Evidence-aware · beginner-first · no miracle claims
Leg day, taught: 16 squat, lunge and hinge moves
In one line: Squats, lunges, bridges and hinges - the biggest muscles in the body, trained with nothing more than a floor, a wall and a step.
Legs are more than half the muscle in your body, and they respond to surprisingly little kit: a squat, a lunge, a bridge and a hinge cover everything. This page teaches each one the way a good coach would - setup, cue, mistake, sets.
The pattern to learn first is the squat. The pattern most people skip is the hinge (the Romanian deadlift teaches it). Train both weekly and the rest of this page is refinement.
The bodyweight squat
Setup and cues:
- Feet shoulder-width, toes slightly out.
- Sit back and down as if toward a chair, chest proud.
- Go as deep as you can with a flat back and heels down.
- Drive the floor away to stand tall.
The mistake everyone makes: Heels lifting and knees caving inward. Knees track over the toes; weight stays mid-foot.
Sets: 3 sets of 8-20 reps, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: Squat down to an actual chair and let it catch you lightly.
Harder: Slow the lowering to three seconds, pause at the bottom, or hold a weight (see the goblet squat).
The reverse lunge
Setup and cues:
- Stand tall, then step one foot straight back.
- Lower until both knees are about 90 degrees.
- The front shin stays roughly vertical; weight through the front heel.
- Push through the front heel to return.
The mistake everyone makes: Short steps that ram the front knee forward. Take a genuinely long step back.
Sets: 3 sets of 6-10 reps per leg, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: Hold a wall or chair for balance; shorten the range.
Harder: Walking lunges, or hold dumbbells at your sides.
The glute bridge
Setup and cues:
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and close to your hips.
- Tuck your pelvis slightly, then push through the heels.
- Lift your hips until your body is one line from knees to shoulders.
- Squeeze the glutes hard at the top for one second, then lower.
The mistake everyone makes: Lifting with the lower back instead of the glutes - you will feel it in the spine. Tuck first, then lift.
Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps, rest 60 seconds.
Easier: Smaller range: lift only a few centimetres, focusing on the squeeze.
Harder: One leg at a time, or feet on a step.
The calf raise
Setup and cues:
- Stand tall, feet hip-width near a wall for balance.
- Rise onto the balls of your feet as high as you can.
- Pause one second at the top.
- Lower slowly until your heels drop below the step edge if you can.
The mistake everyone makes: Fast bouncy reps. Calves respond to full range and a pause at the top.
Sets: 3 sets of 12-20 reps, rest 45 seconds.
Easier: Two legs, flat floor, hold the wall.
Harder: One leg at a time, or heels-off-a-step for extra range.
The wall sit
Setup and cues:
- Slide down a wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Knees directly over your ankles, not your toes.
- Back flat against the wall, hands off the thighs.
- Breathe steadily and hold.
The mistake everyone makes: Sliding the hands onto the thighs for help. Hands on your head or crossed at the chest.
Sets: 3 holds of 20-45 seconds, rest 60 seconds.
Easier: Slide less deep - a higher squat angle.
Harder: Hold a weight on your lap or extend one leg at a time.
The goblet squat
Setup and cues:
- Hold one weight vertically at your chest, like a goblet, elbows down.
- Feet shoulder-width. Sit straight down between your feet.
- The weight against your chest keeps your torso upright - let it.
- Drive up through mid-foot.
The mistake everyone makes: Letting the chest fall forward. The weight hugs the chest the entire time.
Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps, rest 90 seconds.
Easier: Use no weight first and copy the same upright torso.
Harder: Add weight slowly, or pause three seconds in the bottom position.
The dumbbell Romanian deadlift
Setup and cues:
- Stand tall, weights at your sides, knees softly bent.
- Push your hips straight back and slide the weights down your thighs.
- Feel the stretch in the hamstrings; stop when the back starts to round.
- Drive the hips forward to stand, squeezing the glutes.
The mistake everyone makes: Squatting instead of hinging, or rounding the back to chase the floor. The weights stop at shin level if that is where your hamstrings end.
Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps, rest 90 seconds.
Easier: Practice the hinge without weight, hands sliding down your legs.
Harder: Pause two seconds at the bottom stretch, or go single-leg.
The step-up
Setup and cues:
- Place one whole foot on a knee-height step.
- Push through the top foot only - no push-off from the bottom leg.
- Stand fully tall at the top without leaning forward.
- Lower slowly, kissing the floor with the trailing toe, then repeat.
The mistake everyone makes: Bouncing off the bottom leg. The working leg does all of it, up and down.
Sets: 3 sets of 6-10 reps per leg, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: Lower step, or hold a rail lightly.
Harder: Higher step, dumbbells in hand, or a slow three-second lowering.
The single-leg glute bridge
Setup and cues:
- Lie on your back, one foot flat, the other leg straight.
- Tuck the pelvis, then push through the single heel.
- Lift until the thighs are level, hips square to the ceiling.
- Lower slowly and repeat before switching sides.
The mistake everyone makes: Letting the hips tip to one side. Imagine a glass of water balanced on your hip bones.
Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per side, rest 60 seconds.
Easier: Two-leg glute bridge first until 15 clean reps feel easy.
Harder: Pause two seconds at the top, or rest your working heel on a bench.
The walking lunge
Setup and cues:
- Step forward into a long stride and lower until both knees are about 90 degrees.
- Push through the front heel and bring the back leg through.
- Step straight into the next lunge.
- Torso tall the whole walk.
The mistake everyone makes: Short steps and a forward-falling torso. Long stride, proud chest.
Sets: 3 sets of 10-14 steps total, rest 90 seconds.
Easier: Stationary reverse lunges in place.
Harder: Hold dumbbells at your sides.
The sumo squat
Setup and cues:
- Stand with a wide stance, toes turned out about 30-45 degrees.
- Sit straight down, knees tracking over the toes.
- Keep your chest tall; hands can hang between your legs.
- Drive through the whole foot to stand.
The mistake everyone makes: Letting the knees collapse inward. They follow the toes outward the whole way.
Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: Hold a chair back for balance and reduce depth.
Harder: Hold one dumbbell vertically at your chest, goblet-style.
The Bulgarian split squat
Setup and cues:
- Stand about two foot-lengths in front of the bench, one foot's lace resting on it.
- Lower straight down until the front thigh is parallel to the floor.
- The front shin stays roughly vertical; the weight is on the front heel.
- Drive up through the front leg. Finish the set, then switch.
The mistake everyone makes: Standing too close to the bench - the back knee rams forward. Distance comes out first, depth comes second.
Sets: 3 sets of 6-10 reps per leg, rest 90 seconds.
Easier: Hold a wall or chair for balance; reduce the depth.
Harder: Dumbbells at your sides, or a slow three-second lowering.
The cossack squat
Setup and cues:
- Stand wide, toes slightly out.
- Shift your weight over one foot and sit down sideways, the other leg straight with the heel down.
- Keep the working heel flat and the chest as tall as you can.
- Return to centre and switch sides.
The mistake everyone makes: Letting the working heel lift. Depth follows mobility - squat only as low as the heel allows, and let the range grow over weeks.
Sets: 3 sets of 5-8 reps per side, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: Hold a door frame for balance and stop at any depth.
Harder: Deeper squats, or hold a weight at your chest.
The hip thrust
Setup and cues:
- Sit on the floor with your upper back against the bench edge, knees bent.
- Drive through the heels and push the hips up until your body is one line.
- Squeeze the glutes hard for one second at the top.
- Lower with control. Chin stays tucked; the movement is a hinge, not a neck exercise.
The mistake everyone makes: Overextending - arching the lower back past the top line. The hips stop when the body is straight.
Sets: 3 sets of 8-15 reps, rest 60-90 seconds.
Easier: A glute bridge on the floor (no bench) with the same squeeze.
Harder: A dumbbell or bag across the hips.
The band good morning
Setup and cues:
- Stand on the band, ends over your shoulders (or held at your chest).
- Soft knees, tall chest - then push the hips straight back.
- Hinge until you feel the hamstrings load, back flat the whole way.
- Drive the hips forward to stand, squeezing the glutes.
The mistake everyone makes: Rounding the back to chase depth. The hinge stops where the hamstrings end - the range is honest, not maximal.
Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps, rest 60-90 seconds. Start light: this move teaches the hinge.
Easier: Unweighted hinge with hands sliding down the thighs.
Harder: A slow three-second hinge, or a thicker band.
The donkey calf raise
Setup and cues:
- Stand on a step with your heels hanging off the edge; hold a rail.
- Hinge slightly forward at the hips - the stretch is the difference.
- Rise onto the balls of your feet as high as you can.
- Lower slowly until the heels drop below the step edge.
The mistake everyone makes: Bouncing out of the bottom. The stretched pause and the slow lift are where calves actually grow.
Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps, rest 45-60 seconds.
Easier: Flat-floor calf raises first (see the classic calf raise).
Harder: One leg at a time, or a dumbbell held at your side.
Form beats everything. Stop short of sharp pain, leave 1-2 reps in the tank, and add a rep or a little load when the top of the range feels easy two sessions running. Numbers on this page are approximate starting points, not medical advice.
Keep going
- Push day, taught: 16 chest, shoulder and tricep moves
- Pull day, taught: 16 back and bicep moves
- Core, taught: 14 ab and stability moves
- The workout builder - turn these moves into a weekly plan
- The one-rep max calculator - what your reps say about your strength
Sources
Keep going
Related on this desk.
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, have been inactive for a long time, or something hurts sharply, talk to a qualified health professional first.