Top 5 lower body exercises at home that work like a charm

Many new gym-goers emphasize working on exercises that work on “beach muscles” such as chest, abdominals, and arms. While it’s important to work these muscles, half of your workout volume should revolve around the lower body. The great thing is that you don’t really need a gym membership if you want to develop your lower body. Here are five lower body exercises you can do at home that work like a charm.

Squat variations:

It’s no secret that the squat is the king of all lower body exercises at home and you don’t need a gym to do them. In fact, you can get just as good of a workout at the comfort of your home using very little to no equipment. The squat is an excellent exercise that works every muscle in the lower body as well as other stabilizing muscles like the back and your abs. Here are some variations to try.

Standard squat:

This is your bread and butter when it comes to lower body exercises at home. It will work mainly on your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. In order to perform the standard squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your feet pointed slightly outward, think of sitting your hips back first before unlocking your knees, you should come down as far as your mobility allows for and stand right back up with your knees pointed outward.

Front squat:

This variation of the squat is excellent if your goal is to develop the quadriceps muscles. You can use any form of resistance such as a resistance band or kettlebell as long as it’s front-loaded. Allow your knees to travel a bit farther while performing the front squat to engage your quads more.

Wall squat:

This variation of the squat is excellent if you want to feel the burn in your quads using isometrics. It can be performed by putting your back against the wall and squatting down to the point where your hip and upper body angle is around 90 degrees. Make sure that your knees are pointed out and hold that position for 30-90 seconds. You can add some weights on your thigh to make it more challenging if the duration of the exercise is too easy.

Single leg squat:

Another excellent option for your lower body exercises at home is going to be a single-leg squat. Unlike front squats, this is not a version of the standard squat. Instead, it works on the stabilizer muscles and puts a ton of pressure on the glutes and quads. The best variation is known as the Bulgarian split squat and it can be performed by elevating the rear foot and placing it on a bench. Place one foot forward while the other foot is resting. Slowly descend until you reach 90 degrees and come back up. You should emphasize doing this exercise slowly while maintaining pressure on your foot to stabilize your body.

Deadlifts:

If the king of all lower body exercises at home is the squat, then the deadlift would be the queen. You might have seen deadlifts as something that is strictly done with weights. The truth is that you don’t necessarily need to have barbell weights for deadlifts, you can use anything that can offer some resistance such as resistance bands or dumbbells you have laying around at home.

Deadlifts are excellent for developing a strong and sturdy posterior chain and they can help strengthen your back. In order to perform the deadlift, you need to stabilize your body and flex your core as much as possible. This will create a rigid structure that protects you from injuries and will help you maintain good form. Here are some variations to try.

Single leg deadlifts:

The same rules apply except this will be a lot harder. Focus on putting a lot of pressure on your foot as you elevate the other foot up. You should bend at the hips and slowly descend rather than collapse. A good analogy for this is to think of the way a pair of scissors opens up, you want to maintain good form through the movement without breaking.

Romanian deadlifts:

These are great for targeting the hamstring and glutes. You can use a resistance band or dumbbells. Slowly descend while maintaining a neutral spine and come back up while keeping your legs stiff.

Sumo deadlifts:

There are two forms of deadlifts, the conventional and sumo deadlifts. Both of these are excellent choices for lower body exercises at home and it’s all about preference. To perform the sumo deadlift, spread your feet outside of shoulder width and bend at the knee. Use some resistance bands, kettlebells, or dumbbells held with your hand between your legs to feel the tension.

Glute bridges:

Bridges are an excellent choice for developing strong glutes. They isolate the glute muscle and they can be performed at home with any form of resistance. To do the glute bridge, lay your back on an elevated surface such as a chair or bench while your feet are stable on the ground. Lower your hips all the way down and raise them back up for a squeeze at the very top.

Calf raises:

Don’t forget about the calf muscles when doing your lower body workouts at home. The calf muscle is a combination of two muscles, the soleus, and the gastrocnemius. These two muscles are quite developed already and they need high rep ranges. Anything between 15 to 20 reps will be excellent. To do calf raises, all you have to do is to place the balls of your feet on the edge of a step such as stairs. To start, lower yourself while only using your feet and come back up for a good squeeze. You should feel a stretch at the very bottom and a good contraction at the top. Make sure that you keep your knees locked and don’t rush the movement. You can use a form of resistance such as weights or a resistance band to make the exercise more challenging.