The Best Leg Workout Routine For Beginners

Why Train Legs | Beginner Leg Day Routine | How to Progress | Gym Machines | FAQs

Page last updated: 26/10/26

Strength training has many mental and physical benefits, and it’s something everyone can include in their exercise routine (whether that's lifting weights, calisthenics, Pilates, or a combination of approaches).

For beginners, strength training can feel intimidating. Unlike cardio machines, it isn’t always obvious where to start, and many exercises you see online are more advanced than they first appear. Movements like deadlifts, for example, require a good level of strength and technique to perform safely, which can make them less suitable when you’re just getting started.

That’s why we’ve worked with Personal Trainer Suzy Quinn to create a beginner-friendly leg workout day routine, so that you can begin to build up strength, mind body connection, and confidence in the gym.

Quick summary: beginner leg day workout

• Level: Beginners
• Frequency: 1-2 times per week
• Time: 30-45 minutes
• Equipment: Bodyweight 
• Goal: Strength, confidence, everyday movement

Why should beginners train legs?

When strength training, it's important to train all major muscle groups to avoid creating muscular imbalances. Some reasons to specifically train legs are:

The legs make up the largest muscle group in the body

The legs are made up of several muscles, and make up the largest muscle group in the body. Because they’re involved in almost all movement, including walking, standing, running, jumping and crouching, neglecting leg training means missing out on strengthening a huge part of your body.

It benefits daily movement

Strengthening your legs will mean that you can perform everyday activities more efficiently, and if you play any sports, you'll notice an improvement in athletic performance too. As the muscles in your legs get stronger, you'll find improved endurance for any movement that uses the legs, whether that's standing at a concert, hiking with friends, or dancing late into the night.

Helps create lean, toned legs

Building strength and muscle in the legs helps improve muscle tone and definition. While leg training won’t automatically lead to bulky legs, it can lead to visible improvements in shape and strength over time, especially for beginners. 

Improves bone and joint health

Strength training helps support the joints by strengthening the muscles around them.  Regular leg training can improve stability in the ankles, knees and hips, which are under constant load during daily movement, and may help reduce aches and joint discomfort over time. Resistance exercise also promotes stronger bones. Research like this from Harvard Health shows that strength training helps maintain and build bone density, which can reduce the risk of fractures and support joint health as you age.  

Helps to counter a sedentary lifestyle

A large number of jobs these days involve long periods of sitting down. This causes the muscles in the lower body to become tight and weak, which can lead to posture issues, injuries, and aches. Reviews of workplace exercise programmes highlight the role of movement and strengthening in addressing issues linked with prolonged sitting. Training your legs helps to counteract these issues and ensure your legs are fighting fit.

Burns more calories

Because the legs are such a large muscle group, training them places a greater demand on the body. This means the body works harder to deliver blood and oxygen to the muscles, which results in more calories being burned.

Beginner leg workout routine

There are plenty of leg exercises to choose from, but finding ones which are effective and beginner-friendly can be a bit of a minefield. While a good leg day for beginners will look different to a leg day for someone who's been lifting for years, it should still include effective exercises for working the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Who this leg workout is for

This leg workout is ideal if you:

• Are new to leg training
• Want a simple gym or home routine
• Prefer low-risk, easy-to-learn exercises

It’s perhaps not ideal if you:

• Are training for hypertrophy or strength sports
• Prefer barbell-heavy workouts

The following exercises can be combined into a beginner leg workout, and as it's bodyweight only, they make great leg exercises at home for beginners too: 

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Step ups
3. Lunges
4. Lateral lunges
5. Calf raises

We recommend aiming for three sets of 8-12 reps for each exercise. Once you can do 12 reps with good form, consider adding weight or progressing to a harder variation.

Bodyweight squats

Why do this exercise: Squats are a great exercise for all gym goers. They're a compound exercise (this means they engage multiple joints and work multiple muscles) and can easily be progressed to make harder as you gain strength. Starting with bodyweight squats is great for beginners as it allows you to focus on form and build strength and stamina.

Targets: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, core

How to do this exercise: Stand tall with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart (wherever feels most comfortable for you) and turn your feet slightly out. Engage your core muscles then sink your hips back while bending at the knees, stopping as your thighs reach parallel to the floor. You can hold your arms out in front for balance, or rest on your hips. Drive back up to standing by pushing through the ground.

Step ups

Why do this exercise: Step ups build unilateral (single leg) strength and work all the major muscles in the legs, including the glutes. They can be made easier or harder by adjusting the size of the step, or by adding weights.

Targets: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves

How to do this exercise: Stand facing a step, box, or bench. Raise your right foot and plant it firmly on the step, then shift your weight into this leg and drive up through the foot until you are standing, and tap your left foot on the step. Step the left leg back down and return the right foot to the ground. Repeat on one leg for your desired reps before switching legs.

Lunges

Why do this exercise: Lunges are another great compound exercise that builds single leg strength and helps to improve core strength and stability. This exercise also helps to stretch and strengthen the hip flexors, which are often tight and weak from sedentary lifestyles.

Targets: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves

How to do this exercise: Stand with feet hip width apart, hands on hips. Engage your core and then step your right foot around 2-3 feet forward, then bend the front leg and lower your body until the back knee is just above the ground. Push back up through the front foot and step the right foot back. Repeat on the same side until you have finished your reps, then switch sides.

Lateral lunges

Why do this exercise: Lateral lunges work the muscles in a different direction to the more popular leg exercises and help to build strength in a sideways movement pattern. It also works the adductors and abductors, which are not recruited much in standard lunges and squats.  

Targets: Inner thighs (adductors), outer hips (abductors), glutes, quadriceps

How to do this exercise: Stand with your feet hip width apart and engage your core. Step your right foot out to the side, and as your foot lands, bend your knees and push your hips back. Stop as your thigh reaches parallel with the floor and push back up through the foot before returning to the starting position.

Calf raises

Why do this exercise: The calf muscles get worked in pretty much every leg exercise, but it's worth also adding calf exercises to further strengthen these muscles. Get calf workout ideas here.

Targets: Calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus)

How to do this exercise: Stand with your feet hip width apart, resting your hand on the wall or a high box for support. Keep a neutral spine and engage your core before pushing up onto the balls of your feet. Hold for a second before slowly lowering down. You can also do this on the edge of a step to work the calf further.

How to progress this leg workout

When you feel confident and comfortable completing at least three sets of 12 reps of each of movement, there are a few simple ways you can make this leg workout more challenging: 

1. Increase reps – Gradually add more repetitions to each exercise as the workout starts to feel easier.
2. Add light weights – Introduce light dumbbells or kettlebells to increase resistance while keeping good form.
3. Add a second leg day – Perform this leg workout twice a week to build strength and confidence more quickly.

If you’re ready to take things further, our Free Weights Leg Exercises guide includes examples of how to progress your leg workouts using dumbbells and barbells.

Gym leg day for beginners

The above exercises can be done both at the gym and at home, but if you have access to a gym, we also recommend taking advantage of the resistance machines available.

Gym machines are great for beginners as they have a fixed movement pattern which makes it difficult to perform incorrectly. This means you can build strength and confidence in movement patterns with a low risk of injury.

Some beginner-friendly leg machines to try are:

• Leg extension machine for the quads
• Leg curl machine for the hamstrings
• Leg press machine, which works all the lower body

FAQs on the best leg workout for beginners

How often should beginners train legs each week?

Once or twice a week is plenty when you're just starting out. Your muscles need time to recover, so make sure you’ve got at least one full rest day between sessions. 

Can I do this leg workout at home, or do I need a gym membership? 

You can do the whole workout at home using just your bodyweight. If you want to progress later with dumbbells or gym machines, that’s an option, but it’s not essential.

Am I going to end up with bulky legs? 

No. Real ‘bulk’ requires a very specific, high-calorie diet and years of lifting incredibly heavy weights. What you’ll actually see is more ‘tone’, meaning your legs will look firmer, tighter, and more athletic. You aren't going to wake up with bodybuilder legs by accident!

Is this leg workout suitable if I’m new to the gym? 

Definitely. Suzy chose these exercises specifically because they’re easy to learn and low-impact. It’s all about getting your form right and building up your confidence.

Do I need gym machines for this leg workout?

Only if you want to. They’re helpful for extra stability, but your own bodyweight provides plenty of resistance to get you started.

How long should leg workouts be?

For most beginners, around 30 to 45 minutes is ideal. That’s long enough to work all the major leg muscles properly without feeling overwhelming or exhausting.

Should beginners train legs or full body?

Both can work well. Full-body workouts are great when you’re new to strength training, while leg-focused workouts are useful if you want to give extra attention to lower body strength. Many beginners find a mix of full-body sessions and one leg-focused workout each week works best.

For more ideas, check out this lower body and legs HIIT workout, this glutes and hamstring workout, and full leg workout, or visit our free Exercises section and get a breakdown of how to perform different exercises for different muscle groups.