A strong, powerful lower body is a key component of both athletic dominance and a symmetrical physique. Yet, so many guys go through the motions on autopilot or even skip leg exercises altogether, and the only explanation is that they don’t want to do the hard work.
Tom Platz and Branch Warren have some of the best sets of wheels to ever grace the bodybuilding stage, and what do they have in common? They’re two of the hardest-working bodybuilders of all time.
For a leg-training workout to be productive, it has to be an intense session—except for a few genetic anomalies, there’s no way around it if you want to build serious size. Your legs are one of the largest muscle groups in your body, and you have to work them hard. Case in point: Eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman repped out 800-pound squats in his prime.
But there’s more to building gargantuan legs than just throwing tons of weight around. Strength is great, but you also need to have endurance. Everywhere you walk, bike, or play, you use your legs, so it’s a good idea to incorporate higher-volume training into your legs routines.
In the following slides, we take a look at seven leg exercises to work your lower body to total exhaustion.
If you don’t have some variation of the squat in your program, you don’t know squat about training legs.
Squats have long been a go-to leg development exercise for bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman and Tom Platz, as well as for strength athletes.
Make sure to squat with a full range of motion and go heavy, regardless of whether it’s a single repetition or 20. Bring the intensity, and train a variety of rep ranges.
Strength Coach Mark Rippetoe best sums up the importance of squats and why they work your legs to exhaustion: “There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that provides the level of central nervous activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.”
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Ian Spanier / M+F Magazine
Glute Ham Raise
This movement is like a compound leg curl that also targets the glutes. It’s a compound movement because both knee flexion and hip extension take place.
Initially, just your body weight will be difficult. In fact, many may not be able to do their body weight. In that case, you can do them band-assisted and work up to your body weight. Once you’re more proficient in the movement, you can add resistance by placing a barbell behind your shoulders like a back squat, holding a weight, or going against resistance bands.
Originally, this machine was called the glute-ham-gastroc machine because it even hits the calves. Believe the hype—your hammies will thank you.
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Per Bernal / M+F Magazine
Walking Lunge
Walking lunges were a favorite of eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. In his prime, he did walking lunges with 405 pounds for a 50-yard lunge. And to quote Coleman’s trainer, Brian Dobson: “The walking lunge has now become standard for upper-leg separation and glute/ham tie-in.”
Lunge variations not only assist in total leg development, but also strengthen the core and increase stability in moves like heavy squats.
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Minerva Studio
Leg Curl
Sure, there’s nothing “sexy” about leg curls, but they’re a necessity to build great hamstrings.
The hamstrings are responsible for knee flexion and assist in hip extension, so for full hamstring development, you should focus on both functions. Leg curls may not seem “functional,” but they certainly overload knee flexion.
Since hamstrings are primarily made up of fast-twitch muscle fibers, aim to keep reps eight or fewer and go heavy. Occasionally, throw in some high-rep sets to switch it up.
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M+F Magazine
Sissy Squat
Back in the day, sissy squats were a mainstay in the leg routines of champion bodybuilders. But as machines made their way in, sissy squats gradually fell into the background.
The beauty of sissy squats is that you need nothing beyond your own weight. Make sure to perform these for high reps using a full range of motion—the stretch element is what makes sissy squats such an effective quad builder.
And if you really engage in some quadriceps masochism, try supersetting these bad boys with leg extensions to failure.
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Neustockimages / Getty
Romanian Deadlift
Have you ever noticed that sprinters and Olympic lifters have better hamstring development than top-rated bodybuilders? The reason is the way they train.
They train with heavy weight and explosive movements, using a lot of hinging movements that emphasize hip extension. The Romanian deadlift definitely fits the mold.
Instead of exhausting yourself with tons of reps, go heavy and perform the hip extension explosively.
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James Michelfelder
Sled Drag
There are plenty of ways to drag a sled, but we’re going to focus on backward drags. Face the sled and pull it backward with your arms straight at maximum intensity. If this looks like a relaxing back pedal, add more weight.
The sled drag will help you build size and strength in your quads and take your conditioning to a record high while your body fat drops to a record low. This movement will also test the strength of your torso and grip without placing a huge strain on your lower back.
