Leg Exercises for Strength

Introduction Leg Exercises to Build Strength

Leg Exercises for Strength. Keeping your legs toned has big benefits because leg exercises work for your largest muscle group. Here, leg strength improves balance and coordination, protects your joints from injury, and boosts your metabolism. Also as you age, leg exercises can become more important for keeping your ankles, knees, and hips in good shape. But although walking is a great exercise to get your heart rate up. However, it doesn’t build as much muscle tone as focused leg exercises.

Try adding leg exercises to your strength training routine twice a week. Here, your goal should be 10 to 15 repetitions per set and two to three sets per workout. Because leg muscles are large, you should notice improved muscle tone quickly. But if you have joint problems, talk to your doctor before you add a leg workout to your fitness routine.

1 Alternating Knee Raises

Leg Exercises for Strength. So, it’s smart to start any strength training workout with an exercise that doubles as cardio and a muscle builder. Hence, alternating knee lifts get the job done by toning your hamstrings, quads, and glutes while increasing your heart rate. Also improving balance. And the other benefit is that they’re simple to do. 

Leg Exercises for Strength. Muscles used, hamstrings, quads, and glutes while also increasing your heart rate and improving balance. 

How To Do It

1.  Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Use a chair for support
3. Lift your right knee to hip height.
4. Lower your knee and do the same motion with your left knee.
5. Repeat the sequence for 10 repetitions on each leg
6. Do 3 sets or whatever you can manage.

2. Standing Calf Raises

Leg Exercises for Strength. Your calves may not be as big as your other leg muscles, but they still need toning, so they can support your ankles and help you balance. Calf raises are simple but effective. 

Muscles used, Calfs

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Use a chair, counter, railing, or wall for support.
3. Push up onto the balls of your feet, like you’re standing tippy-toe,
4. Hold for three to five seconds.
5. Then slowly lower your heels back down to the floor.
6. Do 10 raises.
7. Do 3 sets or whatever you can manage.

3. Seated Leg Extensions

Leg Exercises for Strength. The leg extension targets the quadriceps, the large muscles of the front of the thigh.

Doing this exercise with any speed will use momentum rather than muscle engagement. Using momentum will detract from your results and eliminate the effect of isolation exercise since you are recruiting other muscles to help you complete the lift instead of placing the tension on the quads where it belongs.

How To Do It

1. Sit in a chair with your back straight.
2. Lift one leg straight out from your body.
3. Hold for five seconds.
4. Lower to starting position.
5. Do this 10 times
6. Repeat with the other leg.
7. Do 3 sets or whatever you can manage.

4. Assisted Squats

Leg Exercises for Strength. Squats are a compound movement that recruits most of our muscles. Therefore, this means it’s a movement that uses multiple muscle groups and joints (your hip and knee joints) to complete.

How To Do It

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Here, your toes should be pointed slightly outward – about 5 to 20 degrees outward (the wider your stance, the more you’ll want to rotate your feet outward). And look straight ahead and pick a spot on the wall in front of you. Also, look at this spot the entire time you squat, not looking down at the floor or up at the ceiling.

1. Put your arms straight out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Keep your chest up and proud, and your spine in a neutral position.
2. Your weight is on your feet – it should be on the heels and the balls of your feet as if they were pasted to the ground. 
3. Keep your entire body tight the entire time, your core flexed like you’re bracing to be punched in the gut!
4. Breathe deeply into your stomach, break at your hip and push your butt back. Keep sending your hips backwards as your knees begin to bend.
5. As you squat down, focus on keeping your knees in line with your feet.
6. Do this 10 times. Do 3 sets or whatever you can manage.

Do these exercises Monday Wednesday and Friday for 2 weeks

Video

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In Conclusion

Your legs are the supports that allow you to be mobile, exercises to build strength will aid mobility. In addition, strong legs can prevent falls through stability.

Important Note *

Remember that everyone is different, it is ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to find what your body responds to. So please do your due diligence before trying anything new, including getting Medical Advice to ensure your safety and peace of mind.

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