Because your legs are so strong, it takes pretty strenuous exercise to work them. Bodybuilders often work up to huge poundages with weight machines and barbells. Fortunately, there are ways of building incredible legs without weights if you so desire. I have found lunges to be an exceptionally good exercise that can be done without any equipment. Many sports trainers have their athletes perform lunges with a barbell held behind their neck, but, even with no weight, you are actually lifting your body weight with one leg, so there is a great deal of work being done.
To perform lunges, stand erect in a normal position and take a big step forward with one foot. Then bend the front leg and lower your body forward, like a fencer lunging forward while jabbing with his sword. The back leg stays straight, with the back foot not moving from its original spot, although it may tip forward so only the ball of the foot is on the ground, and it may pivot or turn somewhat. Bend the front leg as far as comfortable, and let the rear leg stretch, and the rear knee almost touch the ground if you can. Return to the upright position by pushing off with your front leg. You should end up back in the original standing position. Repeat the lunge with the opposite leg. Hold your hands up by your ears or out to your sides, behind your head, or even on your hips, whichever you prefer. Do the first few reps slowly, allowing your legs to stretch, warm up, and get a feel for the movement and the balance required. Then try to do ten lunges
on each leg, or twenty total. If you are tired, stop sooner, especially at first. As you advance you can hold weights of some type in your hands. This can be anything from canned goods to bricks or something else so long as it is not too heavy for you or unsafe to hold.
Both legs get exercise in each lunge, but the front leg is lifting the most weight. An advanced variation of this exercise is to, after stepping out on the first lunge, instead of pushing back up to the standing position, jump and switch your feet while in the air, so that you land in the opposite position, with the leg that was the rear leg now out front in the bent position and vice-versa. This takes some practice and athletic ability, so it may not be for everyone, however I perform these jumping lunges while holding a ten or twenty pound weight in front of me for fifteen to eighteen jumps, and I consider this equivalent to any leg workout with weights or machines. It builds a tremendous amount of power and speed that will serve you well in a variety of sports.
To perform lunges, stand erect in a normal position and take a big step forward with one foot. Then bend the front leg and lower your body forward, like a fencer lunging forward while jabbing with his sword. The back leg stays straight, with the back foot not moving from its original spot, although it may tip forward so only the ball of the foot is on the ground, and it may pivot or turn somewhat. Bend the front leg as far as comfortable, and let the rear leg stretch, and the rear knee almost touch the ground if you can. Return to the upright position by pushing off with your front leg. You should end up back in the original standing position. Repeat the lunge with the opposite leg. Hold your hands up by your ears or out to your sides, behind your head, or even on your hips, whichever you prefer. Do the first few reps slowly, allowing your legs to stretch, warm up, and get a feel for the movement and the balance required. Then try to do ten lunges
on each leg, or twenty total. If you are tired, stop sooner, especially at first. As you advance you can hold weights of some type in your hands. This can be anything from canned goods to bricks or something else so long as it is not too heavy for you or unsafe to hold.
Both legs get exercise in each lunge, but the front leg is lifting the most weight. An advanced variation of this exercise is to, after stepping out on the first lunge, instead of pushing back up to the standing position, jump and switch your feet while in the air, so that you land in the opposite position, with the leg that was the rear leg now out front in the bent position and vice-versa. This takes some practice and athletic ability, so it may not be for everyone, however I perform these jumping lunges while holding a ten or twenty pound weight in front of me for fifteen to eighteen jumps, and I consider this equivalent to any leg workout with weights or machines. It builds a tremendous amount of power and speed that will serve you well in a variety of sports.
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