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Exercises

Leg exercises for strength: squat, hinge and single-leg lifts with plans

Published October 29, 2026

The best leg exercises for strength are the barbell back squat, front squat, trap bar deadlift and Romanian deadlift, supported by Bulgarian split squats, step-ups, reverse lunges, leg curls and calf raises. Train legs twice a week: one squat-led day and one hinge-led day. Do the main lift for 3 to 6 reps with 2 to 3 minutes of rest, then single-leg work for 6 to 10 reps per leg and hamstring and calf work for 8 to 12. Stop each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure and add weight whenever you reach the top of the range.

  1. Barbell Back Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  2. Trap Bar Deadlift Quads, Glutes
  3. Romanian Deadlift Hamstrings, Glutes
  4. Front Squat Quads, Glutes, Adductors
  5. Bulgarian Split Squat Quads, Glutes
  6. Leg Press Quads, Glutes
  7. Lying Leg Curl Hamstrings

Squats and leg press

Squatting is where most leg strength is built: quads, glutes and adductors working together under a heavy load. One squat variation should open at least one leg day a week.

Quads and glutes, squat

Barbell Back Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

No other leg lift lets you load the whole lower body this heavily and add weight this steadily. Make it your main squat, train it for sets of 3 to 6, and it becomes the backbone of your leg strength.

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, front-loaded squat

Front Squat

Quads, Glutes, Adductors

Holding the bar on the front of your shoulders keeps your torso upright, which puts more of the load on the quads and less on the lower back. It is a strong second squat on a hinge day, or the main squat if back squats bother your back.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at upper-chest height and step under it so it rests on the front of your shoulders, elbows high.
  2. Unrack it, take a step back, and set your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  3. Take a big breath, brace, and squat down with your elbows staying up and your torso upright.
  4. Drive up through your whole foot to standing, breathing out at the top.

Cues

  • Elbows high
  • Brace before you descend
  • Chest stays tall

Common mistakes

  • Elbows dropping as you come up: that lets the bar roll forward.
  • Breathing out at the bottom: hold the brace until you are nearly standing.

Swap for: Barbell Back Squat, Goblet Squat

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Quads and glutes, dumbbell squat

Goblet Squat

Quads, Glutes

The goblet squat teaches the squat pattern with a load you can drop safely, and it gets heavy enough to build real strength for months before you need a barbell. It is the main squat in the home and beginner plans.

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 press

Leg Press

Quads, Glutes

The leg press lets you push your legs hard without your back or balance limiting the set. Use it for higher-rep strength work after squats, or as the first heavy lift while you learn to squat.

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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Deadlifts and hinges

Hinges load the hamstrings and glutes through the hips, the other half of a strong lower body. Pair a heavy pull with a Romanian deadlift that works the hamstrings through a long stretch.

Whole lower body, deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlift

Quads, Glutes

The trap bar puts the weight in line with your body, so you can pull heavy with a more upright back than a straight-bar deadlift. For most people chasing leg strength rather than a powerlifting total, it is the best heavy pull.

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 and glutes, hinge

Romanian Deadlift

Hamstrings, Glutes

The Romanian deadlift loads the hamstrings through a long stretch from the hips, the position where they are most often weak. Heavy sets of 5 to 8 build hamstring strength that carries over to sprinting, jumping and the deadlift.

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 dumbbell version trains the same hinge with weights that hang at your sides, so you can do it at home and keep the hamstrings loaded without a barbell. It is the main hinge in the home plan.

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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Single-leg lifts

Working one leg at a time shows side-to-side differences and lets the weaker leg catch up, and it builds balance under load that two-legged lifts do not. These go after the main lift, at moderate weight and 6 to 10 reps per leg.

Quads and glutes, single-leg squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Quads, Glutes

With your back foot on a bench, almost all the load goes through the front leg, so moderate dumbbells give a very hard set. It builds strength and control in each leg separately and is the most useful single-leg lift for most lifters.

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, single-leg step

Step-Up

Quads, Glutes

Stepping onto a bench is the easiest single-leg lift to scale: a lower box for beginners, a knee-height box and heavier dumbbells for strength. It trains the push-off you use to climb stairs, hills and out of a deep squat.

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, lunge

Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping back instead of forward keeps your front shin more upright and the movement easy to control. It is a lower-stress single-leg option for a second weekly session or for days when split squats feel like too much.

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, Step-Up

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Hamstrings and calves

Squats and hinges barely train the knee-bending job of the hamstrings or the calves at all. A curl and a calf raise at the end of each leg day fill those gaps.

Hamstrings, knee flexion

Lying Leg Curl

Hamstrings

Lying face down and curling the pad trains the hamstrings at the knee, a job squats and deadlifts leave out. Two or three sets at the end of each leg day round out hamstring strength.

How to do it

  1. Set the machine so your knees line up with the pivot point when you lie face down, and move the ankle pad to sit on your lower calves, just above your heels.
  2. Lie flat with your kneecaps hanging just past the end of the bench, hold the handles and press your hips into the pad.
  3. Bend your knees and pull the pad up in a smooth arc until your heels are as close to your glutes as the machine allows.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top without letting your hips lift off the bench.
  5. Lower the pad over about two seconds until your legs are almost straight, and start the next rep before the stack touches down.

Cues

  • Hips glued to the pad
  • Heels to glutes
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Lifting your hips as the weight gets heavy: your lower back takes over and the hamstrings do less. Drop the load until your hips stay down on every rep.
  • Stopping short at the bottom: that cuts out the part of the rep where your hamstrings are longest. Let your legs come back to almost straight before you curl again.
  • Swinging the pad up: a kick from the bottom hands the hardest part of the rep to momentum. Count two seconds down and start each rep from a dead stop.

Swap for: Seated Leg Curl, Stability Ball Leg Curl, Nordic Hamstring Curl

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Hamstrings, eccentric curl

Nordic Hamstring Curl

Hamstrings

Lowering your body slowly with a partner holding your heels puts the hamstrings under more load than most people can curl on a machine. Even 3 to 5 slow reps per set build strength in the lengthening part of the movement.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a cushion with your ankles pinned under a couch, or held by a partner, and your body upright from knees to head.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and lower your torso forward as slowly as you can, bending only at the knees.
  3. When your hamstrings can't hold you, catch yourself with your hands on the floor.
  4. Push off the floor lightly and pull with your hamstrings to come back up to kneeling.

Cues

  • Hips stay open, no folding
  • Lower as slowly as possible
  • Hands catch, then help up

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips to make the lowering easier: keep a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  • Flopping to the floor after a few inches: fight it the whole way down; the slow lowering is the rep.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Band Good Morning, Superman

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Calves, ankle extension

Standing Calf Raise

Calves

Squats and deadlifts barely load the calves, and the standing raise loads them with straight knees, the position they work in when you run and jump. Use a full stretch at the bottom on every rep.

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, single-leg raise

Single-Leg Calf Raise

Calves

Doing one calf at a time doubles the load on each leg, so a single dumbbell and a step are enough for heavy calf work at home. It also shows quickly if one ankle is weaker than the other.

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

Barbell gym, two leg days a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets27 a week
  • Per workout~50 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Dumbbells, Standing Calf Raise, Trap Bar +1

You can squat and deadlift with good form and want to keep adding weight to both.

One squat-led and one hinge-led day trains each big pattern heavy once and lighter once a week. Day 1 has 14 sets and Day 2 has 13, about 27 leg sets for the week, which most intermediate lifters recover from in three or four days.

Day 1: Squat
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Back Squat3 warm-up sets first 5 × 3–5 2 3:30 min
Romanian Deadlift 3 × 6–8 2 2:30 min
Bulgarian Split SquatPer leg. 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Standing Calf Raise 3 × 8–12 1 90 s

Open Day 1: Squat in the session builder

Day 2: Hinge
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Trap Bar Deadlift3 warm-up sets first 4 × 3–5 2 3:30 min
Front Squat 3 × 4–6 2 3 min
Lying Leg Curl 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Nordic Hamstring Curl 3 × 3–6 2 2 min

Open Day 2: Hinge in the session builder

How to run it
Put Day 1 early in the week and Day 2 three or four days later. Upper-body sessions fit on the days between. Expect each leg day to take 60 to 75 minutes, including warm-ups.
How to progress
Use double progression on every lift. When the squat or trap bar deadlift reaches the top of its range on all sets at 2 reps in reserve, add 5 to 10 pounds. On split squats and curls, add reps first and then load.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home with dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets26 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Flat Bench

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

Without a barbell, single-leg lifts do the heavy lifting, because one leg at a time gets much more from the same dumbbells. Each day has 13 sets, 26 for the week, kept in the 6 to 12 rep range where dumbbell loads still challenge you.

Day 1: Squat and split squat
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bulgarian Split Squat1 warm-up set firstPer leg. 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Goblet Squat 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Single-Leg Calf RaisePer leg. 3 × 8–15 1 75 s

Open Day 1: Squat and split squat in the session builder

Day 2: Hinge and step
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift1 warm-up set first 4 × 6–10 2 2:30 min
Step-UpPer leg. 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Dumbbell Reverse LungePer leg. 3 × 8–10 2 2 min
Nordic Hamstring Curl 3 × 3–6 2 2 min

Open Day 2: Hinge and step in the session builder

How to run it
Two sessions a week with at least two days between. If your heaviest dumbbells are getting easy on goblet squats, move them to the end of the session and lead with split squats.
How to progress
Add reps until every set reaches the top of the range at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, then move up one dumbbell size. When you max out your dumbbells, slow the lowering to 3 seconds and pause at the bottom before adding reps.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

New to lifting, first eight weeks

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells, Trap Bar, Lying Leg Curl, Standing Calf Raise +2

You have not lifted legs regularly before, or you are coming back after a long break.

Beginners get stronger on fewer sets, so each day has 11 sets, 22 for the week, all at 2 to 3 reps in reserve. Machines and dumbbells carry the load while you learn to brace, and the trap bar deadlift is the first barbell lift to learn.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Goblet Squat1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Trap Bar Deadlift2 warm-up sets first 3 × 5–8 3 2:30 min
Lying Leg Curl 3 × 10–12 2 90 s
Standing Calf Raise 2 × 10–15 2 75 s

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leg Press1 warm-up set first 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–10 3 2 min
Step-UpPer leg. 3 × 8–10 3 90 s
Standing Calf Raise 2 × 10–15 2 75 s

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Two days a week, for example Monday and Thursday. Do a few light sets of each lift as warm-up until the weight feels smooth, then start the working sets.
How to progress
Add 5 to 10 pounds on the leg press and trap bar deadlift every session as long as every set still leaves 2 or more reps in reserve. When that stops working, switch to double progression: add reps first, then weight.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What is the best way to build strength in my legs?

Lift heavy twice a week with a squat, a hinge and a single-leg exercise, for 3 to 6 reps on the main lift and 6 to 12 on the rest. Stop each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure and add weight whenever you reach the top of the rep range.

How long should leg day last?

45 to 75 minutes is typical: about 10 minutes of warm-up sets, then three or four exercises with 2 to 3 minutes of rest on the heavy lifts and 90 seconds on the rest.

Can I get stronger legs in 2 weeks?

Your lifts will go up in the first two weeks, mostly because you get better at the movements. Visible change and lasting strength take longer: plan on 8 to 12 weeks of two sessions a week.

How many leg exercises should I do for strength?

Three to five per session is enough: one main squat or hinge, one secondary lift from the other pattern, one single-leg exercise, and a hamstring or calf exercise if you have time.

Are squats or deadlifts better for leg strength?

You need both. Squats build more quad strength and deadlifts more hamstring and glute strength. Train one heavy on each of your two leg days.