How to Weight Train the Legs for Women

Your thighs are made up of two large muscles called the quadriceps and the hamstrings, located at the front and back of your thighs, respectively. Your lower legs, specifically the rear part, comprise the gastrocnemius and soleus. These are the major muscles of your legs, and women can train them all using only a few basic, but highly effective, exercises. Minimal weight-training equipment is required, so you don't have to break your bank account if you don't have access to a gym.

Things You'll Need

  • Weight bench
  • Dumbbells
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Instructions

  1. Dumbbell Step-Up

    • 1

      Grip a dumbbell in each hand and stand in front of a flat weight bench, facing the bench. Position your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart.

    • 2

      Hold the dumbbells by your sides with your arms extended. Alternatively, you can hold the dumbbells up by the sides of your shoulders. This variation will engage your core to a greater degree, as your rectus abdominis and erector spinae muscles will have to contract more in order to keep your back flat.

    • 3

      Lift your right foot off the ground by bending your right hip and right knee, and then place it on top of the bench. After you do this, push up with your right foot on the bench and lift your left foot off the ground, bend your left hip and left knee and place your left foot on top of the bench. You should now be standing upright on top of the bench.

    • 4

      Perform a calf raise movement by rising up on your toes when you're standing upright. This allows you to further work the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of your calves.

    • 5

      Lower your heels back down and then return your feet down to the ground, one foot at a time, starting with the left foot. To do so, you must lift your left foot off the bench and extend your left hip and left knee until your left foot is down on the ground. Do the same with your right leg until you're standing upright in front of the bench.

    • 6

      Perform an alternative to the step-up if you don't have access to a weight bench. The forward and reverse lunge are effective alternatives that mimic the step-up and exercise your legs. Lunges are basically a single-leg squatting exercise. You can also do either of these exercises in addition to the step-up, depending on your preference. To do these exercises, lunge forward or backward with your right leg first, then return to the start position and repeat with the left leg. You can add the calf raise movement when you're standing upright before each lunge to further work your calf muscles.