You’ve probably heard the phrase “never skip a leg day” and there’s a good reason behind it. Not only do lower body workouts tone and sculpt your legs and glutes, they also build strength, improve balance, and burn calories. Since leg workouts involve larger muscle groups and frequently feature compound exercises, you get a bigger bang for your buck when it comes to calorie burn. They also demand core strength and help relieve lower back pain. And you don’t need equipment to get an amazing workout, either. If you’re looking for lower body workouts you can do anywhere, here are 7 no equipment leg day workouts to strengthen and tone!
13 Reasons You Shouldn’t Skip Leg Day
- Strengthens your leg muscles- a fundamental part of your overall fitness
- Boosts your metabolism as you increase muscle mass
- Improves your balance
- Strengthens your bones
- Reduces joint pain
- Tones and sculpts your leg muscles
- Burns calories and promotes weight loss
- Maximizes and boosts athletic performance
- Lower body muscles create a strong, stable foundation that helps with everyday movement
- Balances strength on both sides of your body (so your dominant leg isn’t over compensating)
- Engages your core muscles
- Prevents injury
- Improves mobility, stability, and range of motion
7 No Equipment Leg Day Workouts
1. Squats
Squats are a super effective bodyweight workout that strengthen your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. They also boost your calorie burn, strengthen your core and lower back, and enhance your posture. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes facing front. Engage your core and hinge at your hips, driving the hips backward. Bend at the knees and ankles as you sit down into a squat position keeping your heels and toes on the ground, chest up, and shoulders back. Your knees should be bent to a 90 degree angle. Press into your heels, engage your glutes, and press into starting position. Repeat.
2. Lunges
The lunge is a compound move, meaning it works multiple joints and muscle groups, including the hamstrings, glutes, quads, and hip flexors. They build lean muscle, improve mobility and stability, and strengthen your core muscles. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, keeping your eyes straight ahead, chest tall, and core tight. Shift your weight into your left foot and take a big step forward with your right foot. Maintaining your posture and tight core, lower your body straight down, bending both knees to about 90 degrees. Make sure your font knee doesn’t pass over your front toes. Your weight should be at the back of your front heel. Repeat all your reps on one leg then switch legs and repeat on the other side.
3. Calf Raises
The calves are often ignored when working your lower body, but don’t skip them! Calf raises target the muscles in the back of your lower legs. They help you build stronger, sculpted calves and promote ankle stability and mobility. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Press forward into the front of your feet, lifting your body and activating your calf muscles as you stand on your tiptoes. Pause for a second then lower back to the ground and repeat. You can also turn your feet out to first position and do calf raises from here to target the outer calf muscles.
4. Squat Jumps
Squat jumps can help you increase your lower body power, while building muscle and boosting your cardio fitness. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees into a full squat position. Engage through your quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and jump up straight into the air extending through your legs. As you land, use control by landing through your feet (toes, ball, arches, heel) and dropping into the squat again for another explosive jump. Repeat the next jump immediately.
5. Single Leg Glute Bridge
If you really want to fire up your glutes without any equipment, add single leg glute bridges to your rotation. Lie on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms by your side. Engage your core, pressing your lower back against the floor. From here, lift your left leg off the floor and extend your leg (or keep it bent). Push off your right foot, engaging your core and squeezing your glutes as you do a glute bridge. Slowly lower your hips to the floor and repeat all your reps on one side. Switch legs and repeat on the other.
6. Inner Thigh Raises
Strong inner thigh muscles help stabilize the pelvis and hip joints and are important for good balance. Start lying on your side, lengthening your bottom leg and crossing your top leg in front of you with your foot flat on the floor. Prop your head up with your hand. Your waist should pull away from the floor a bit. Keep your torso steady while you do movements such as lifting your bottom leg up and down, tiny pulses while your leg is lifted, and small circles forwards and backwards. Repeat with your other leg.
7. Donkey Kicks
Donkey kicks target and tighten your glute muscles. They also help improve hip stability, which reduces the risk of hip injuries. Start on all fours with your shoulders above your wrists and your hips directly on top of your knees. Your core should be engaged. Kick your right foot up toward the ceiling, keeping your knee bent. Engage your glutes and use your hamstrings to pull your foot upwards. Stop lifting before you arch your lower back. Bring your leg down, repeat all reps on one side, then switch to the other leg and repeat.
These are effective lower body exercises that don’t require any equipment, so you can do them at home, while you travel or even in your office on your lunch break!
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