A sneak peek to what Leg Day at the gym looks like for me!
Hi all! I’m pretty excited about today’s post because it’s a workout I actually do on a regular basis. It’s not to say I don’t do the tabata or core workouts that are on the blog, it’s just that I don’t do them every week.
In today’s post, I break down what my routine looks like, how to target each muscle group with different exercises and modifications/additional lifts you can do to mix it up!
As you might know, Thursdays are Leg Day for me. It’s my favorite and least favorite lifting day of the week.
Least favorite because…
- I start with the stairmaster, which if you’ve done, you know is a complete b-word. The Y recently got a new stairmaster that has the moving steps and it’s tough. 😵 Plus I have an irrational fear of tripping and falling on my face, so that doesn’t help.
- It’s a mental game. I’m constantly telling myself “YOU CAN DO IT!” or “ONE MORE REP!”
- It hurts. everywhere. legs, upper back, wrists, core. Yeah, I said it.
Favorite because….
- I know lifting legs will not only help tone my legs, but help make my whole body stronger.
- It pushes me mentally and physically.
- I know it’ll be a great sweaty mess of a workout 💪🏼 💦
I wanted this posts to be as real as possible, so I apologize in advance for the bad lighting, iPhone photos and my brother’s photography skills 😜
Let’s do it! 🍗
WARM-UP: STAIRMASTER
I start with 10 – 15 minutes on the stairmaster. I know know, some of you are shaking your heads and think cardio should be after lifting, but I like to do cardio before because it helps get my heart rate up, muscles loosened and sweat on. (plus if I told myself to do stairmaster after leg day lifts, there’s a 100% chance I wouldn’t do it.) I start at level 8 and go up a level at each minute interval. Once I hit level 13, I sprint for one minute and then work my way back down. I repeat that twice. **This is what I do, but you do what works best for you! Everybody is different and as long as you’re moving and warming up your muscles, that’s all that matters.
LIFT #1: BBELL SQUAT
I start leg lifts with the classic barbell squat. With the bbell on the meaty part of your upper back, elbows pointed to the ground and shoulders rolled back, lower into squat position. Keep your knees behind your toes, keep your chest lifted and your core tight. When you lower into a squat, envision the bar going straight down and staying in the same plane, not moving front or back. Keep your weight evenly distributed between both feet. Press out from the ground to lift, squeezing the glutes at the top.
I do a set with no weight to warm up and then I load ‘er up. I complete 4-5 sets of 10 reps each, adding weight with each set. I try to do 10 reps for each set, but as I add weight, reps usually go down. Remember it’s better to have good form than more weight!
Modification: smith’s machine squat
LIFT #2: SMITHS MACHINE STABILITY BALL GLUTE BRIDGES
Next, I hit the Smith’s Machine with Stability Ball Glute Bridges. They are a great way to work that boootayyy 🙂 🍑 Place the smiths machine bar on a low rack (but high enough for you to get under it.) Grab a stability ball and sit about a 2 feet away from the bar. Roll your feet out so that your upperback is on the stability ball and your hips are directly underneath the bar. Place feet just outside your hips. Lift your hips and take the bar off of rack. Slowly lower hips to ground, while keeping your core tight. Lower as far as you can go and then drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to lift bar so that your back and legs are flat (like a table top).
I do 3 – 4 sets of 10 reps. I usually do one warm-up set and then add weight and stay at the same weight for the rest of the sets. Remember to hold at the top for a second or two to get the buns to burn!
Modifications: smith’s glute bridges with no weight, glute bridges on the floor, glute bridges on the floor with bands on ankles, glute bridges using a bench and bbell
LIFT #3: LEG PRESS
Third is Leg Press. It’s is a great way to target the quads and hammies. The lower you put your feet on the platform the more you work your quads and the higher you put them (toes off the top) the more you work your hamstrings. You can also place your feet narrow or wide depending if you want to work inner or outer thighs respectively.
Place your feet on the platform, lift the trigger and then bring knees into your chest performing squat. Drive out of your feet evenly. I do 6 sets of 10 reps – usually changing feet placement with every set. Mid, high then low.
I love the leg press because it allows you to lift heavy weight without all the pressure on your upper and lower back!
Modifications – not easier, but single leg press
(yes, I’m sweating like a pig at this point 🐽, just keeping it real for ya’ll)
LIFT #4: BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT
Fourth is Bulgarian split squats or what I like to call split lunges. This moves works your hammies and glutes! Find a bench and bring your right leg back on the bench so that your toe is on top. Hop your left foot out (the one on the ground) , so you’re in the lunge stance. Perform a lunge, dropping right knee to floor so that your left thigh is parallel to the ground. Keeping your core tight and chest lifted, drive out of your heel to lift back to starting position.
I do 3 sets of 10 reps. If you want a challenge you can add weights or do hops instead.
Modifications: perform a lunge on the ground with or without weights, walking lunges, reverse dbell lunges, forward lunges or bbell lunges
LIFT #5: CABLE DEADLIFTS
Fifth is cable deadlifts. Time to work those glutes and hammies again! Placing a bar at the bottom of the cable, lift bar and stand close to cable. Roll shoulders back in pockets and keep knees soft. Slowly fold body in half, lowering upper body while keep shoulders back (that’s the most important!!). Lower so that cable can’t go down any farther, almost touching the ground. Squeeze glutes and hammies to lift body back to starting position.
I do 3 sets of 10 reps. You can add weight as you go or stay the same. The focus is to squeeze the booty to lift.
Modifications: dbell deadlifts, bbell deadlifts, elevated (on step) cable or dbell deadlifts
LIFT #6: ABDUCTORS/ADDUCTORS
Last but not least, abductor/adductors! Glutes again. But really inner and outer thighs. Sit and place feet on inside of pads, set the weight and open and close legs to work those hips! If you want a challenge, don’t lean back, sit up straight.
Modifications: pulses, seated banded abductors
And that’s it! I try to do 6 different exercises 2 targeting the quads (bbell squat and leg press), 2 targeting the glutes (glute bridges and abductors) and 2 targeting the hammies (bulgarian split squat and cable deadlift) with each leg day workout.
If you’re just starting out, start small and light. Trust me, it takes time. I’m just getting back to the weight I was at before my knee injury this winter. And that’s okay!
I have two important thoughts before I let ya go…
- Don’t compare yourself to others in the gym. It’s hard,I know. I’m guilty of it too, but then I remember that everyone is at their own stage in their fitness journey. Some people are body-builders and others are just beginning. Do the workout that challenges you and makes you feel good!
- Push past your comfort zone. When lifts start getting tough, tell yourself to do just do one more rep, and then one more rep and then one more rep. That’s when you’ll start to see progress. You’d be surprised at how many reps your body can actually do after your brain tells you to stop.
Here’s a list of other lifts I switch in and out of my leg day routine. Let me know if you have any questions about moves or form tips! Have fun 😝
Quads:
Smiths Squat
Cable Quad Extension
Dbell/Bbell Front Squat
Dbell Narrow Squat
Single Leg Squat
Hamstrings
Dbell Lunge Pulses/Hops
Lying Hamstring Curls
Standing Hamstring Curls
Box Step Ups
Walking Bbell Lunges
Glutes
Cable/Dbell RDL – Romanian Deadlift – one legged deadlift
Cable Glute Kickbacks
Dbell Sumo Squat
Cable Straight Leg Lifts
Banded Fire Hydrants