Leg Day is one of the holiest days on the weekly fitness calendar. It's a punishing yet sacred ritual that separates serious lifters from asparagus-legged gym bros curling in the squat rack, equipped with an endless archive of excuses as to why they can't train legs today ('I've got too many Instagram notifications to respond to', 'I'm still sore from my last leg workout...which was my first leg workout').
While most gyms are either closed or just beginning to reopen, chicken legs have been a pandemic for decades, which is why you should still be hitting hardcore leg workouts at home!
Chase the perfect pandemic leg pump with this lower body workout you can do from your lounge room, bedroom or background. If you're one of the lucky few able to head back to the gym, add a dumbbell or barbell to these exercises!
Check out our Ryderwear athlete Kwame Duah taking you through two challenging supersets and a lower body finisher.
Kwame’s Bodyweight Leg Workout
Superset 14 Rounds
1, ¼ Sumo Squat (Slow Eccentric) x 15
In a wide stance, hinge at the hips and bend at the knees, focusing on keeping your chest up and elbows back. With your knees tracking in line with your feet, aim to lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel with the ground or lower for a count of 3. Once the bottom of your squat has been reached, engage your glutes and quads to push the floor away from you to complete a single pulse rep at the bottom of your squat, making sure not to let your knees cave inwards. Once your pulse rep is complete, return to the starting position.
Split Squat (Slow Eccentric) x 30
Keep your whole front foot planted, while lowering your back knee as close to the ground as possible without it touching for a count of 3. Keep your chest and shoulders facing forward as well as keeping your knee and ankle in line with each other and bring yourself back up to the starting position.
Superset 2
4 Rounds
Banded Squat x 15
Set your feet shoulder width apart, with your toes slightly pointing out. With your knees tracking in line with your feet, aim to lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel with the ground or lower, making sure to keep your chest up. From this position, engage your glutes and quads to push the floor away from you and return to the start position, making sure not to let your knees cave inwards.
SL Glute Bridge x 30
Lie on your back, plant one foot on the ground and thrust your hips upward by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings. Keep your working foot planted at all stages throughout the exercise.
Lower Body Finisher
3 Rounds
1, ¼ Squat x 20
Hinge at the hips and bend at the knees, focusing on keeping your chest up and elbows back. With your knees tracking in line with your feet, aim to lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel with the ground or lower. Once the bottom of your squat has been reached, engage your glutes and quads to push the floor away from you to complete a single pulse rep at the bottom of your squat, making sure not to let your knees cave inwards. Once your pulse rep is complete, return to the starting position.
