Leg Exercises with Weights

Whenever performing any leg exercises, it is important that you maintain the right posture and do a proper warm-up before doing any weightlifting exercises. This will help to avoid any leg injuries, also, warm up exercises will help to prevent cramps and muscle damage.

If you are a beginner to exercising then start with very basic exercises that involve weights. Also, start with light weights and then slowly progress to adding more weights to your exercises.

Again for beginners it is advisable that you seek an instructor's help while performing any weight-lifting exercises. The instructor will help to perform the exercise in the right posture, with proper number of repetitions.

Squats: Squats are simple to perform exercises, and a leg workout starts with squats as a warm up. You can do this exercise with or without weights. To perform squats you can hold a barbell or hold a dumbbell in each hands to add intensity to the exercise.

Leg Extensions: Leg extensions are very simple exercises, and you can do this exercise on a machine that has different amounts of weights. So, you can increase or decrease the intensity of this workout according to your body.

Lunges: Lunges exercise can also be performed with or without weights. Lunges, compared to squats are a bit difficult to perform as they require more stamina. To perform lunges, you can also use weights. However, using weights during lunges is not recommended for beginners.

Leg Curls: Leg curls are done using the leg curl machine. This exercise is a basic hamstring exercise, which can be performed by anybody, whether you are at the beginner or professional level. The machine has a good range of weights and thus can be used to perform exercises at different intensity.

Leg Press: This is one of the best leg exercise with weights, as leg press focuses on muscles of the entire leg. On the machine one just needs to position them properly and push the weight.

Standing Barbell Deadlifts: This workout puts a lot of weight on the lower back, hence it is not recommended to beginners. If you are performing this barbell exercise, make sure you have an instructor watching while you perform this exercise. Because, if this exercise is not performed properly, then it can cause serious damage to your back.

Machine Calf Raises: Calf raises can be performed without any machine, however machine calf raises are good if you wish to add intensity of this workout. You can also perform this calf workout standing on an elevated surface like a step if you are not comfortable with weights.

If you wish to build leg muscles, then apart from following the above weight training exercises, also include cardio exercises that help to build leg muscles. The best exercises without weights for legs are running and jogging.

So, you can form a routine for leg workout which involves a cardio workout of running for 20 minutes, then half an hour of leg exercises, and finally some stretching exercises. Cardiovascular exercises will warm up your legs, and prepare them for weightlifting, and stretching exercises will help to relax the leg muscles and make them more flexible.

You can form a workout routine using the above exercises. But, remember the precautions you need to take while performing these exercises to avoid any injuries.