Bodyweight Exercises- Well toned legs and butts are everyone’s dream! Male or female, we all love to look smashing hot! The good news is that with much effort and dedication, you can achieve this goal; seeing as they do not come with birth neither are they gifted by anyone.
The best part is that you do not even have to visit the gym for this. From the comfort of your home, you can do bodyweight exercises for toned legs and butts as well as in the gym.
Strong legs and butts are important in that not only do they make you look good, they also enhance your posture. In addition, toned butts and legs make it easier to perform daily tasks; while affirming that you are in good health.
This helps in that a strong lower body can help you avert low back pain, plus make your daily motions easy.
Seeing as the major muscle group that comprises of the minimus, medius, and gluteus maximus plays a key role in movements like running, jogging, and jumping, you also get to enjoy an easier exercise routine.
These 10 best bodyweight exercises do not need pieces of equipment. However, you can introduce equipment like resistance bands, dumbbells, and medium-sized kettlebells into the move to increase intensity for even more effect.
Further Reading: 7 Best Exercises To Lose Arm And Back Fat Fast
Points To Consider:
Most people prefer to do a split routine where you do lower and upper body workouts on different days. If this is your style, do not do more than six of these exercise moves. Also, include a basic squat move in your routine for ease.
However, if you are fit to do so, you can try to work four to six sets of general exercises that work both upper and lower body into your routine. Bear in mind also that you do not have to overdo these sessions and it is okay to have two sessions of lower body exercises with two days rest period in between. This is to allow for sufficient rest and recovery.
If you prefer to add these lower body exercises in a full-body workout routine that works your upper and lower body, then, do three sets of the moves for three or four days of the week. This is also to avoid overdoing.
Ultimately, always remember to eat healthily, get enough rest, and take care of your body.
10 Bodyweight Exercises For Lower Body To Tone Your Legs And Butt
Follow this exercise list for bodyweight exercises that work on your lower back and tone your legs and butts.
1. Calf Raise
The calf raise is first on our list of best bodyweight exercises because it is a simple, yet effective move. This move targets the muscles in your calves, quads, and hamstrings to help you achieve strong legs and butts.
How To Do The Calf Raise:
- With your feet standing apart and toes pointing forward, raise your shoulders and ensure your spine is at an erect position
- Then, lift your heels off the floor making sure your body weight is on the balls of your feet
- Now, lower your heels without allowing them to touch the ground.
- Repeat the motion for 60 seconds before lowering your heels to the ground.
- The next step is to turn your feet in an outward opposite position. This way, your feet are diagonally placed, and your toes are pointed out.
- While in this position, repeat the calf raise motion above for 40 seconds before lowering your heels to the ground.
- The third step is to turn your feet and toes inward, where you will stay in the position for another 40 seconds.
- Do three sets of 10 reps for an improved result.
2. Chair Squats
The Chair squat move is perfect for beginners in the fitness journey. This move targets your gluteal muscles and only require a chair. Even the one you are sitting on right now will do just fine.
How To Perform The Chair Squat:
- Start by standing with your feet at hip-width apart and your back facing a chair
- Draw in your abdomen while keeping your weight on your heels and bend forward at the hips slowly to lower your butts towards the chair
- At this point, hold your body just before you sit down for 60 seconds
- Then, return to a standing position while still keeping your abdominal core engaged.
- Perform three sets of 10-15 reps of this move.
3. Stiff-Legged Deadlift
Also known as the Romanian deadlift, the stiff-legged deadlift is a great move for working your lower body and posterior. One Romanian deadlift move targets the muscles in your lower back, hamstrings, butts, thighs, and even abdomen.
As stated earlier, some of the bodyweight exercises require weight for more intensity; this move is one of such as you will need a barbell or kettlebell for it.
How To Achieve The Stiff-Legged Deadlift Pose
- Place a pair of the barbell at your feet and then lift the weight from the floor to your thighs
- Lower the weight back to the floor while keeping your legs stiff and your eyes facing forward. In other words, do not bend your knee as your lower body must be straight from waist to feet.
- Also, ensure that your back remains straight while making this move.
- During this move, lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Do three sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Note: Bear in mind that your back, hip, and hamstring flexibility will determine how low you can go while performing this move. If you please, you may touch the floor or not. If you feel stiff in the lower back, bend your knees slightly to get more depth in the movement.
4. Lunge
Not only will the lunge move work to tone your legs and butts, but it also works to improve your body balance and stability. The move works your glutes, quads, and hamstrings while engaging the stabilizers in the hips.
How To Do The Lunge:
- Get into a standing position
- Then, position one leg backward and bend both knees to a 90-degree angle.
- Pause in this position to ensure you get the correct form. Check that your front leg knee doesn’t pass the toe and the shin of it is in a vertical position.
- Ensure that your body is in a proper posture position with your torso tall and vertical. Whatever you do, do not lean forward.
- To change the position of your legs, drive the heel of the front foot into the ground to help you go back to a standing position.
- Switch legs and repeat the move. You can increase the pace of your leg’s switch to suit you.
- Do three sets of 10-15 reps.
5. Mountain Climbers
Next on our list of bodyweight exercises to achieve a toned leg and butt is the Mountain Climber move. This move works the shoulders, calves, lower abs, abductors, glutes, quad, and hamstring muscles.
Moves To Do The Mountain Climber:
- Get into a plank position and tighten your abdominal core
- Next, bend your right knee, bringing the knee forward so that it is close to your hips.
- Make sure your left leg remains straight on the ground. Your elbows must also be straight and your arms locked and keen to support most of your body weight
- Return your right leg to a straight position and then bring your left knee forward keeping your right leg straight simultaneously.
- Keep alternating your knee and legs and increase the pace to suit you.
- Do three sets of 15-20 reps.
6. Fast Feet
Although simple to perform, the Fast feet move works effectively on your lower body.
How To:
- With your feet apart at shoulder-width, bend your knees slightly
- Then, lift your left foot off the ground quickly and return it to the ground
- Repeat this move on the right foot.
- Keep alternating between both feet for at least 30 seconds.
7. Single Leg Squat
Get toned butts and legs with the single leg squat move. It is a great exercise move that works your calves, hamstring, glute, and quad muscles.
How To Perform the Single Leg Squat Move:
- Get into a standing position and lift your left leg a few inches off the floor. Make sure to keep your foot in front of you without bending your knee
- Balance your body weight on your right leg, flex your right knee, and slowly bring your body lower to the ground
- Go low for as much as you can without disrupting your body balance.
- Then, slowly raise your body without dropping your left leg during the process.
- Do this move eight times before lowering your left leg. Switch to the other leg to repeat the step.
8. Glute Bridge Bodyweight Exercise
Can’t squat or lunge because of an injury? Do you have health concerns that prevent you from performing the lunge and squat move? This move is for you! The glute bridge move is a posterior chain exercise that works glute muscles, hamstrings, and lower back.
How To Do:
- Lie on the floor on your back, placing your knee at a bent position
- Here, your feet should be flat on the floor and apart at shoulder width
- While pushing your heels down into the ground, raise your hips off the ground
- At the top, engage your glutes by squeezing them and tighten your core to prevent bending your lower back
- Check that your shins are erect before lowering your hips back to starting position.
- Do three sets of 15 reps.
9. Single Leg Lift and Row
This exercise move is so good that its effect is not limited to the legs. Instead, it works the arms, back, abdominal core, butt, and hamstring muscles. This move requires a five to eight-pound weight.
How to Do The Single leg lift and Row:
- Get into a standing position with your left foot in front of your right
- Hold the weight in your right hand. Make sure both arms are at your side.
- Lean forward and raise your right foot off the ground at the same time up to hip level.
- While lifting your leg, carry the weight towards the ground and bring it back to hip level.
- Do twelve to fifteen reps on the right side and switch to your left side.
- Perform 2-3 sets of the reps on both sides.
10. Inverted Inner Thigh Openers
Inverted inner thigh openers target the muscles in your lower abs, quads, hamstrings, adductors, and abductors.
Steps To Perform Inverted Inner Thigh Opener Move:
- Get into a position where you are lying on your back
- Next, place your hands by your side palms down and knees flexed with your feet flat on the floor
- Raise your right leg to a 60-degree angle from the ground; this is your starting position
- Take a deep breath and move your right leg to your side taking care not to move your torso
- Exhale and return your leg to the starting position.
- Repeat the process on your left leg.
- Do three sets of 10 reps on each leg.
Conclusion
These are ten tremendous and effective bodyweight exercises that work your lower body to achieve toned butt and legs. You can combine more than two of these moves to achieve an improvement in your muscle tone, lower body flexibility, and daily tasks.
