5 Effective Exercises to Sculpt Your Legs
A good number of people, despite focusing on building muscle, fail to pay enough attention to sculpting and building the legs. And leg workouts are often done the wrong way, with an increased risk of injury. One of the most popular pieces of equipment at the gym is the leg press machine. It's effective, but its use often raises injury risks to the lower back area.
The best bet for an effective yet safe workout is to use free weights in a natural motion that fights against the pull of gravity. Here are five effective yet relatively safe ways to sculpt your legs:.
1. Squats
You might have guessed it, but this had to be number one on the list because, as we all know, squats are the king of leg workouts. No leg exercise routine is complete without some rounds of full-bodied squats. There are several variations of squats, including Bulgarian, goblet, frog, and simple bodyweight squats, among many others. My personal favorite is the barbell squat; it's the one single squat that practically forces you into the right posture and helps correct any misalignment of the spine. One thing squats are very effective at doing is getting the testosterone flowing, and you'll need that to sculpt your body into the lean, mean machine you've always wanted.
With your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, get under a barbell rack that's at a convenient shoulder height. Lift the weight off the rack, and while ensuring your head and back remain as straight as possible, squat down low, then go back up for one rep.
2. Dead Lifts
Deadlifts aren't just your regular exercise; they're a good full-body exercise, and they're also brutally effective at strengthening and sculpting the legs. My personal preference for dead lifts is the barbell dead lifts, but if you don't have barbells at home, you could equally use dumbbells. Be sure to use heavy weights that don't put too much of a strain on your lower back. But the bigger weights help you pack on the muscle and torch the fat. Be careful about using too much of your back in the lift; dead lifts should be done with emphasis on the hips. When lifting the weight up, make sure the lift is done as close to your body as possible. It should almost be as if the bar is rolling up your leg.
3. Leg Curls
Leg curls can either be done on a curl machine or without a machine on a bench and using cables. To do them without a machine, you need to lie face-down on a bench after attaching cables or resistance bands to your ankles; attach the other end to a strong anchor while your legs are stretched out. Curl your heels to your butt area while working with the resistance of the cables. You'll feel the burn in your hamstrings.
4. Calf Raises
These parts of the legs need some love, but sadly, many fitness buffs manage to neglect that area. As a result, you'll get to see many hulking guys with huge upper bodies but toothpick calves. The perfect remedy for skinny calves are calf raises—all you need are some stairs or a block to stand on. To do the calf raise, stand on the edge of the block or stairs with your heels hanging off the edge. Slowly lift your heels and stand on the balls of your feet until you feel a stretch. Hold the position for a few seconds, then release the hold and go back to the starting position.
5. Walking lunges
These can be done both with and without free weights, but it's best to start out without any weights, especially if you're a beginner. Start the exercise with legs slightly apart and take a step forward while going into a deep lunge; push off the back leg to go back to a starting position.