Best Beginner Legs Workouts With Barbells

About

This workout focuses on foundational lower body strength development using barbells, making it ideal for beginners with less than one year of experience.

Barbells are versatile equipment, allowing for effective loading and progressive strength gains targeting muscle groups such as glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, adductors, and abductors.

The exercises included, such as Squats, Deadlifts, and Lunges, are straightforward to execute yet provide a challenging experience suitable for nearly anyone's capabilities.

The programming adjusts weights and repetitions for individuals, ensuring a balance between safety and effectiveness during the learning and progression stages.

The 8 Best Beginner Legs Exercises with Barbells

Ranked By

Ranked based on Fitbod's internal data set of the most effective exercises. Learn More

  • 1. Landmine Squat

    SETS LOGGED
    70,270
    Quadriceps Strength
    91 mScore
    Quadriceps
    Photo of Landmine
    Landmine
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Landmine Squat is a lower body exercise using a landmine setup. It strengthens your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also engaging your core for stability, making it a great variation to traditional squats.

    How to do it

    The Landmine Squat is a lower body exercise using a landmine setup. It strengthens your quads, glutes, and hamstrings while also engaging your core for stability, making it a great variation to traditional squats.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    30lbs
    2
    8reps
    30lbs
    3
    8reps
    30lbs
  • 2. Landmine Romanian Deadlift

    SETS LOGGED
    173,397
    Hamstrings Strength
    83 mScore
    Hamstrings
    Photo of Landmine
    Landmine
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Landmine Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that targets your hamstrings and glutes. It uses a landmine setup for added stability, making it easier to control the movement compared to traditional deadlifts.

    How to do it

    The Landmine Romanian Deadlift is a beginner-friendly exercise that targets your hamstrings and glutes. It uses a landmine setup for added stability, making it easier to control the movement compared to traditional deadlifts.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    30lbs
    2
    8reps
    30lbs
    3
    8reps
    30lbs
  • 3. Romanian Deadlift to Shrug

    SETS LOGGED
    63,019
    Hamstrings Strength
    84 mScore
    Hamstrings
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is an exercise that works your lower and upper back muscles. It strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while isolating the traps with a shoulder shrug, making it great for improving your posture and overall back strength.

    How to do it

    The Romanian Deadlift to Shrug is an exercise that works your lower and upper back muscles. It strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while isolating the traps with a shoulder shrug, making it great for improving your posture and overall back strength.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    50lbs
    2
    8reps
    50lbs
    3
    8reps
    50lbs
  • 4. Romanian Deadlift to Bent-Over Row

    SETS LOGGED
    57,169
    Hamstrings Strength
    87 mScore
    Hamstrings
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Romanian Deadlift to Bent-Over Row is a combined exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. This move strengthens your entire posterior chain while improving back muscle definition, making it great for beginners.

    How to do it

    The Romanian Deadlift to Bent-Over Row is a combined exercise that works your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back. This move strengthens your entire posterior chain while improving back muscle definition, making it great for beginners.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    45lbs
    2
    8reps
    45lbs
    3
    8reps
    45lbs
  • 5. Romanian Deadlift to High Pull

    SETS LOGGED
    30,631
    Hamstrings Strength
    83 mScore
    Hamstrings
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is a combined exercise that works both your lower and upper body. It strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, traps, and shoulders while improving power and functional strength.

    How to do it

    The Romanian Deadlift to High Pull is a combined exercise that works both your lower and upper body. It strengthens your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, traps, and shoulders while improving power and functional strength.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    45lbs
    2
    8reps
    45lbs
    3
    8reps
    45lbs
  • 6. Standing Barbell Calf Raise

    SETS LOGGED
    809,819
    Calves Strength
    94 mScore
    Calves
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Standing Barbell Calf Raise is a calf exercise that uses a barbell for added weight. It focuses on strengthening your calves and can be more challenging than regular calf raises since you can lift more weight.

    How to do it

    The Standing Barbell Calf Raise is a calf exercise that uses a barbell for added weight. It focuses on strengthening your calves and can be more challenging than regular calf raises since you can lift more weight.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    70lbs
    2
    8reps
    70lbs
    3
    8reps
    70lbs
  • 7. Barbell Seated Calf Raise

    SETS LOGGED
    84,448
    Calves Strength
    92 mScore
    Calves
    Photo of Flat Bench
    Flat Bench
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Barbell Seated Calf Raise is a simple exercise that targets your calf muscles. By sitting while you perform this movement, you can focus better on working your calves without worrying about balance.

    How to do it

    The Barbell Seated Calf Raise is a simple exercise that targets your calf muscles. By sitting while you perform this movement, you can focus better on working your calves without worrying about balance.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    55lbs
    2
    8reps
    55lbs
    3
    8reps
    55lbs
  • 8. Calf Raise to Shrug

    SETS LOGGED
    13,414
    Calves Strength
    80 mScore
    Calves
    Photo of Barbells
    Barbells

    The Calf Raise to Shrug is an exercise that strengthens your calves and traps by combining a calf raise and a shoulder shrug. It's great for developing explosive power and can help with Olympic lifting techniques.

    How to do it

    The Calf Raise to Shrug is an exercise that strengthens your calves and traps by combining a calf raise and a shoulder shrug. It's great for developing explosive power and can help with Olympic lifting techniques.

    Sets, Reps, Weight
    1
    8reps
    70lbs
    2
    8reps
    70lbs
    3
    8reps
    70lbs

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