One-Leg Squats

If you have access to a Smith machine, one-leg squats are a great exercise to include in your leg training. Begin by positioning yourself under the bar with one leg bent behind you. From here, bend your working leg to lower yourself downwards. Remember to avoid rounding your back on the way down.


Lower yourself as far as you are safely able to, then extend your leg to return to the starting position.

Tips

* See the page on standard squats for some important safety information regarding all exercises of this type.
* This is the most effective exercise for developing the gluteal muscles. The hamstrings and quadriceps are both worked as well. By training each leg individually, this exercise also allows you to determine if one leg is significantly stronger than the other. If so, you can then take the appropriate measures to correct the problem and avoid any asymmetry in your overall leg development.
* It is extremely difficult to safely lower your working leg to horizontal during this exercise. Only lower yourself as far as you are comfortably able to.
* When you are first beginning this exercise, you might want to start with very little or even no weight on the bar at all until you are comfortable with the movement. While this exercise does require a certain amount of initial strength to perform, the good thing is that by using a bar fixed to a frame, there is no need to balance yourself or focus too much on positioning; you simply need to support yourself on the bar as you execute the movement.

Variation: Using Non-Working Leg for Support


If you are unable to use a Smith machine, a good alternative is to perform the exercise while wrapping the foot of your non-working leg around the ankle of your working one. This will make it less difficult to balance yourself. You can rest a barbell on your back or hold dumbbells in your hands as you lower and extend your leg, but remember to start out with very light weights until you are completely comfortable with the movement.




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