The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association jointly recommend that healthy adults under 65 years of age should do strength training exercises twice a week, performing eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 different exercises. In order to ensure a balanced workout, at least three to four of these exercises should target the largest muscles in your legs--quads, hamstrings or both at once.
Isolation Machines
The leg extension machine isolates the quadriceps muscles. Several hamstring curl machines, with the user either sitting upright or laying prone, target the hamstrings. These machines are ideal if you have any muscular imbalance, such as your hamstrings being notably weaker than your quads, or if you like focusing on one muscle at a time when you work out. These machines are also useful for exercisers that might need to exercise one leg at a time because it's usually easier to do so with the simple, single-joint movements that these machines provide.
Body Weight and Free Weights
You can add free weights in the form of dumbbells or barbells to almost any of the multijoint body weight exercises that work your quads or hamstrings. Front squats work multiple muscles but focus primarily on your quadriceps, and a properly executed straight leg deadlift focuses almost entirely on your hamstring muscles.
Squats, which can be done in a standard stance, a narrow stance or plie stance, and lunges, which can be done front to back and side to side, work both quads and hamstrings. Wall slides are a milder version of squats, done with your back pressed flat against a wall, which provides extra support and balance. Wall slides also work the quads and hamstrings, although there is a much greater emphasis on the quads.
Compound Machines
Gym machines such as the leg press, which can be done inverted or sitting straight up, and the hack squat, which simulates a wall slide, with added weight, work the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles together, along with almost every other muscle in the lower body. Using these machines is a quick way to get in a good workout in several muscle groups if you have limited time or simply want to challenge yourself.
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