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Exercises

Leg exercises for men: squats, hinges, single-leg work, curls and calves

Published October 29, 2026

The best leg exercises for men are the barbell back squat, hack squat and leg press for the quads, the Romanian deadlift and seated leg curl for the hamstrings, the trap bar deadlift for overall leg and hip strength, the Bulgarian split squat for one leg at a time, and the standing calf raise for the calves. A complete leg day has one squat or press, one hinge, one leg curl and one calf exercise. Train legs twice a week, 3 to 4 sets per exercise in the 5 to 15 rep range, stopping 1 to 3 reps short of failure, and add weight when you reach the top of the range.

  1. Barbell Back Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  2. Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  3. Leg Press Quads, Glutes
  4. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes
  5. Hack Squat Quads, Glutes
  6. Seated Leg Curl Hamstrings
  7. Trap Bar Deadlift Quads, Glutes
  8. Standing Calf Raise Calves

Squats and presses for the quads

One heavy knee-bending lift is the base of every leg day. The barbell squat trains the most muscle at once; the hack squat and leg press load the quads just as hard with your back supported.

Quads, glutes and adductors, barbell squat

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

It trains more leg muscle in one lift than anything else and gives you a number to chase for years. Make it the first lift of your main leg day.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar across your upper back below the neck, hands just outside your shoulders, and unrack it.
  2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out a little.
  3. Breathe in, tighten your stomach as if bracing for a punch, and sit down between your heels.
  4. Stand back up keeping your chest and hips rising together.

Cues

  • Breathe and brace
  • Chest and hips rise together
  • Whole-foot pressure

Common mistakes

  • Hips shooting up first out of the bottom: lighten the bar and keep your chest rising with them.
  • Letting the stomach go soft between reps: re-brace at the top of each one.

Swap for: Front Squat, Box Squat

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Quads, machine squat

Hack Squat

Quads, Glutes

Your back rests against the pad, so the quads take the load and your lower back does not limit the set.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the platform with your back against the pad and shoulders under the pads, feet shoulder-width.
  2. Unlock the safeties and sink down as deep as your knees and hips allow.
  3. Push through your whole foot to stand back up, stopping just short of locking your knees.

Cues

  • Knees travel forward over toes
  • Deep and slow

Common mistakes

  • Cutting depth as the set gets hard: keep the same depth on every rep, and reduce the weight if needed.

Swap for: Leg Press, Smith Squat, Barbell Back Squat

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Quads and glutes, machine press

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

You can push the leg press close to failure without a spotter, which makes it the best second quad exercise after squats or the main one for men who cannot squat heavy.

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 and glutes, dumbbell squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

Holding one dumbbell at your chest keeps you upright and makes a deep squat easy to learn. It is the main squat for home training.

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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Hinges and curls for the hamstrings

The hamstrings bend the knee and extend the hip, so train them both ways: a hinge that stretches them under load and a curl that shortens them.

Hamstrings and glutes, barbell hinge

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

It loads the hamstrings through a long stretch with a heavy bar. Use it as the main lift of your second leg day.

How to do it

  1. Stand with a barbell at your thighs, hands just outside your legs, feet under your hips.
  2. Soften your knees and push your hips back, sliding the bar down your thighs.
  3. Stop when your hamstrings are fully stretched, usually just below the knee, with your back flat.
  4. Push your hips forward to stand up, glutes tight at the top.

Cues

  • Hips back
  • Bar stays on your legs
  • Back flat

Common mistakes

  • Bending the knees into a squat: keep them soft and still.
  • Reaching for the floor: stop where your back would round.

Swap for: Weighted Back Extension

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Hamstrings and glutes, dumbbell hinge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The same hinge with dumbbells, so it works at home and is easier to learn. Moderate weight and a slow lowering go a long way.

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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Whole legs and hips, trap bar deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlift

Quads, Glutes

The handles at your sides let you stand more upright than a straight-bar deadlift, so it loads the legs hard with less strain on the lower back.

How to do it

  1. Step inside the trap bar with the handles beside your feet.
  2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and grip the handles.
  3. Flatten your back, take the slack out, and stand up by pushing the floor away.
  4. Lower under control. Each warm-up set adds weight toward your working sets.

Cues

  • Push the floor away
  • Flat back
  • Slack out before you pull

Common mistakes

  • Yanking the bar off the floor: pull the slack out first.
  • Rounding the back as the weight climbs: hold the ramp until the setup is solid.

Swap for: Barbell Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Kettlebell Deadlift

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Hamstrings, seated curl

Seated Leg Curl

Hamstrings

Sitting puts the hamstrings on a stretch while they curl, so they work through a longer range than on the lying version. Hinges alone leave the knee-bending role of the hamstrings undertrained.

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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Single-leg exercises

Working one leg at a time stops your stronger side from carrying the weaker one, and it builds a lot of leg with light dumbbells. Good for home training and for men whose back limits heavy squats.

Quads and glutes, rear-foot-elevated split squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With your back foot on a bench, light dumbbells feel heavy fast. It builds big legs with little equipment and shows which leg is weaker.

How to do it

  1. Set the top of your back foot on a bench and place your front foot a long stride ahead.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, and keep your front foot flat.
  3. Drop your back knee straight toward the floor until the front thigh is close to level.
  4. Press through the front foot to rise, then finish all reps before switching legs.

Cues

  • Go deep for the inner thigh
  • Front foot flat
  • Rear foot is just a kickstand

Common mistakes

  • Pushing up with the back leg: let it relax and make the front leg do the work.
  • Front knee collapsing inward: keep it pointed the same way as your toes.

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

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Quads and glutes, step-back lunge

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping backward keeps the front shin more upright, which most knees tolerate better than forward lunges. A good second single-leg exercise at home.

How to do it

  1. Start tall with a dumbbell hanging from each hand and your feet under your hips.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until your back knee is just above the floor and your front thigh is near parallel.
  3. Keep your front heel flat and your chest tall.
  4. Push through your front foot to bring the back foot forward to the start, then alternate or finish all reps on one side.

Cues

  • Front shin stays vertical
  • Back knee kisses the floor
  • Drive through the front heel

Common mistakes

  • Taking a short step so the front knee shoots forward and the heel lifts: step farther back.
  • Letting the torso twist or lean to the side as you tire; keep both dumbbells hanging straight down.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Dumbbell Split Squat

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Leg extensions and calf raises

Finish with the muscles the big lifts leave short: the front of the thigh near the knee and the calves. Both respond well to sets of 10 to 20 close to failure.

Quads, knee extension

Leg Extension

Quads

It trains the front of the thigh, especially the part above the knee, without any load on your back. Use it last, for 12 to 20 reps.

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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Calves, straight-knee raise

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Calves respond to a full stretch at the bottom and a pause at the top. Straight knees train the bigger, outer calf muscle.

How to do it

  1. Set the shoulder pads so you have to bend your knees slightly to get under them, then step the balls of your feet onto the edge of the block.
  2. Stand up tall to lift the weight off the stack, legs straight but not locked.
  3. Let your heels sink below the block until your calves are fully stretched, and hold that bottom for a second.
  4. Drive up onto your big toes as high as the ankle allows, pause, then lower slowly.

Cues

  • Pause in the stretch
  • Push through the big toe
  • Knees stay still

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing out of the bottom: the Achilles tendon springs you up and the calf does less. A one-second pause removes the bounce.
  • Bending the knees to finish the rep: that turns it into a partial squat. Lighten the stack until the legs stay straight.

Swap for: Smith Machine Calf Raise, Donkey Calf Raise, Barbell Standing Calf Raise

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Calves, one leg at a time

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Calves

Standing on one leg doubles the load, so it works at home with a step and one dumbbell.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot with the other lifted just off the floor, arms by your sides; hold a dumbbell in each hand once body weight is easy.
  2. Rise onto the ball of your foot as high as you can and hold for a second.
  3. Lower your heel to the floor over two seconds.
  4. Finish all reps on one leg, then switch; sets are per leg.

Cues

  • Rise as high as you can
  • Pause at the top
  • Two seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing through the reps: pause for a beat at the top of each one.
  • Rolling onto the outside of the foot: keep your weight over the big toe.

Swap for: Dumbbell Standing Calf Raise, Kettlebell Calf Raise, Standing Calf Raise

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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

Full gym, two leg days a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Dumbbells, Leg Extension, Standing Calf Raise +2

You lift four days a week on an upper/lower split, have a squat rack and machines, and want bigger, stronger legs.

Two leg days with four exercises each give about 12 to 14 sets for the quads and 7 for the hamstrings a week, the range most men grow on. Day 1 is squat-led, Day 2 is hinge-led, so each pattern gets a fresh, heavy day.

Day 1: Squat
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Back Squat2 warm-up sets first 4 × 5–8 2 3 min
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Leg Extension 3 × 12–15 1 75 s
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Squat in the session builder

Day 2: Hinge
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Romanian Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 2 3 min
Leg Press 3 × 10–15 1 2 min
Seated Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 12–20 1 1 min

Open Day 2: Hinge in the session builder

How to run it
Do Day 1 and Day 2 at least two days apart, such as Monday and Thursday. Warm up with two light sets on the first lift.
How to progress
Add 5 to 10 lb to the squat and Romanian deadlift when every set reaches the top of the range at the target reps in reserve. On the leg press, curls, extensions and calves, add reps first, then load.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

At home with a pair of dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets16 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells and a bench or sturdy chair, and no rack or machines.

Dumbbells limit the load on two-leg squats, so the plan leans on single-leg exercises and slower reps to make light weights hard. Two short days give 13 sets for the thighs and hips and 3 for the calves a week.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 10–15 2 90 s
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Single-Leg Calf RaisePer leg. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 2 2 min
Dumbbell Reverse LungePer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s

Open Day 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Do the two days with two or three days between them. Start every split squat and lunge set with your weaker leg.
How to progress
Add reps until you reach the top of the range at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, then go up one dumbbell size. When you run out of weight, lower for 3 seconds and pause 1 second at the bottom.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Barbell squats bother your back, machines available

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets19 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentHack Squat, Seated Leg Curl, Leg Extension, Trap Bar +2

Heavy back squats leave your lower back sore, often the case once you are past 40, and you still want your legs to grow.

Machines let the quads and hamstrings work near failure while your back stays supported. Two days of 9 or 10 sets each keep the legs growing, and the trap bar keeps one heavy free-weight lift in the week.

Day 1: Quads
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hack Squat1 warm-up set first 4 × 8–12 1 2:30 min
Seated Leg Curl 3 × 10–15 1 75 s
Leg Extension 3 × 12–20 0 1 min

Open Day 1: Quads in the session builder

Day 2: Hips
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Trap Bar Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 3 3 min
Leg Press 3 × 10–15 1 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min

Open Day 2: Hips in the session builder

How to run it
Do the two days with two days between them. Start each with 5 minutes on a bike to warm the knees.
How to progress
On the hack squat and leg press, add a plate per side when every set reaches the top of the range at 1 rep in reserve. On the trap bar deadlift, stay at 2 to 3 reps in reserve and add 10 lb at a time.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can I build leg muscle at home?

Yes. Goblet squats, Bulgarian split squats, dumbbell Romanian deadlifts and single-leg calf raises build real leg muscle with a pair of dumbbells, as long as each set gets close to failure.

How many days a week should I do leg workouts?

Twice a week suits most men: enough sets to grow, and enough rest for heavy squats and hinges to feel good. Once a week works if you keep that day hard and complete.

How many leg exercises per workout?

Three to five. One squat or press, one hinge, one curl or single-leg exercise and a calf raise covers the legs; more exercises usually mean weaker sets at the end.

What is the best leg exercise for men?

The barbell back squat for most men, because it trains the most muscle with the most weight. If your back limits it, the hack squat or leg press builds the quads just as well.

Do I need to train calves?

If you want them to grow, yes. Squats and deadlifts barely train them. Two or three sets twice a week with a full stretch and a pause at the top is enough.