You may have heard one of the ignorant claims that it's impossible to build powerful and aesthetically pleasing looking legs without throwing half a ton on the leg press machine or squatting 500lbs. Never mind what that type of non-stop pounding often ends up doing to the knees. Ask anyone who has power lifted or follow exclusively heavy bodybuilding leg routines for over ten years if you don't believe me. I guarantee many mention a knee surgery or two.
The great news is that legs respond exceptionally well to high rep training Bodyweight methods. Size, strength, endurance and shapeliness are all within reach doing the following bodyweight exercises alone. You will also be much more likely to stay injury free! Can't beat that can you?
- Bodyweight Squat. The foundation of your Bodyweight leg training routine. Lock your fingers behind your head and drop glutes to the floor. Explode up. Repeat. Also called prisoner squats for their popularity behind bars these will build true explosive leg power, flexibility and endurance too. Aim for a few hundred a session. A close friend uses these as his full cardio workout and twenty to thirty minutes of Bodyweight Squats a day has left him ripped to the bone! Much cooler than running on a treadmill that's for sure.
- Bodyweight Lunges. Lunge forward with one going as low as possible. The knee of your rear leg should come close to touching the floor. Step back to standing and repeat with opposite leg. A good secondary movement to the Bodyweight Squat that can strengthen your glutes and cut up your quads even further.
- Toe Raises. Stand on stairs or box with one leg. Raise up on tip of your toes engaging your calf muscle. Drop down as far as possible. Repeat. When finished switch legs and do the same amount of reps. Excellent calf builder where you should aim for as many reps as possible.
- Jumping Jacks. I'm sure you remember these as a kid don't you? Use jumping jacks as both a leg builder and cardio tool. Rather than reps, set an alarm clock for a certain time and try to beat it at each session. Don't be surprised when your body fat quickly melts away as your lower body gets more toned and stronger. Those old gym teachers in physical education class seem to have had much more actionable knowledge than they often are given credit for... further proof that in the field of strength and conditioning newer is not always better. Sometimes falling back on old near forgotten methods represents the true cutting edge in building a new and better body!
All in all see for yourself what a great leg workout you can get using a few fairly simple exercises, focused with power and intensity while never touching a weight or stepping on a machine. After you do, try your best not to laugh in the face of the next person sweating on the Stair Master or doing 150lb leg extensions. Once you are in on this secret and powerful fitness knowledge I can tell you it's definitely tempting! But don't forget we all have to start somewhere!
