Leg Exercises
Your legs hold the biggest muscles in your body. The quadriceps on the front of the thigh straighten the knee, the hamstrings on the back bend it and help extend the hip, the glutes extend the hip, and the calves point your foot.
6 exercises, each animated in 3D. Drag to see them from any angle and watch which muscles do the work.
Barbell Back Squat
A foundational lower-body lift. With a barbell across your upper back, you sit your hips down between your heels and stand back up.
View in 3D →Kettlebell Goblet Squat
A beginner-friendly squat. Holding a kettlebell at your chest keeps your torso upright and makes it easier to sit deep between your heels.
View in 3D →Romanian Deadlift
A hip hinge for the hamstrings and glutes. With soft knees and a flat back, you push your hips back and lower a barbell down your thighs to about knee height.
View in 3D →Barbell Deadlift
The classic full-body pull. With a flat back and the bar against your shins, you stand up with a loaded barbell from the floor, driving through your legs and hips.
View in 3D →Dumbbell Lunge
A split-stance leg exercise for the quads and glutes. Holding dumbbells at your sides, you lower your back knee toward the floor and drive back up through your front foot. This is the stationary version, with your feet planted.
View in 3D →Standing Calf Raise
A simple bodyweight move for the calves. Standing tall, you rise up onto the balls of your feet as high as you can, then lower your heels slowly back to the floor.
View in 3D →How to train your legs
Squats and lunges work the quads and glutes together, hip hinges such as deadlifts target the hamstrings and glutes, and calf raises cover the lower legs. A balanced leg workout includes at least one squat pattern and one hinge.
Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes rather than caving inward, and your back flat as you bend at the hips.
The animations show general technique, not advice for your body. If you have an injury or are new to lifting, check your form with a qualified coach. See the Disclaimer.
Plan your training
- One Rep Max Calculator →
Estimate your max on a barbell lift from a set of reps, with training weights by percentage.
- Barbell Plate Calculator →
Work out which plates to load on each side for your working weight.
- Progressive Overload: The Science of Getting Stronger →
How muscles adapt, heavy versus light loads, and how fast to add weight.
- Protein Intake Calculator →
Find how much protein you need a day to recover from training and build muscle.