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Full-body routinesare great and all, but theres just something special about leg day.
Katie Thompson / Amanda K Bailey
A solid leg workout plan gives you a chance to challenge some of your biggest and strongest muscles.
So whats the best program to get it done?
This isnt a case where more equals better.
Katie Thompson
What muscles should you work during leg day?
The core stabilizes and supports all lower-body movements, Artzi tells SELF.
What kind of exercises should you include in a leg workout?
Katie Thompson
The direction in which you move matters too.
A plane of motion essentially refers to the direction your body moves in.
We live in a world that requires us to move in all three planes, Ortega explains.
Katie Thompson
How many exercises, sets, and reps should you do in your leg workout?
An effective leg-day workout routine can have just four or five exercises, Artzi says.
You dont need a long list of exercisesjust work on form, intensity, and progression.
Katie Thompson
This is a nice way to set yourself up to work until fatigue as opposed to failure.
In between sets, rest around 60 seconds.
For hypertrophy, or building muscle mass, aim for three sets of 12 reps with moderately heavy weights.
Katie Thompson
When youre lifting this heavy, rest between sets should be in the three to five minute range.
Whats a good leg day schedule?
Again, this depends on your goals and experience.
Katie Thompson
Torde and Artzi agree that two days per week is a good leg-day schedule for many people.
(Theres something to be said for going into the strength portion of your session with fresh legs.)
Whats an example of a good leg day workout?
Katie Thompson
Using the experts advice, we put together a couple sample leg-day workouts to help you get started.
Do 8-12 reps of each exercise below.
Rest for 60 to 90 seconds after each set.
Katie Thompson
Repeat for a total of 3 sets, then go onto the next exercise.
Do 8-12 reps of each exercise below.
Rest for 60 to 90 seconds after each set.
Repeat for a total of 3 sets, then go onto the next exercise.
Repeat for a total of 3 sets.
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