The legs are one of the biggest muscle groups on your body. This means that having more muscle on your legs not only makes them look lean but allows you to burn more calories naturally in the long run. There is a reason people do an upper and lower body split in workouts to target their legs separately.
Legs are just as important when it comes to sports as power is derived from the legs. Not only that, stronger legs also act as support for your knees, alleviating pain and pressure from your joints. So, without further ado, these are the leg workouts that you can do from the comfort of your home.
Squats
Squats are the best exercises when it comes to targeting the legs as it targets your entire legs from your thighs to your glutes, to your calves all in one movement. Not only that, the squats are extremely versatile and can be progressively overloaded on, even if training at home.
The way to perform the squat is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed out. Keep your chest up and straight with your abs flexed, ensuring you do not curl your upper body during the movement. Go down using your hips while keeping your chest straight. The stopping point is when your knees become parallel to your glutes. So, when your knees and glutes are in a straight line. Hold the squat in this position for a few seconds and then go back up to the starting position.
Ways To Progressively Overload The Squat At Home
Progressive overload is one of the surefire ways you can gain more muscle and strength. Your muscles can get used to doing exercises and constantly need a challenge, especially when it comes to building more muscle. This challenge is what progressive overload is, in a nutshell.
- Slow down and hold your position. (Slower movement while going down and holding it longer in a parallel position puts more pressure on your muscles, hence, allowing you to put more pressure on the muscles.)
- Adding more resistance. (Using a resistance band or holding a pair of dumbbells or a kettlebell in both hands while squatting. Additional weight is the fastest and most effective form of progressive overload.)
- Trying Different variations. Some leg workouts like the squats have different variations, such as a single leg squat with one leg straightened out during the whole movement.)
Lunges
The lunges are another excellent leg workout that you can do in the comfort of your own home and with minimal to no equipment at all. The lunges also target your thighs, glutes as well as your calves all in a single exercise. For people who have a hard time doing squats. Lunges are an excellent replacement or an addition to your leg workouts.
The way to perform the movement is to stand with your feet shoulder width-apart, chest straight and back straight. Move one foot slightly forward while bending your knees. Stop when your back knee is about to touch the ground. Your front thigh will now be parallel to the ground and your back knee facing the ground. Now go back to the starting position and that’s one rep.
Ways To Progressively Overload Lunges At Home
Slow down. (Slowing the movement while going down and getting back up slower.)
Adding more weight. (A pair of dumbbells or a weight of any sort in one or both hands while performing a lunge.)
Trying different variations. An example would be doing a lunge on a staircase which is at an incline.
Cardio for fat loss
Building muscles is one thing, but to be able to see those muscles, you need to burn fat. This is what will give your muscles that toned look. There are two things you can do along with these leg workouts and its LISS cardio or moderate intensity cardio and a caloric deficit.
Whatever your choice is, doing all three together yields the best results. However, you can burn off 200-300 calories by doing cardio such as walking, biking, cycling, hiking, jogging or power walking. The recommended duration is at least an hour of cardio of your choice, but it has to be something you can do for an hour non-stop without resting.
The calorie burn acts as a caloric deficit and helps you lose fat as you build muscle at the same time. Adding additional deficits through dieting can help you lose more fat and hasten the process. To know more about how fat loss works.
How To Get a Lean & Toned Body
Conclusion
- These Leg workouts will allow you to build muscle and as you build more muscle, you’re metabolism will get better and you will burn more calories as muscle burns calories due to it bein an active tissue
- Cardio will allow you to burn calories which in turn will burn fat overall from you’re body
- The caloric deficit that results from your diet and cardio will allow you to burn additional calories further facilitating weight loss