Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by
Are you sick and tired of doing the same exercises over and over again? Searching for a new leg exercise routine? Look no further! These are my favorite leg exercises for weight gain. They’ll not only help you build muscle faster, but also lose fat fast as well.
Leg exercises for weight gain have been under-utilized by bodybuilders who usually focus on upper body workouts to help them with muscle gains. This is unfortunate because, in the end they spend a lot of time and energy working out their chest and biceps but end up with stick thin legs. This kind of imbalance should not be tolerated as it can lead to health complications.
Leg Exercises For Weight Gain
Diet and exercise are just as important if you want to gain weight as they are for losing weight.
And there are plenty of exercises and lifestyle changes you can make to help bulk up your legs.
Read on to learn how to get bigger legs through exercise, what exercises to avoid, and how you can modify your diet and lifestyle.
How to get bigger legs through exercise
Squats

Squats are meant to increase muscle bulk in your legs and butt. Squats are best for building quad muscles (the quadriceps femoris in the upper leg).
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
- Place each hand on each hip and tighten your stomach muscles.
- Slowly bend your legs and keep your torso straight like you’re trying to sit down.
- Move down until you’re in a sitting position and your upper legs are parallel to the ground.
- Stay in this position for at least 10 seconds
- Slowly stand back up, keeping your torso straight.
- Repeat as many times as is comfortable for you.
Lunges

Lunges are also good for legs and butt muscles.
- Stand and tighten your stomach muscles.
- Move one leg forward like you’re stepping forward.
- Lean ahead like you’re about to kneel so that each knee is at a 90-degree angle.
- Put weight back onto your heel to return to your original stance.
- Repeat on one leg as many times as is comfortable.
- Repeat on your other leg.
Calf raises

This exercise is simple and helps bulk up calf muscles in your lower legs.
- Stand upright somewhere flat with your feet facing forward and your stomach muscles flexed. For an extra challenge, you can also stand on a slightly raised ledge using the front half of your feet (see above).
- Raise up on the front of your feet like you’re trying to stand on the tips of your toes.
- Stay in that position for a few seconds.
- Slowly return to your original position.
- Repeat as many times as is comfortable.
Leg presses

This one requires a leg press machine or similar gym equipment, but it can help you target specific areas in your legs that are otherwise hard to work out.
- Sit on the machine with your feet flat on the press. Some equipment is designed where you sit in a partially reclined position or even lie on your back.
- Slowly and carefully push the press away from you with your whole foot while keeping your head and back stable. Don’t just use your heels or toes.
- Hold for a moment without locking your knees.
- Slowly bring the leg press back down toward you.
- Repeat as many times as is comfortable.
To get bigger legs, avoid these exercises
Try to avoid or limit any aerobic and cardio exercises such as running or swimming. These exercises help reduce extra fat and shape your muscles over time, but they’ll work against you if you want to bulk up.
You can still do cardio or aerobics in small amounts to help tone muscles and shave off any excess weight on top of muscles, though. This can help you get definition in your legs for the shape or look you want.
What to eat to bulk up
Here are some foods to eat and some to avoid while you’re trying to bulk up your legs. Some of the best foods for bulking upTrusted Source:
- meats like sirloin steak, pork tenderloin, chicken breast, and tilapia
- dairy like cheese, yogurt, and low fat milk
- grains like oatmeal, quinoa, and whole-grain breads
- fruits like bananas, grapes, watermelon, and berries
- starchy vegetables like potatoes, lima beans, and cassava
- vegetables like spinach, cucumber, zucchini, and mushrooms
- nuts and seeds like walnuts, chia seeds, and flax seeds
- legumes like lentils and black beans
- cooking oils like olive oil and avocado oil
Supplements map help increase the effectiveness of your bulking exercises and sustain a long-term workout plan, but understand that they’re not closely monitored for safety or efficacy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
- whey protein mixed into water or protein shakes to increase your protein intake each day
- creatine monohydrate to energize your muscles for extra long or intense workouts
- caffeine to help give you extra energyTrusted Source for increasing the length or intensity of your workouts
Foods to limit or avoid
Here are some foods you should try to limit if you’re trying to bulk up, especially right before or after a workout:
- alcohol, which can reduce your ability to build muscle if you drink too much of it at onceTrusted Source or over time
- fried foodsTrusted Source like french fries, chicken strips, or onion rings, which can cause inflammation or digestive and cardiac conditions
- artificial sweetener or sugars in sweets and baked goods like cookies, ice cream, and sugary beverages like soda and even electrolyte-enhanced drinks like Gatorade
- foods high in fat like beef or heavy creams
- foods high in fiber like cauliflower and broccoli

Lifestyle changes
Here are some lifestyle changes you can make to help increase the effectiveness of your workouts and stay healthy overall:
- Sleep regularly for 7 to 9 hours around the same time every day.
- Reduce stress by meditating, listening to music, or doing your favorite hobbies.
- Decrease or eliminate alcohol use and smoking. Quitting can be difficult, but a doctor can help create a cessation plan that works for you.
- Don’t push yourself too hard. Take it slow so that you don’t rush in and injure yourself or become too fatigued. Start small and add an extra rep or minute when you think you’re ready.
The Best Bulking Leg Workouts: 10 Must-Do Exercises

Building bigger legs and gaining muscle is one of the main reasons why so many lifters undergo a bulking period. Increased calories often allow for increased training volume, frequencies, and recovery.
When looking to gain serious leg size during a bulking process, it is recommended to stick to compound movements like squats, hinges (stiff leg deadlifts), and exercises that allow for a high amount of muscle stimulus and fatigue without impeding your ability to recover. Training frequency is often a key factor in gaining size during a bulk.
In short, the more you can train, and recover from that training properly (smart programming and eating enough food), the more you can train, which means the more you can repeat this muscle-building princess.
In this article, I’ll review 10 must-do leg exercises if you’re wanting to build bigger legs while bulking. Additionally, I’ll discuss five training techniques that work for beginners and advanced lifers alike to take each of these exercises to the next level. Lastly, I’ll share three leg workouts you can do to gain size and strength in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
10 Must-Do Leg Exercises for Building Bigger Legs
Below are 10 of the best leg exercises to build bigger legs for any level of lifter:
- Back Squats
- Front Squats
- Hack Squats
- Leg Press
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts
- Goodmornings
- Machine Hamstring Curls
- Machine Leg Extensions
- Bulgarian Split Squats
- Walking Lunges
For best results, be sure to perform the below exercises with the training techniques discussed in the next section.
BACK SQUATS

Back squats are king if you are looking to grow bigger legs.
High bar back squats are often used to maximize quadriceps growth as this allows for a more vertical torso positioning and deeper ranges of knee flexion.
Unlike the low bar back squat, the high bar back squat is the ideal choice when looking to squat for bigger quads.
You can use variations like the tempo back squat to further enhance muscle growth of the quads
FRONT SQUATS

The front squat is a squat variation that allows for even greater degrees of knee flexion (deeper knee flexion equates to more quadriceps involvement).
In doing so, like the high bar back squat, you minimize loading on the hamstrings and glutes, as well as the lower back, and in turn, maximize the need for the quadriceps to accommodate the volume and respond (muscle growth).
This can be done with a full grip or arms crossed grip.
HACK SQUATS

The hack squat machine is one of my favorite quad exercises.
This machine isolates the quadriceps and allows for a high amount of loading to be applied. If you do not have access to the machine hack squat, you can use this foam roller hack squat variation (paired with kettlebells or uses for higher reps) later in workouts to finish a quadriceps focused leg day.
I suggest you place your feet as close to underneath you as possible, which will allow you to gain depth in the squat via knee flexion rather than limiting the range of motion or gaining depth via hip flexion (leaning forward), both of which do not equate to efficient quadriceps loading and development.
LEG PRESS

The leg press is a machine for building quad size and strength, however, it is also the one leg machine that nearly everyone does wrong.
Make sure you perform these in the fullest ranges of motion, often maxing out your pain-free knee flexion angles and often using much lower loads that you are used to.
STIFF LEG DEADLIFTS

The stiff leg deadlift is a dominant hamstrings muscle builder.
Unlike the deadlift, it limits the amount of knee flexion and really shifts the loading to the hamstrings (and off the lower back and supporting muscles). While you cannot do as much weight typically as the deadlift, you can still really overload the hamstrings.
For most individuals looking to maximize hamstrings growth, I recommend that they perform stiff leg deadlifts in place of conventional deadlifts as their stimulus to fatigue ratio is more in their favor and stiff leg deadlifts often seem to be less stressful on the lower back when done properly.
If you do not feel you are doing these correctly, be sure you are not committing one of these common stiff-leg deadlift mistakes.
GOODMORNINGS
Barbell goodmornings are a great exercise to build bigger and stronger hamstrings, glutes, and erectors.
This movement is popular among bodybuilders, weightlifters, and powerlifters alike as it not only improves hamstrings and glute muscle growth, but also can aid in back strength necessary for heavy squats (back and front squats) and deadlifts.
Be sure to train this with similar rep ranges as the stiff leg deadlift for best results.
MACHINE HAMSTRING CURLS
Hamstring curls on machines (either lying or seated) are a great way to add additional hamstring training volume without having to load the lower back or hips.
You can do these early in sessions to pre-exhaust the hamstrings before compound lifts, or use it towards the end of a session.
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MACHINE LEG EXTENSIONS
Machine leg extensions are a great way to add additional quadriceps training volume without having to overload the back or hips.
These can be great to do to pre-exhaust the quadriceps prior to compound lifts, or at the end of a session.
BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS
This unilateral leg exercise builds the quadriceps, glutes, and even hamstrings.
The Bulgarian split squat can be done with a variety of equipment and can be done using heavier loads or lighter loads depending on the goal.
Try placing the lead leg on an elevated surface to further increase the range of motion and muscle damage.
WALKING LUNGES

Walking lunges can be done using just about anything; a barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, sandbags, bodyweight, etc.
The key to building bigger legs with walking lunges is to make sure you allow for deep ranges of motion and control throughout the lunge.
Short steps that allow for the knees to go over the toes result in deeper knee flexion angles (which target the quadriceps more).
If you are looking to shift more loading the glutes (and a little hamstrings), bigger steps would be your go to. Either way, these are a great way to wrap up a leg workout and attack the lower body muscles all at once.
5 Training Techniques to Maximize Leg Growth
Below are five training tips and techniques you can use with the above exercises to maximize your muscle growth during your bulk and minimize injury
ELEVATE THE HEELS
Elevating the heels in quadriceps-focused movements allows for deeper degrees of knee flexion to take place, which is exactly what is needed if you want to build thick thighs.
By elevating the heels you minimize the need for hamstring and calf flexibility, and allow for a more vertical squatting or lunging position. In doing so, you shift more loading into the quadriceps.
You can do this by placing small weight plates under the heels or by wearing shoes with an elevated heel. I do not recommend elevating the heel for hamstring-focused exercises.
EMPHASIZE THE FULL RANGE OF MOTION
Training in the fullest range of motion one can do while maintaining a flat or arched back and muscle control is key for maximize muscular stress and tension.
By training in the fullest ranges of motion you are able to load the muscle fibers and place the greatest amount of stress on them while also minimising the need for excessive loading (which may actually contribute to joint pain or nervous system fatigue in more extreme cases).
CONTROL THE ECCENTRIC PHASE
Controlling the lowering phase (eccentric) is a great way to increase tension on the muscle.
Increased tension often leads to greater muscle breakdown and ultimately growth.
By emphasizing the eccentric phase, you also help to maintain proper control throughout the full range of motion which can help minimize injury risks and keep you training (and recovering properly), both of which are key to long term leg growth.
PAUSE AT FULL RANGE OF MOTION
You can also use pauses throughout the range of motion to place extra loading demands and tension on the muscle fibers, you call when in the deepest ranges of motion.
It is important to maintain control and positbal strength (flat back, for example) when pausing, rather than allow the body and muscles to relax.
MINIMIZE MOMENTUM
When it comes to building muscle, more often than not you want to minimize momentum when lifting.
A little body movement from time to time won’t make or break you, but if you are relying on catching the bounce of squats or slamming the bar on the floor during stiff leg deadlifts, there is a strong chance you are sacrificing gains and maximizing injury risks.
Instead, learn to control the lowering aspect of the movement, embrace pauses, and be OK with decreasing the overall amount of weight used for the sake of muscle hypertrophy!
3 Leg Workouts to Build Bigger Legs When Bulking

Below are three leg workouts you can do while bulking to build strength, size, and set the groundwork for a successful strength cycle to come.
QUADRICEPS-FOCUSED WORKOUT
Below is a workout geared to increase muscle growth of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
This workout primary focuses on the quadriceps, and accounts for 50-75% of the weekly training volumes necessary for most individuals to gain size.
This is best paired with the hamstrings-focused workout below to maximize weekly growth.
- Heel Elevated Back Squat: 5 sets of 4-8 reps, with a 2 second eccentric, and 1 second pause
- Barbell High-Bar Good Morning: 4 sets of 6-8 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric
- Leg Press or Hack Squat: 4 sets of 8-12 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric
- Leg Press Calf Extensions: 4 sets of 8-10 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric and 1 second pause
- Walking Lunge: 3-4 sets of 8-10 steps per leg, focusing on deep knee flexion (big steps)
HAMSTRINGS-FOCUSED WORKOUT
Below is a workout geared to increase muscle growth of the hamstring, quadriceps, and calves.
This workout primarily focuses on the hamstrings, and accounts for 50-75% of the weekly training volumes necessary for most individuals to gain size.
This is best paired with the quadriceps workout above to maximize weekly growth.
- Stiff Leg Deadlift: 6 sets of 6-8 reps, with a 2 second eccentric
- Lying Hamstring Curl: 4 sets of 10-15 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric
- Leg Press or Hack Squat: 4 sets of 8-12 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric
- Seated Calf Raise: 4 sets of 12-15 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric and 1 second pause
QUADRICEPS AND HAMSTRINGS FOCUSED WORKOUT
The below workout is a complete lower body workout.
The weekly training volumes are towards the lower end if you are out to gain massive legs during your bulk, however, you can use this in combination with one of the two workouts above or repeat this twice per week.
- Front Foot Elevated Bulgarian Split Squat: 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps, with a 2 second eccentric
- Hack Squat of Leg Press: 4-5 sets of 8-10 reps, with a 2 second eccentric
- Stiff Leg Deadlift: 4-5 sets of 6-8 reps, with a 2 second eccentric
- Lying Hamstring Curl: 3 sets of 15-20 reps, keep rest period short (30 seconds) to increase metabolite build up in the hamstrings
- Machine Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 15-20 reps, keep rest period short (30 seconds) to increase metabolite build up in the quadriceps
- Seated or Standing Machine Calf Extension: 4 sets of 12-15 reps, with a 2-3 second eccentric and 1 second pause at the bottom