9 Exercises That Start With L
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Are you looking for some inspiration to switch up your workout routine? Why not try exercises that start with a letter? By simply doing exercises that start with a letter, such as L, you can introduce creativity into your routine and challenge yourself to try new exercises.
Nine exercises that start with L include lunges, leg press, lateral raises, lat pulldowns, lying leg curls, lateral lunges, low plank, L-sit, and landmine twists.
Keep reading to learn the benefits of each of these exercises and how to conduct them.
Lunges
Lunges are a lower-body exercise that improves stability and balance while working the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. Gaining the best results from bodyweight lunges or those with additional resistance requires that you learn proper form.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Keep your posture straight, stand with your feet hip-width apart, and contract your core.
2. Step Forward: Make sure your knee is exactly over your ankle as you take a deliberate step forward with one leg.
3. Lower Your Body: To lower your body, bend both knees and try to bring your back knee as near to the ground as possible.
4. Back Knee Position: The front knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and the back knee should be slightly above the floor.
5. Push Back: To get back to where you were before, push through the front foot's heel.
6. Switch Legs: For each lunge, repeat the motion by switching legs.
Leg Press
An essential strength training exercise, the leg press works the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, among other lower body muscles. It's a great option for strengthening your lower body and reducing strain on your spine.
If you want to build lower body strength effectively, incorporate the leg press into your leg workout routine. Adapt the weight and machine settings to your current level of fitness.
Instructions:
1. Machine Setup: Place the desired weight on the platform and raise the leg press machine to the proper height for you.
2. Body Positioning: Take a seat on the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart on the footplate and your back against the backrest.
3. Foot Placement: Make sure your knees and toes are in line as you place your feet flat on the footplate.
4. Release Safety Locks: To enable unrestricted movement of the platform, release any safety locks or levers that may be in place.
5. Pressing Movement: Extend your knees to push the platform away, but do not lock them completely out.
6. Controlled Descent: Lower the platform gradually back toward you while keeping your composure.
7. Repetition: Make sure to complete the required number of repetitions while maintaining a complete range of motion and deliberate movements.
Lateral Raises
A specific shoulder exercise that improves deltoid strength and definition is lateral raises. The lateral or side shoulder muscles can be effectively isolated with this exercise.
Lateral raises are essential for creating rounded shoulders that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally strong for day-to-day tasks. Include this movement in your shoulder exercise regimen to improve the appearance of your shoulders and your upper body strength as a whole.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Place your feet shoulder-width apart and stand with your palms facing your body while holding a dumbbell (affiliate link) in each hand.
2. Neutral Spine: To ensure stability, keep your spine neutral and contract your core.
3. Arms at Your Side: Hang your arms at your sides organically, with a small bend in your elbows.
4. Lift Laterally: Raise both dumbbells laterally to shoulder height while maintaining a straight arm position.
5. Controlled Descent: Avoid making sudden drops by lowering the weights gradually to the beginning position.
6. Repeat: Focus on slow, deliberate movements as you complete the exercise for the desired number of repetitions.
Lat Pulldowns
Lat pulldowns are a useful strength training exercise that concentrates on the latissimus dorsi, a muscle in the upper back. Adding lat pulldowns to your routine will help you develop stronger upper body muscles and better posture.
Instructions:
1. Machine Setup: Use a lat pulldown bar attachment to adjust the cable machine. As you face the machine, make sure your knees are firmly under the pads.
2. Grip the Bar: Spread your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and grasp the bar with an overhand grip.
3. Use Your Core: Sit upright and tense up your core muscles.
4. Pull the Bar Down: To begin, pull the bar down toward your chest, using your elbows as a guide. Maintain a raised chest and lowered shoulders.
5. Squeeze Your Back: To fully contract your lat muscles, squeeze your shoulder blades together at the bottom of the exercise.
6. Controlled Release: Return the bar to the starting position gradually while keeping your composure and avoiding sudden movements.
Lying Leg Curls
Lying leg curls are a focused exercise that improves lower body strength and stability by isolating and strengthening the hamstring muscles. To improve the strength of your hamstrings and the general function of your lower body, include lying leg curls in your leg workout regimen.
Instructions:
1. Machine Setup: Make sure the ankle pad on the leg curl machine is in line with your Achilles tendon by adjusting it to your body size.
2. Beginning Position: Place the backs of your ankles against the pad while lying face down on the machine with your legs fully extended.
3. Grip Handles: To stabilize your upper body, grip the machine's handles or sides.
4. Contract your Hamstrings: Breathe in, bend your knees, and tighten your hamstrings to elevate the weight toward your glutes.
5. Controlled Movement: Pause for a moment at the top of this movement, and then breathe out and slowly return the weight to the starting position while keeping your composure.
6. Finish the Set: Focus on using the entire range of motion as you repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions.
Lateral Lunges
An excellent exercise for strengthening the inner and outer thighs, glutes, and hamstrings is the lateral lunge. Strength and flexibility in the lower body are improved by this dynamic exercise.
Instructions:
1. Beginning Position: Place your hands in front of you or on your hips and stand with your feet hip-width apart. Maintain a straight posture.
2. Step to the Side: Keeping your left leg straight, take a large step to the side with your right foot.
3. Lunge to the Right: Maintain a straight left leg while bending your right knee to lower your body towards the right. Make sure your heel is where your weight is located.
4. Push Back to Center: Using your right foot, push off and take a step back to the beginning.
5. Repeat on the Other Side: Step to the left and lunge to the left, using the same motion.
6. Alternate Sides: Keep switching sides while preserving a steady, smooth motion.
Low Plank
The low plank — also called the forearm plank — is a fundamental core exercise that works the shoulders, legs, and entire midsection. This is an example of a static exercise that is a good way to increase stability and endurance.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Take a face-down stance on the floor to start. Stretch your legs straight back behind you while placing your forearms on the ground with your elbows positioned beneath your shoulders.
2. Alignment: Make sure your head to heels are in a straight line. To keep your spine neutral, contract your core.
3. Forearm Positioning: Lay your palms parallel to one another on the ground. To provide more stability, spread your fingers.
4. Hold and Breathe: Raise your body off the floor and balance on your toes and forearms. Keep your posture while concentrating on deep, steady breathing.
5. Duration: Initially, try to hold the low plank for at least 30 seconds. As your strength increases, progressively lengthen the hold.
L-Sit
The L-Sit is a strenuous bodyweight exercise that works the triceps, hip flexors, and core. It calls for flexibility, stability, and strength. Enhancing overall body control and strengthening abdominal muscles are two benefits of this static hold.
Add the L-Sit to your routine to strengthen your core, improve your balance, and move on to more difficult bodyweight exercises.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: With your hands beside your hips and your fingers pointing forward, take a seat on the floor with your legs out in front of you.
2. Hand Placement: Keeping your arms straight, press down through your palms to raise your body off the ground.
3. Engage Core: To lift your legs and form an L-shape parallel to the ground, engage your core muscles.
4. Straight Legs: Make an effort to maintain a horizontal line with your upper body by keeping your legs straight and your toes pointed.
5. Hold and Breathe: For as long as you can, hold the L-sit position while breathing steadily.
Landmine Twists
An efficient rotational exercise that works the shoulders, core, and obliques is the landmine twist. This exercise increases torso mobility and fosters functional strength using a landmine attachment.
Instructions:
1. Set-Up: To ensure stability, secure a barbell (affiliate link) into a landmine attachment and place weight plates on the other end. Step with your feet shoulder-width apart and face the landmine.
2. Grip the Barbell: Hold the barbell with both hands, arms out in front of you, and the end away from the weights.
3. Engage Core: While standing, flex your knees slightly and contract your core muscles.
4. Twist the Torso: While maintaining your hips facing forward, rotate your torso to one side, allowing the barbell to follow your movement.
5. Controlled Movement: To optimize muscle engagement, steer clear of using too much momentum and instead concentrate on controlled twists.
6. Return to Center: Twist to the other side after bringing the barbell back to the center.
Also, if you are choosing to only exercise at home, be sure to consider our list of recommended at-home workout equipment (affiliate link) to add variety and resistance to your routine!
