When leg day rolls around, are you sticking to the same three moves—squats, lunges, and maybe leg press? If so, you’re leaving serious gains on the table. Your legs are made up of massive and powerful muscles—quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves—and they deserve more than just the basics.
Whether you’re a beginner looking to strengthen your lower body or a seasoned lifter trying to crush plateaus, this list of 30 best leg exercises will give you all the tools you need to build strength, improve mobility, and even increase athletic performance.
These are not just random moves. Each one earns its place here for a specific reason. Let’s dive into it, starting with the compound kings and working our way down to isolation killers.
Compound Movements That Should Anchor Your Workouts
1. Barbell Back Squat
The gold standard. Targets quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. Use heavy weight, focus on depth, and keep your core tight.
2. Front Squat
Shift the bar to the front and your quads work overtime. Great for upright posture and core engagement.
3. Deadlift
Not just for your back. Conventional deadlifts hit glutes, hamstrings, and help develop total-body power.
4. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Perfect for targeting your hamstrings and glutes. Go slow on the eccentric (lowering) phase for more stretch and activation.
5. Bulgarian Split Squat
A single-leg monster that crushes your quads and glutes. Add dumbbells or a barbell for an extra challenge.
6. Trap Bar Deadlift
A joint-friendly alternative to the barbell deadlift. Works the posterior chain while allowing a more natural torso position.
7. Leg Press
You can go heavy safely and focus purely on pushing with your legs. Adjust foot placement to shift emphasis.
Glute-Focused Power Moves
8. Hip Thrust
One of the best for glute development. Place a barbell across your hips and thrust upward while keeping your upper back supported.
9. Glute Bridge
Like a hip thrust, but done on the floor. Great for beginners or as a burnout set.
10. Step-Up
Simple, but brutal. Load up some dumbbells, step onto a bench or box, and drive through your heel.
11. Cable Kickback
Focuses directly on the glute max. Use controlled form and a squeeze at the top.
Hamstring Heroes
12. Nordic Curl
Hard as hell, but effective. Works the hamstrings eccentrically and builds true strength.
13. Seated Leg Curl Machine
A classic isolation move for the back of your legs. Keep the tempo steady for a serious burn.
14. Stability Ball Leg Curl
Hamstring and core in one. Lie flat, heels on a stability ball, and curl in. Don’t let your hips drop.
Quad Builders You Shouldn’t Skip
15. Walking Lunge
Hits quads and glutes. Big bonus for stability and core. Works even better with a long stride.
16. Goblet Squat
Perfect for beginners. Holding a dumbbell at chest height helps you stay upright while going deep.
17. Hack Squat Machine
Machine-based quad annihilation. Let your knees travel forward to really zero in on your quads.
18. Sissy Squat
Deceptively tough. Keep your torso upright and knees tracking over your toes—quad burn guaranteed.
Calf Training (Because They Deserve Love Too)
19. Standing Calf Raise
The go-to for hitting the gastrocnemius. Go heavy and slow—no bouncing.
20. Seated Calf Raise
Targets the soleus, the deeper muscle of the calf. Essential if you want thickness, not just height.
21. Farmer’s Walk on Toes
Hold dumbbells and walk on your toes for 30-60 seconds. Calf burner with balance bonus.
Athletic & Explosive Leg Exercises
22. Box Jump
Trains power and speed. Land softly and reset between reps. Don’t sacrifice form for height.
23. Broad Jump
Great for athletes. Launch yourself forward using your hips, not just your knees.
24. Split Jump
A lunge with a jump. Tough on the legs and lungs, but fantastic for athletic conditioning.
25. Kettlebell Swing
While it’s a hip hinge movement, it builds explosive glutes and hamstrings. It’s cardio with muscle benefits.
Machine-Based Isolation and Assistance Work
26. Leg Extension
Yes, it’s old-school. But when used right, it isolates the quads beautifully—especially to finish off a workout.
27. Smith Machine Squat
Helps you control movement if you’re working on depth or rehabbing an injury. Not a replacement for barbell squats, but it has a place.
Unilateral Movements to Fix Imbalances
28. Single-Leg RDL
Balance, coordination, and hamstring development in one. Use a dumbbell or kettlebell on the opposite side.
29. Curtsy Lunge
Hits the glutes in a different way. Great for shaping and mobility, especially in the hips.
30. Skater Squat
A single-leg bodyweight squat that challenges balance and strength. A step before full pistol squats.
How to Use This List in Your Training
You don’t need all 30 in one workout. That would be chaos. Instead, pick 4–6 exercises per session:
- Start with 1–2 compound lifts (squat, deadlift, or variations)
- Add 1 glute-dominant and 1 quad-focused move
- Include a hamstring exercise
- Finish with calves or bodyweight burnout
Sample Workout (Muscle Gain Focus):
- Barbell Back Squat – 4 sets of 6
- Romanian Deadlift – 3 sets of 8
- Walking Lunges – 3 sets of 10 per leg
- Seated Leg Curl – 3 sets of 12
- Standing Calf Raise – 4 sets of 15
Sample Workout (Fat Loss + Conditioning):
- Kettlebell Swing – 4 rounds of 30 seconds
- Goblet Squat – 3 sets of 15
- Step-Ups – 3 sets of 10 per leg
- Split Jumps – 3 sets of 20
- Farmer’s Walk on Toes – 3 rounds of 45 seconds
Final Thoughts
Leg day doesn’t have to be a chore—or just about squats and sore glutes. By mixing things up with these 30 best leg exercises, you’ll target every major muscle in your lower body, fix imbalances, build strength, and yes, even grow those calves.
The key is variety and consistency. Cycle through these movements, challenge yourself with progressive overload, and train your legs with the same intensity you give your arms or chest. They deserve it.
Legs feed the wolf. Train them right.
