BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building Buff Legs

April 23, 2009 by Tisha Tolar  
Filed under Bodybuilding

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Building nice, shapely, buff legs is an integral part of any exercise or bodybuilder regimen. It will give your lower body a muscular, curvier appearance and enhance the overall look of your body. You want to add definition and tone to your legs plus build strength.

There are five basic exercises you can perform regularly to build great legs. The results of these exercises will be rather quick if done consistently. Here are the five basics to include in your workout to focus on your legs:

Walking Uphill
This exercise is great for cardio training, while at the same time toning the legs and glutes at the same time. As you move uphill, you are working out the leg muscles, making them stronger and more shapely. It is highly recommended that you perfomr the proper amount of stretching before and after this exercise, as keeping legs in motion for more than 30 minutes can cause cramping, stiffness, and pain, especially if you are just starting out.
Step Ups
To perform this exercise, you will need a bench or a box to step up on. Holding dumbbells in each hand, take one leg and place it on the bench and use it to bring the other leg up. You can step back down in the reverse manner. You can also use the opposite foot which you started with, and start stepping down. Continue to switch feet after you have completed each set to keep balanced.

Full Squats
Perform a full squat with feet shoulder-length apart and squat down as far as you can go, keeping dumbbells in your hand or using a barbell across the back. As you get comfortable in doing the exercise, try intensifying the routine by pausing for a second or two before rising to full standing position.

One-Legged Split Squats
Using a bench, prop one leg behind you on a bench while standing with your other leg straight underneath you. Hold dumbbells at your side, bending the leg you are standing on slowly, moving into the squat position. Go as low as you can comfortably and then rise up to re-straighten your leg again in standing position. Do as many sets as you can on one foot and then switch to the other leg. To target your quad area, keep your standing leg directly underneath your center and if you want to work the hamstrings, keep your standing leg even farther away from the bent leg behind you.

Raised Dead Lifts
Using a barbell or set of dumbbells, stand with your feet raised on a board or other surface. Lifting the barbells or dumbbells up, the tension you have created with your raised feet will increase the exercise’s intensity, developing your hamstring muscles.

It is recommended that you do not perform all of these exercises during the same session or you may be come strained and overtrained. It is better to rotate these exercises throughout your regimen for more productive workout and better looking, stronger legs.