Exercises To Get Your Legs Bigger

Getting your legs to grow and become more muscular will take effort both in and out of the weight room. Adequate rest and a solid nutritional plan are essential to allow for muscle growth. However, training your legs once or twice a week using mass-building compound exercises is what stimulates your muscles to grow.

Squats

Squats are the staple, go-to exercises in most bodybuilding leg workouts, because they involve nearly every muscle in the lower body to execute the movement. The primary muscles used in the squat include the quadriceps and glutes. Perform squats by positioning a barbell across your shoulders on your trapezius muscle. Slowly bend your knees and squat like you are sitting in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Extend your legs, until you are upright and at the starting position, and repeat. Throughout the entire movement, it is essential to keep your back straight and in-line. The weight should be heavy enough so that muscle failure occurs after eight to 12 repetitions for three to four sets -- the best range for mass and definition.

Straight Leg Deadlift

Straight leg deadlifts build up the hamstrings and glutes. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, grasp the barbell with a shoulder-width overhand or mixed overhand/underhand grip. Keeping your knees slightly bent and your back straight throughout the entire movement, lift the bar off the ground by extending the waist and hips until you are standing upright. Pull your shoulders back in the upright position, and slowly lower the bar to the ground by bending at the hips until the bar reaches the floor. Repeat.

Leg Press

The leg press exercise helps increase size in the upper legs, without placing additional stress on your lower back. Sit at the machine with your feet shoulder width apart on the foot plate. Press the foot plate upward and rotate the stop bar at the side of the machine. Bend your knees as much as possible until your knees come to your chest. Press the plate back up to the starting position and repeat. Positioning your feet closer together and lower on the footplate places greater emphasis on the quadriceps; whereas, feet high on the plate places more emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings, notes Frederic Delavier, author of "Strength Training Anatomy."

Lunges

Lunges stimulate nearly every muscle in your lower body. Standing with your feet hip width apart and keeping your torso upright, take a comfortable step forward and drop your back knee down until it almost touches the floor. Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground. Press up and return to the starting position, then repeat on the other side. A larger step forward places more emphasis on the glutes; a short step places more emphasis on the quadriceps, notes Delavier. This exercise can be performed without weight or with a barbell or dumbbells.