If you’re looking for lower body exercises that adds more size and symmetry to your lower body muscles, then you need to read this article.
This article is a continuation of my “upper body workout” post where I discuss how to best set up your upper body workouts. In this article however, we’ll cover how to set up your lower body workouts based on current scientific literature and our understanding of muscles. You’ll also be provided with a free PDF of the workout at the end of the article – so stick around!
The Main Workout Goal
The main goal of the exercises should be to train your lower body muscles in a balanced manner. This not only makes your lower body look more aesthetic and proportional, but it also greatly decreases your risk of injury.
So how do we do this? Well in this workout, we do this by adequately training the following muscles: the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
Different Muscles Trained
These are the main muscles that will contribute to the “aesthetic” of your lower body – and each muscle should be strengthened and grown in proportion to the others. But in order to accomplish this, we need to pick the right exercises.
The Optimal Lower Body Workout
Exercise 1 – Barbell Back Squats (Quadriceps Emphasis)
When it comes to quadriceps development, squats are going to be your best bet. Although squats will heavily involve the glutes as well and will definitely contribute to their growth, they have been repeatedly shown in numerous studies to elicit very high quadriceps activation when compared to other exercises.
And given that squats are an exercise that can be easily and effectively overloaded with weight, I’d highly suggest including them in your workout.
As for whether to perform back squats or front squats, I’d suggest using back squats on one of your lower body days and then perform front squats on your other day. Another option is to rotate between them overtime if you only perform one lower body day per week.
This is because although research shows that overall quadriceps activation is very similar between the front and back squats, research also shows that front squats may better activate certain quadriceps muscles that aren’t as well activated during the back squat.
For example, this table from a study from the journal of strength and conditioning research shows that certain quadricep muscles like the vastus lateralis and the rectus femoris are less activated during the back squat and moreso in the front squat.
Muscle Activation & Biomechanical Analysis
Thus, for more balanced and full quadriceps development, it’s probably a good idea to incorporate both the back and front squat in your weekly routine.
Exercise 2 – Romanian Deadlifts (Hamstrings/Glutes Emphasis)
This next exercise is a variation of the traditional deadlift. Although the muscles worked will be quite similar between the two variations, Romanian deadlifts will put more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes. This is because the knees are kept relatively straighter throughout the movement.
One 2014 study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared hamstring activity in 4 different hamstring exercises – Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, glute ham raises, and good mornings.
Of the 4 exercises, Romanian Deadlifts and glute ham raises came out on top. Since Romanian deadlifts allow greater weight to be lifted and are easier to progressively overload overtime, I’d highly recommend including them in your lower body workout to strengthen the posterior chain.
And in terms of form, you want to perform them similar to how you would a traditional deadlift but instead keep your legs relatively straight throughout each rep. This is done by pushing the hips back and keeping your lower back straight as you lower the weight.
Romanian Deadlift Pointers
How low you go will depend on your mobility, but generally aim for below your knees and then contract your hamstrings and glutes to push the hips forward as you bring the weight back up.
Exercise 3 – Bulgarian Split Squats (Quads/Hams/Glutes Emphasis)
As shown in my leg workout article, the Bulgarian split squat is something I think everyone should incorporate somewhere in their routine. They do a great job of hitting all the major leg muscles but with more emphasis placed on the posterior chain.
One 2010 study from the Journal of Sport Rehab found that the Bulgarian split squat more heavily involves the hamstrings and glutes than the back squat. In addition, one 2016 study by Speirs and colleagues suggests that the Bulgarian split squat may be just as effective at increasing back squat strength as the back squat itself – while placing less strain on the lower back!
Therefore, it’s clear that the Bulgarian split squat is a great complimentary exercise to use with squats for both muscle and strength development.
And the fact that it’s a unilateral exercise (meaning just one leg is worked at a time) helps prevent muscle imbalances from developing which is likely to happen if you only stick to bilateral exercises like the squat and deadlift for example.
Another important thing I want to mention regarding this exercise is foot placement.
One 2014 study from the Journal of Applied Biomechanics showed that a longer step length, such that the shin is vertical, makes the split squat more hip-dominant meaning that more emphasis is placed on the hamstrings and glutes.
Bulgarian Split Squats Shorter Length
Whereas a shorter step length makes the split squat more knee-dominant, meaning that more emphasis is placed on the quadriceps.
Bulgarian Split Squats Longer Length
So you can apply this information in your workout by either taking a longer step if you want to target more of your hamstrings and glutes, or take a shorter step if you instead want to put more emphasis on your quads.
Exercise 4 – Glute Ham Raise (hamstring emphasis)
This last exercise is something I’m personally a big fan of (and the literature seems to be as well)! It will put the most emphasis on the hamstrings but will also involve other posterior muscles like the glutes and lower back.
Now we already know glute ham raises are great at activating the hamstrings when compared to other hamstring exercises based on the results of the 2014 EMG study I mentioned earlier.
What this study also illustrates is that glute ham raises compliment Romanian deadlifts very well in terms of hamstring development. They found that although activation of one of the hamstring muscles (the long head of the biceps femoris) was maximized in both exercises, activation of the other two hamstring muscles was not. They were activated the highest concentrically (the way up) during the glute-ham raise and highest eccentrically (the way down) during the Romanian deadlift.
Simply meaning that it would be a good idea to include both in your routine.
This idea is further supported by a 2015 study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research. The researchers found that activation of the upper hamstrings can be maximized with hip dominant exercises (e.g. Romanian deadlift), whereas activation of the lower hamstrings seems to be maximized with more knee-dominant exercises.
Glute Ham Raise Muscles
This makes sense since the short head of the biceps femoris only crosses over the knee joint, and therefore can only be trained through knee flexion.
Therefore, including both a hip-dominant hamstring exercise like the Romanian deadlift AND a more knee-dominant exercise like the glute ham raise is recommended. This not only helps with balanced development of the hamstrings, but also contributes to injury prevention (especially in athletes).
Now for those who don’t have a glute ham raise machine available at your gym, one knee-dominant alternative I’d recommend are leg curls on a stability ball. Additional alternatives are listed in the PDF mentioned at the end of this article.
Sample Lower Body Workout
So to sum up the video, here’s what your workout could look like:
Barbell Back Squat: 3-5 sets of 6-8 reps
Romanian Deadlift: 2-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Bulgarian Split Squat: 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Glute Ham Raise: 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps
Standing Single Leg Calf Raise: 2-4 sets of 6-10 reps
Seated Calf Raise: 2-4 sets of 10-15 reps
I’d also advise adding in one or two calf exercises as well. I’ll be covering calves in more detail in a future article. Beginner lifters should probably stick to the lower end of the volume recommendations. Whereas more intermediate lifters should probably stick to the higher end of the volume recommendations.
YouTube Video On The Workout
See below for a video that sums everything up and shows you how to properly execute each lower body exercise in this workout:
Free PDF Download
And as I’ve done with my upper workout video, I’ve compiled all of this information into an easy to follow free PDF so that you guys can have it when you’re at the gym. It shows you the full workout, how to set up two lower body days per week, exercise tips with visuals, a progression scheme to use, and more. Simply follow the link below to get a copy of this sent to you.
Feel free to let me know if you have any questions down below. And give me a follow on Instagram , Facebook , and Youtube where I’ll be posting informative content on a more regular basis. Cheers!
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can i perform traditional deadlifts on one of my lower body workouts
Yes, it’s something I recommend in the PDF.
Jeremy, I workout twice a week on legs and glutes but one day I focus more on glutes n hamstrings n the end of the week I focus on glutes n quads. Can u give me another lower body workout
Hey Jeremy,
I requested for the PDF and did the necessary steps but never received the PDF.
Can you pls. help?
Thanks!
Jeremy, thank you so much for your efforts. Your upper lower split helps me a lot.
I just had one question, with which exercise i will train my lower back ? The deadlifts are just for the hamstrings and the glutes, right ?
The deadlifts will hit the lower back, as well as the glute ham raises.
I have disc prolapse .. I am stable now .. But When I do bodyweight squat, i find it challenging and my lower back gives me pain.
My question:
Is it possible to drop the barbell squat (for safety and avoiding pain) without losing the hypertrophy benefits?
Do I need to Adjust something in the workout routine?
Yes, but another compound movement should replace it like the leg press, hack squat, etc.
Hi Jeremy
Just starting to train with weights again after 3yrs of doing nothing just wanting advice of what training split can you recommend for me
I’m 52yrs old male
Kind Regards Jimmy Flucker
Dundee Scotland UK
Start with the upper/lower workouts I have listed and ease your way into them in terms of volume/intensity.
Your blog has been a fantastic learning tool for me and I love all the research backed evidence you provide. Thanks for providing such quality information and the free PDFs! I really enjoy your content!
Great to hear! Thanks!
Hello Jeremy, you are totally awesome and selfless to he soo helpful. Your info is so helpful you cant imagine how much. As a male I want to lose my butt and obviously I dont want my butt to grow but I know how vital the weighted squats are. So does squatting make them grow bigger or removes inches? Really confused with all the conflicting information.
Thank you! Squatting will help grow your butt. If you want to grow your legs without growing your butt, it’s very difficult to do but leg press would be a better option
Hey jeremy!
You wrote in your PDF that it’d be a good idea to include rack pulls above the knee to one of my upper workouts if I want to do only Romanian Deadlifts in my routine. Will this affect my recovery much? Also, what set x rep scheme should I use for the rack pulls?
It shouldn’t as long as you’re managing volume. For rack pulls, I’d suggest 3-4 reps for 6-8 reps (heavy weight).
Hey Jeremy!
I am a little confused with calorie deficit. what is it about the incoming energy is smaller than the energy out? for example: i eat 2000 calories in a day, then i spent 2500 energy from the gym and cardio, so i deficit the calories 500, is it like that?
Yes, just like that.
I thought calorie deficit is the amount of energy not being consumed against your daily energy requirement.
For example, if your body requires 3000 kcal a day, and you consume only 2500 kcal a day, that would be a 500 kcal calorie deficit.
In addition if you perform extra exercise in a day, that would add up to the total calorie you burn in a day.
Having said that, a person can lose weight without doing any exercise by consuming food lesser than the required daily energy intake.
Lower split #1:(with number of sets and reps the same as yours)
1.Barbell Back squats
2.Romanian deadlift
3.Weighted hip trust
4.Standin single leg calf raise
Seated calf raises
Lower split#2:
1.Barbell/Dumbell front squats -3sets×12-15reps
2.Bulgarian split squats
2-4 sets×8-10reps
3.Glute ham raise/Leg curls
2-4 sets×8-12 reps
***Third exercise optional
4.Single leg calf raises 2sets×8-10
Standing calf raises 2×20reps
Want to hear your thoughts on this schedule??
Looks pretty good to me!
Do you know of any body weight exercises to increase Quad strength but with minimal knee stress?
Front squats and split squats or reverse lunges all target the quads with less stress on the knee compared to other exercises.
Hey there jeremy I cannot receive your lower workput pdf, can you send me one?
Hi Jeremy,
I have tried receiving the PDF from the link but no success. I have used 2 email addresses as well but I still haven’t received it.
Can you forward to my email address shown below?
Thank you.
Done!
I’m having the same issue, can you forward me the pdf aswell? Thanks I’m advance
What excercises would you recommend to improve someone’s vertical
Explosive squats, and just getting stronger with the squat in general.
Hi Jeremy,
I have tried receiving the PDF from the link but no success. I have used 2 email addresses as well but I still haven’t received it.
Can you forward to my email address shown below?
Thank you.
Jeremy the mails are not coming through. I clicked on the link to send PDF. The form says success fully sent but mail is not coming through. pls check.
Regards.
It should be sent now. Sorry about that.
hi Jeremy
love your work
the pdf file does not seem to be coming through please help
Do you think a 15 year old should use a upper and lower split as well if they play Football (Soccer).I’m around 60kg and 180cm.
Hi Jeremy,
I found your blog via youtube and i must say your info is very useful. I like how simple your workouts are. Because of work and family, I am able to make it to the gym at least 3 times a week, doing research it seems like Full Body workouts are most ideal. What do you think about Superset Full body work outs vs Superset Upper/Lower?
Hello Jeremy, thanks for this routine, it’s very flexible. But i have a question, the hip thrust ¿Is necessary? I want a great booty, i am a man.
And ¿Can i do reverse lunge? I don’t like the bulgarian split squat.
Thanks for all man.
Hello jeremy ive been watching your videos and i just want to say finally ive found someone who speaks gym in english lol if you catch my drift will you be coming out with like a work out book for all your work outs? I would be interested in buying one if you do
Hi Jeremy,
I cannot perform Bulgarian split squats due to bad knees. What can I replace this with?
Thanks!
Jeremy,
I had a lower back fusion in 2015 which was successful in stabilizing my lower back.
Q: What exercises are safe for me?
Leg press seems ok as does back raise w/o added weight
Thanks in advance,
Mark
Is it okay for a teenager to use this Workout?
Can u give a second split lower body workout
hey I’ve been trying to get the pdf of this for awhile now can you please just email it to me
Thank you for all this high quality information.
Keep up with the grat work!
Hello Jeremy,
Thanks for creating your upper lower split, really helped me simplify my workout . I have a question regarding the glute ham raise. I have a small gym in my condo that I use and it doesn’t have that particular machine, what would be a good alternative to it?
Cheers!
On one of your new videos i think you said that your latest routine looks like this push/pull/legs -rest- upper body/lower body.
My questions are, what does the upper body day consist of? Does the lower body day suffer from the leg day in any way?
Hey Jeremy,
I was thinking of using your sample workout here for my first lower body day and then the following for the second lower body day.
Leg Press – 3 sets 6-8 reps
Barbell front squats- 3 sets 8-10 reps
Reverse Lunges – 3 sets 10-12 reps
Weighted hip thrust – 3 sets 10 – 15 reps
+ 1 or 2 calf exercises
For upper body I will be using the two routines you recommended in your upper body video.
Hi Jeremy,
Tried requesting both your upper and lower workout programmes, but they haven’t come through, just wondering if you’d be able to forward them? Thanks so much for all the useful information!
Hey Jeremy, my hamstrings are smaller than my quads, causing tightness in my hamstrings(according to research I have done). I believe it has caused my squat max to be lower than what I think I can achieve. I know that I according to your videos, I should be doing hamstrings first in my workout, but should I be building an entire workout with emphasis on my hamstrings or would a sample workout like the one you provided above be okay with the normal muscle growth? My body weight is hovering around 140lb, and my max squat is 175lb.
Hi Jeremy
Would it be possible to combine the upper and lower body workout in one training day (and doing this training twice a week) ?
I would do the minimum 4 upper body exercises as you mentioned and 3x Squats and 3x Romanian Deadlift?
Thanks
Hey there Jeremy. Can you shoot me an email with the PDF? Getting to success with the link. Thanks!
Hi Jeremy,
I had click the link to send the PDF but no email are receive, please help, thanks.
Hi Jeremy I was trying for the past two weeks to get both of the the upper and lower body workouts PDFs but I didn’t receive any of them on my two accounts. Can you please send them to me ?
Hi Jeremy,
How do I hit my abs too during lower body days
Hi Jeremy! Thank you for being generous to share your knolwdge. As a former kickboxing fighter, i started to BB&Fitness at the age if 34, and ur posts and videos have already helped me a lot. They all work man!
What about the traditional deadlift? Can I add it or replicerer it with any of the excercises in either the lower body workout or upper body workout?
Hey jeremy, great program, but what about deadlifts? Can I do two sets of deadlifts instead of Glute ham raise?
Hello, can you send me both upper and lower body pdfs? I tried to suscribe etc but couldnt get it
Hi,
Great routine. How could the upper-lower split be done over 3 days per week?
Thanks
Hey Jeremy,
Thanks for the great content, I didn’t get the Upper and Body Workout PDF, could you please sent it to me.
Thanks 🙂
when i click on the button it dosent show up