5 Best Leg Exercise at Home by Leg Machine
5 Best Leg Exercise at Home by Leg Machine
Going to the gym every day for a workout can be a challenge based on motivation, lifestyle, location, and time. It’s not for everyone. Some people prefer to work out at home, which saves money on gym memberships, childcare, and gas. It also saves time, with no commute, and prevents you from making some common excuses when you lack the motivation to get ready and go. The Harison leg extension machine can provide an excellent workout right from the comfort of your own home. Here are 5 excellent ways you can get a great lower body workout with leg machine without ever leaving the house.
1. 1 1/4 Leg Extensions by Leg Machine
Start in a seated position, with your back pressed firmly into the back pad. Place your legs under the leg pad, knees bent at a 90-degree angle, with the pad resting on top of your ankles. This is your starting position. Keep your torso as still as possible and your feet flexed or in a neutral position. Extend your knees and push the pad upward until your legs are straight. You should feel the tension in the top part of your legs (quadriceps). Return to the starting position, while keeping your feet in position, repeat the movement for a quarter of the original movement, meaning only to raise your legs about a quarter of the way. Return to the starting position. This will count as one rep. You can make this more difficult as you progress by holding the legs straight at the top of the movement for a 2-3 second pause.
2. Bodyweight Squats
Begin with your feet positioned slightly wider than your shoulders with the toes turned outward. Keeping your torso upright, with a proud chest, lower your body to just below 90 degrees, so that your hips are slightly below your knees. Push your feet into the ground to rise back up to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions. When pushing your feet into the ground, it’s important to create a tripod base, meaning your big toe, small toe and heel should all push firmly into the ground when lowering your body and rising, never letting your heel come off the ground. You can practice this move with a stool or small chair if you’re just starting out. Start by lowering yourself onto the chair for a quick tap, then rising again. You can progress this by adding weight or by pausing for 2-3 seconds before rising up to the starting position.
3. Lying Hamstring Curls by Leg Machine
Begin in a lying position with your chest pressed firmly into the pad and your hands gripping the sides of the pad. Place your legs under the leg pad, so that the pad is resting just above your heels. Keeping the glutes tight with feet in a flexed position, and your head looking down so that it is aligned with your spine, raise the pad so your heels travel upward towards your glutes. You should feel the tension in the back of your legs (hamstrings). Lower the pad and return to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. You can progress this by targeting your inner and outer hamstring fibers. Turn the feet inward to target the inner hamstrings, and turn the feet outward to target the outer hamstrings.
4. Reverse Lunges
Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your right leg back, driving your left knee forward to bend at a 90-degree angle, Your left foot should be pushed into the ground creating a tripod effect as we discussed earlier. Your right foot should be bent so that only your toes are pushing into the ground and your right knee is hovering just above the ground or a slight tap on a padded surface. Pushing your weight onto your front foot return to the starting position. You can either repeat this move on the same side or alternate with the other foot. You can practice this by staying in the lunge position and pulsing (static lunge) or progress this by adding weight. You should feel the tension in your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
5. Step-Ups
Step-ups are a great way to target the gluteus maximus. Begin by finding a secured stool, chair, or outdoor ledge that is a few inches off the floor. This should be a height that you can safely step up onto with one foot without falling. Feel free to use something to hold onto if you are a beginner. Stand directly in front of the chair, and place your right foot onto it, lift yourself up by placing your weight only on the right foot using a tripod base. Your left foot should rise off the ground and hang just over the chair. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position. You can either repeat on one side or alternate each rep. Progress this by holding a dumbbell or weight plate. You can also progress this by increasing the height of the surface you are stepping onto.
Sample Workout:
Superset: 3 Rounds
1 1/4 Leg Extension 12 reps
Lying Hamstring Curls 12 reps
Triset: 3 Rounds
Bodyweight Squats 12 reps
Reverse Lunges 24 reps (12 each side)
Step-Ups 24 reps (12 each side)
Take a 30-second rest after each round and a 1-minute rest between the superset and triset.
- A superset is two exercises performed back to back with no rest.
- A triset is three exercises performed back to back with no rest.
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