Leg day is often both feared and revered at the gym, and for a good reason. It’s a rigorous workout that targets some of the body’s largest and most powerful muscles. But to make the most of your leg day routine and reduce the risk of injury, a proper warm-up is essential.
Here are some leg day warm up exercises that I often do to prepare my lower body for a challenging and effective workout.
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Why should you warm up before starting your leg day workout?
Warming up before leg day is not just a suggestion; it’s an important step in ensuring a safe and effective workout. When you engage in lower body exercises, your muscles, tendons, and ligaments are put under significant stress. Without a proper warm-up, these structures are more susceptible to injury.
A well-designed warm up routine gradually increases your heart rate, enhances blood flow to your muscles, and raises your core body temperature. This process primes your body for the intense leg workout ahead, making your muscles more pliable and less prone to strains or tears.
A warm up also prepares your nervous system for the physical demands of your workout, improving muscle coordination and power output.
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Exercises for a leg day warm up.
These are some of my go-to leg day warm up exercises. Most of these have different variations that can be done to spice up your workout and get you pumped for your workout session ahead. I love using a stretching strap during my warm ups and stretching sessions, but you can get on without one too.
Jumping Jacks.
Jumping jacks are a fantastic addition to your leg day warm up routine, offering a multitude of benefits to prepare your body for the upcoming workout. These dynamic exercises help increase your heart rate, boost circulation, and warm up your core and lower body muscles.
To do a jumping jack, start with your feet together and arms at your sides. Then, jump while simultaneously spreading your legs shoulder-width apart and raising your arms overhead. Return to the starting position with another jump, bringing your feet together and lowering your arms.
Try doing 30 – 60 seconds.
Variations:
- Seal Jacks: Clap your hands in front instead of over your head.
- Side-to-Side Jacks: Jump laterally to engage different muscle groups.
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Leg Swings.
Leg swings are one of my go-to leg day warm up exercises. Legs swings are great for hip flexibility and mobility, crucial for exercises like squats and lunges.
To do leg swings, find a stable surface to hold onto for balance, stand tall, and swing one leg forward and backward in a controlled manner.
Try doing 10 – 15 per side.
Variations:
- Side to Side Leg Swings: Swing your leg horizontally instead of front to back.
Hip Circles.
Hip circles are a great leg day warm up to enhance hip mobility and prepare your lower body for the demands of intense leg exercises. My hips often tend to click so these are a very important step in my wamr up routine.
To do hip circles, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, place your hands on your hips, and begin making circular motions with your hips, both clockwise and counterclockwise. These gentle rotations help lubricate the hip joints, improve flexibility, and reduce the risk of injury during leg-focused workouts.
Try doing 10 – 15 circles in each direction.
Bodyweight Squats.
Bodyweight squats should never be skipped on leg day. These squats serve as a fantastic way to activate your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, setting the stage for a safe and productive workout. Although they might end up being part of your workout in general, they make for a great workout too.
To do bodyweight squats, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, engage your core, and lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back. Aim to keep your back straight and your knees aligned with your feet as you lower yourself toward the ground. Then, return to the starting position by pushing through your heels.
Try doing 10 – 12 as part of the leg day warm up.
Variations:
- Pulse squats: Starting the same as a normal squat, stay down in the squat position and slightly bounce up and down without coming fully up
- Jump Squats: The same as a normal squat, instead of just coming upright, push off of the ground into a jump movement.
Lunges.
Lunges are great as part of your workout and your routine. These movements target each leg individually, helping improve balance and flexibility while activating the major muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
To do lunges, stand with your feet hip-width apart, take a step forward with one foot, and lower your body by bending both knees to about a 90-degree angle. Ensure your front knee doesn’t extend past your toes. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
Try doing 10 – 12 per side.
Variations:
- Walking lunges: Instead of just a simple up and down, try these in a walking motion.
- Reverse Lunges: From the standing position, move your leg backward into the lunge position.
- Side Lunges: Lunge from side to side.
Leg Raises.
Leg raises work great as a leg day warm up to engage your core and warm up your hip flexors. Although they do focus more on your core, they do help you get in a different muscle activation than what you plan on training. I love using ankle weights during my warm up routine.
To do leg raises, lie on your back with your arms at your sides and your legs straight. Lift one leg off the ground while keeping it as straight as possible and raising it toward the ceiling. Lower it back down to just above the ground without touching, then repeat with the other leg.
Try doing 10 – 15 reps.
Variations:
- Flutter Kicks: While lifting your legs off the ground, make small kicking movements with your feet.
- Scissor Kicks: While in the leg lift position make big movements alternating your legs like a scissor.
- Cross-Overs: Keep your legs off the ground and move your legs over one another.
RELATED: The best foods to eat for a post-workout recovery.
Calf Raises.
Calf raises targets the calf muscles, Achilles tendon, and lower leg. If you are planning on doing calf raises, try alternating the position of your feet to target different areas of the muscle. Although they are mainly as part of your main workout routine, it does help to get your muscles going.
To do calf raises, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and the balls of your feet on the edge of a step or a raised surface, with your heels hanging off the edge. Hold onto a stable support for balance if needed. Slowly raise your heels as high as you can by contracting your calf muscles, then lower them below the level of the step to get a good stretch.
Try doing 10 – 15.
Glute Bridges.
Glute bridges focuses on activating your glutes and lower back muscles during your leg day warm up. I am someone that tends to get back pain during workouts that are focused on my legs. Although unusual, glute bridges always form part of my warm up routine.
To do a basic glute bridge, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms at your sides, palms facing down. Push through your heels, engage your glutes, and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes at the top, then lower your hips back down.
Try doing 12 – 15 reps.
Variations:
- Single-leg glute bridges: Working exactly the same as above, only with a single leg.
- Elevated glute bridges: Place your feet on an elevated surface and do a normal glute bridge.
9. Ankle Circles.
Ankle circles might seem like a subtle addition to your leg day warm up, but their benefits are far-reaching. These simple movements help improve ankle mobility, a factor often overlooked but critical for proper leg workouts.
To do ankle circles, sit or stand with your feet flat on the ground. Lift one foot slightly off the floor and rotate your ankle clockwise for 10-15 seconds, then switch to a counterclockwise rotation.
Conclusion.
Before you start getting into those squats and lunges, invest the time in a thorough leg day warm up to maximize your gains and minimize the aches!
Happy Warming Up,
Your Wellness Warrior!