You must have always heard that leg workouts are essential, and why not? After all, legs are half of your body, and it is necessary to keep them fit. 

Keeping legs fit is easy, you can go for a walk or jog daily or some easy leg workouts. But, what about building muscular legs? Can you build leg muscles with those home leg workouts?

Most people will say that you have to lift weights and workout in the gym for hours for that. But, bodyweight leg workouts are also beneficial and you can do that at home. 

Below are some leg workouts that you can do at home, without any gym equipment. All you need is your body weight.

Bodyweight Squats (One of the best leg workouts)

• Stand still with your feet shoulder-width apart and your weight equally distributed on your heels.
• Hinge forward at your hips and perform a squat, acting like you are sitting on the chair, stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Stand back up straight to the start position with your heels. Keep your tight and squeeze your butt as you move up.

Reverse Lunges With Knee Lifts 

• Stand in a position, same as that of a squat.
• Take a step back with your right leg and land on the balls of the foot. The left thigh would be parallel to the ground making two 90-degree angles.
• Push with your left heel to stand back up and as you stand, thrust with your right knee towards your chest.
• This will complete a rep, continue to another side also.

Plié Squat Calf Raises (One of the best calf exercises)

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Turn out toes, and place the hands-on-waist, or crossed in front of your chest.
• Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Now, lift both heels off the ground and hold for two seconds while staying in the squat position. 
• Lower down your heel and repeat. 

Squat Jumps (This variation of the squat is a great leg workout) 

• Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
• Hinge forward at your hips and sit your butt back into a squat.
• Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Straighten out your legs as you jump as high as you can. Swing your arms down by your sides for momentum, and keep your back straight and chest lifted.
• Land back on the floor with soft knees and go right into another squat.

High Knee Toe Taps (One of the simplest leg workouts)

• Stand facing a box or anything high you have, hands-on-waist, or by your sides.
• Tap your left foot on the bench, then swap legs and tap your right foot, quickly alternating sides.
• Keep your back straight and chest lifted the entire time.
• You can move your hands as you move while running, this will help maintain balance, but it can be tiring. 

How to make leg workouts more effective? 

Side Lunges (One of the best thigh exercises)

• Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, and keep your hand on your waist for better balance. 
• Take a big step out to your right side. Bend your right knee and push your butt back (just a little), keeping your left leg straight. 
• Keep your chest lifted and core tight.
• Repeat on the other side.

Single-Leg Calf Raises

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Place your hands-on-hips, or behind your head. (Whatever suits you to stay stable).
• Now, raise your knee in front of you to the hip level while keeping the toes pointed. 
• Keep your core tight as you lift your right heel as high as you can off the floor, balancing on the ball of your foot.
• Hold for three seconds, then lower the heel back down.
• Repeat on the other side.

Sumo Squats (One of the best bodyweight leg workouts)

• Stand with your feet to perform this leg exercise positioned slightly apart from shoulders, feet should face out by rotating your hips.
• With your hands together, body lifted, back should be straight perform a squat, and return to start position.
• Boom you completed a rep.

Pistol Squats (One-legged squat workout)

• Stand with your feet together.
• Lift your left leg a few inches and extend it forward, foot flexed.
• Bend your right knee, hinge forward at the hips, and sit back into a squat while lifting your left leg to hip height. Extend your arms out for balance.
• Try to bend your knee to 90 degrees if you can. (These are super difficult, so don’t dishearten if you can’t at first.)
• Straighten your leg by pushing through your heel and return to start.
• Repeat on the other leg.

Side Leg Raises (One of the best leg workouts for toned legs)

• Lie on your side with legs out straight and stacked on top of each other. Prop your torso up with your forearm or rest your torso flat on the mat.
• Lift your top leg towards the ceiling in a slow and controlled movement. Make sure to lift from the hip and butt, not your lower back.
• Return to start and repeat on the other side.

Inner Thigh Leg Raises (One of the best leg workouts for toned legs)

• Lie on one side with legs out straight and stacked on top of each other and your torso flat on the mat or propped up on your forearm.
• Cross your top leg over the bottom leg, bending at the knee so that your top foot is in front of your bottom knee.
• Lift your bottom leg toward the ceiling in a slow and controlled movement. Keep your torso stable throughout.
• Return to start and repeat on the other side.

What are the other bodyweight leg workouts? 

Single-Leg Glute Bridges (One of the very tough but beneficial leg workouts)

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Lift one of your legs and straighten it. Point your toe towards the ceiling.
• Lift your hips while squeezing your glutes. Try to create one diagonal line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Pause for one to two seconds and then lower down.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

Inverted Inner Thigh Openers (One of the best leg workouts for toned inner thighs)

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 
• Lift your right leg towards the ceiling, keeping your thighs touching.
• Now, lower your right leg out to the right side as far as you can while maintaining your hips and lower back on the floor.
• Bring your leg back to start and repeat on the other leg.

So, these bodyweight leg workouts that you can do at home. None of these leg exercises require any gym equipment. 

Find some other leg workouts here.