The Best Leg Workouts to Master At Home

Learn to drive up from multiple directions and in multiple ways with this series that you can do with either kettlebells or dumbbells. Focus on fully standing up on every rep: You'll be stimulating your quads to fully flex after absorbing force laterally (in the Cossack) and from behind (when you step out of the lunge).

Same idea as the bunny hop here: You're moving quickly on your toes and jumping, a practical use of your calves. Aim to jump rope for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for at least five minutes to start.

Once you get the hang of it, try other workout variations—just stay on your toes. Bonus: You'll elevate your heart rate, too.

The barbell hip thrust is similar to the glute bridge, but it challenges hip extension by adding increased load. This will also attack your glutes.

How to: Sit on the ground, with your shoulder blades against a bench, feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, knees bent. A barbell should be across the front of your hips. Hold the bar with your hands, stabilizing it. Squeeze your glutes to raise your hips off the ground and raise the bar off the floor. (Keep your chin tucked to maintain proper ribcage positioning. Pause when your thighs and torso are in line with each other, then return to the start. That’s 1 rep; do 3 sets of 8 to 10.

The venerable cardio row does more than get your heart rate up; it’ll fire up your glutes and hamstrings, too. In fact, if you row with explosive power, there’s a good chance you’ll get off the rower with your hamstrings and glutes on fire. The movement of the cardio row, when done correctly, somewhat mimics a deadlift and barbell row, with both moves simply on a different plane.

How to: Set up on a cardio rower, and secure your feet. Bend at the knees and hips and hinge your torso forward slightly to grasp the handle. Holding it tightly with an overhand grip, straighten your knees and hips, hinge backward slightly, and pull the handle to your lower chest. Repeat the motion until you’ve covered the time or distance you want. A good starting point: Do 3 two-minute intervals of rowing, resting two minutes between each set.

The Bulgarian split squat is one of the finest unilateral leg exercises out there, simultaneously challenging strength, power, and balance as you lower your torso on one leg, the other held a few feet above the ground, then stand back up.

But what if you could make it harder, and get even more glute stabilization benefit. And what if it could build back power and glute power too? That's what you get with the Bulgarian Pass-Through to Clean from Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. Samuel's new take on the Bulgarian split squat gives you all the benefits of the standard split squat, and it lets you make your body more explosive, too. All the while, you'll improve your balance and challenge your core more than you expect.

If you want to be an athlete, you have to be strong not only when operating on two legs but also when operating on one. And few leg exercises will challenge you on one leg quite like the single-leg deadlift. You’ll hone balance, and coordination on this one, and you’ll build more core strength than you think as you work to stay in balance and keep your hips square on every single rep.

The classic step up, when actually done with good form, is a hidden weapon for knee health, hip and glute strengthening, and unilateral stability. The key is stepping up with good form, keeping your glutes tight, and your knees turned out, not in. Do so, and you’re blending strength, flexibility, and balance into one move — and a worthwhile move no matter whether you’re a bodybuilder, CrossFitter, or general strength enthusiast.

Few exercises build leg strength while simultaneously challenge your balance and your leg mobility as much as Bulgarian split squats. Elevating your rear foot onto a box or bench instantly creates a challenging stretch for your quads and hip flexors on your back leg, and it places more of a balance challenge on both your front leg and your hips. It’s a great way to build mobility toward a deeper squat. Overall, you’ll smoke your quads and glutes while also sparing yourself unwanted back pain.

First off, it’s fun to swing a weight around. Secondly, when you do it with a good-form kettlebell swing, you’re hammering your core, driving your heart rate through the roof — and piling size, strength, and power into your hamstrings and glutes. A well-done kettlebell swing builds serious lower-body explosiveness, and the oomph you get from it translates beyond the weight room, too, adding to your vertical leap, broad jump, and other more athletic moves. This one’s a must-have in your leg day library.