Leg Day Workout: Exercises and Complete Program [2026]

A properly structured leg session simultaneously stimulates quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calves — half of the body's muscle mass. Here's how to build a complete session, from beginner to advanced.

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Anatomy targeted by a leg session

A complete leg session must cover:

| Muscle group | Role | Main exercise | |------------------|------|---------------------| | Quadriceps | Knee extension | Barbell squat, hack squat, leg press | | Hamstrings | Knee flexion + hip extension | Leg curl, Romanian deadlift | | Gluteus maximus | Hip extension | Hip thrust, deep squat, lunges | | Gluteus medius/minimus | Hip abduction | Machine abduction, clamshell | | Adductors | Hip adduction | Machine adduction, lateral lunges | | Calves (gastrocnemius) | Plantar flexion knee extended | Standing calf raise | | Calves (soleus) | Plantar flexion knee bent | Seated calf raise |

A good session spreads volume across these groups, with a focus that alternates based on the weekly split (legs A quad focus, legs B hamstrings/glutes focus).

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Complete leg session: 7 exercises

Full Lower format for intermediate lifter

| Order | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Target | |-------|----------|--------|------|-------|-------| | 1 | Barbell back squat | 4 | 6-8 | 3 min | Quadriceps + glutes | | 2 | Romanian deadlift | 4 | 8-10 | 2-3 min | Hamstrings + glutes | | 3 | Leg press (feet low) | 3 | 10-12 | 2 min | Quadriceps volume | | 4 | Walking lunges with dumbbells | 3 | 10/leg | 90 sec | Unilateral, balance | | 5 | Seated or lying leg curl | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec | Hamstring isolation | | 6 | Standing calf raise machine | 4 | 12-15 | 60 sec | Gastrocnemius | | 7 | Dynamic plank | 3 | 30-45 sec | 60 sec | Core stabilizer |

Total volume: 24 sets (including plank). Duration: 75-85 min.

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Beginner leg session (Full Body)

In a 3-day Full Body program, the session doesn't contain 7 leg exercises but rather 2-3 leg exercises integrated into full-body volume.

| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Note | |----------|--------|------|------| | Goblet or Smith squat | 4 | 10-12 | Learning the squat pattern | | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 10-12 | Posterior chain | | Walking lunges (with or without dumbbells) | 2 | 10/leg | Unilateral + balance | | Standing calf raise | 2 | 12-15 | Gastrocnemius |

Volume: 11 sets dedicated to legs, multiplied by 3 Full Body sessions = 33 weekly sets (excellent beginner volume).

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Home leg session

With a minimal kit (2 adjustable dumbbells, chair, mat), you reproduce 80% of a gym leg session.

| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Note | |----------|--------|------|------| | Dumbbell goblet squat | 4 | 10-15 | Main movement | | Feet-on-chair dumbbell hip thrust | 4 | 12-15 | Glutes (compensates missing barbell) | | Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells | 3 | 10/leg | Heavy unilateral | | Walking lunges | 3 | 12/leg | Unilateral + balance | | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | 3 | 12 | Hamstrings + glutes | | Standing calf raise on a step | 4 | 15-20 | Gastrocnemius (stretched range) | | Plank | 3 | 30-45 sec | Core |

Volume: 24 sets. With no equipment at all, replace hip thrust with floor glute bridge and Bulgarian split squat with jump squat.

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How to execute the key exercises

Barbell back squat

Starting position:

• ▸Feet shoulder-width apart, slightly toed out (15-20°).
• ▸Bar on the traps (high-bar) or the delts (low-bar).
• ▸Straight torso, horizon gaze.
• ▸Full-body tension before descending.

Descent:

• ▸Simultaneous knee and hip flexion.
• ▸Descend until thighs are parallel to the ground (or lower if your mobility allows).
• ▸Keep knees aligned with toes.

Ascent:

• ▸Push through the heels (not the toes).
• ▸Contract quadriceps and glutes simultaneously.
• ▸Lock hips at the top without hyperextension.

Romanian deadlift

Starting position:

• ▸Feet hip-width apart.
• ▸Bar in front of the legs, overhand shoulder-width grip.
• ▸Slight knee flexion (10-15°), maintained throughout the movement.

Descent:

• ▸Hinge hips back keeping the back flat.
• ▸Bar slides down the thighs.
• ▸Descend until you feel a clear hamstring stretch (usually bar at mid-shin or knees).

Ascent:

• ▸Contract the glutes to bring the hips forward.
• ▸Don't re-round the back at the bottom of the movement.

Walking lunges with dumbbells

Starting position:

• ▸Standing, dumbbells in each hand, arms extended.
• ▸Torso straight, abs braced.

Step forward:

• ▸Long step (1.5x the length of your foot).
• ▸Front knee at 90°, back knee close to the ground without touching.
• ▸Torso stays straight, no forward lean.

Ascent and next step:

• ▸Push through the heel of the front foot.
• ▸Bring the back foot forward for the next step.

Barbell hip thrust

Starting position:

• ▸Sitting on the ground, back against a flat bench (bench at the height of your shoulder blades).
• ▸Bar on the hips (with protective padding).
• ▸Feet flat, hip-width apart, shins vertical at the top position.

Ascent:

• ▸Push through the heels.
• ▸Contract the glutes to lift the hips.
• ▸Top position: body in a straight line knees-hips-shoulders.

Descent:

• ▸Controlled (2-3 seconds).
• ▸Don't touch the ground between reps (constant tension).

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Progression and overload

Progression rule

Increase the load as soon as you complete all sets at the top of the rep range in 2 consecutive sessions.

• ▸Compound exercises (squat, deadlift): +2.5 kg
• ▸Isolation exercises (leg curl, leg extension): +1 to 2 kg

If you plateau

Three levers to restart progress:

1. Exercise variation: replace barbell squat with hack squat or front squat to stimulate fibers at a different angle.
2. Volume variation: add 1-2 sets per exercise.
3. Tempo variation: switch to slow tempo (3-4 sec descent) for 2-3 weeks to increase time under tension.

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Common leg session mistakes

1. Partial range. Squatting above parallel stimulates only 60-70% of the fibers. Aim for full range of motion.

2. Too much weight, degraded technique. Better a clean 80 kg squat than a quarter-squat at 120 kg.

3. No variation between sessions. Doing the same leg session 2x per week stimulates the same fibers at the same angle. Alternate Lower A (quad focus) and Lower B (hamstring/glute focus).

4. Ignoring hamstrings. Many lifters do 5 quad exercises and 1 hamstring. The optimal quad/hamstring ratio is 1.2/1, not 5/1.

5. Skipping calves. Calves need 4-8 weekly sets to develop. Without stimulation, they stagnate for life.

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Adaptive ForgeSport program: personalized leg sessions

ForgeSport builds your leg session based on your level, equipment and specific goals (strength, hypertrophy, glute focus). Each exercise can be swapped in 1 click for its biomechanical alternative if the machine is taken or you feel discomfort.

Generate your program with adapted leg sessions

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Related articles

• ▸Leg weight training program: complete guide
• ▸Complete leg program
• ▸Beginner leg program
• ▸4-day Upper/Lower program
• ▸Alternatives to the barbell squat
• ▸Alternatives to the conventional deadlift
• ▸Alternatives to the barbell hip thrust
• ▸Squat 1RM calculator