Beginner Chair Leg Exercises

If you're a beginner to weight training and want to start strengthening your legs, all you need is a chair, dumbbell and ankle weights. You can actually use just a chair, but a dumbbell allows you to more effectively strengthen your legs. And, speaking of legs, you need to do exercises for the three main muscle groups that are located in this region: the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

  1. Quadriceps Exercises

    • The quadriceps is the group of four muscles in your front thighs. These muscles extend your knees. The best chair exercise you can do for them is the seated-leg extension. Sit on the chair with your back upright or slightly reclined, lift your feet slightly off the ground and extend your knees. In other words, you straighten your legs. If you have access to a dumbbell, position it between your feet, keeping your feet tightly together, and extend your knees. Once your legs are straight, bend your knees until your legs form a 90-degree angle, and repeat.

    Hamstring Exercises

    • The hamstrings are located opposite your quadriceps at the back of your thighs. These muscles also perform the opposite function, bending your knees. To train the hamstrings, stand in front of the chair facing toward it, hold the two arm rests of the chair and lean forward at the waist. Then, bend your right leg until your right foot is close to your buttocks, hold the contraction for a second and extend your right knee until your right foot is returned to the ground. Repeat this with your left leg. You can't do this exercise using a dumbbell, but if you have access to ankle weights, wear them around your ankles while performing the exercise.

    Calf Exercises

    • In addition to working your thigh muscles, you must also focus on your lower legs. Your calves are the largest muscle in this region and they extend your ankles. Sit on the chair with your feet on the ground and then rise up on your toes. Hold the contraction for a second and then lower your heels down to the ground. You can rest the dumbbell over your knees to add resistance to this exercise.

    Tips

    • Do three sets of each exercise and 15 to 20 repetitions per set. Use a dumbbell or ankle weights for each exercise to increase the difficulty and better challenge your muscles. You can also start out using just your body weight for the first three to four weeks and then add resistance to the exercises. Always begin each workout with a 10 minute jog or jump-rope and always finish off with a 10 minute slow walk or light jump rope.