Top 11 Calisthenics Legs Exercises

Calisthenics is an excellent kind of exercise for strengthening the leg muscles and improving overall fitness. Read on to learn about the 11 best exercises that improve muscle, strength, mobility, and more.

What Are The Benefits Of Doing Calisthenics Legs Exercises

Diversity

The number of such exercises allows you to choose. You can find the ones for the lower body appropriate for all skill levels. Also, you may tailor your training routine to your current abilities by picking which workouts to practice.

Convenience

These lower body exercises may be done anywhere since they need your body weight, a training bench for certain motions, and a small area to train in.

Building muscles

Contrary to popular belief, calisthenics can greatly enhance the strength of your muscles. However, for good results, several principles must be followed. Leg exercises should be done regularly. Do various leg workouts (isometric, plyometric, etc.). Adopt a set and rep system. You can’t achieve anything without putting in enough effort.

What Muscles Do Calisthenics Leg Exercises Work

The targeted muscles will depend on the particular workout. But in most cases calisthenics exercises load:

• glutes
• quads
• hamstrings

Secondary movements can involve core and pelvic floor muscles, ensuring overall stability during training sessions.

What Are The Best Calisthenics Leg Exercises

• Bodyweight Squat
• Wall Sit
• Lunge
• Reverse Lunge
• 3 Way Lunge
• Pistol Squat
• Jump Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat
• Cossack Squat
• Goblet Squat
• Skater Squat

1. Bodyweight Squat

Stronger legs may be your accomplishment with the help of regular bodyweight squats practice. Squats are excellent for building strength in the thighs, hip flexors, and buttocks. The hamstrings, calves, abs, and lower back all contribute to the effective execution of the workout.

How to do a Bodyweight squat:

• Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, and turn your toes out slightly to open your hip flexors. Keep your chest out, shoulders down and back straight.
• Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Hold on for a while and return to the start by straightening your legs.

2. Wall Sit

Reducing fat and building muscle in the lower body is the goal of wall sits. When you do a wall sit, you use your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. To improve your muscle endurance for activities like running and skiing, try extending the length of time you can stay in a wall sit posture.

How to do a Wall sit:

• Place your back against a wall and take two steps forward.
• Slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your legs straight with your knees bent at a right angle to your ankles.
• Maintain a steady stance by distributing your body weight evenly and firmly, gripping the ground with both feet. Keep your chin tucked as if you were keeping an egg beneath it the whole time. 
• Make sure your shoulders and hips are tensed up, and your abs are tight. 
• Hold the squat for whatever long you choose.

3. Lunge

The lunge is a popular lower-body strength-training staple for a good reason. You can do this exercise anywhere with only enough room to move and some spare time.

Flexor muscles are seldom targeted during workouts. Combined with too much sitting, this will likely produce tightness in that area. Lunges may help you gain flexibility in your legs and hips.

How to do a Lunge:

• Stand up straight with your shoulders back and your arms at your sides.
• While standing on one leg, squat down until your knees form a 90-degree angle.
• Try to maintain one knee on top of the other’s ankle while the other is still raised.
• Always be sure to push off of your heels.

4. Reverse Lunge

It is an excellent lower-body (quad and glute) workout since it increases strength, bulks you up, and enhances your explosive power. Reverse lunges are a terrific alternative to traditional lunges since they are easier on the knees.

How to do a Reverse lunge:

• Spread your feet out to a width equal to your shoulders. Rest your hands on your hips or put them behind your head.
• Take a backward step and bend your leg to form a 90-degree angle with the floor. Maintain a firm torso, a straight back, and a strong chest. 
• Always take a backward stride with your rear leg balanced on the ball of your foot and your knee directly beneath your spine.
• Alter the leg. Exercise your muscles repeatedly. If muscle gain is your goal, you should do things at a slower pace. To improve your explosive power, you need to do your repetitions rapidly.

5. 3-Way Lunge

The three-way lunge is an exercise that emphasizes the quadriceps and strengthens the calf muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. Secondary, it involves hip flexors, outer thigh muscles, and shoulders.

How to do a 3-Way lunge:

• Take a forward step with the right foot, bending at the knees to create a 90-degree angle. Ensure you are at the right angle with your knee. Take a reverse stride backwards.
• Make a squat by stepping to the side with your right foot. Just make sure your left leg is completely straight. Return to the starting position.
• Put your right foot behind you until your right knee practically touches the ground and your legs form a right angle.
• Keep your shoulders back, your core tight, and your back always flat.
• Repeat the routine on your left leg.

6. Pistol Squat

This squat variant is so difficult and effective that it has earned the title of “king of lower body workouts.” Your equilibrium and coordination will be tested to the limit by this exercise. Gaining mastery of the deep hip external rotators is a key benefit of this exercise. It’s also beneficial for balance and correcting any muscle imbalances.

How to do a Pistol squat:

• Keep your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Raise the heel of one foot off the ground.
• Squat down and put one leg forward while extending the other.
• Get back to square one.
• As your strength increases, you may increase the difficulty of your workout by doing it with dumbbells in your hands.

7. Jump Squat

Jump squats are superior to ordinary squats because they boost your explosive power and your upper and lower body strength. It recruits the maximum number of muscle fibers, enabling you to burn lots of calories during the workout. Football players, tennis players, and runners all train for explosive power because it allows for a speedier start and a more sustained rate of forward motion.

How to do a Jump squat:

• Start with your feet wide and your chest up. Feet are shoulder-width apart
• Your butt sits down and back to just above the knee line.
• Drive with your arms up and push off the floor. It should be an explosive movement.
• Land the ground softly. Jump back up.

8. Bulgarian Split Squat

Your quads and glutes will get a great workout if you do this movement correctly. It takes practice to perfect, but the Bulgarian split squat ranks among the most effective compound movements. The exercise boosts lower-body strength, hastens weight reduction, and enhances mobility and flexibility.

How to do a Bulgarian split squat:

• The first step is placing a knee-high platform at a distance of 2-3 feet from your body.
• One foot should be placed on the bench, with the right leg extended behind. Be sure that your hips and shoulders are in a straight line with one another.
• Maintaining a tall posture, slowly bend your right knee toward the floor. Your front knee should be at a 90-degree angle, but any further extension is beneficial.
• Spread your weight out over the whole sole of your foot. Don’t put too much weight on your toes or heels while you exercise.
• Turn around and go back to where you began.

9. Cossack Squat

Building strength and mobility in the legs is a priority for many athletes, and the Cossack squat is a great way to achieve both goals. The quadriceps, adductors, hamstrings, and glutes are the key muscular groups worked.

It’s nice to stretch out your hips, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting. Your leg flexibility will increase significantly with regular exercise.

How to do a Cossack Squat:

• Step to the side and stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Turn your hips in the other direction. Lift one leg and squat on it while gently lowering yourself to the ground.
• Extend your second foot’s toes while maintaining your heel firmly on the floor.
• Squeeze your glutes and quads to help you get up.
• Switch the legs.

10. Goblet Squat

The goblet-like grasp is what sets this movement apart from others. This exercise is excellent for strengthening the glutes and quadriceps. Goblet squat is easy on your back and suits any fitness level. 

The goblet squat might be an excellent foundational compound movement if you are just starting out in the gym. Do you have a lot of athletic experience? Then exercise may be practiced both as a warm-up and a finisher.

How to do a Goblet squat:

• You should stand with your feet hip-width apart, and your head held high.
• Hold the weight at its highest position, creating a goblet form with your hands.
• It’s important to keep your back straight when squatting. The hips should be dropped as you sit in a chair to get the desired shape.
• Return to the initial posture, but keep your feet firmly on the ground.

11. Skater Squat

The skater squat is a fantastic exercise for developing lower-body strength, agility, and stability. The unilateral skater squat may be utilized as a rehabilitative exercise to treat low back pain since it strengthens the hamstrings, calves, hips, and abdominals without placing excessive stress on the lower back.

How to do a Skater squat:

• Maintain a tall stance on your right leg while bending your left knee and holding your arms out.
• Squat down until your left knee meets the floor, keeping your hips pushed back. Don’t let your knee dive in on the way down. Keep it right above your toes.
• Get back to square one. Maintain a flat back and a tight core throughout the whole exercise.
• If you have difficulty with balance, hold a dumbbell in your hands in front of you.
• Switch legs and repeat.

Conclusion

You don’t need a gym or weights to strengthen your legs. Even with bodyweight training, you can have enough resistance for excellent results. The more inventive you are in how you apply that resistance, the better outcomes will be. We hope our selection of top calisthenics exercises will make your choice easier and help you achieve your goals.