A strong, balanced body is the goal for male bodybuilders, and focusing on one part of the body while ignoring others is detrimental to achieving this goal. Leg exercises should be included in the workout of anyone trying to build a well-defined, toned male body. Strong legs are important because they help illustrate your dedication to bodybuilding and show that you consider your legs an important part of your workout.
Full Squat with Barbell
Many male bodybuilders use the squat rack located at the gym when performing this exercise. Stand under the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Place a weighted barbell on the rack just above shoulder height and lift it by placing the bar across the back of your shoulders while stabilizing the bar with your hands. Be sure to keep your back straight and your eyes looking slightly upward to ensure that you don't strain your back or neck when performing the squat. Bend your body at the knees and lower your lower body into a squatting position with the weight on your back. Exhale and lift your body back to the standing position. Bodybuilding.com notes that this exercise works the large quadriceps muscles on the front of your legs as well as the buttocks.
Leg Curls
This exercise can be performed using a leg curl machine in the gym and can be performed from either a lying or standing position. To perform the lying leg curl, the fitness website ExerciseGoals.com suggests you lie on the machine bench with your face down and your legs straight behind you under the pads that support the weight being lifted. Once your desired weight is selected, use the muscles on the back of your thigh to bend both legs at the knees and lift the weight by bringing your heels toward your buttocks. Exhale through the contraction portion of the movement and inhale while returning the weights to their starting position.
Leg Press
ExerciseGoals.com notes that the leg press is performed on two types of machines in the gym, the sled machine and the vertical leg press machine. Both machines use the force of gravity to exercise the muscles of the legs. Perform this exercise by sitting on the machine with both feet on the plate used to lift the weights. Your feet should be placed close together in order to ensure that both legs are working equally when performing the leg press. Bend both knees and lower the foot plate toward your body in a slow and controlled motion. When your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle, push the plate away from your body until your legs are in the starting position.
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