6 Best Leg Day Workouts for Women

Leg day workouts for women can be tough, but they are so worth it. Strong and well-sculpted legs are the foundation for building power and are also important for boosting fitness and athletic performance.

Regular practice of certain leg exercises is extremely important to strengthen your legs so that you can have a more powerful lower body.

In this article, we’ve listed a few of the best leg day workouts for women that are sure to strengthen the entire lower body, make leg muscles more flexible, and reduce fat as well.

Top leg day workouts for women to try

Here’s a full sequence of specific leg day workouts for women to include in the next workout session.

#1 Good mornings

Good mornings are among the most potent leg day workouts for women. This exercise is a compound move that targets the back, glutes, hamstrings, and abs all at once. Engaging all these important lower and upper body muscles makes good mornings a result-worthy exercise to enhance hip, back, and leg strength.

How to perform good mornings?

Place a loaded barbell on your traps and stand with your feet positioned at a shoulder-width distance.
Slowly hinge at your hips without locking your knees and move your upper body forward towards the floor. As you do this, push your hips back and maintain a stable posture throughout.
Continue to lower down until you feel a gentle stretch in your hamstrings. Engage your glutes and return to the start.
Repeat the exercise.

#2 Back squats

Back squats are a great leg-strengthening exercise. (Photo via Pexels/Li Sun)

If you want to have a quad-focused leg day, include back squats in your workout session. Back squats are one of the best exercises that not only strengthen the legs but work wonders on the entire posterior chain as well. This includes your hamstrings, glutes, and the entire back side of your body.

How to perform back squats?

Place a loaded barbell on your traps and stand tall with your feet at a shoulder-width distance. Keep your gaze on the front and chest lifted, and ensure that your toes are pointed out.
Maintain this position and slowly sit back by pushing your hips back and bending your knees.
Lower yourself into a squat until your thighs get parallel to the floor or as far as your mobility allows.
Slowly push back up to the initial position, and repeat.

#3 Romanian deadlift

Romanian deadlifts are also one of the most significant leg day workouts for women. This exercise targets and strengthens the hamstrings, glutes, and calves while also improving your overall hip mobility and strength. You can do this exercise either with a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell.

How to perform Romanian deadlifts?

Grab a barbell, a kettlebell or a dumbbell in each hand and stand straight with your feet at a shoulder-width distance. Keep your back stable and gaze straight at all times.
Now slowly hinge forward by pushing your hips in the front and lowering the weights towards the floor with a slight bend in both your knees. Lower the weights until you feel a stretch at the back of your legs.
Hold the posture, then drive your hips forward and stand back up. Repeat the exercise.

#4 Walking lunges

Lunges are a great leg exercise for women. (Photo via Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk)

Walking lunges are one of the most effective exercises that slim thighs to help you get toned and sculpted legs. This exercise is a great addition to leg day workouts for women that help enhance the range of motion, loosen tight hip muscles, and also works to stabilize your body balance.

How to perform walking lunges?

Stand straight with your feet positioned at shoulder-width and place your hands on your hips. You may also hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides to amp up the exercise.
Now take a large step forward with your left leg, keeping your upper body straight. Slowly bend your knees and lower your body into a standard lunge position.
Firmly press through your left foot and step back up to the start. Repeat with your opposite leg.

#5 Hip thrusts

If you want to build glute size and strength, then this is an exercise to opt for. Hip thrusts target the posterior chain muscles and particularly focus on the hamstrings and glutes, making them incredible leg day workouts for women. It is a compound exercise that helps build a toned and firm butt.

How to perform hip thrusts?

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and back against an exercise bench. Place a barbell, weight plate or dumbbell on your thighs and support the weight with your hands.
Ensure that your legs are at a 90-degree angle and that your shoulder blades are supported by the edge of the bench.
Maintain this position and slowly lift your hips off the floor as high as you can by pressing through your heels.
At the top movement, squeeze your glutes and return to the start. Repeat.

#6 Leg press

Leg press targets the hamstrings. (Photo via Pexels/Anna Shvets)

Leg press moves make amazing leg day workouts for women as they isolate specific muscles, including hamstrings, quads, and glutes, and help strengthen the entire lower body.

How to perform leg presses?

Set yourself up in the leg press machine with your feet on the platform in the front and your head and back supported against the pad.
Position your feet at a hip-width distance and ensure that your legs are at a 90-degree angle.
Engage your core muscles and extend your legs without locking your knees.
Return the plate to the start and repeat.

Create killer leg day workouts for women

When designing leg workout routines, especially for women, it is important to keep things as simple as you can. Do not attempt exercises with heavier weights if you are new to strength training, instead, opt for light weights and gradually level up your routine.

Choose 2-3 exercises, practice them regularly in the right form and see how your lower body strength increases.

Edited by Ankush Das