Strength exercises for the legs.
Squats in any form - classic exercises for the development of the legs. In squats with a barbell, barbells are used, held on the chest in front or behind the neck. There are variations in the position of the legs and the depth of the squat for different emphasis on the muscles. Start with a light weight with barbell squats behind your neck and add depth gradually, eventually squatting your buttocks up to your ankles if that suits you. Squats affect the muscles of the upper and lower legs, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks, and calves, with varying degrees of stress.
Squats with dumbbells
This is a type of squat, suitable for those who do not carry a barbell on their shoulders. A possible limitation is having enough heavy dumbbells to challenge you. Hold the dumbbells at the side or on top of your shoulders.
Lunges with dumbbells
With a step forward, the dumbbell lunge has a different emphasis than the dumbbell squat, with an additional emphasis on the glutes. Take the dumbbells on each side and take turns lunging forward with each leg. It is generally recommended not to extend the knee too far beyond the toes, although this rule is affected by the different length of the thigh.
Traction
The classic deadlift involves lifting the bar from the floor, knees bent and back straight. The deadlift is one of the best comprehensive exercises available, working with a variety of muscle groups, including the upper and lower leg muscles, glutes, neck, arms, back, abs, and forearms. Include deadlift and its variations in your basic and advanced training programs.
Leg press
We perform on the simulator for the leg press, this exercise requires you to push the platform away from the body under load. Although some criticize it for being potentially dangerous for the lower back, when done properly with good technique, the leg press can be a useful exercise.
Keep your lower back firmly pressed against the support and make sure it doesn't lift off the deck when you push. Do not use super-heavy weights in this exercise.
Bridge
Lie on your back with your forearms on the floor, bend your back and push off the floor so that your buttocks and legs are off the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat. The exercise perfectly strengthens the hamstrings and buttocks.
Leg extensions
The exercise uses a leg extension machine. This is another exercise that draws critical comments due to the fact that it is potentially unsafe. However, in the absence of injuries to the knee joint and provided that extreme loads are avoided, the leg extension exercise can be useful, especially in rehabilitation, when strengthening the quadriceps muscle is required.
Leg flexion
Another exercise on the simulator, the flexion of the legs touches the hamstrings. You can use a bench press machine, which allows you to bend both legs at the same time, or a standing machine, which alternately loads each leg.
Lifting on your toes while sitting or standing
You can use the calves lift machine or lift your heels while standing to emphasize the activity of the calf muscles. In any case, these exercises affect the calf muscles - the calf and flounder. Exercise sitting with bent knees affects the soleus muscle, and standing, with straight legs and fixed knees, activates the calf muscle.
