You don’t want bird legs, do you? Don’t be the one at the gym who bench presses six days a week and thinks just walking around town will build those legs. Nope. Wrong. Legs are not fun to work. It takes energy and concentration to blast dense muscle fibers. Sometimes simplicity is best. Maybe you’ve got so many leg exercises running through your head you can’t decide which to do. Here is a great basic leg workout that cannot fail if you do it three times a week.

Don’t whine. Just get busy. Massive pecs and bird legs don’t impress anyone. This workout is perfect for the ladies also. Just lower the weight and do higher reps if you don’t want to build muscle mass.

Squat: The granddaddy of leg exercises works thighs, quads, butt, hamstrings. It’s probably the single most beneficial exercise you can do for your entire body. Start with the barbell loaded with weights on the squat rack. Let it rest on the back of your neck, hands shoulder width apart. Straighten your legs and take a step back to clear the rack. Keep your head up and eyes focused on a spot on the wall in front of you. Feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, back straight. Bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to start. Simple and effective!

Leg Press: Similar to the squat except you’re on a machine either flat or angled. Excellent for isolating the quads. Hold the hand supports, feet on the lifting platform about 12 inches apart. Straighten your legs to raise the sliding platform. Lower it in a controlled fashion and don’t let it bounce at the bottom. Burn is good!

Leg Extensions: Again – isolates the quadriceps. Sit on the leg extension machine with your feet hooked beneath the lower set of pads. Hold yourself firmly in place on the bench. Start with light weight. Use your quad power to straighten your legs and raise the weight. If you have to bounce or jerk, it’s too heavy. Movement should be smooth and controlled.

These three leg exercises are a great way to get into the habit of working your legs regularly or to simplify your workout if it’s gotten too complicated. A return to basics every once in a while never hurt anyone and might get you out of the habit of spending more time than is necessary in the gym. Get in. Get it done. Get out.

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