30 Day Leg Challenge: Bigger, Stronger Legs in One Month

There are many reasons why skipping leg day is a common phenomenon in the fitness world. The recovery process is slower and more painful, and training the biggest muscle groups in the body can be a grueling experience!

While the results are not always satisfying in the short term, training your legs regularly and consistently will pay off in the long run.

Firstly, the exercises you will be doing to build your wheels are working the biggest muscles in your body. This means you will be burning more calories, boosting your testosterone levels, and making big gains in your mobility, strength, power, and mass goals - more so than most other exercises would produce!

Secondly, skipping leg day too often can make you more unbalanced, thus increasing your risk of injury.

So, like it or not, leg day is here to stay! To get you off to a fresh start, we have put together a 30-day leg challenge that aims to give your lower body strength and mass gains a big boost.

But first, let's briefly look at the basic anatomy of the legs and how this challenge targets all the major muscle groups to help you build a killer set of wheels!

Anatomy of the Legs

The anatomy of your legs is far more complex than simply “quads and hams”. The legs contain some of the biggest muscle groups in the body, alongside some essential knee and hip joints that allow us to stand and move properly.

Here is a list of the basic muscle groups that will be focused on throughout the challenge:

• Quadriceps

Located in the front of the thighs, making up a large portion of the thighs.

• Hamstrings

The hamstrings are located at the rear of the thigh, making up the other large portion of the thighs.

• Gluteal muscles

The “glutes” refer to the individual muscles that make up your backside, or “butt”. This is not only the largest muscle group in your legs, but it’s the largest in the entire body.

• Hip abductors

These muscles are located on the outer thigh area of the leg. These are a group of muscles responsible for hip abduction.

• Hip adductors

These muscles are located on the inner thigh region of the legs and are responsible for any hip adductions, external rotations, extensions, and flexions.

• Calf muscles

These muscles are located on the rear lower leg, below the knee. They attach to the heel (your Achilles tendon).

So, let’s get into the challenge!

30 Day Leg Challenge: 6 Fundamental Moves

There are only 6 leg exercises you need to familiarize yourself with in preparation for the challenge:

1) Squat

Squats are a staple leg exercise, mostly working the quads.

To do a squat:

• Stand shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, head facing forward
• Squat back as if you’re going to sit down on a chair behind you
• Keep your weight in your heels and your chest facing forward
• Your hips should move down and back
• Keep your lower back straight and feet flat on your floor
• Ideally, your thighs should be parallel to the floor, or hips below knees if you have the mobility
• Hold this position for a couple of seconds before pushing back through your heels
• Return to starting position

Tip: to maintain your balance, feel free to extend your arms straight outward on the descent. Bring them back to your sides on the way back up.

With weight: hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest with both arms (goblet squat).

2) Reverse Lunge

Reverse lunges target the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, helping to sculpt your entire backside. Expect to feel your glutes on fire after a few sets of reverse lunges!

To do a reverse lunge:

• Stand shoulder-width apart, hands at your sides
• With your right foot, take a big step backward, landing on the ball of your foot
• Lower the back leg straight down until your knee almost makes contact with the floor
• This will create a 90-degree angle in the front leg
• Push through the heel and midfoot of your front leg to return to the starting position
• Repeat on the left side

Tip: ensure the toes and knees of your back leg are facing the same direction throughout the movement to avoid any risk of knee injuries

With weight: hold a weight by your side in the opposite hand to the front leg.

3) Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Single leg Romanian deadlifts are a great hip-hinge exercise that helps improve not only your strength and balance but also your mobility and coordination.

• Standing tall with your legs hip-width apart, press through both feet and slightly bend your right knee
• Keep your core and while body tight throughout the movement
• Extend your right arm to the side to help maintain tension and balance
• Slowly hinge at your hips, lowering your torso down and slowly lifting your left leg to as far up as feels comfortable
• Your torso should be parallel to the floor, maintaining a neutral spine
• Press your right foot on the floor while extending your hips to return to the starting position
• Repeat on the opposite side

Tip: practice your hip hinge first with both feet on the floor. Maintain a soft bend in both knees and hinge until you feel it working your hamstrings. This will get you more familiar with the feeling you’re trying to achieve!

With weight: hold a weight in your hand on the same side as the lifted leg. Allow the weight to come forward and down as you hinge.

4) Split Squat

The split squat stimulates the same muscles as the squat, though with this single-leg variation, it places a significant amount of tension on one quad at a time, as well as your core muscles!

To do a split squat:

• Stand up tall, feet shoulder-width apart
• Step one foot forward as wide as you can (but still feel comfortable)
• Keeping your heels planted on the floor with your toes pointed forward
• Place your hands on your hips and keep your torso upright
• Bend both knees, allowing your back heel to lift off the ground as you shift your weight down into your front leg
• Lower until both your shin and front thigh are parallel to the floor
• Pause before driving through your front heel to stand back to starting position

Tip: try to practice this move in front of a mirror first to ensure your form is correct. It is common to go too short or too wide!

With weight: hold a weight by your side in the opposite hand to the front leg.

5) Glute Bridge

Doing this exercise correctly will result in a major burn in your glutes and hamstrings. This move can also improve hip mobility and strengthen your lower back.

To do a glute bridge:

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
• Keep your arms at your sides with your palms on the floor
• Lift your hips up off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders are aligned
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement and keep your “ribs down”
• Hold for a few seconds until lowering back down to the starting position

With weight: Place a weight carefully on your hips and hold steady with both hands.

6) Calf Raises

Calf raises are a very simple exercise that helps them get leaner and stronger.

To do a calf raise:

Stand up straight
Push through the balls of your feet and raise your heels until you are standing on your toes
Slowly lower back to starting position
Tip: to help stabilize yourself, feel free to lightly grab onto something nearby.

With weight: hold a weight by your side in either hand.