Getting great-shaped, muscular, skinny, and fit legs is not just about doing a quick 7-minute workout. It takes effort, consistency, and a smart training structure. Her Daily Fitactions focuses on practical training methods that help women get better results without wasting time on ineffective routines.
Yes, it takes work to get the legs you have always wanted. However, if you combine exercises in the right way, you can improve your results in less time. That is often the difference between average training and more effective training.
Although this article is not a fully personalized training plan, it will give you useful tips to help make your leg workouts more effective at the gym or at home.
This leads to an important question: what do you want your legs to look like?
Muscular? Fit? Skinny?
Below is a quick overview of useful exercises for each goal. These are not necessarily meant to be done all at once, but they give you examples of how your training approach can change depending on the look you want to achieve.
Note: your diet and genetics both play an important role in your results. For example, if your legs are genetically made up of more fast-twitch muscle fibers, you may respond more quickly to weight training and develop a more muscular look.
Muscular legs:
- Squat (barbell or dumbbell): 4-6 sets x 6-15 reps. sumo squat, front or parallel
- Leg Press: 4-6 sets x 6-20 reps feet parallel, feet wide with toes out, feet together with toes out and high up on platform.
- Back leg Curls: 4-8 sets x 8-15 reps * 8 sets for advanced as our hamstrings are not used as much as quads.
- Sprints: 4-8 x 25 yards, 4-6 x 50 yards, 2-6 x 100 yards 300’s x 2-4x with 30-60 sec rest
- Hill sprints 10-25 x 20 yards
- Lunges (walking or alternate pushing off toes)
- Bike (hills and higher gears)
- Plyometrics with or without weight (medicine ball etc.)
- Skating
- Heavy Sled Runs
Fit Leg Exercises
- Squats mix between high reps 15-20 and low reps
- Leg Extensions (all three ways, see video above) immediately followed by jump rope high intensity 1 minute or jumping jack if can’t perform jump rope.
- Walking Lunges with or without dumbbells walk 20 feet x 8 active rest with jump rope
- Running short and long runs (3-12 miles), terrain and hill running included.
- Sprints mixed with short runs in same workout 8 x 25 yards x 1 mile run x 2-3
- Jump Rope or Jumping jacks 2-8 x 1-3 minutes
- Sissy Squats ( holding secure post with arms out straight, toes parallel and leaning back up on the balls of your feet the entire time in a squat position, see picture) 3-5 sets x 25-100 reps
- Star Jumps (much better and safer then burpees)
- Sled Runs light weight
- Plyometrics
- Kick boxing
For more structured lower-body training at home, you can also try this best home leg workout for women for an additional routine.
Skinny Leg Exercises:
- Short and Long Distance Running (5-12 miles) 4-6 days week
- Lunges with no weights (walking 20-30 feet x 2-5x)
- Barre’ Exercises, Power Yoga, Pilates (pulsing etc.)
- Jump Rope ( high knee running) 3-5 x 1-3 minutes
- Ladder Exercises (high knee running) 2-4 x 2-3 minutes
- Back Leg Curls using a fitness ball 3-5 x 20 reps
- Leg press with feet out wide with very light weight for the inner thighs, pulsing 3-5 sets x 25 reps
- Squats with bar (25-45lb) or body weight 2-3 x 20-30 reps
Below is the star jump: best to do immediately after performing a short sprint or heavy leg exercises like a squat. Perform 20-50 reps depending on fitness level. Tuck into downhill ski position and jump high off the ground and throw legs and arms out into position as seen in pic 2 and go back into tuck position before reaching the ground. Repeat
Below is a sissy squat. Best done immediately after heavy weight training on the legs or a leg extension exercise. If at home, perform and then immediately follow with jump rope or star jumps. Perform 3-5 sets 25-100 reps depending on fitness level.
Below is an Expert Training Tip from Pro-Trainer Doug Bennett. Change the direction of feet to laser focus the leg extension to target your inner thighs (toes out and heels together), outer thighs (toes together and heels out) or front quads (feet parallel). Always flexed toes throughout (toes pulled back).
Example of what to do: Advanced training> after performing heavy squats and/or leg press perform 5 sets of 30 reps of leg extension @ 60% max. 30 reps = 10 reps feet parallel, 10 reps toes in, 10 reps toes out. After each set perform 1 minute high knee running.
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Need an expert leg workout plan to get muscular, skinny and fit legs with most of these exercises you can do anywhere without a gym?
Then take a look at Pocket Trainer for Legs ( a 21 day lower body fix) for only 99 cents on Kindle. Note: also in printed version.
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Final Thoughts
Getting the legs you want depends on your goal, your training style, and your consistency. Whether you want more muscular legs, a fit athletic look, or leaner legs, choosing the right exercises and combining them with the right intensity can make a big difference over time.
You can also support your results with active recovery, good habits, and simple nutrition changes such as the ideas shared in 13 Healthy Commitments To Help You Eliminate Dieting Forever.
