How to Get Bigger Legs: Nutrition, Workouts, and Recovery
Updated January 2024
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Growing the lower body muscles is one of the important aspects of building general body mass. Much more than giving you a feeling of a good look or even a great physique, your legs are required to support your body and for the activities of daily living like walking, and that requires strength.
In order to get bigger legs, you need to focus on your workouts, nutrition, sleep, and recovery. Some of the best tips include eating in a calorie surplus, consuming enough protein, training your legs two to three times per week utilizing heavy lifts, and getting at least seven hours of sleep every night.
To design an efficient workout to help you grow bigger legs, the standard lower body movements- squats to lift or pick things up from the floor, hip hinges, and lunges- should be given utmost consideration as they focus on the major muscle groups that make up the legs. Exercises can now be built as variations and progressions from these.
Keep reading to learn exactly how to conquer your journey to stronger and bigger legs.
Nutrition
One of the basic rules of getting your body to function maximally, especially when you are very active, is to give it the right fuel. Fueling up gives your body the necessary energy to get the job done and helps ensure that you stay injury-free and healthy. What and how you eat has a big impact on your body goals!
A caloric surplus is an important factor in healthy muscle building. In order to do this, you would have to increase your intake of calories for your muscles to grow. This means your diet must be composed of varied sources of macronutrients- carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; these play a vital role in supporting your health, and you must balance out your calorie intake amongst them.
Protein stands out as one of the most crucial macronutrients needed for muscle fiber repair and growth. The amino acids that make up the protein macronutrient help you build muscle mass and increase your metabolism so you are able to eat more while maintaining your goal weight. Protein is also the most satiating macro and will keep you full for longer compared to carbs and fats!
Intake of protein doesn't mean the other classes of food should be left out. Ideas on their intake can be controversial, but sticking to the right carbs and fats in the proper proportions is essential to your muscle gain goals. Carbohydrates will provide you with an adequate source of energy and daily functioning, while fats will help with the maintenance of a balanced hormonal environment.
Develop and commit to a healthy diet that has plenty of lean protein sources, fruits and vegetables, and water to help you work on growing your legs while you are not in the gym.
Sleep and Recovery
Sleep, rest days, and stretches are optimal for recovery. In order to perform at your best during your workouts, you need to regularly get an adequate amount of sleep and rest. Sleep is necessary for your body to restore itself, and it ensures muscle growth, recovery, and illness prevention.
Going through your activities of daily living, especially exercise, can lead to increased exhaustion and a decline in cognition. The proper way to take care of this is by allowing the body to rest and get some sleep. Lack of sleep can impact a person's overall physical and mental health. It leaves you at a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, anxiety, and depression.
During sleep, the muscles relax, allowing the relief of tension and reduction of pain. This also leads to the secretion of 95% of the crucial bodybuilding growth hormone. Those small tears in the muscles that occur as a result of the exercises are repaired and restored. It also causes the body to replenish muscle glycogen, a critical energy source that depletes during exercise. In a study in the Journal of American Medical Association, it was found that the more you experience deep sleep, the more the human growth hormone is secreted. Getting at least eight to ten hours of sleep every night is recommended.
Another thing you can try is engaging in gentle stretches after exercising or in preparation for sleep. Regular stretching allows the muscles to lengthen and release tension. This process helps prevent soreness and flexibility development.
Finally, do not forget your rest days. Taking two to three days off from the rigorous exercises each week allows you to get that good blood circulation going that will facilitate muscle repair.
Workout the Right Way
Several muscles make up the legs. Mixing up your training to target all the muscles of the lower body- glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves- will aid overall functioning. Balance your routine to avoid overtraining particular muscle groups. This will help create a stable and strong foundation for strength, speed, and stability.
A typical leg day should have a good combination of four to six exercises, and two or three lower-body sessions a week is ideal. This gives the muscles time to recover between sessions, and you will have the energy to give your next workout your all!
Studies recently also suggest for a given training volume, individuals can choose a weekly frequency per muscle group based on personal preference. This simply means that the number of days you train does not make much difference in maximizing muscle growth, as the volume comprises the number of sets and reps you are completing. To maximize hypertrophy, the total volume of training is more important than a specific repetition range. This means the intensity should be appropriate. Loads that are heavy enough and performed with enough volume will build muscles, so the focus is on the weights more than the reps.
Leg Workouts You Need to Try
Gym Workout
Warm-Up:
Growing your legs requires taxing compound lifts carried out using challenging weights. In order to get the most out of every session, taking time to warm up is essential because it helps reduce the risk of injury and lessens the muscle soreness that comes post-workout.
To get the muscles moving, start with dynamic stretches. Spending ten minutes walking on the treadmill is not a bad idea either!
Exercises:
Deadlifts
This is a lower limb classic that not only builds the legs but helps improve posture. Start by standing tall with the barbell in front of you, and then squat down to pick up the barbell (affiliate link) while keeping your chest up and core braced. Press down through your heels to stand up. Squat back down to drop the barbell before repeating.
Number of sets: 5
Number of reps: 8
Rest between sets: 60 seconds
Seated Hamstring Curl
Start in an appropriate position with your legs straight and against the padded bar. Squeeze your hamstrings while bringing your heels towards you then return to the starting position. If you prefer, you can also try the machine that takes you through lying leg curls if that is more comfortable for you. The machine involves the same leg movement, but you are lying on your stomach instead of in a seated position.
Number of sets: 4
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Seated Leg Extension
This is one of the best movements for isolating and targeting your quads! Take the right position with your knees bent and a padded bar against your shins. Raise your feet to straighten your legs. Squeeze your quads at the top before slowly lowering your legs to get back into the start position.
Number of sets: 5
Number of reps: 8
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Leg Presses
This exercise is carried out with a machine called the leg press that is built for increasing quad size and strength. Key considerations in using this are to ensure you get the fullest range that maximizes the flexion/extension angles of the knee.
Start by sitting in the machine in the correct position following the machine's instructions. To work the quads more, place your feet lower and closer or higher and wider to focus on your hamstrings and glutes. Bend your knees, bringing them towards your chest until your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Exhale as you push against the platform and return to the starting position.
Number of sets: 4
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Overhead Squats
Start standing tall with a barbell in front of you. Grab the barbell with palms facing down and hands close to the end of the bar. Lift the bar up to your chest and then overhead while retracting your shoulders and locking your arms. While keeping your arms and back straight, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Get back to the starting position by driving your heels into the floor. Start with a lighter weight and prioritize good form before lifting heavier weights.
Number of sets: 3-5
Number of reps: 8
Rest between sets: 60 seconds
Barbell Step-Up
Stand with an elevated board in front of you and a barbell balanced on your shoulders and the back of your neck. Place the right foot onto the board, push yourself up through your heel, and get the left to join the former. Step back down with the right foot while flexing your hip and the knee of your left leg.
Number of sets: 3-5
Number of reps: 8
Rest between sets: 60 seconds
Barbell Squats
Start out by standing with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhead grip. Ensure the barbell is not resting too high on your neck to prevent injury. Squat down slowly while holding your head up and keeping your back straight. Gradually lower yourself until your hips are aligned with your knees and your legs are at 90 degrees. Get yourself back up by driving your heels into the floor.
Number of sets: 3-5
Number of reps: 8
Rest between sets: 60 seconds
Cooldown:
Every exercise should end with a cool down because this aids recovery and helps reduce the incidence of muscle soreness. Try going through a series of yoga poses or follow a routine of static stretches to finish off this killer workout!
Bodyweight Workout
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!
Warm-Up:
Get your body prepared for this workout with some light cardio, foam rolling, and dynamic stretches.
Exercises:
Single-Leg Glute Bridge
This targets the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings. Start by lying on the floor with your feet flat and your knees bent. Lift one leg off the floor before moving your buttocks/ hips up while keeping your back straight. Return to the starting position while controlling the movement slowly down.
Number of sets: 5
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Squats
Start with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider with your toes pointing slightly out. Push your hips back while keeping your weight on your heels and bending your knees. Continue the movement as though you were sitting on a chair until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Maintain this position for a moment while squeezing your glutes. Push yourself up while moving your hips forward to return to a standing position
Number of sets: 4
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Lunges
This is one of the vital exercises for building powerful quads. Start by standing tall, and then step one leg forward while keeping your chin up. Sink down until the knee behind is almost touching the floor. Ensure your chest is kept up and keep your core tight while doing this. Maintain this position for a moment, and then drive back through the heel to return to standing.
Number of sets: 5
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Lateral Lunge
The adductors and abductors can often be ignored, but this can be a great help in isolating and working them. From a standing tall position, step out to one side while keeping your core tight and your chest and chin up. Sink down on the heel of that leg while keeping the other leg straight, then drive back to the standing position.
Number of sets: 5
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Bulgarian Split Squat
This is a perfect exercise for the entire lower body- quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. Start standing tall with a bench or chair behind you. Assume a lunge position with the foot of the leg behind on the bench. Bend at your knees while ensuring your weight is centralized, then lower yourself towards the floor. Hold it right there for a little while before going back to standing.
Number of sets: 4
Number of reps: 10
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Standing Calf Raises
The calves are an important part of developing a well-rounded physique of the legs. A standing calf raise is one of the most efficient ways to build them because it is an isolation exercise, and no other muscle will assist the calves with the load.
Start by standing with both of your feet flat on the ground. Lift yourself up by raising your heels, and then drop them back down gradually. You could do this movement on both feet at the same time or alternate the legs and raise one heel while the other acts as a support on the floor.
Number of sets: 4
Number of reps: 15
Rest between sets: 30 seconds
Final Thoughts
Thicker legs are something we all love to see. Having spaghetti legs while the upper body is toned does not just give the body a non-balanced look, but it also affects the overall functioning of the legs.
Heavier weights are a great way to grow your leg muscles, but they also put you at more risk of injury, so try starting out with bodyweight versions. These drills will put you through the movements and prepare you ahead for all great times in the gym. However, the focus is not just on the exercises, as nutrition, sleep, and rest are also necessary for recovery and optimal gain.
