5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Leg Workouts

Updated on 6/22/2018 at 1:15 AM

POPSUGAR Photography | Kat Borchart

When you first start incorporating strength training into your workouts, every session can feel like a discovery of muscles you never even knew you had. After a while you'll find that your body adapts to what you're doing, and unless you switch your routine up, you run the risk of plateauing and not sculpting your body to the level you want.

If your workouts aren't challenging you in the way you're used to or forcing you to push yourself, try these five simple tips that'll make your leg day a lot more effective.

Work Each Leg at a Time

Doing single-leg exercises like step-ups, split squats, and donkey kicks ensures you work each leg equally and not relying on one more than the other.

Turn Up the Cardio

Incorporating plyometric moves will not only add the benefit of fat-burning cardio, it will also help stimulate the muscles a little more. Try jogging on the spot or cross jacks.

Perfect Your Form

It doesn't matter how many squats or lunges you do if your form is bad. Not only will your muscles not develop the way you want, you're also making yourself susceptible to injury. Get back to basics and perfect your form by watching yourself in the mirror or filming yourself.

Increase Intensity

Never mind how much you think you hate squats — your body loves a challenge! If you have your form down and are comfortable with weights, try pushing yourself by adding another set, upping your weights, pushing yourself to get deeper into the move, or slowing down your reps so you feel every muscle expand and contract.

Stretch

That 10-minute burst of cardio you're doing before a strength-training session might not be doing the trick at limbering your leg muscles up. While you shouldn't stop doing it altogether, try to make quick leg and hip stretches a daily habit. It's important to regularly show your legs some love with yoga and stretches, especially if you sit down all day.