The Best Leg Day Workout That's Adjustable for Beginner and Intermediate Levels

Jul 23, 2023

If you are looking for a relatively easy leg day, with more than half of the volume made up of cardiovascular training rather than actual leg exercises, this is a good one to use as a stepladder to more intense leg days in the future.

Too many people dive into fitness activities after a long hiatus of sedentary behavior and wind up in the hurt locker for several days. When doing anything new, remember that if you have not done the exercises in a long time, you will be sore.

But there are innovative ways to mitigate the pain of doing too much, too soon, without a proper foundation of fitness. Consider this workout more foundational in its approach to fitness and health, but even this can be relatively difficult depending on current fitness levels. Adjust accordingly.

This warmup has a more challenging option, but these exercises are foundational and essential to life, as we all need to walk stairs and sit down and stand up from chairs:

OR

This squat half-pyramid is one of my favorite warmups prior to doing anything that involves leg movement. From lifting, calisthenics, running and biking, this warmup can be altered depending on your abilities. If you do a half-pyramid from 1-10, this equals 55 squats.It looks like this:

This 55-squat warmup can be cut in half if that is too much for you. Going up to level 5 of that half-pyramid is 15 squats and will significantly increase your blood flow and body temperature (aka warming up).The meat of the workout is adjustable to fit different fitness levels. Just limit the number of sets and select the lower-repetition range that you do with this cardio leg exercise circuit. See below.

Repeat 3-5 times

Run/walk/bike for 5 minutes

Pick 1 exercise option for each set: (Calisthenics or add dumbbells)

The exercise selection above can be as easy as a walk or bike or as challenging as a fast run or Tabata interval on any cardio machine (20-second sprint/10 second easy).20-second sprint/10 second easy).

Air squats are non-weighted, but you can add weight if you prefer and are able. If you struggle with squats, consider holding onto something or using a suspension trainer like rings or a TRX to take some weight off your legs by pulling yourself against the bands.

Lunges may be difficult, but you can do more reps and add weight if they are not. Do the same with bands and holding onto something if you need to make lunges easier.

Wall Sit is a challenging isometric exercise where you lean against a wall pretending to be sitting in a chair. Try as long as you can and stand up when you need rest.

Step-ups can be as easy as walking up/down a stair step or as tricky as carrying weight in your hand stepping up on a much higher bench or step.

Farmer walks are simple walks while carrying something in one hand. Try to carry something like luggage or a 20-lb. dumbbell and walk straight. If that is easy, try it up and down a flight of stairs.

If you are a beginner, pick one exercise in each set. If you are intermediate level, consider doing more sets of the circuit above, adding more than one leg exercise in the group of options above, and repeating some of the above exercises.

Walk/jog or bike cooldown. Try 1 minute fast and 1 minute slow for 10 to 20 minutes. Ending a resistance training session with some easy cardio is a great way to help loosen the legs and reduce post-exercise soreness.

If you have not done a leg day in a while, consider reducing the number of sets from 5 to 2 or 3, as doing something new for a relatively significant volume can lead to post-exercise muscle soreness that will make doing anything else more appealing than doing another workout anytime soon.

-- Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to [email protected].

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