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Exercises

Leg exercises for bad knees: strength work you can scale to your knees

Published October 29, 2026

Good leg exercises for bad knees let you choose how far the knee bends and how much it carries: box squats and goblet squats to a box, the leg press with a shorter range, low step-ups, reverse lunges instead of forward lunges, wall sits, and leg extensions with a light load. Balance them with hip-dominant lifts where the knee barely moves: Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges and cable pull-throughs. Train legs twice a week, stop 2 to 3 reps short of failure, and increase depth or box height before you add weight.

  1. Box Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  2. Leg Press Quads, Glutes
  3. Step-Up Quads, Glutes
  4. Reverse Lunge Quads, Glutes
  5. Leg Extension Quads
  6. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  7. Wall Sit Quads

Squats with a depth you set

A squat is easier on cranky knees when something decides the bottom for you. A box, the leg press stops or a wall angle let you work in the range that feels fine today and go deeper only when it stays that way.

Quads and glutes, squat to a box

Box Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

The box sets your depth and stops the bottom from turning into a bounce. Start with a box high enough that the squat feels easy, and lower it one step at a time over weeks.

How to do it

  1. Set a box behind you at about knee height and unrack the bar onto your upper back.
  2. Push your hips back and sit down onto the box without losing tension.
  3. Pause briefly on the box with your stomach braced.
  4. Stand up by driving your feet into the floor.

Cues

  • Stay tight on the box
  • Sit back, not down
  • Drive through your heels

Common mistakes

  • Relaxing onto the box: touch it, do not collapse on it.
  • Rocking back to gain momentum: stand straight up.

Swap for: Barbell Back Squat, Front Squat

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Quads and glutes, front-loaded squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding the weight at your chest keeps your torso upright and lets you sit straight down. Squat to a bench or box behind you at first, so you can control the depth with only one dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically against your chest.
  2. Sit down between your knees, elbows inside them at the bottom.
  3. Stand up tall.

Cues

  • Elbows nudge the knees out at the bottom.
  • Chest stays up behind the weight.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the weight pull you forward.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads and glutes, machine squat

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

Your back is supported and the sled moves on a fixed track, so you can load your legs heavily without balancing. Placing your feet higher on the platform reduces how far the knees bend.

How to do it

  1. Sit in the machine with your whole back against the pad and your feet hip-width on the platform.
  2. Release the safety handles and bend your knees, bringing the platform toward you under control.
  3. Lower until your knees are bent to about 90 degrees or a little deeper, without your lower back curling off the pad.
  4. Press the platform away until your legs are nearly straight, and repeat.

Cues

  • Lower back stays on the pad
  • Whole foot pushes
  • Stop just short of locking out

Common mistakes

  • Going so deep that your hips roll up off the seat: stop where your back stays flat.
  • Snapping the knees straight at the top: keep a soft bend.

Swap for: 45-Degree Leg Press, Hack Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads, isometric hold

Wall Sit

Quads

Holding a squat position without moving often feels better on a sore knee than reps. Pick the angle that feels comfortable, from a shallow quarter squat to thighs level with the floor, and add time.

How to do it

  1. Lean your back on a wall with your feet roughly two feet out from it.
  2. Slide down until your thighs are close to parallel with the floor.
  3. Keep your knees over your ankles and press your back into the wall.
  4. Hold the position for the target time, then slide back up.

Cues

  • Thighs level
  • Press the heels
  • Back flat on the wall

Common mistakes

  • Feet too close: the knees end up past the toes.
  • Resting hands on the thighs: keep them off your legs.

Swap for: Bodyweight Squat, Cossack Squat

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Single-leg work without impact

Single-leg lifts show and train out side-to-side differences, and both of these keep the shin close to vertical. Step height and stride length are the two dials.

Quads and glutes, one leg

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Driving up through the front foot loads one leg at a time with the shin close to vertical. A 6 to 8 inch step is a good start; the bench height comes later.

How to do it

  1. Stand facing the bench with two dumbbells.
  2. Place one whole foot on the bench.
  3. Lean forward a little and push through the top foot to stand up on the bench.
  4. Bring the other foot up only to touch, then lower it back to the floor.
  5. Finish all reps on one leg before switching.

Cues

  • Whole foot on the bench
  • Push through the top heel
  • Lower slowly, do not drop

Common mistakes

  • Pushing off the floor with the back foot: that halves the work. Keep the trailing foot light.
  • Using a bench so high that your knee is far above your hip: you will rock instead of step.

Swap for: Barbell Step-Up

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Quads and glutes, backward step

Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping back lets you control the drop and keeps most of your weight on the front heel, which is easier on the knee than a forward lunge that ends with a braking step.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding a kettlebell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor.
  3. Keep most of your weight on the front foot.
  4. Push through the front foot to step back up, then alternate or finish one side.

Cues

  • Step long, drop straight down
  • Front foot does the work
  • Tall chest

Common mistakes

  • Short steps that push the front knee far over the toes: step back further.
  • Wobbling side to side: narrow the load or slow down.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge, Step-Up

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Quads and hamstrings on machines

Machines let you load one muscle with very little weight on the joint itself, and the range can be shortened with a pin or a seat setting. Use them to add volume after the squat or on days when squatting is off.

Quads, machine isolation

Leg Extension

Quads

The only exercise here that trains the quads with no hip or balance demand at all. Start light, stop the movement short of the bottom if the start of the rep bothers you, and add weight slowly.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your knees at the pivot and the pad on your lower shins.
  2. Straighten both knees until your legs are level.
  3. Lower slowly. Build up the weight over 2 lighter sets.

Cues

  • Squeeze at the top
  • Control the drop

Common mistakes

  • Letting the stack slam between reps: keep tension on.

Swap for: Single-Leg Leg Extension, Sissy Squat

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Hamstrings, machine isolation

Seated Leg Curl

Hamstrings

Strong hamstrings balance the quad work on the back of the knee. The seated version keeps your hips still and is easy to adjust for a smaller range.

How to do it

  1. Set the backrest so your knees line up with the machine's pivot, and lock the thigh pad down firmly.
  2. Rest the lower pad just above your heels with legs straight.
  3. Curl your heels down and back under the seat as far as they go.
  4. Let the pad rise slowly until your legs are straight again, and repeat.

Cues

  • Thigh pad snug
  • Pull heels under the seat
  • Two seconds on the way up

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your hips off the seat to finish the rep: tighten the thigh pad and lighten the stack.
  • Letting the stack crash between reps: control it all the way to straight legs.

Swap for: Lying Leg Curl, Romanian Deadlift, Nordic Hamstring Curl

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Hip-dominant lifts

These move at the hip with the knee held in a slight bend, so you can push the glutes and hamstrings hard on a day when your knee would not tolerate a squat.

Hamstrings and glutes, hip hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The knees hold a soft bend while the hips do the work, so you can train the back of the legs heavily without the knee joint moving much at all.

How to do it

  1. Stand hip-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand resting against the front of your thighs, palms facing you.
  2. Push your hips straight back and let your torso fold forward, knees softly bent, the dumbbells brushing your legs.
  3. Lower until the dumbbells pass your knees and you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings, with your back still flat.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top, and repeat.

Cues

  • Hips back, not down
  • Dumbbells slide down your legs
  • Flat back, chin tucked

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat so the dumbbells go lower: the depth comes from the hips, and most people stop just past the knees.
  • Rounding the lower back at the bottom: end the rep where your back stays flat, and lighten the load if that is high.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Dumbbell Good Morning, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Glutes, floor hip extension

Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Glutes

Lying on your back with the knees bent and the feet planted, the glutes lift your hips with almost no load across the front of the knee. It is easy to set up at home with one dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Lie face up, knees bent, heels about a foot from your hips.
  2. Place a dumbbell across your hips and hold the ends.
  3. Press through your heels and lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  4. Hold the squeeze for a second at the top, lower until your glutes lightly reach the floor, and repeat.

Cues

  • Heels, not toes
  • Squeeze before you lower
  • Short range, hard squeeze

Common mistakes

  • Pushing off the toes so the thighs burn instead of the glutes: lift your toes slightly if it helps you feel the heels.
  • Bouncing off the floor between reps: let the hips touch down and pause.

Swap for: Dumbbell Hip Thrust, Single-Leg Glute Bridge, Dumbbell Staggered Hip Thrust

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Glutes and hamstrings, cable hinge

Cable Pull-Through

Glutes, Hamstrings

The cable pulls you backward rather than down, so the hinge is easy to learn and light on the lower back. It adds glute and hamstring work after squats without more knee bending.

How to do it

  1. Attach a rope to a low pulley, turn your back to the stack and take the rope ends between your legs.
  2. Walk forward until the stack lifts, feet a bit wider than your hips.
  3. Hinge back, letting the rope pull your hands between your thighs, back flat and knees softly bent.
  4. Drive your hips forward to stand tall and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Cues

  • Hips back, then hips through
  • Arms just hold the rope
  • Squeeze your glutes to finish

Common mistakes

  • Squatting down instead of hinging: keep your shins near vertical and move your hips back.
  • Pulling with your arms or leaning back at the top: stand tall and stop.

Swap for: Band Pull-Through, Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

At home with dumbbells and a sturdy step

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

You train at home with a few dumbbells, your knees ache on stairs or after long walks, and you want stronger legs without a gym.

Two sessions with about 11 hard sets each are enough to build leg strength without leaving the knees sore for days. Each session pairs one knee-bending lift with hip-dominant work so the knee gets a break within the session.

Day 1: Squat and bridge
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set firstSit to a chair or box. 3 × 8–12 3 90 s
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Glute Bridge 3 × 10–15 2 1 min
Wall SitSeconds per hold. 2 × 20–45 2 1 min

Open Day 1: Squat and bridge in the session builder

Day 2: Step and hinge
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Step-Up1 warm-up set firstPer leg. Start with a low step. 3 × 8–12 3 90 s
Reverse LungePer leg. 2 × 8–10 3 90 s
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Dumbbell Glute Bridge 3 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day 2: Step and hinge in the session builder

How to run it
Two sessions a week with two or three days between them, for example Tuesday and Friday. Walk or cycle on other days if you like; it does not interfere.
How to progress
Move in this order: first add reps to the top of the range, then make the range bigger (a lower box or a higher step), and only then add weight. Keep every set at 2 to 3 reps in reserve. If a knee is still sore the next morning, go back one step.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

At the gym, building real leg strength

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets25 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Dumbbells, Leg Extension, Seated Leg Curl +2

You have trained before, your knees complain under heavy back squats, and you want to keep building leg muscle with machines and a box.

Moving most of the leg work to machines and a box squat keeps the weekly volume, about 12 to 14 hard sets per leg day, while each lift has a depth you set. Quads, hamstrings and glutes each get direct work twice a week.

Leg day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Box Squat2 warm-up sets firstBox at a height you can control. 4 × 5–8 2 2:30 min
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
Leg Extension 3 × 12–15 1 75 s
Seated Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 1 75 s

Open Leg day A in the session builder

Leg day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg Press2 warm-up sets firstFeet high on the platform. 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Reverse LungePer leg. 3 × 8–10 2 90 s
Cable Pull-Through 3 × 10–15 2 75 s
Leg Extension 2 × 15–20 1 1 min

Open Leg day B in the session builder

How to run it
Two leg days a week, at least 72 hours apart. Do the box squat or leg press first while you are fresh, and keep a 5 to 10 minute bike warm-up before each session.
How to progress
Once every set of a lift hits the top of its rep range with the planned reps still in reserve, and the knee feels the same the next morning, add the smallest weight jump the machine or dumbbells allow. Lower the box squat by one plate height once 8 reps at 2 in reserve feels smooth, and keep the weight the same that week.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Deep bending hurts, but you can still load

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Leg Press, Seated Leg Curl, Adjustable Cable +2

Bending past about halfway hurts, so squats to depth, lunges and stairs are off for now, but straight-leg and partial-range work feels fine.

The hips take much of the load here, with 7 hip-dominant sets in Session A and 4 in Session B, and the quads are trained in the range that feels fine: a short leg press, a high box, a shallow wall sit and the top half of the leg extension. That adds up to 12 hard sets per session.

Session A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–10 2 2 min
Leg PressShort range; stop where it feels fine. 3 × 10–15 3 90 s
Dumbbell Glute Bridge 3 × 12–15 2 1 min
Seated Leg Curl 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Session A in the session builder

Session B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Cable Pull-Through 4 × 10–15 2 90 s
Box Squat1 warm-up set firstHigh box. 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Wall SitSeconds per hold, shallow angle. 3 × 20–40 2 1 min
Leg ExtensionShort range from the top. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Session B in the session builder

How to run it
Two sessions a week. Before each one, test the range with an empty leg press or a bodyweight box squat and set the depth there for the day.
How to progress
Add reps first and range second. Every two weeks, try one step deeper on the box or the leg press with the same weight. Add load to the hinge and bridge as normal, since they barely bend the knee.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What leg exercises can I do with bad knees?

Box squats, the leg press with a shorter range, low step-ups, reverse lunges, wall sits and leg extensions for the front of the thigh, plus Romanian deadlifts, glute bridges and leg curls for the back. Choose a depth that feels fine and build from there.

What leg exercises should I avoid with bad knees?

Usually nothing forever, but early on skip jumping, deep squats loaded heavily, and forward lunges that end with a hard braking step. Bring deeper ranges back gradually once the scaled versions feel easy.

Is walking a good quad exercise?

Walking is good general activity, but it is too easy to build much quad strength. Wall sits, step-ups and the leg press load the quads much harder for the same time.

Should I squat with bad knees?

Most people can, to a depth that feels fine. Squat to a box set at that height, keep 2 to 3 reps in reserve, and lower the box gradually as the depth stays comfortable.

How often should I train legs with bad knees?

Twice a week, with at least two days between sessions. That gives enough practice to get stronger and enough rest for the knee to settle between sessions.

Are leg extensions bad for your knees?

No, when loaded sensibly. Start light, use a range that feels fine, and add weight slowly. They are one of the easiest ways to strengthen the quads when squats are limited.