10 Life-Changing Leg Workouts For Bigger Legs

Do you want to get bigger and stronger legs? This post will cover all of the secrets to leg workouts for bigger legs!

After graduating from college, I was no longer a soccer player. That means a few months after soccer, my legs began to shrink! Being a soccer player all of my life and always having big legs, I was shocked on how small my legs have gotten. 

I took my strong legs for granted, and I was determined to get strong legs again! I am still on my journey of growing my leg strength, but they have grown so much strength already with these exercises! 

The secret to getting big legs is consistency, so if you do all of these workouts with consistency, I guarantee that you will see progress. 

This post is all about the secrets to leg workouts for bigger legs.

Best Leg Workouts For Bigger Legs:

1. Squats

This might be one of the most popular leg workouts for bigger legs, but it’s the most popular for a reason. Squats are beneficial because they are a compound movement, meaning they work multiple muscles at once. 

Former body builder, Tom Platz AKA the “Quadfather”, only did squats twice a month for his leg workouts. He went very hard during those two days working his body until failure, but it shows how much squats can influence your leg muscles. I DO NOT recommend working out your legs like him, as it can be dangerous, but I just wanted to note how transformational squats can be. 

To focus on your quad muscles, move your legs closer in together and focus on putting weight on the front of your feet. To focus on your hamstring and gluteal muscles, move your legs further apart and focus on putting weight on your heals. 

2. Bulgarian Split Squat

Bulgarian split squat is my FAVORITE of the leg workouts for bigger legs. You are able to focus on one leg at a time and focus on your mobility while strengthening your legs. Many of my friends hate the Bulgarian split squat because it’s very hard, but that’s exactly why I love it! If you do it right, it can turn into cardio because your heart will get pumping fast.

To do the Bulgarian split squat, move an elevated surface behind you. To get proper placement, place your laces on the bench behind you, sit back, extend the leg, and stand up straight. That will be the distance from the bench. Then, you can lunge down focusing on your one leg. For more information on how to set up the Bulgarian split squat, you can watch the video above. 

Like squats, if you want focus on your quad muscles, move your legs closer in together and focus on putting weight on the front of your feet. If you want to focus on your hamstring and gluteal muscles, move your legs further apart and focus on putting weight on your heals. 

3. Single Legged Glute Bridge

Single legged glute bridges are the more beneficial way of doing hip thrusts. If you want better results, the opt for the single legged glute bridges. Not only are they WAY easier to set up, but allow you to have a mind to body connection as you focus on one leg at a time.

To do a single legged glute bridge, you will want to load weight onto one of the legs, while using the other leg to assist to getting into the bridge position. You will want to drive up with the heels of your feet and squeeze your glutes. Stay controlled, tuck in your chin, look ahead, and you’re all set! 

4. Resistance Band Leg Lifts

It’s very important to incorporate resistance bands in your leg workouts. Resistance bands train the smaller muscles in your legs that can’t always be hit during heavy weight exercises. Strengthening the small muscles around your legs are very important for mobility, postures, and longevity. 

To do this exercise, get a resistance band and put it around both of your legs. Simply move one of the legs to the side, strengthening your leg by fighting the resistance band. If you want to work other muscles, you can kick your leg back to focus on your hamstring and glutes.

5. Lateral Squats With A Resistance Band

Lateral squats literally are AMAZING. Every time I do them, something in my body cracks, whether it’s my knees, hip, or ankles. Due the my body always cracking, I know these must be so good for your body. 

In soccer, we use to do lateral squats all of the time, and I never understood the deep importance of them. Now that I am graduated, I absolutely am obsessed with them!

To do lateral squats, put the resistance band right above your knees. Then, squat down and extend one of your legs to the side to step to the side, still in the squat. For extra reference, you can view the video above. 

6. Step Ups

Step ups are the hardest of the leg workouts, if done correctly. You can do them with less weight and a lot of reps like the cross fitters do, or you can do the body-builder approach of very heavy weights and less reps. I typically do a mixture of the two and it kills me every time!

To do step ups, use a bench, stair, or anything that you can step up and down on. Then, grab your weights — you can go as heavy or light as you want. After, simply step up and down alternating legs.

You can turn these step ups into reps, such as doing 30 before taking a break, then doing 30 more. Or, you can do the cross fitter approach and do all of them in one setting. 

7. Leg Press

Leg presses are great because of the versatility of them. You can push heavy weight, really testing your strength, or you can go lighter and do a lot of reps. Both heavy and light weights have their advantages. 

Lifting heavy weights benefits your muscles to have fatigue faster, allowing for muscles to grow faster. Whereas lighter weights promotes muscle endurance. Both heavy weights and light weights grow muscles, but you should make sure to do your own research or ask in the comments below for more similarities and differences. 

To do leg presses, simply put your legs on the press and push in and out. You can do one leg at a time for more intentional movements, or you can use both legs for heavier weights. I like to mix it up between one leg and two legs to maximize benefits. 

8. Calf Raises

Calf raises are just so awesome. Many people neglect calfs because they’re very interested in their glutes, quads, and hamstrings, but calves should never be forgotten.  Calves are very important. They are used in every step that you take and are extremely beneficial for running. Also, calf strength is very beneficial for weight-lifting.

Calf raises are very easy to do. All you have to do is stand in place and shift to putting all of your weight on your toes, then go back down to your flat feet. To make the calf raises harder, you can use a leg press and put your toes on the leg press. Then, you adjust the weight very high and push in and out with your toes. 

My favorite, is doing calf raises by standing and going up and down on my toes. I like doing high reps such as 3 sets of 50.  Trust me, your calves will be burning!!

9. Glute Bias RDL

Another one of the leg workouts for bigger legs is doing a glute bias RDL. I love these because they not only strengthen your legs, but they improve your mobility and flexility as well, which in turn, promotes enhanced muscle growth.

The tale that you shouldn’t only focus on how heavy you lift, but also focus on your mobility range in the moves, has truth to it. The deeper depth  and range of motion that you go in your moves, the more effective the exercise is to your muscles. 

To do RDLs, grab dumbbells or a bar. You can do these on one leg or two. Move your hips as far back as your range of motion will let you, then move your hips back in. You shouldn’t be hunching your back, or moving up and down, rather, you should just be moving your hips forward and back, as the video shows. 

If you’ve never done RDLs before, I recommend starting with very little weight or no weight at all until you get the correct posture down. If done incorrectly, it could lead to injury, so make sure you do the correct research. 

10. Sumo Deadlift

Sumo deadlifts are sooo good for the glutes, and will give you a great butt shelf. This is a compound movement that works multiple muscles as once, but as I said earlier, these workouts will give you a bigger butt! Besides your glutes, it also enhances your flexibility and mobility. 

To do sumo deadlifts, start with your legs spread apart and feet pointing outward. Holding a bar or dumbbells, put your hips back, slide the weights down your legs, and then lift up. 

This post was all about the best leg workouts for bigger legs.