Last updated on October 2nd, 2019 at 12:42 pm
Written by female personal trainer, London based, Justina Triasovaite.
It is important that you know which muscles you are exercising when you work out. If you lack a basic knowledge of your body and approach exercise without any method, you may overwork some muscles and neglect others.
I have been a female personal trainer for many years, and I am always happy to share some of my expertise. Today we will be focusing on the best exercises for your legs. We will approach these exercises by taking an anatomical view of a few key muscles.
We will be using simple exercises to target your Quadriceps, Hamstring, Gluteus and Calves.
The quadriceps (or quads) is an important group of muscles situated at the front of the thigh. The group is comprised of four separate muscles: the vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis and the rectus femoris. These muscles make up the four heads of the quadriceps.
The quadriceps help to extend the knee. They are a vital group of muscles that are often at risk of injury because they are used for common activities like walking and running. The best way to prevent injury is to exercise and stretch them on a regular basis.
The hamstrings are large muscles located at the rear of your thigh. Similar to the quadriceps femoris, the hamstrings are a group of muscles: biceps femoris, semimembranosus and semitendinosus. The purpose of the hamstrings is to extend the thigh, flex the knee joint and to adduct the leg.
Similar to the quadriceps, the hamstrings are susceptible to injury and are quite commonly injured in sports. Hamstrings are primarily used for walking, running and jumping.
Now for the glutes. The gluteus is mainly comprised of the gluteus maximus, medius and minius which are situated in the buttocks and are supported by a host of other smaller muscles around the hips and pelvis.
The gluteus maximus is the biggest and most notorious of all the gluteals. This muscle is the chief force in providing thrust as your walk and run. It helps to extend and rotate your hip joint. The gluteus minimus assists abduction and internal rotation of the hip. The gluteus medius is located just under the gluteus maximus and helps you perform moves like the side step.
The calf is situated on the back of the lower leg and is comprised of two muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Common injuries involving the calves include muscle strains, pulls and tears.
The gastrocnemius forms the visible bulge on your lower leg and is the larger of the two muscles. The soleus is located just underneath the gastrocnemius muscle and is comparatively small and flat. They work together to pull the heel up which enables forward movement and activities like running and jumping.
Here are a few simple exercises that can be achieved with little to no expense and without much experience.
Deadlifts are a multi-joint exercise and will work out several groups of muscles at the same time. It is important to place deadlifts later in your leg-day workout and to choose the appropriate weight to avoid injury and unnecessary fatigue.
Variations include: stiff leg deadlift, resistance band deadlift, sumo deadlift, single leg deadlift, Romanian deadlift.
Squats are another great way to completely exercise your leg muscles. They work the glutes, hips, quads and hamstrings.
Squats are an easy exercise, but they are often done incorrectly. It is important to develop a good form if you want to exercise your muscles properly. Ensure that when you bend your knees you also move your butt backward, keep your knees in line with your toes and control your upper body by looking straight ahead.
Lunges are a great single-leg bodyweight exercise that work all the muscles we have discussed above. It also engages the core.
Variations include: reverse lunge, walking lunge, lateral lunge, clock lunge, curtsy lunge and the split lunge jump.
The hip thrust is a fantastic exercise that is often under-utilised. It is glute exercise which is designed to improve strength and speed through repetitive hip extension.
Choose your appropriate weighted barbell and a low bench. Place the bar along your upper thigh and rest the middle part of the back on the edge of the bench. From this position you can thrust your hip upwards in to a bridge position and begin your reps.
Hopefully you now know a little more about exercising your legs. Having a look at your anatomy is both interesting and informative. Now you never need to skip leg day again!
All of these exercises should aid your fitness and muscle goals. To ensure you meet your goals you should incorporate them in to your exercise regime on a regular basis.
Need more info?
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