Squats? No, thanks! Build muscles in your legs with this 6-exercise lower-body workout instead

No squats, no lunges, no jumping, no equipment – build leg definition quickly with this home workout

Exercise for legs. Sporty redhead girl have fitness day in gym at daytime. Muscular body type.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Leg workouts come in many flavours, but most involve squats and lunges, two of the most loathed lower-body exercises out there. Truth be told, they are super effective but also hard to perform, and many prefer shunning them altogether from their exercise sessions. If you're one of them, you'll love this 6-move bodyweight lower-body workout with no squats or lunges, and it also does away with jumping!

As well as making your bottom look rounder, frequent leg workouts can help help you in many ways. Strong glutes can improve mobility and athletic performance and even prevent knee injuries. "Strengthening your glutes normalises hip and thigh position, reduces the loading force on the knee joint and prevents the knees from caving in on each other when landing from a jump, squatting, or running," says Dr Ronak Patel.

This leg workout consists of six exercises. You'll perform each for 10 repetitions, three times, before moving on to the next move. You can use a wall or chair for balancing if needed. Rest for 30-60 seconds between exercises and 60-90 seconds between sets. The exercises featured in this lower-body workout are as follows: 

  • Good mornings
  • Lift and kick
  • Toe touches
  • Calf raises
  • Revrese leg lifts
  • Hip abductions and adductions

Once you finish this training session, check out other workout content on T3, such as this 5-move dumbbell leg workout or this 6-minute no-equipment leg workout for bigger calves and stronger quads. We can also wholeheartedly recommend this 20-minute knee-friendly bodyweight leg workout or this slightly shorter 15-minute no-equipment leg session. If you're desperate to buy home gym equipment, have a look at our best folding treadmill guide. 

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.