Leg day forms a crucial part of a lot of gym-goers routines, however with such a vast array of exercises and Gym Leg Machines available, it can be hard to know how to train, and just as easy to miss out parts of the legs you thought you were working. In this article, we will break down the legs into their various muscle sets and provide effective compound and isolation exercises for each.

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Which Exercises Target the Glutes?

The glutes are a powerful group of muscles found at the upper rear of the leg (known as the buttocks), and comprise the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. They are responsible for supporting the hips, stabilising the pelvis, and moving the upper leg upwards. They contribute to very strong lower-body strength, and help with running, walking and climbing the stairs with good posture.

Compound Exercises for Glutes

There are a mass of leg exercises that place load on the glutes. Some of the best compound examples include the barbell squat, conventional barbell deadlift, deficit deadlift, good mornings and the Romanian deadlift (dumbbell or barbell). Hip thrusts are great for glutes, too!

Isolation Exercises for Glutes

Great ways to isolate your glutes include barbell or bodyweight glute bridges and standing cable glute kickbacks.

Which Exercises Target the Hip Abductors?

The hip abductors help move your leg outward (away from your body) and stabilise your hips during movements such as walking, running and turning on the spot/pivoting. They are in the upper thigh, adjoining to the buttocks. Weak abductors can often cause issues with lower body mechanics, so it’s crucial not to miss these out of your routine.

Compound Exercises for Hip Abductors

Common compound movements that work your hip abductors hard include most deadlift variations, Bulgarian split squats and side lunges.

Isolation Exercises for Hip Abductors

Great isolation exercises for the hip abductors include cable abductions using an ankle strap, side-lying leg raises, or (and possibly most popular), seated hip abductions using an Abductor Machine.

Which Exercises Target the Adductors?

Your adductor muscles are a group of muscles located in the thigh. They are responsible for moving your leg inwards, and aid in postural correctness. Strong adductor muscles assist in stabilising your hip and pelvis in both exercise and non-exercise capacities. They help during explosive and plyometric movements such as box jumps and step ups.

Compound Exercises for Adductors

Most leg exercises performed with a wide stance will be effective in targeting your adductors. Sumo deadlifts and squats are great examples, as well as side lunges (bodyweight, banded or with weights), and a wide-stance Bulgarian split squat can be very effective, too. Hip thrusts are less commonly adopted but very effective when performed correctly.

Isolation Exercises for Adductors

The most popular isolation exercise for hip adductor strength and toning is the seated hip adduction machine. If you’re looking for a bodyweight exercise, you can perform a side lying hip adduction (also known as the inner thigh squeeze). If you’re looking for a middle-ground, attach an ankle strap to a cable stack, and give standing hip adductions a go.

Which Exercises Target the Quads?

The quads are a group of muscles found at the front of the thigh and are the biggest muscle group in the body. They help with tasks such as running, jumping, climbing stairs, and stabilising and providing power through the leg for lots of strength related activities.

Compound Exercises for Quads

Some of the best compound activities for the quads include the front squat, leg press, hack squat and split squat. Deadlifting in either a conventional or sumo stance can also grow and strengthen the quads.

Isolation Exercises for Quads

Great exercises for isolating the quads include leg extensions with either a machine or a band, and squat variations such as the sissy or pendulum squat. Wall sits are also great for quad development, too.

Which Exercises Target the Hamstrings?

The hamstrings, found at the back of the thigh are built up of three muscles. These play a crucial role in flexion of the knee, and extension through the hip. They assist in walking, running, bending and providing power and stability while lifting, and balance during dynamic movements. Strong hamstrings have the potential to improve your performance and power delivery as an athlete, in situations such as lifting and climbing.

Compound Exercises for Hamstrings

The hamstrings are involved in many compound movements. Some of the best for strength gains include the conventional deadlift, good mornings, Bulgarian split squats and RDLs. For explosive power, Kettlebell swings provide a great option that can be done almost anywhere.

Isolation Exercises for Hamstrings

It’s easy to isolate the hamstrings, and most gyms offer several options to achieve this. Some of the most popular isolation exercises include the seated or lying leg curl (both performed on machines). Leg curls can also be performed standing, using cables if your gym doesn’t have a leg curl machine. If you fancy something more challenging, give Nordic curls a try!

What Exercises Target the Tibs?

The tibialis muscles, located in the lower leg, are divided into the anterior, which enables dorsiflexion (lifting the foot), and the posterior, which supports the arch and aids in plantarflexion (pointing the toes). Both are essential for ankle stability, balance, and overall lower body movement, including walking, running, and exercise. Alongside the calves, they also act as shock absorbers.

Compound Exercises for Tibs

Sled pushes can be a fun way to improve tibialis strength, endurance and stability. Stair climbs are also great and can be done weighted or unweighted. Combine this with cardio box jumps for a high-energy, low equipment, explosive movement great for improving tibialis stability.

Isolation Exercises for Tibs

To isolate and strengthen your tibialis anterior muscles, you can perform tib raises with a tib developer bar or Tib Machine, toe walks or reverse calf raises. For the tibialis posterior muscles, try single-leg arch raises or tibialis posterior heel raises.

What Exercises Target the Calves?

Found at the back of the leg, the calf muscles (built up of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles), help provide stability to the ankle via the Achilles tendon, absorb shock, and can increase lower body agility and athletic performance. They are crucial for generating power in daily movement and exercises such as walking, running, jumping or cycling. Strong calves can reduce injury risk, through increased stability and stronger muscle fibres. Calves are also relatively easy to train, with lots of exercises available.

Compound Exercises for Calves

Some effective ways to train the calf muscles include weighted sled pushes, or farmers walk on your toes. Exercises like sandbag to shoulder also work your calves hard, especially when enforcing a big triple extension.

Isolation Exercises for Calves

To isolate your calf muscles, you can perform seated calf raises, standing smith machine calf raises, single leg calf raises, donkey calf raises or resistance band calf flexion.

Which Exercises Strengthen the Ankles?

Strong and stable ankles positively impact sports performance, as well as supporting movements such as walking, running, jumping and squatting. They are often missed out of training routines as they are either forgotten, or people are just unsure how to train them correctly and effectively.

Compound Exercises for Ankles

Ankles are crucial to stability, and training things as simple as skipping with a jump rope can be a fun, easy and scalable way to incorporate ankle strengthening into your routine. Other exercises include heel-raised squats, walking lunges, sled pushes and farmers walks.

Isolation Exercises for Ankles

Many of the isolation options are a byproduct of training the calf muscles. Seated or standing calf raises are great for targeting the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles, in turn aiding the performance and stability of the ankle. Resistance band ankle dorsiflexion can also be performed, as well as ankle inversion and eversion, for pure ankle isolation.

Which Exercises Strengthen the Knees?

The knees connect the thigh (femur) to the shin (tibia) and enable bending, straightening, and rotation. They support body weight, absorb impact alongside the calves, ankles, and tibialis muscles, and facilitate movements like walking, running, squatting, and jumping. Strong, healthy knees enhance sports performance by improving balance, control, power transfer, agility, and stability.

Compound Exercises for Knees

The knees are involved in many lower-body exercises and can be easily strengthened. Effective movements that build the knees, and in a lot of cases the posterior chain include squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, and leg presses. With minimal or basic gym equipment, knee training is both accessible and effective.

Isolation Exercises for Knees

Isolation of the knees can be achieved through terminal knee extensions (TKEs), thigh contractions, wall squats and leg lifts. These prove a great way to build knee strength, can be done anywhere, and are often used in rehabilitation programs for knee injuries. Combine these with the compound exercises above for stronger, healthier knees.

Your Stronger Legs Start Here

Training legs can feel daunting or confusing, and with the number of exercises, techniques, machines and muscle groups to think about, this can lead to people forgoing leg days or feeling confused as to what to train and when. Rest assured; many people say there is no better endorphin rush than a good leg day. Add to this that a strong lower body improves physique, makes daily tasks easier, and can bolster your athletic performance both in and out of the gym, next time you debate it, don’t skip leg day. Embrace it!

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Tags: Exercise Type > Strength