Build Stronger Legs with Bodyweight Only
I’m not gonna lie, I love long, meandering workouts. I like them much more than short ones.
But the problem is that while I might do more things in a long workout, I accomplish more things in a short workout.
This is why, despite my love of every shiny new exercise I find, I do my level best to leave out all but a chosen few that I truly need to reach my goals. Same thing goes for when I write programs for my students: they’re as to-the-point as possible.
And guess what?
When the time comes to play with those shiny, flashy exercises again, they’re always more proficient at them anyway. Win-win.
So when it comes to a very important and oft-overlooked area for bodyweight training — your legs — how can you make them stronger without succumbing to the siren song of super heavy added weight or high volume and STILL make appreciable gains in your leg strength?
The answer is simple: choose a variation that challenges you and also has a major carryover into other similar exercises, and (this is the most important part) can be done effectively in a minimum of time.
For a lower body of wrought iron forged with naught but your own fair flesh, there are 3 must-do exercises to get you there:
#1: The Step Up
While the pistol squat (one-legged squat done with your non-working leg held out in front of you) is typically revered as the go-to bodyweight exercise for strong legs (and is indeed a favorite of mine) the fact is that they are pretty tough for most people to do, and if those are your only option for single-leg strength, you may be SOL.
Enter the Step Up.
Far less technically demanding than pistols yet very similarly good at building some real-world single-leg strength, Step Ups are a must.
Not only that, but they were even a favorite of one of the strongest men who ever lived, Paul Anderson, who would toss them into his own training to beef up his already insanely powerful legs.
#2: Hamstring Curls
Hamstring curls are mysteriously overlooked by most iron rats — and that’s a damn shame considering how many of them end up with no shortage of knee problems over the course of their training life.
Because our hamstrings are responsible not JUST for hip extension (think kettlebell swings) but also knee flexion, fitting these into your training will not just make your knees feel light years better, but will also likely jack your squatting and lunging strength way, way up.
#3: Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts help strengthen your glutes through a full range of motion, and work like crazy for increasing your lower body pulling strength — for swings, deadlifts, snatches, etc. — and provide a fantastic platform for increased squatting, lunging, and sprinting strength as well.
“Aleks, that’s great, but how do I put it all into a workout?”
I thought you’d never ask, my little friend.
As you might imagine there are about as many ways to program these exercises as there are variations of them, but if you’re a total beginner, here’s what I would do: alternate the exercises in on-the-minute format and keep your workouts short.
For example, at the top of every minute, alternate the exercises as listed below:
A1) Hamstring curl — 5–8 reps, rest for the remainder of the minute
A2) Hip thrust — 8–10 reps, rest for the remainder of the minute
A3) Step ups — 3–5 per leg, rest for the remainder of the minute
The above is one round. Repeat this for 3–5 total rounds, hobble over to the showers, and call it a day.
Another great way to strengthen your legs with (almost) no equipment?
With the movements found in my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge.
It consists of some simple, easy-to-learn movements that I can almost guarantee you’ve NEVER done (including crawling, loaded carries, etc) and as the name implies, it only takes 9 minutes to do.
Not only does it fit neatly at the end of whatever other routine you’re currently doing anyway (so no need to put your regular training on hold), but many people have found that it actually enhances their workouts.
Have a look-see at what a gent named Deo had to say when he added my 9-Minute Kettlebell & Bodyweight Challenge into his current kettlebell program:
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“Simple on paper but surprisingly challenging in an unusually pleasant way. With a focus on the gait pattern, I can tell I’m working things in my body that aren’t being directly challenged otherwise, strengthening foundational elements. I finish feeling refreshed and not beat down, but still knowing I did quality work for my body.”
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Check it out for yourself at www.9MinuteChallenge.com
Have fun and happy training!
Aleks “The Hebrew Hammer” Salkin
