No matter what your fitness goals, you need strong legs to get them done. But with so many variations of lunges and squats and thrusts and, well, the list goes on, how do you make the most of your leg days? Try these four different (and simple) ways to mix and match your main moves into ubereffective routines to sprinkle throughout your week

1. The Warm-Up

No matter what workout you have planned, use this pair to get your session started. "When performed together, this duo helps open up your hips from both angles—horizontal for the squat, vertical for the lunge—and eases the knee joint into action, all while priming the muscles for any activity that comes next," says Boyce. You'll also improve your range of motion with two added tweaks: At the bottom of your squat, gently push your knees outward with your elbows; as you lunge, shift the hip of your back leg forward slightly and reach your opposite arm overhead. Spend two and a half minutes on each exercise, moving slowly through every rep.

  1. Body-weight goblet squat with 3-second hold
  2. Hold reverse lunge with hold and reach 3- to 5-second hold, alternating sides

Related: 'I Did 100 Lunges At Work Every Day For A Month—Here’s What Happened'

2. The Power circuit

This 15-minute workout starts with the most complex neuromuscular movement (the squat) and ends with the exercise that requires the least amount of neural attention to execute (the pull-through). "It's the most effective way to get as much good work done—meaning with solid form and maximum force—as you can before you fatigue, because your body is the most prepared at the beginning of every set," says Boyce, who recommends knocking out this baby two or three times a week. Keep your heart rate up (bonus cardio!) by performing the bunch as a fast-paced circuit: Complete the prescribed number of reps for each exercise, moving from one to the next without rest. Take a quick breather if needed, then repeat for three or four total rounds.

  1. Goblet squat 8-10 reps
  2. Defecit reverse lunge 10 reps per side
  3. Dumbbell step-up 10 reps per side
  4. Single-leg pull-through 12-15 reps per side

Bored of regular squats? Shake things up with these dance-inspired squats:

preview for 15 Dance-Inspired Squats That'll Make You Shake Your Booty

3. The Strength Set

When you challenge your lower half with substantial resistance (we're talking 40, 50, 60 pounds and more), you break down muscle fibers, which your body rebuilds on your recovery day. The result? Bigger, more defined muscles for shapely legs and a perky butt. These two moves allow your body to handle those loads safely, since your entire lower-body musculature activates, putting less strain on your upper half, explains Boyce. "You also train both your bilateral [two-leg] and unilateral [one-leg] systems at once, which is the best of both worlds for moving well on a daily basis." Fit this workout into your routine once a week, using a weight that you can manage for only 10 squats at a time. (Note: It's probably heavier than you think—it should be at least 25 percent of your body weight.) Perform the pair as a superset: Complete all the reps of the first exercise (that would be 20 reps, with 10-second rest breaks between each mini set), then move immediately to the second. Rest up to two minutes, then repeat five more times.

  1. Goblet squat 2 reps, 3 reps, 5 reps, 10 reps (10-second rest between each mini set)
  2. Defecit reverse lunge 10 reps per side

Related: 5 Women Share Exactly How They Totally Transformed Their Butts

4. The Extra Credit

A quick way to max out your workouts is to tack on a finisher—an exercise that squeezes out any drop of juice you may have left in the tank—to the end of your sesh. Problem is, when your body is sufficiently taxed, your form tends to break down, so it's not the best time for a difficult or high-impact exercise (like, say, a burpee). "The pull-through, by contrast, is a modified swing movement, which is smooth and easy on your tired joints, a killer glute and core blaster, and a great cardio burst, as it kicks up your heart rate quickly," says Nancy Newell, a certified strength and conditioning coach at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts. Because you're working for speed and intensity instead of balance and control, you'll perform this guy with both feet on the ground instead of with one foot raised—it's safer and more effective when you have more muscles sharing the load. At the end of any workout, perform as many reps with perfect form as you can in 30 seconds. Rest up to 60 seconds, then repeat up to five more times.

  1. Pull-through as many reps as possible


Add in any of these aerobic workouts once or twice a week for even radder results.


Whether it's manipulated on the treadmill or au naturel on a trail, walking on an incline increases activation of pretty much every muscle in your legs. Obviously, the steeper the incline, the harder your legs have to work—but research indicates a 9 percent grade sparks some serious action (we're talking six times more activation for your hamstrings, and three times for your glutes, than walking on level ground).

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All it takes is walking with a heavy object in one hand at your side—like a kettlebell, dumbbell, or sandbag—to stress your bottom half and sculpt flatter abs (the muscles there jump in to prevent your torso from being dragged down by the load), says Newell. Find the heaviest weight you can carry safely (with a tall back and no pain) for 30 yards (that's about the length of a basketball court), then subtract 20 pounds and perform three or four 30-yard walks on each side, resting 60 seconds in between. Each week, increase the load by at least five pounds.


If you want to boost your muscles for heavy strength workouts, you need to refine your fast-twitch muscle fibers, which provide explosive power, says Boyce. Swap any steady-state cardio (a run, the stair stepper, etc.) for intervals: Sprint all out for 20 seconds, recover for 60, repeat seven more times.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of Women's Health. For more great advice, pick up a copy of the issue on newsstands now!