5 Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises for Runners - Build Muscle

5 Best bodyweight leg exercises for runners. In this post you will get all things related legs workout for runners with their benefits. But should do bodyweight leg exercises!

The Bodyweight legs workout is the best way to transform your legs. Anyone can do these workouts at any place any time. This is the biggest advantage of best bodyweight leg exercises.

All you need is just find an empty place and a bottle of water (or any hydration drink like  Gatorade , See the supplementation guide) and start working out.

Read more: Guidelines for Proper Water intake

But why do legs workouts! Are there any benefits or not, my answer is simply YYYEEESSS. There are lots of benefits of bodyweight leg exercises.

If you want a good body shape then you can’t skip the legs at all. Legs are the muscle that develops your strength faster.

But most of the people (nowadays Gymgoers) completely skip this section. They count legs workout as boring.

I also feel the same at the beginning of my career (View my bio) but after passionately doing regular legs workout, I fell in love. Now leg workouts are my favorite bodyweight workout.

I am quite sure if you follow this bodyweight legs workout routine you also fell in love with these workouts. Because these workouts build massive power and explosiveness in your legs.

Read my book: Secret Rules for Lightning Fast Recovery (Free kindle edition)

Top 5 Benefits of Bodyweight Leg Exercises:

• Increase overall body strength
• Improve muscle endurance
• Enhance flexibility
• Develop massive power & explosiveness
• Improve foot strike (if you are a runner)

Now let’s come to the point. Before start working out know your targeted muscles, I mean which muscles do you wanted to develop. Is it any specific group of muscles or the complete legs muscle?

Read: How to Start Exercise at Home for Beginners

Targeted Muscles:

First, work on your ‘Thigh muscle’ and ‘Hamstring muscles'. Then work on your ‘Side muscles’ and finally develop your 'Calf muscles'.

Let’s talk about the 5 best bodyweight leg exercises, for a bigger better stronger leg.

Duration of Workout:

Total workout duration is 45 – 60 minutes.

Top 5 Bodyweight Workouts

Here are the best bodyweight leg exercises for stronger legs at home without lifting any weight.

*Do Not Skip the Warm-up:

Warm-up is the key to success. If you are skipping warm-up then you are not for the long run & cause various injuries. That’s why please don't start any workout session without warm-up and stretching.

Read more: How to Perform A Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down

Read more: 15 Tips for Preventing Sports and Exercise Injuries

So guys if you want to know how to do a proper warm-up in 15 minutes just read the Warm-up guide for beginners.

OR if you shortfall of time just does 100 skippings (with or without a rope) before starting any workout. It will warm your muscles.

Now let’s come to the 5 best bodyweight leg exercises.  

Bodyweight Squats:

Overall best bodyweight leg exercise according to me. It develops your total leg strength and enhances endurance and develops your core muscle also.

Muscles Involved:

Total Legs + Core area

How to do:

Step with your feet hip-width apart make sure your feet are directly forward. Cross your hands over your chest, pull your lower abdominals in and up.

Read more: 15- Minute No-Equipment Home Core Workout

Really keep that belly button tight to the spine squat down as deep as you can. Buttocks back over the heels scooping your abs press for the hills and come back up to stand.

The workout routine is below.

The Most Effective Squat Challenge: 100 Rep Squat Challenge

Bodyweight Lunges:

Lunges are one of my favorite exercises. Because it will develops massive hamstring strength without touching any weight.

Muscles Involved:

Hamstring + Lower abdominal muscle

How to do:

Stand tall with your feet together. Take a large step forward try to keep your feet pointing forward throughout the exercise.

Read more: 4 Exercises to Increase Flexibility at Home

Slowly lower your body until your rear knee almost touches the ground keep your front legs Center over your ankle. Then switch the leg and do the same thing.

The workout routine is below.

Side Lunges:

This exercise strengthens your glutes and inner thighs. Best bodyweight leg exercises for athletes. If you do this exercise properly on regular basis your hamstring injury risk is almost zero.

Muscles Involved:

Glutes + Inner & Outer thigh + Oblique’s

Read: The 27 Best Exercises to Sculpt Your Obliques

How to do:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Move your right leg to the side lower.

Your body while keeping your left leg straight return and repeat with the other side. Inhale when you go down and exhale when you go up you.

The workout routine is below.

Single-Leg Deadlift:

Honestly says I am a deadlift lover, with weight or without weights. This is a great exercise to work your glutes and lower back.

Muscle Involved:

Glutes + Lower back + Abdominal muscle

How to do:

Stand on your left leg pinch forward with your right leg stretched into the air. Reach your hands to the floor return and repeat the exercise.

Keep your back straight and core tight don't twist your hips inhale when you hinge forward and exhale when you go back.

The workout routine is below.

Read more: RICE Treatment ।। Best Injury Treatment for Running

Standing Calf Raises:

Calf raises are very important and probably standalone exercises to build calf muscle. But 90% of people are not doing calf raises. YES, 90%, can you believe this but it’s true. Overall best bodyweight leg exercises for runners.

Muscle Involved:

Calf muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus muscles, and peroneals)

How to do:

Begin this exercise by standing with both feet planted firmly on the ground. Raise yourself up on the balls of your feet so your heels leave the floor hold this position for 3 to 5 seconds then lower and repeat the same.

You may use a table or chair to help you with balance if necessary.

Read more: Ultimate Guide - How to Choose the Perfect Shoes

Follow this Bodyweight Leg Exercises Routine:

Workout Name	Rest	Sets	Big Reps	Int Reps	Adv Reps
Bodyweight Squats	60-90sec	3	50	75	100
Bodyweight Lunges	120sec	3	50	100	200
Side Lunges	60-90sec	3	20	30	50
Deadlift	2-2.5m	3	50	75	100
Calf Raise	60sec	6	20	20	30

*Workout Routine Tips:  

• Reps = Repetition
• Sec = Second
• Big = Beginner
• Int = Intermediate
• Adv = Advance

These are the top 5 best bodyweight leg exercises you can do. Apart from that, you can also do these 7 alternative workouts.

1. Squat Jump
2. Box Jump
3. Reverse Lunges
4. Skipping
5. Bulgarian Split Squat
6. Hip Bridge (single & both legs)
7. Step-ups

These 7 legs bodyweight workouts are also great for building a better leaner stronger leg along with your upper body muscles.

The Bottom Line:

These are the 5 best bodyweight leg exercises you can do anywhere. You just need a place to work out. Below is the list of the top 5 leg workouts.

1. Bodyweight Squats

2. Bodyweight Lunges

3. Side Lunges

4. Single Leg Deadlift

5. Standing Calf Raise

To conclude the article we got some important points to remember. First never skip the warm-up session.

Read the complete warm-up guide for absolute beginners.

Know your targeted muscles to work on. Then create a routine according to your level. Follow this routine or make your own.

Try some alternative workouts or follow my 7 alternative workouts for better results.

So guys hope you enjoy the article, if you find helpful please share it with your friends or give feedback.

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