In this blog post, we will be discussing 10 of the best barbell leg exercises that you can incorporate into your workout routine. From the classic squat to the deadlift, we’ll be covering exercises that will help you build strength, power, and definition in your legs.
We will also be providing tips and tricks to help you perform each exercise safely and effectively. So, whether you’re looking to build muscle, improve athletic performance, or simply tone your legs, you’ll find something of interest here.
Table of Contents
Benefits Of Training Legs With A Barbell
Training the lower body with a barbell can provide a number of benefits for individuals looking to improve their overall fitness and athletic performance. One of the most significant benefits is increased lower body strength. Barbell training is an effective way to build lower body strength, as the load that a barbell allows you to lift is greater than that of bodyweight exercises or machines.
In addition to increased strength, training with a barbell can also improve your power and explosiveness. Power is the ability to exert force quickly, and explosive movements like the squat and deadlift require a combination of strength and speed. By training with a barbell, you can increase your power output and explosiveness, which can be beneficial for activities like sprinting, jumping, and other explosive movements.
Barbell training can also help to improve your mobility and flexibility. The squat, for example, requires a significant amount of hip and ankle mobility, which can improve over time with consistency and practice.
The Exercises
There are a number of different barbell leg exercises that you can do in order to strengthen and build your legs. Here are the top 10 barbell leg exercises to help build size and strength:
- Back Squats
- Front Squats
- Lunges/Reverse Lunges
- Lateral Lunges
- Deadlifts
- Split Squats
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Good Mornings
- Hip Thrusts
Choosing The Right Weight
The first thing to understand is that each individual has their own level of conditioning and strength. Whether you are just starting out or an experienced lifter or athlete, you will have your own requirements and restrictions. There is not a one size-fits all approach when it comes to choosing the right weight. So here are the considerations to make before undertaking any of the exercises:
What Is Your Current Level Of Conditioning?
Before doing anything else, ask yourself what is your current ability and fitness level? If you are relatively new to training then performing these exercises with added weight may not be safe nor necessary to begin with. Which leads us on to the next consideration…
Start With Bodyweight Or An Empty Barbell
If you have not performed these exercises before then you can begin to learn the movement patterns first. This can be done using bodyweight, using a dowel rod or using an empty barbell without any weights. If possible, perform these exercises in a squat rack with safety bars to minimise the risk of any injuries.
Only Add Weights When You Have Good Form
Only once you have satisfactory form within the movements should you begin to add any extra weight onto the barbell. If you are unsure whether your form is ‘good’ then speak to a professional trainer that you can trust.
How To Implement These Exercises Into A Routine
Whilst all of these exercises are beneficial to build size and strength, it would not be a wise idea to try and complete them all within one session. Whilst it may be possible to do so with a lighter weight if your aim is to build size and strength, then these exercises will be performed with a more challenging weight.
These exercises are all compound movements which require a lot of effort and engage multiple muscle groups in each movement. Therefore you want to spread them out over 2 or 3 different sessions and implement them into part of a wider training programme or routine.
Check out this article from bodybuilding.com which gives you a full rundown on the most beneficial rep and set ranges for optimal size and strength gains.
Let’s take a look at each of these exercise in more detail:
1. Barbell Back Squats
The most classic of all barbell leg exercises for strengthening the lower body and arguably the most beneficial exercise for all the large muscle groups within the lower body.
Back squats predominantly work the posterior chain which includes the glutes, hamstrings and calves. This exercise will also hit the quadriceps but is not the most efficient choice for quad development. Aside from improving strength, size and power, there are other benefits to the barbell back squat.
Improvements in strength in the back and core, alongside improved mobility and coordination, are all excellent reasons to include barbell back squats in any training regime.
Add to this improved longevity of the joints around the knee, hip and ankle joints. This will allow you to enjoy a more fulfilling life as you get older and actually be able to get up off the sofa without needing assistance.
How To Perform Barbell Back Squats
- Start by positioning the barbell on the upper traps, with your hands gripping the barbell just outside shoulder width.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
- Unrack the barbell by straightening your legs, keeping your back straight and maintaining a neutral spine.
- Take a step back and position your feet so that they are hip-width apart, with your toes pointing slightly outward.
- Lower your body by bending your hips and knees, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Push through your heels and straighten your hips and knees to lift the barbell back to the starting position.
Related Article – Kettlebell Leg Workouts
2. Barbell Front Squats
The barbell front squat is very similar to a classic squat, but the majority of the weight is transferred from the postural chain (back of the body) over to the anterior chain (front of the body). Now, more emphasis is placed on the quadriceps than the traditional back squats, as the weight is held in front of the body.
This exercise forces the quadriceps to undertake most of the work as the torso remains more upright throughout the movement. This upright position causes more activation from the quads when extending the knees.
Front squats also provide improved mobility, coordination and longevity around and inside the joints in the lower body.
Related Article – Front Squat Vs Back Squat
How To Perform Barbell Front Squats
- Start by positioning the barbell on a squat rack at about chest height.
- Step under the barbell and position it on the front of your shoulders, resting on your collarbone and the front of your shoulders.
- Grasp the barbell with both hands, keeping your elbows pointed forward and your wrists straight.
- Remove the barbell from the squat rack and take a step or two back to clear the rack.
- Set your feet shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward.
- Begin to squat by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight and your chest up.
- Lower your body until your hips are just below your knees.
- Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
3 & 4.Barbell Lunges/Reverse Lunges
This exercise works each leg individually and is great for developing lower body strength and balance. Lunges are excellent for improving balance and strength as they require the lower body to carry more weight individually on each leg. When you step forwards or backwards to perform a lunge, the foot which moves from the centre takes more of the load.
You should aim for about 75% of the load working through the lead foot and the other 25% through the stationary one. Compare this with a squat which should be evenly distributed at 50/50%, you can see why the lunge is more difficult to perform as 3/4 of the total weight is now going through one leg.
This uneven distribution and a higher percentage will quickly show up any imbalances in strength and balance between the legs. This will allow you to figure out how much work you need to undertake to correct these imbalances and get both sides of the lower body on a level playing field.
This particular movement is not usually associated with more traditional barbell leg exercises and is usually completed with dumbbells. But the barbell makes it a more efficient way of increasing the weight.
Related Article – What Is The Best Type Of Exercise For Bad Knees?
How To Perform Barbell Lunges
- Start by loading the desired weight onto a barbell and placing it on your upper back, using a squat rack or a spotter to help you lift it into position.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp the barbell using a pronated (overhand) grip.
- Step forward with one foot, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Lower your body by bending both knees, keeping your front knee directly above your ankle and your back knee pointing towards the ground.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement on the other leg.
- Make sure to maintain good posture throughout the exercise, and to keep your front knee pointing forward.
How To Perform Barbell Reverses Lunges
- Start by loading the desired weight onto a barbell and placing it on your upper back, using a squat rack or a spotter to help you lift it into position.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp the barbell using a pronated (overhand) grip.
- Step backwards with one foot, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Lower your body by bending both knees, keeping your front knee slightly bent and your back knee pointing towards the ground.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement on the other leg.
- Make sure to maintain good posture throughout the exercise, and to keep your front knee pointing forward.
5. Barbell Lateral Lunges
Lateral lunges are a barbell leg exercise that you probably rarely witness in a traditional gym environment. They are used more often by strength and conditioning coaches for their athletes to improve mobility and flexibility of the hips. Commonly used as a warm-up for heavier or more eccentric workouts, they target the hip adductors (on the inside of the thighs) and abductors (outside of the thighs). This can help provide better mobility in order to perform healthier and more effective squats.
But they can also be used as an exercise to improve strength and size in the quads, hamstrings and glutes too. Lateral lunges are an excellent movement to add to your exercise artillery and give more variation in your workouts.
How To Perform Barbell Lateral Lunges
- Start by loading the desired weight onto a barbell and placing it on your upper back, using a squat rack or a spotter to help you lift it into position.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp the barbell using a pronated (overhand) grip.
- Step out to the side with one foot, keeping your back straight and your core engaged.
- Lower your body by bending the knee of your stepping leg, keeping your other leg straight and your back foot flat on the ground.
- Push through the heel of your stepping foot to raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement on the other leg.
6. Barbell Deadlifts
It is a great exercise for strengthening the lower body, particularly the hamstrings and glutes. The deadlift is an exercise that requires lots of practice, as poor form almost always ends up causing injury over time. The deadlift is another excellent posterior chain exercise, which also includes your back muscles that provide stability throughout the exercise.
Heavy deadlifts should be performed on a separate day from any other heavy lifting due to the amount of effort required to perform them. If you have not performed deadlifts before, make sure you keep the following few days in your calendar free. You WILL be sore afterwards. The good news is you will come back stronger next time.
How To Perform Barbell Deadlifts
- Start by positioning the barbell on the floor in front of you.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your toes under the barbell.
- Bend at the hips and knees and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, your hands should be just outside of your legs.
- Keep your back straight and your core tight, lift your chest and look forward.
- Begin the lift by driving through your heels and extending your hips and knees, keeping the barbell close to your legs as you lift.
- Keep lifting the barbell until you reach a standing position, with hips and knees locked.
- Lower the barbell back to the ground by reversing the movement, keeping your back straight and core tight
7. Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats
Much like lunges, Bulgarian split squats utilise working one side of the lower body at a time. But, this exercise is much more difficult due to the demands placed on the leg at each time. More weight is now placed on the lead leg. Therefore it requires much more balance to remain in an upright position, as the back leg is now supported.
This exercise requires A LOT of balance so should only be performed when you are able to successfully complete lunges and maintain good form throughout them. The amount of emphasis on the quads is also very high, so is an excellent exercise to use to target them specifically.
How To Perform Barbell Bulgarian Split Squats
- Start by positioning a bench or step behind you.
- Hold a barbell on your back or use dumbbells.
- Place the top of one foot on the bench or step behind you.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your front foot facing forward and your back foot resting on the bench or step.
- Lower your body by bending your front knee, keeping your back leg straight and your core engaged.
- Keep your chest up and your back straight as you lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to raise your body back to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement on the other leg.
8. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) are an excellent exercise to work the hamstrings and glutes. Whilst the correct form is initially difficult to navigate, it is not as hard to manage as a traditional deadlift. The weight used in an RDL is typically much lower than what you would use in a deadlift as it is a movement focused on control and smooth motion.
Deadlifts are often completed with sharp trajectories and increased power. Whereas the RDL is done at a much slower pace and is focused more on just building strength in and around the posterior chain. The most noticeable area you will feel the exercise is in your hamstrings and Gluteus Maximus (under part of the glutes).
How To Perform Romanian Deadlifts
- Start by positioning the barbell on the floor in front of you.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your toes under the barbell.
- Bend at the hips and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, your hands should be just outside of your legs.
- Keep your back straight and your core tight, lift your chest and look forward.
- Begin the movement by driving through your hips to stand up, keeping the barbell close to your legs as you lift.
- Once you reach a standing position, keep your back straight and your core tight, and start to lower the barbell by bending your hips and keeping the barbell close to your legs as you lower it.
- Lower the barbell down to your knee level or as low as you can control, then lift it back up to the starting position.
9. Barbell Good Morning
The good morning exercise is an excellent exercise to add to your arsenal of exercises, due to its emphasis on mobility and in particular the hip hinging movement which is so important in a lot of lower body exercises.
Generally, the good morning is completed with a lightweight, as anything too heavy comes with greater injury risk. Although the same could be said for any movement, this exercise requires efficient mobility and flexibility to be performed correctly.
It is a great exercise for the posterior chain, but most noticeably helps the lifter to develop more awareness in their movement patterns. This is particularly useful for the hips and back which can help improve squatting and deadlifting.
How To Perform Barbell Good Morning
- Start by positioning the barbell on your upper back, using a squat rack or a spotter to help you lift it into position.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp the barbell using a pronated (overhand) grip.
- Keep your back straight, your core tight and your chest lifted.
- Begin the movement by hinging at the hips, and keeping your knees slightly bent, lower your upper body towards the ground as you keep the barbell close to your upper body.
- Lower your body as far as you can control it, then lift it back up to the starting position.
- Keep your head in line with your spine and avoid rounding your back.
10. Barbell Hip Thrusts
Barbell hip thrusts have become more and more popular over the years. This is due to their ability to target the muscles in the glutes more specifically than traditional squats would. As well as helping build muscle and strength in the glutes, they also help provide stability in the lower body and core.
This can be particularly important for older people and people who struggle with balance and coordination in their lower body. Building strong glutes may not be at the top of everyone’s wish list, but developing these muscles can offer improvements in athletic ability such as sprinting and jumping for sports performance. It can also improve the lock-out technique which is used when performing deadlifts and squats.
How To Perform Barbell Hip Thrusts
To perform a barbell hip thrust exercise, follow these steps:
- Start by positioning a bench or step in front of you
- Sit on the floor with your upper back resting on the bench or step, and your feet flat on the ground
- Place a barbell on your hips, with the weight resting on your pelvic bone
- Begin the movement by driving through your heels and extending your hips upward, lifting the barbell off the ground
- At the top of the movement, contract your glutes and hold the position for a moment
- Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position
- Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions
Summary And Recommendations
Building strength in the lower body can help build strength in the whole body because the lower body muscles are some of the largest and strongest muscles in the body, and they are also the foundation for most movements that involve the upper body. Strong lower body muscles, such as the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, can help to support and stabilize the body during exercises that target the upper body, such as overhead presses or pull-ups.
Additionally, many lower body exercises, such as squats and deadlifts, require the use of multiple muscle groups, including those in the core and upper body, to stabilize and perform the movement. By training the lower body, you are also working on building strength and stability in these other muscle groups. This can improve overall strength and balance throughout the body.
Finally, training the lower body can also have a positive impact on your cardiovascular health and metabolism, which can contribute to improved overall fitness and strength throughout the body. When you train your lower body, your body has to work harder to supply oxygen and nutrients to these muscles, which can help to improve cardiovascular fitness and metabolic function throughout the body.
