Leg & Abs Exercises You Aren't Doing That You Should Do

Chances are that you know a good amount of exercises that you can do to strengthen your legs, arms, and the other parts of your body.

But, there are probably a few exercises that you are neglecting that could add some major benefits to your standard workout.

Keep reading to learn the four exercises you might not be doing now, but you should definitely add to your workout routine!

1. Front Squats

The standard back squat is a solid part of most leg-day exercise routines. But, you don't see a lot of people doing front squats.

Back squats target the muscles on the back of your body, like your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

Front squats zone in on the muscles in the front of your body to work your quads and upper bad more heavily. This is because the barbell is placed on your shoulders, instead of your back.

The best part is that front squats keep your spine safe and still work to engage your glutes and hamstrings!

2. Romanian Deadlifts

Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) are one of the best exercises you can do for your hamstrings and glutes.

This type of deadlift is a compound exercise, which means it involves both the upper and lower body. Compound exercises are an efficient way to train your entire body.

Usually, you'd find deadlifts on the days when you train back, but because this variation can target your glutes and hamstring you can definitely include it on your lower body training days!

3. Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises are a super effective exercise for your abs and core.

They're able to work the entire abdominal area, including the lower abs which can be difficult to target with standard ab workouts.

If you don't want to jump straight into a leg raise, you can start with a knee raise and get the same benefits!

Just hang on a pull-up bar and lift your knees up towards your chest and focus on contracting your abs.

Once you get used to the movement and can control the swinging of your body, move on to a full leg raise by flexing your ankle and keeping your legs straight at the knee, and driving them straight up.

(Tip: Think about trying to touch the ceiling with your toes!)

4. Stomach Vacuums

Speaking of effective ab exercises, we have to talk about stomach vacuums!

Stomach vacuums are a popular bodybuilding exercise that originates from the golden age of the sport.

It was first made popular by the famous bodybuilder and fitness icon Frank Zane. Since then, it has been used by top-level athletes and other bodybuilders for decades!

It's an easy, yet effective exercise that can help you achieve a tight and toned midsection. And doing it is pretty simple:

1. Put your hands on your knees.
2. Exhale fully, while flexing your abs.
3. Keep the abs flexed.
4. Tuck your abdominal wall under your ribcage.
5. Hold for 3-5 seconds.

Conclusion

If you want to change up your current ab or leg workout, give some of these exercises a try!

You might find that you enjoy them more than the standard exercises you normally do, and they might even help you achieve better results.

If these moves don't feel quite right for your body or training goals, don't worry! There are plenty of exercises out there that can help strengthen your legs and abs.

Learn more exercises that can help you strengthen these areas and others during a personal training session (your first two sessions are free!)