5 Of My Top Lower Body Exercises

If you want to strengthen your lower body and improve your mobility, give these 5 lower body exercises a try! All of these exercises require a fairly minimal amount of equipment so they can be done at home or the gym. These exercises are in my Ultimate Lower Body And Core Program.

#1) Single Leg Rear Foot Elevated RDL’s

This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes.

Coaching Tips:

Stand on one foot, and place the top of the supporting foot (back leg) on a bench, table, couch, or other stable surface. This side will serve as a “kickstand,” and will provide minimal assistance. Figure out what stride length works and feels best for you.

Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

On the foot of the front/working leg, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor. Be on the top of the back foot.

Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are crushing something in your armpits. For the duration of the exercise, your arms/weights should not travel ahead of your body. Your arm should slide down the side of your front/working leg, and the other arm should remain in line with this front leg. Pretend you are painting the side of your front leg with the weight. If you are using a single weight, the weight should slide down the front of your leg/shin.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).

Now hinge/push your hips backwards. Pretend a rope is pulling your hips backwards or that you are trying to press your hips back against a wall.

When you are hinging, pretend you are “pulling” your body back/down with your posterior chain muscles. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.

Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.

When you reach your full range, engage your posterior chain muscles and press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position. Use a range where you can maintain proper form.

Perform the lockout by squeezing your glutes and hamstrings and extend your hips, and extend your knee. Use as little assistance from the supporting leg as possible.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per side.

#2) Sway Squats

This exercise strengthens the adductors, quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, and improves mobility.

Coaching Tips:

Adopt your preferred foot width and positioning. Your feet will likely be significantly farther apart than during your regular squatting stance.

Perform a squat and lower yourself down to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Maintain this depth for the duration of the exercise.

Grab onto a dumbbell (or other weighted object) with both hands. The weight should be in the center of your body, and between your legs.

Keep your arms rigid, lats engaged, and pretend you are trying to crush something in your armpits. This will help keep your arms and the weight from swinging.

While remaining in the squat stance, extend your one knee and press your body laterally, and transfer most of your weight to your opposite leg.

When you reach your end range, your leg should be in a squat position, and your knee should be in line with your toes. As for your other leg, your knee should be fully extended (or close to it).

On the planted/squatting side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the rep. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps per side.

#3) Heel Elevated/Quad Dominant Squats

This squat variation really hones in on the quadriceps. Note that in this exercise there will be more forward knee tracking.

Coaching Tips:

Hold a weight in your preferred position. For the duration of the exercise, keep the weight tight to your body. Pretend you are crushing something in your armpits.

Elevate your heels on weight plates, or another stable elevated surface.

Adopt your preferred foot width and positioning.

Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

While your heels will be elevated, aim to have as much of a tripod foot base as possible. Your weight should be on the back portion of your feet, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning your feet to the floor (and surface).

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).

Now perform a squat and lower yourself down to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.

When you are performing the squats, keep your torso in a relatively upright position.

When you are performing the squats, pretend you are “pulling” your body down with your legs. Don’t just mindlessly drop down.

Do not relax or lose tension when you are in the bottom position. Many people make this mistake.

In the bottom position, your knees will likely be ahead of your toes.

Press your body away from the floor and back to the top/starting position.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

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LEARN MORE

#4) Single Leg Isometric Glute Bridge + Single Leg Slide-Outs

This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability.

Coaching Tips:

Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.

Get into a glute bridge position, and place a towel/slider underneath one of your feet.

Bend your knees, and place your shins in a vertical position.

Extend your hips by pressing through the back of your feet and squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage.

In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to knees. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine).

While remaining in a single leg glute bridge position, extend your knee and slide your foot forward, and to a range that allows you to maintain proper form.

Once you hit your end range, return your leg back to the starting position. Use your hamstrings to control the movements.

For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knees to fall inside or outside of your feet.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to collapse.

For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).

In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.

Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side.

#5) Band Resisted Leg Extensions From Bear Crawl (with feet elevated)

This exercise strengthens the quadriceps, improves shoulder and scapular stability, and lumbo-pelvic stability.

Coaching Tips:

Hold a resistance band in your hands, and loop the band behind your knees. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.

Elevate your forefeet on a bench, couch, or other stable surface.

Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Start so your thighs are relatively vertical, knees are bent, and are several inches above the floor.

Your hands should be roughly below your shoulders, or slightly ahead. Figure out what works and feels best for you.

Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.

Now use your quadriceps and extend your knees. Pause for a count when your knees are fully extended and really contract your quadriceps.

Do not let your knees hyperextend, and make sure the movement is smooth and controlled.

Return to the starting position with complete control. Stop when your knees are just above the floor, and thighs are in a vertical position.

For the duration of the exercise, press your body away from the floor and protract your shoulder blades (spread them apart and move them away from your spine and around your ribcage). Do not mindlessly hang out.

For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.