Lower Body Exercises for Toning and Strength

Lower-body workouts are as important as upper-body exercises since they round out your workout and result in a proportionally built physique. Having a strong lower body also means you will have a better posture and stability. Lower body workouts target muscle groups like the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves as well as muscles of the lower back.

Let us look at some of the best lower body workouts you can include in your workout routine.

The Best Lower Body Workouts

The next time you head to the gym, have a go at some of the following lower-body workouts.

Squats

Squats are the quintessential lower-body exercise that should be a part of any exercise routine. They target the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and calf muscles like few other exercises can. Squats are versatile since they can be suitably adjusted for any fitness level. Experts can perform weighted squats while beginners can use traditional squats to get a powerful lower body. Squats use your body weight and no other equipment. Hence, they can be effectively done even at home.

Steps to perform squats:

– Stand with your feet as wide as your hips

– Clasp your hands together and raise them in front of you for balance

– Now lower your hips by bending your knees to start the squat

– Lower yourself till your thighs are parallel to the floor

– Stop and raise yourself back to full height, then repeat

Deadlifts

The other highly popular and effective workout that targets the lower back is the deadlift. It is a staple exercise that fitness enthusiasts use to strengthen their glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. They’re performed using a barbell with a suitable weight.

– Keep a barbell in front of you and stand with feet hip-width apart

– Bend down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip

– Keep your back straight and lift the barbell

– Raise the weights to your hips and ensure your body is straight

– Lower the weights back to the ground

– Repeat for a suitable number of reps

Lunges

Lunges remain one of the best exercises to tone leg muscles and increase strength. Forward lunges target the quadriceps whereas reverse lunges target the glutes and hamstrings. Again, Lunges do not require any equipment and thus can be done at home for a superb leg workout.

– Start by standing on both feet and take a step forward with one leg

– Lower yourself by bending your knees to 90 degrees

– Ensure that the back knee is hovering just above the ground

– Push forward on your front knee to get back up and repeat

Step Ups

Step-ups are another excellent leg exercise that mimics stair climbing with great results. You would need a bench or step to perform this workout. Step-ups target the hamstrings, quadriceps, and glutes.

– Stand in front of a sturdy bench or step

– Step on the bench with one foot and then take the either knee up

– Step down and then repeat the same movement with your other leg

Glute Bridges

Glute bridges are an isolation exercise that target the gluteal muscles of the buttocks. They result in a firm and well-defined back. If you want to develop your entire lower body including your buttocks, you must include glue bridges in your workout routine. Here’s how you can perform glute bridges.

– Lie down on your back and fold your knees

– Keep your feet flat against the ground

– Lift your hips towards the ceiling while keeping your back and  your feet firmly planted

– Lower your hips down again but don’t touch the ground

– Repeat the steps for your desired number of reps

All of the above workouts are very effective for lower-body strengthening and development. Sometimes, fitness enthusiasts make the mistake of focusing only on their upper bodies while neglecting the leg muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. This can create a disproportionate body with weak lower-body muscles.

To ensure that your lower body also gets enough exercise, include one or two dedicated days for working on your leg and butt muscles like quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Get the FITPASS app and find the best gym near you in Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and other cities to practice lower-body workouts today.

FAQs for Schema

What are good lower body exercises?

Some excellent lower-body workouts include squats, lunges, deadlifts, step-ups, glute bridges, box jumps, calf raises, and leg presses.

How do I tone my lower body?

To tone your lower body, include dedicated days in your fitness routine to engage in exercises that target muscles of the lower body like quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, etc.

How can I strengthen my lower body without equipment?

There are plenty of lower body exercises that can be done at home using only your body weight and no other extra equipment. Some of these workouts include squats, lunges, step-ups, glute bridges, etc.