Gym workouts

Gym leg day workout

6 exercises 20 sets about 45 min a full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines

A complete lower body session: a squat for the quads and glutes, a hinge for the hamstrings, single-leg work to even out the two sides, and calves to finish.

With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.

Start this workout free Creates your account with these 6 exercises already loaded. Free to log, no card.

The workout

  1. Squat4 × 8Brace, sit down between your hips to at least parallel, and drive up through the whole foot.2 min rest
  2. Romanian Deadlift3 × 10Soft knees. Push your hips back and slide the bar down your thighs until your hamstrings stop you.90 s rest
  3. Leg Press3 × 10Feet shoulder-width on the platform. Lower until your knees pass 90 degrees and do not lock out hard.90 s rest
  4. Leg Extension3 × 12Straighten your knees fully, hold the top for a second and lower over three seconds.60 s rest
  5. Leg Curl3 × 12Keep your hips pressed into the pad and curl as far as the machine allows. Lower slowly.60 s rest
  6. Standing Calf Raise4 × 15Balls of your feet on a step. Drop your heels all the way, rise as high as you can and pause.60 s rest

Muscles worked

TrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalvesTrapsShouldersChestBicepsForearmsObliquesAbsAbsAbsAbsQuadsAdductorsCalves
Front
TrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalvesTrapsShouldersUpper backLatsLower backTricepsForearmsGlutesHamstringsCalves
Back
  • Quads10
  • Glutes8.5
  • Hamstrings8
  • Calves5.5
  • Lower back3.5
  • Adductors3.5
  • Abs2

Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.

How to run it

Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.

Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches the target.

Once or twice a week. In a push, pull, legs rotation it is the third day; in an upper and lower split it alternates with the upper body session.

If something is taken

  • Squat→Goblet Squat
  • Leg Press→Front Squat
  • Leg Extension→Walking Lunge

Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.

In myreplog

  1. It is already set up. These 6 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
  2. Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
  3. Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
  4. See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.

Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.

Questions

How long does this leg day workout take?

About 45 minutes. That is 20 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.

What muscles does it work?

Mostly the quads, glutes and hamstrings. The calves, lower back, adductors and abs assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.

What equipment do I need?

A full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.

How long should leg day take?

Around an hour including warm-up sets. Legs are the largest muscles you have, so the rests between heavy sets need to be longer than on an arm day.

Why are my legs so sore after leg day?

Squats and lunges load the muscle while it lengthens, which is what causes soreness, and the leg muscles are large. It fades as the session becomes familiar, usually within two or three weeks.

More gym workouts

Gym Full Body Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Upper Body Workout7 exercises · 55 min Gym Push Day6 exercises · 45 min Gym Pull Day6 exercises · 50 min Gym Chest and Triceps Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Back and Biceps Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulders and Arms Workout7 exercises · 50 min Gym Chest Workout5 exercises · 40 min Gym Back Workout6 exercises · 50 min Gym Shoulder Workout6 exercises · 45 min Gym Arm Workout6 exercises · 40 min Gym Glute Workout5 exercises · 40 min Gym Ab Workout6 exercises · 30 min
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