Best Legs Workouts With Barbells To Get Lean And Burn Fat

The Barbell Hip Thrust is a strength exercise that targets your glutes using a barbell for added resistance. By resting your upper body on a bench, this move helps you build power and strength in your lower body.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor with your shoulders against a bench and the barbell at your feet.
2. Roll the barbell onto your lap and bend your knees, placing your feet hip-width apart on the ground.
3. Grip the barbell to keep it stable against your hips.
4. Lift your hips by squeezing your glutes until your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.
5. Lower your hips back to the ground in a controlled movement.

The Back Squat is a popular lower body exercise that builds strength and muscle, especially in the legs. It's an important move in powerlifting and overall fitness routines.

How to do it

1. Set the barbell just below shoulder height and grip it with hands outside shoulder-width.
2. Squeeze your shoulder blades and brace your core by tightening your stomach muscles.
3. Squat down slightly to place the barbell on your neck before standing up and stepping back into a shoulder-width stance.
4. Keep your heels flat and your chest up as you lower your body by bending at your hips.
5. Ensure your knees move outward slightly as you squat down, keeping your back straight.
6. Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, push back up to the starting position.

The Bulgarian Split Squat is a lower-body exercise that targets your quadriceps and helps build strength, power, and stability. By placing your back leg on a bench, it challenges your balance and enhances the workout.

How to do it

1. Stand with your right foot in front and your left foot elevated on a bench behind you.
2. Keep your torso upright and lower your back knee towards the ground.
3. Once your knee is just above the floor, push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
4. Switch legs and repeat the exercise.

The deadlift is a powerlifting exercise that targets the muscles in your back and legs. It helps build overall strength and is commonly used in fitness routines.

How to do it

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell close to your lower legs.
2. Bend at your hips and knees to lower yourself towards the barbell, keeping your shins close.
3. Grip the barbell with both hands or one hand over and one hand under, while keeping your chest up.
4. Stand up straight by pushing through your hips and knees to lift the barbell along your body.
5. Lower the barbell back down in the same path you lifted it.

The Romanian Deadlift is a strength exercise that focuses on your glutes and hamstrings. It involves bending at the hips while keeping the knees slightly bent, helping you build strength for other hip hinge movements.

How to do it

1. Stand with a barbell an inch away from your shins and keep your core tight.
2. Hinge your hips back and grip the barbell with both hands.
3. Push through your heels and bring your hips forward to stand up straight, lifting the barbell to your thighs.
4. Keep your knees slightly bent as you lower the barbell by hinging your hips back until your back is flat.
5. Once your back can no longer stay flat, push through your heels to return to the starting position.

The Overhead Barbell Lunge is a full-body exercise that improves stability, posture, and strength. By holding a barbell overhead while lunging, you'll engage your shoulders, core, and legs for a balanced workout.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a barbell overhead.
2. Step forward with your right foot and lower into a lunge until your left knee gently touches the floor.
3. Push off your right foot to return to standing, then repeat on the left side.

The Pulse Back Squat is a variation of the traditional back squat that adds a small pulsing movement at the bottom of the squat. This helps build endurance and strength in the glutes, quads, and hamstrings by keeping the muscles engaged for a longer time.

How to do it

1. Set a barbell on a rack slightly lower than shoulder height.
2. Grip the bar with both hands wider than shoulder-width.
3. Bend your knees and quarter-squat under the bar, positioning it just below your neck.
4. Stand up to lift the barbell off the rack and step back.
5. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and engage your core.
6. Hinge your hips back and squat down, keeping your knees aligned with your toes.
7. Pulse by raising yourself a few inches without fully standing up.
8. Lower back down to the squat position and then fully stand up to complete one rep.

The Kneeling Squat is an exercise that strengthens your thighs and glutes while being easy on your back and knees. It's especially good for beginners or those with limited mobility since it requires no balancing.

How to do it

1. Start in a kneeling position with your knees hip-width apart and toes tucked under.
2. Engage your core by inflating your stomach and tightening your abs to keep a straight back.
3. Sit back towards your heels, then return to the starting position.

The Front Squat is a basic exercise that mainly works your quadriceps by holding a barbell in front of your body. This variation helps improve strength and stability, which can benefit various sports and daily activities.

How to do it

1. Set the barbell at shoulder height.
2. Rest the bar on your shoulders, either with arms crossed or in a front rack position.
3. Step back, placing your feet shoulder-width apart with toes slightly out.
4. Keep your weight balanced on your feet.
5. Push your hips back and bend your knees while keeping your back straight.
6. Lower your body until your spine is neutral and then rise back up to the starting position.

The Landmine Squat to Press is a full-body exercise that targets your legs and shoulders. It helps to build strength, improves coordination, and engages your core for stability.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, holding the end of the barbell at chest level.
2. Squat down by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, keeping the barbell on your chest.
3. Stand back up and press the barbell overhead.
4. Lower the barbell back to your chest and repeat.

The Pause Barbell Lunge is a variation of the lunge that includes a brief pause at the bottom position, which helps strengthen the legs and improve balance. It targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes while making the exercise more challenging than a standard lunge.

How to do it

1. Stand upright with feet hip-width apart and a barbell resting on your shoulders, gripping it with both hands.
2. Step your right foot forward and lower your body into a lunge until your left knee is just above the ground, holding for 1 to 2 seconds.
3. Push off your right foot to return to standing and repeat on the left side.

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

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, just past the end of the landmine.
2. Grab the bar under you with both hands in a deadlift grip.
3. Lift the bar to chest height and interlock your fingers around the end.
4. Lean slightly forward, positioning your chest against your hands.
5. Hinge at your hips and lower into a squat while keeping your core tight.
6. Push through your feet to rise back up, using your legs and core for support.
7. Ensure your knees stay behind your toes and maintain good posture throughout the movement.

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

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with a slight bend in your knees.
2. Grip the landmine with both hands, keeping your fingers underneath.
3. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight slowly, keeping your knees slightly bent.
4. Stop when you feel a stretch in your hamstrings, not exceeding your flexibility limit.
5. Push through your glutes and hamstrings to lift your hips and raise the weight back up.
6. Pause at the top, keeping your glutes and hamstrings engaged.
7. Keep your core tight, shoulders back, and chest up throughout the exercise.

The Landmine Sumo Squat is an exercise using a landmine barbell setup that targets your glutes, quads, and inner thighs. It helps improve lower body strength and stability through a unique squatting angle.

How to do it

1. Stand over the landmine with your feet wider than shoulder-width and toes angled out.
2. Squat down and hold the end of the landmine with both hands, fingers underneath.
3. Push through your heels to stand up, driving your hips forward and squeezing your glutes.
4. Pause briefly at the top before lowering yourself back into the squat.
5. Hold at the bottom position for a moment, then repeat.
6. Keep your core tight, shoulders back, and knees behind your toes while performing the exercise.

The Landmine Single Leg Romanian Deadlift is a straightforward exercise focusing on the glutes and hamstrings. This variation on the traditional Romanian Deadlift helps improve strength, stability, and mobility on one leg, using a landmine for added stability.

How to do it

1. Setup the landmine so the end is over your toes on one foot.
2. Hold the end of the landmine with the hand on the same side as the landmine.
3. Lift the landmine slightly above your knee while keeping a slight bend in your knee.
4. Hinge at your hips and lower the weight while swinging your back leg behind you.
5. Stop when you feel a light stretch in your hamstring and hold briefly.
6. Make sure your back leg's toes point down towards the floor.
7. Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position, swinging your back leg underneath you.
8. Keep your core tight and chest open for good posture.