and hamstrings from different angles than you normally get with traditional squats or lunges.
How: Step out to the right, keeping toes pointed straight ahead and feet flat. Squat down only your right leg, keeping your left leg straight. Squat as low as possible, and hold that position for two seconds. Return to the starting position, and repeat for a set of 10. Switch sides.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps (per side) with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Jay Sullivan
Lateral Bound
Why: We’re accustomed to testing the quads in forward-jumping movements, but this exercise will challenge you to build lateral power.
How: Stand on your right leg, with your left foot off the ground. Squat slightly on your right leg, and fire your quads and glutes to jump laterally to the left. Land on your left leg, maintaining balance. Hold for three seconds. Repeat with your left leg, jumping to the other side.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 reps (per side) with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Wall Sit
Why: It looks easy until you try it. Your quads soon will be burning from this test of leg strength and pure will power.
How: Stand a foot in front of a wall. Sit back against the wall, back flat, as if you were sitting in an invisible chair.
Prescription: 2 sets of 30 seconds (or as long as possible) with 30 seconds rest between sets.
How: Stand on two legs facing a short box. Load your hips, bring your arms back and down, and jump onto the box, holding a stable landing position for two seconds. Step off the box, and repeat.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest between sets.
How: Squat and jump 180° to the left side. Imagine there’s a mirror behind you and that you want to face the mirror. Now squat while facing the mirror and jump back the way you came. Squat again, and jump to the right. Repeat this process for the prescribed number of reps.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest between sets.
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Squat Hold
Why: Like wall sits, this will test your quads while also building hip stability.
How: Squat, and hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds, depending upon your ability, for prescribed number of reps. Think in terms of sitting your hips back and down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. As in the wall sit, your back must be erect and straight, not hunched.
Prescription: 2 sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest between sets.
