As we all know, WE NEED TO TRAIN LEGS! Specifically as a beginner, the last thing you want to do is build a top-heavy physique imbalance and have to play catch up later on. Big Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves are some of the most impressive assets to anyone’s physique and ultimately create a stronger and more powerful look overall. Not to mention they make up half of your entire musculature. So let’s dive into the best methods to train the legs for beginners when you’re just starting out. Beginner Leg Workout
Details:
5 Exercises, 3-4 Sets Per Exercise, 8-15 Reps Per Exercise. Duration: 45min-1hour
What you Will Need:
- Access to a gym
- Barbell with Weight Plates
- Squat Rack
- Dumbbells
- Lying Hamstring Curl Machine
- Standing Calf Raise Machine
Exercise 1: Barbell Back Squat
Set 1 – 10 Reps
Set 2 – 10 Reps
Set 3 – 8 Reps
Set 4 – 8 Reps
Note: Increase weight as the amount of reps decrease.
Cues for Form: Grip the bar just outside shoulder width, step under the bar and allow the bar to sit on your upper traps. Pull your shoulder blades back and down, actively driving your elbows back to keep the upper back tight. Take a deep breath in and brace your stomach, un-rack the weight by extending the hips to lift the weight and take a step back from the rack and align your feet. Ensure your feet are slightly rotated outwards and that your knees follow this same direction. Now inhale, brace your stomach and begin the movement by breaking at the hips and knees at the same time. Continue the range of motion until your thighs are parallel with the floor, stop at this point and drive back up. When driving back up, focus on pushing through your heel, inside and outside ball of the foot equally. Think about utilizing the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings to lift the weight back up while still bracing the core, keeping the upper back tight and the spine straight. Exhale when at the top of the movement then begin the movement again. Repeat this until the required amount of reps is completed.
Exercise 2: Conventional Barbell Deadlift
Set 1 – 10 Reps
Set 2 – 10 Reps
Set 3 – 8 Reps
Set 4 – 8 Reps
Note: Increase weight as the amount of reps decreases
Cues for Form: Stand over the barbell with your feet just inside shoulder width and the barbell tracking over the middle of your feet. Bend through the hips until you can no longer to so without bending your back, then bend the knees until your hands reach the bar. Grip the bar at shoulder width, keep the spine straight, pull the bar into your shins by engaging your lats and drive through the floor using your glutes, hamstrings and to a lesser extent your quadriceps. Focus on pushing through your heel, inside and outside ball of the foot equally. Move the weight until your knees and hips reach full extension, and safely follow this motion in reverse but quite quickly as if you were dropping the weight back to the floor with caution. This is done as controlling the negative on a deadlift can increase the risk of injury. Repeat this setup and range of motion until the required amount of reps are completed. Beginner Leg Workout
Exercise 3: Dumbbell Walking Lunges
Set 1 – 15 Reps (Each Leg)
Set 2 – 15 Reps (Each Leg)
Set 3 – 12 Reps (Each Leg)
Set 4 – 12 Reps (Each Leg)
Note: Increase weight as the amount of reps decreases
Cues for Form: Grip each dumbbell in the center of the handle and stand up straight. Step forward with your weaker leg first and lunge forward. Lower your body toward the floor until your back knee touches the floor lightly, focus on controlling the weight through the negative of the movement utilizing the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. Pause for a second and push back up using your forward leg focusing on pushing through your heel, inside and outside ball of the foot equally, until you reach full leg extension. From here step your rear leg to the same position as your front leg and repeat the range of motion with the alternate leg. Repeat this until the required rep range is completed. If you want more quad activation make your step shorter, and if you want more glute/hamstring activation take a larger step.
Exercise 4: Lying Hamstring Curls
Set 1 – 15 Reps
Set 2 – 15 Reps
Set 3 – 12 Reps
Set 4 – 12 Reps
Note: Increase weight as the amount of reps decreases
Cues for Form: Lay in the machine comfortably and keep your legs straight. Hold the handles to keep yourself firmly in place and drive your hips into the machine. Begin curling the weight up with your hamstrings until you reach a peak contraction (with the hamstring this position can be different for everyone), once at this point hold the contraction for a second and control the weight back down again using the hamstrings until you feel a stretch in them. From here repeat the range of motion until the required amount of reps are completed. Beginner Leg Workout
Exercise 5: Standing Calf Raises
Set 1 – 20 Reps
Set 2 – 20 Reps
Set 3 – 15 Reps
Set 4 – 15 Reps
Note: Between sets, do a body weight calf raises as a drop set with the same amount of reps. Increase weight as the amount of reps decreases
Cues for Form: Stand in the calf raise machine with your upper back tight and hips slightly bent. From here extend the hips and stand straight with a slight bend in the knees to remove tension from the knee joint. Begin the movement by driving through the ball of your feet and contracting the calves until you reach full extension. At the top of the movement hold the contraction for 2 seconds and control the weight back down using the calves for a 2 second negative phase. At the bottom of the movement ensure to get a full stretch and hold this stretch for 2 seconds before repeating the range of motion again. Continue to repeat this until the required rep range is completed.
And now that your struggling to walk, that’s our beginner leg workout complete! Don’t forget to take your post workout protein shake to ensure MAXIMUM GAINS! The key to building those giant quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves is NUTRITION and RECOVERY! Beginner Leg Workout
