If you’re looking for ways to bulk up your leg muscles, you can’t go wrong with exercises that focus on hypotrophy. Hypotrophy is the increase in muscle size that occurs as a result of increased workloads. These exercises will help you achieve that goal.
In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the best gym exercises to use for bulking up your legs, and we’ll also provide a few tips on how to get the most out of your workouts.
1) Leg Press:
The leg press is a great exercise for building muscle mass in the legs. It works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, all of which are key muscles for developing strength and power. To do the leg press, simply sit in a leg press machine and press the weight up with your legs.
Take care not to over-extend your legs at the top i.e. you should stop the movement with your knees still slightly bent. Lower back down by bending your legs and repeat. Focus on engaging your glute muscles by pressing into the machine with your heels.
2) Squat:
The squat is another great exercise for building muscle mass in the legs. It works the same muscles as the leg press but also engages the core and back muscles. There are many variations of a squat like the sumo squat, hack squat, and split squat. To do a basic squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower your body down by bending your knees. Keep your chest up and your core engaged, then drive back up to the starting position.
Don’t go too low when you’re doing a squat despite what many people think, lowering below ninety degrees doesn’t lead to more muscle growth. Stopping at the 90-degree angle will maximize your gains and decrease your risk of injury.
3) Leg Curl:
The leg curl is an exercise that targets the hamstrings, which are the muscles on the back of the legs. This exercise is important for developing balance and preventing injury. To do a leg curl, simply lie face down on a leg curl machine and curl the weight up with your legs. Lower down slowly to activate your hamstring muscles.
4) Leg Extension:
The leg extension is an exercise that targets the quadriceps, which are the four large muscles on the front of the legs. This exercise is important for developing strength and power in the quads. To do a leg extension, simply sit in a leg extension machine and extend your legs out in front of you. Lower down slowly to increase your time under tension which has been proven to promote hypotrophy.
5) Calf Raise:
The calf raise is an exercise that targets the calves, which are the muscles on the lower legs. This exercise is important for developing strength and power in the lower body. To do a calf raise, simply stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise up onto your toes while keeping your legs straight. There is also a seated variation where you do the same in a seated position to target the lower area of the calve.
6) Lunge:
The lunge is an exercise that targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. This exercise is great for developing balance and coordination. To do a lunge, hold weights in both hands, step forward with one leg and lower your body down by bending both knees. Keep your chest up and your core engaged, then drive back up to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
How many reps/sets should you do?
There is a lot of contradicting info out there regarding the best way to build muscle and a lot of controversy about how many reps are superior and the muscle-building potential of training with light vs heavy weights. Although nowadays there is a general acceptance that the way to stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth) is by training to failure.
That means that you can do lots of reps with light weights or a few reps with heavy weights as long as it’s in a reasonable rep range you should get results.
A standard gym routine would entail 3 sets per exercise with 8 to 12 reps. It takes 2 to 4 days to fully recover depending on the exercise and the intensity that you worked at. To build the maximum amount of leg muscle you should aim to do as many leg exercises each week as possible while making sure you’re fully recovered before your next workout.
For the best results, try to go two days where you focus mainly on leg exercises. You can complement these days by still doing some leg exercises on your other workout days.
Conclusion
The exercises listed above are all great for helping to build muscle mass in the legs. It is important to remember that to achieve the best results, you should aim to do as many leg exercises as possible while making sure you’re fully recovered before your next workout.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What's the best way to build muscle?
There is no definitive answer to this question. The best way to build muscle mass may vary depending on your individual genetics, body composition, and experience level. However, a good rule of thumb is to train with a variety of exercises, use a variety of weight loads, and aim for progressive overload by gradually increasing the weight you lift over time.
2. How many reps should I do?
Again, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. A standard gym routine would entail 3 sets per exercise with 8 to 12 reps. However, it is important to remember that you should aim to do as many leg exercises each week as possible while making sure you’re fully recovered before
