Follow V Shred’s full leg workout routine to build bigger, stronger, and leaner lower body muscles.
5-Move Leg Day Regimen | Hardcore Full Leg Workout Routine
1. Barbell Squats
Reps: 20
Sets: 3
Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes
Our full leg workout routine starts off with some barbell squats. They’re a strength-training movement that works the whole body with an emphasis on your quads and glutes.
The number one thing to remember when squatting is proper form. Remember: the quality of your reps will always outweigh the volume or quantity.
- Place a loaded bar across your traps, position your feet shoulder-width apart, point your toes forward, and arch your hips out. This will be your starting position.
- With your hips coming down first, lower your body until your knees bend at a 90-degree angle. Remember to keep all the weight on your heels and to push your chest out as your body descends.
- From here, push your body back up using your leg muscles. This counts as one rep.
Tip: You don’t necessarily need to go ass to grass when squatting. Going further than a 90-degree bend will put an unnecessary strain on your back.
2. Leg Press
Reps: 20 to 30
Sets: 5
Muscles Worked: Outer quads, hamstrings
When doing leg presses, your goal should be to achieve a pump in your leg muscles. Do multiple reps of a weight you’re comfortable with to distribute sufficient blood and oxygen to the right muscle groups.
- Sit down on the leg press machine and prop your feet up on the platform in front of you. This is the optimal foot placement to target your outer quads.
- Push the platform up using your legs. Remember not to fully straighten your legs. They should slightly bend to avoid leg injury.
- Next, lower the weight down until your knees bend at a 90-degree angle. During this part, you’ll feel your outer quads and hamstrings contract.
- Push the weight back up using your legs. Again, remember to not overextend your legs or lock them at the knees. This counts as one rep.
Tip: Similar to barbell squats, you don’t necessarily need to go all the way down. Stop when your knees bend at a 90-degree angle to avoid straining your lower back.
3. Walking Lunges
Reps: 10 each leg
Sets: 5
Muscles Worked: Quads
Walking lunges are a great addition to our killer leg workout routine. It’s a dynamic exercise that targets your quads every step of the way –literally.
- Place the bar across your traps, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and balance your entire weight on your heels. This will be your starting position.
- Take a step forward with your left foot then lower your torso until your right knee almost touches the ground and your left thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Lift yourself up by driving your heel to the ground then do the same with your other leg.
- While doing walking lunges, keep the weight at the back, not the front. Also, push your chest out as you’re lunging.
4. Romanian Deadlifts
Reps: 15 to 20
Sets: 3
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes
Romanian deadlifts are great exercises to strengthen your hamstrings. You should feel the movement from the bottom of your legs to your glutes.
- Stand upright with a loaded barbell in front of you, arms at the sides, and feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lift the weight up with a shoulder-width-apart grip and let it hang just below your pelvis. Next, slowly lower the weight down while keeping your legs stiff.
- As you lower the weight, push your butt back as far as you can. The key here is to make full-range movements. Go all the way down and extend all the way up.
Tip: Form is very important. Keep your hips in and chest out. Get one of them wrong and you might pull a muscle and injure yourself.
5. Calves
Reps: 20 to 40
Sets: 3 to 5
Muscles Worked: Calves
The main trick to growing your calf muscles is to do enough high-quality reps. That’s why we want to perform three to five sets of 20 to 40 reps per leg day.
- Sit down on the leg press machine and place your feet on the bottom part of the platform.
- Only the balls of your feet should press against it. Your heels should be hanging off of it.
- Push the weight up as if you are tiptoeing, using the balls of your feet, while keeping your legs straight in front of you. Lower it back down using the same muscles. This counts as one rep.
Tip: You can also do these leg workouts with dumbbells. Make sure that you feel the contraction in your calf muscles. In fact, it’s not about the weight, it’s more about muscle contraction.
When is the best time to workout? Watch the video below to find out:
These are the top five exercises to build bigger leg muscles. You can do the workouts we’ve recommended on their own or incorporate them into your current full leg workout routine.
Overall, what’s important is to follow a fitness plan that suits your lifestyle, body type, and goals. Combine strength training and healthy meal prepping to help bring your ideal body to life.
What do you think of our full leg workout routine? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!