Experienced bodybuilders know there’s only one ironclad rule to follow: “Thou shalt not skip leg day.” (“Thou shalt put your weights away” is a close second.)
But in the ranks of competitive bodybuilding, pretty much everyone knows that leg workouts are essential for stimulating testosterone and developing a well-proportioned physique. If you want to really stand out on the competition stage, you’ll need to intensely polish up your leg aesthetics, and that can be difficult.
With so many leg exercises to choose from, lots of lifters arrive at the same question: What are the best leg exercises for an aesthetics-minded lifter to do ahead of competition?
To get the scoop on the ideal leg exercises before your competition, we talked to Ridge Davis, C.P.T. (NCSF), the founder of Ridgid Fitness in West Hollywood, CA. Davis, a national-qualified NPC Men’s Physique Competitor and Puma-sponsored personal trainer, knows a thing or two about honing bodies for maximum aesthetic advantage.
Here are some of Davis’s favorite pre-competition leg exercises for bodybuilders.
Why It Works: “The dumbbell step-up is great for building thicker quads,” Davis says. “Plus, the higher the step, the more activation from the hamstrings.”
How to Do It: This move is about as simple as it gets. Grab some dumbbells and step onto a stable box or step. Softly step back down—don’t jump backwards, as it puts unnecessary stress on your Achilles tendon.
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Banded Deadlifts
Why It Works: Deadlifts are arguably the mightiest of total-body exercises, but mechanical advantage can make the top of the lift feel easier for some lifters. Not so when you wrap a few bands around the barbell. “The band creates high tension at the top of the movement which facilitates greater hamstring engagement,” Davis says.
How to Do It: It’s easiest to do this deadlift variation in a power rack, where you can wrap elastic bands around the barbell (inside the plate collars) and anchor them to the rack itself. Set your feet at hip-width and grip the barbell. Keeping your back straight, your shoulders back, and your core tight, fire your glutes to pull the bar upward. Lead with your chest (don’t let the barbell pull you over) and lock out the lift, then slowly return the barbell to the floor. That’s one rep.
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Per Bernal
Single-leg Swiss Ball Curl
Why It Works: “This is great for isolating and building a neuromuscular connection with the hamstring,” Davis says. “Also, the single-leg aspect adds more benefit to developing the hamstring.”
How to Do It: Lie down on the floor with a Swiss ball at your feet. Brace your shoulders against the floor and set one heel on the Swiss ball, while keeping your other foot clear of the ball. Fire your core, brace your shoulders, and curl the ball toward your hips. Pause at full contraction, and then extend your leg again. That’s one rep.
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Narrow-stance Barbell Squat
Why It Works: “This is great for building the pesky outer sweep of the quad,” Davis says. A narrow stance forces your body (especially your legs and core) to stabilize the weight.
How to Do It: Perform as you would a typical barbell back squat, but bring your feet closer than hip-width.
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Pavel Ythjall
Bulgarian Split Squat
Why It Works: Essentially a single-leg squat with some extra support, this notoriously balance-intensive move is perfect for hitting those hard-to-reach muscles in your legs—and that can make a huge difference come competition time. “Elevating your back leg forces the front leg to recruit more muscles to stabilize the hip and knee during the movement,” Davis says.
How to Do It: Grab two dumbbells and set up as you would for a lunge, except place your back foot on a bench. Descend as you would for a lunge, making sure to keep your torso upright. (Don’t bend your torso over.) Once you reach the bottom of the squat, pause slightly, then fire your leg to return to the top of the move. That’s one rep.
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Narrow-stance Leg Press
Why It Works: Bodybuilders know the value of a leg press. “This is like a narrow-stance squat, except you’re exerting force horizontally, which recruits different muscle fibers in the legs,” Davis says.
How to Do It: Set up in a leg press machine with your feet slightly closer together than hip-width. Press the platform away from your hips, but don’t lock out your legs—maintain a slight knee bend at the top of the lift. Slowly lower the platform back to your hips. That’s one rep.
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Machine Isometric Extended-leg Hold (Toes Pointed In)
Why It Works: Experienced bodybuilders love to hate isometric holds, and understandably so. Holds get results, but they’re brutal. “Holding the legs in extensions with added weight is great for waking up the quads through time under tension,” Davis says. “There’s no possible way to cheat a pure isometric hold.”
How to Do It: Set up in a leg extension machine, making sure to “point your toes in to target the outer quads,” Davis says. Fire your quads, extend your legs, and hold them in this position with your toes pointed in for as long as you can.
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Per Bernal
Machine Isometric Extended-leg Hold (Toes Pointed Out)
Why It Works: While similar to the preceding isometric leg extension, pointing your toes out targets the inner sweep of the quad, rather than the outer section, Davis says. You can deploy both variations in different workouts or use them in the same workout for a brutal quad-burning combo.
How to Do It: Do this as you did the previous isometric leg extension, but with your toes pointed out. Pro tip: When you can’t hold the weight any longer, don’t just let go of the weight and let it clang back to the machine. Instead, slowly return the weight to the start. Your muscles will be able to slowly “give way” longer than they can hold the weight.
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Banded Leg Curl with Isometric Hold
Why It Works: Few exercises isolate the hamstring like a banded leg curl, especially because the band increases tension as you gain mechanical leverage. Add in an isometric hold at full contraction to really smoke your hamstrings.
How to Do It: Loop an elastic band around your ankle and anchor the other end to a solid object in the gym. Lie face-down on the ground. Keeping your hips square on the ground (no rotating or tilting), curl your leg. (You may need to adjust your position relative to the band anchor to find the appropriate amount of resistance for you.) At full contraction, pause for several seconds, and then slowly return your leg back to full extension. That’s one rep.
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Single-leg Calf Raises with Isometric Hold
Why It Works: Calves are notoriously difficult to build. But by spiking traditional calf raises with a hold at the top, you’ll increase the time under tension for maximum hypertrophy.
How to Do It: You can use a calf-raise machine, but an even better option is to stand on the edge of a step with dumbbells in your hands, which forces your calf to handle balance and the added weight. Fire your calf to raise your body. At the top of the rep, when your calf is in full contraction, hold the position and slowly count out three seconds (no cheating). Slowly descend, feeling the stretch in your calf. That’s one rep. Add in extra time as you gain comfort with the move.
