Gym workout plan
Leg Day Workout Plan
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
- Days
- 1–2 leg days a week
- Session
- 50–70 min
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Equipment
- Full gym
The short answer
A good gym leg day has 5–6 exercises: a squat or leg press, a hip hinge such as the Romanian deadlift, a single-leg exercise, a hamstring curl and calf raises. Do 2–3 sets of 6–15 reps, resting 1–3 minutes between sets. This plan gives you two sessions, a squat day and a machine day. Do one a week, or both at least 2 days apart to train legs twice a week.
01 / Who it’s for
Who this plan is for
- Lifters who want a complete leg session to slot into their week, with upper-body days in between.
- People who already train legs but want a clear order of exercises with sets, reps and rest.
- Anyone who can train legs twice a week: a meta-analysis linked training a muscle twice a week to more growth than once a week.
Probably not the best fit if
- Complete beginners: start with the beginner gym plan, which trains your legs in every session with fewer sets.
- People with no gym: the no-equipment home workout trains your legs with bodyweight exercises.
- Anyone with knee, hip or back pain that gets worse when they train: see a doctor or physiotherapist first.
02 / Schedule
Weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Mon | Leg day A (squat day) |
| Tue | Upper body or rest |
| Wed | Rest |
| Thu | Leg day B (machine day) |
| Fri | Upper body or rest |
| Sat | Rest (a walk is great) |
| Sun | Rest |
Training legs once a week? Make Thursday an upper-body day and alternate the leg sessions: A this week, B next week. Twice a week? Do A and B with at least 2 days in between. This page is the leg half of your week: pair it with upper-body days, as in the upper/lower split, or use it as leg day in push/pull/legs.
03 / The workouts
The workouts
Warm-up
- 5 minutes of easy cardio (bike, rower or brisk walk) to get warm.
- For the first exercise of the day, do 2–3 lighter warm-up sets: for example an empty bar or about 50% of your working weight for 8 reps, then about 70% for 3–5 reps.
- Later exercises that use the same muscles usually need only one light "feeler" set.
- Before squats or the leg press, add 5–10 slow bodyweight squats and a few glute bridges.
Leg day A
Squat day: quads, hamstrings, glutes
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell SquatsNot ready to squat with a bar? Use the goblet squat or the leg press. | 3 | 6–10 | 2–3 min |
| Barbell RDL (Romanian Deadlift)Or the dumbbell Romanian deadlift. | 3 | 8–10 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Lunges | 2 | 8–12 each leg | 90 s |
| Leg Extensions | 2 | 12–15 | 60 s |
| Lying Leg Curls | 3 | 10–12 | 60–90 s |
| Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises | 3 | 10–15 | 60 s |
Leg day B
Machine day: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Leg Press | 3 | 10–12 | 2 min |
| Barbell Bench Hip Thrust | 3 | 8–12 | 90 s–2 min |
| Bulgarian Split SquatHold dumbbells once bodyweight gets easy. | 2 | 8–12 each leg | 90 s |
| Seated Leg Curls | 3 | 10–15 | 60–90 s |
| Seated Machine Calf Raises | 3 | 12–15 | 60 s |
If your gym has a hack squat, the machine hack squat can replace the leg press.
Tap any exercise for step-by-step form cues and the muscles it works.
04 / How hard
How hard to train
- Pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with good form and about 1–3 reps in reserve (you could have done 1–3 more). Beginners should stay nearer 3 until technique is solid. See reps in reserve.
- Rest the time shown. Longer rest on the big lifts helps you keep your reps up; you can shorten it on small isolation exercises.
- Stop a set when your form breaks down, not when you hit a number.
05 / Progression
Progression rules
- Use double progression. Keep the weight the same and add reps each session until you reach the top of the rep range on every set.
- Then add weight. Once you hit the top of the range on all sets, ideally in two sessions in a row, add the smallest step you can: roughly 2–5% (often 1–2.5 kg / 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts, a little more on squats and deadlifts). Drop back to the bottom of the rep range and build up again.
- Progress one thing at a time. More weight or more reps, not both, and never at the cost of form.
- If you stall for 2–3 sessions on a lift, check sleep, food and stress first. If those are fine, take a lighter week (about half the sets, same weights) and then carry on. See deload.
- Squats, Romanian deadlifts, the leg press and hip thrusts can usually take bigger jumps than upper-body lifts. Small exercises such as leg extensions and calf raises progress more slowly: add reps first.
This plan is general fitness guidance, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, an injury, are pregnant or are new to exercise and unsure, check with a doctor or physiotherapist first. Stop any exercise that causes sharp or joint pain.
06 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What should a leg day workout include?
One squat or leg press, one hip hinge (such as the Romanian deadlift), one single-leg exercise, a hamstring curl and calf raises. That covers the quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves. Five or six exercises is plenty; see how many exercises per workout.
How many times a week should I train legs?
Once a week works if each session is hard enough. Twice a week is better for muscle growth if you can recover: a meta-analysis found training a muscle twice a week beat once a week. Leave at least 2 days between leg sessions.
Squat or leg press: which is better?
Both build the quads and glutes. The barbell squat also trains your trunk and balance but takes longer to learn; the leg press is easier to set up and push hard on. This plan uses one of each, so you get both.
Can I do deadlifts on leg day?
Yes. Swap the Romanian deadlift on day A for the conventional deadlift at 3 sets of 4–6 and keep the rest of the session the same. Don’t take both heavy squats and heavy deadlifts to failure in one session.
How long should leg day take?
About 50–70 minutes with warm-ups and the rest times shown. Short on time? Drop leg extensions on day A and do 2 sets of everything else.
Sources
- American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697.
- Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.
- Haff GG, Triplett NT, eds. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (NSCA). 4th ed. Human Kinetics; 2016.
More workout plans
- 3 or 6 days a weekPush/pull/legsChest, shoulders and triceps; back and biceps; then legs. Run it 3 or 6 days a week.
- 4 days a weekUpper/lower splitFour days a week: two upper-body and two lower-body sessions, every muscle twice.
- 2–3 days a weekGym ab workoutTwo 10–15 minute core sessions to add after lifting, 2–3 days a week.
Terms used in this plan
Read more
- The Only 3 Quad Exercises You Need for Massive LegsThere's nothing complicated about getting massive quads. TBH, all you need are these 3 quad exercises — and done correctly. Learn more here.6 min read
- The Only 2 Hamstring Exercises You Need for Massive LegsLet's not overcomplicate it. Your hamstrings only play 2 roles: hip extension and knee flexion — so it only needs 2 exercises. Learn which here.5 min read
- The Ultimate Guide: The Barbell Back SquatWhile most people squat, many don’t perform it correctly – or optimally for maximal leg muscle growth. Perhaps it’s the setup. Or, maybe they’re just not reaching sufficient depth.5 min read
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Get this plan in GymStreak
GymStreak builds your weekly plan around the days you choose. Depending on how many days you pick, it can set the week up as upper/lower or push, pull, legs, so leg days are built in. You can also add your own workout on any day and pick the leg exercises above.
- 1. Download GymStreak and answer the set-up questions.
- 2. Choose 4 or more training days, your session length and your equipment (full gym).
- 3. GymStreak builds your weekly plan, with a demo for every exercise.
Your plan and the exercise library are free to see. Starting and logging workouts needs GymStreak Premium, an in-app subscription; the app shows your local price before you pay.