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Leg exercises should always be the way to go when focusing on leg days. As a beginner, it’s important to focus on all muscle groups, and legs are an important part of the overall workout.
Leg exercises have certain basic movements that must be focused on before moving to advanced variations. These exercises can help you understand which muscles to focus on while doing specific exercises and to ensure that your form is correct.
Beginner Leg Exercises for Sculpted Legs
Here are six beginner leg exercises that can help you understand how each muscle group engages when they're being worked on.
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1) Squat
Once you train your legs, you'll always have squats as a part of your workout routine unless you have injuries that prevent you from doing the same.
To do squats, make sure you have a straight back, and don’t push your posterior outwards. Moreover, your knees shouldn’t cross your toes during the entire exercise. It’s best to begin with bodyweight squats before moving to dumbbells or barbell squats.
2) Seated Leg Extension
Leg extensions work on your quadriceps. Usually, most fitness establishments have a seated leg extension machine. However, before using the machine, you need to know to pick a weight that both legs can work with, and your hips should be driven into the seat and backrest.
Your posterior and hips should not leave the seat at any point. If you feel that's happening, it’s an indication that you should reduce the weight.
3) Seated Leg Curl
Curls are another great leg exercise, which focus on your hamstrings.
When you do leg curls, you’ll have a support on your thighs so that your upper legs have the stability to do the leg curl.
It’s important to ensure your hamstrings are engaged instead of your quads or lower back. You should also use a weight that allows you to do at least ten reps, especially if you're a beginner.
4) Dumbbell Lunge
Lunges are a great exercise for the quadriceps and are great for leg isolation. Unilateral exercises help in fixing any muscle imbalances throughout the body, and lunges can help with quadriceps.
You can do forward lunges or backward lunges, but initially, as a beginner, you should do standing lunges. As you advance and become stronger, you can move to walking lunges.
5) Sumo Squat
Sumo squats focus on your hamstrings, but for that, you'll have to keep your legs wide apart.
When you have your legs wide apart for sumo squats, you can slightly turn your toes outwards so that your hamstrings are engaged. During this exercise, you must keep your back straight. Once your strength improves, you can begin using dumbbells.
6) Leg Press
One of the machines you can use to work on your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves is the leg press machine. It's undoutedly one of the best beginner leg exercises.
You have to place your feet in different positions to work on your quads, hamstrings and calves. If you keep your feet upwards, you’ll work on your hamstrings and glutes. If you keep them lower, your quadriceps will be worked, while if you keep only your toes on the platform with your legs extended, you’ll work on your calves.
