Legs are the foundation of your physique, and building massive, powerful legs requires more than just the occasional squat. To add real mass to your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, you need to focus on heavy, compound movements and smart accessory work.
This guide breaks down the best leg exercises for mass, targeting every major muscle group in your lower body with a focus on hypertrophy (muscle growth).
Workout Split Options
Before we dive into the exercises, here are 3 effective ways to structure leg training:
- Push/Pull/Legs split: Train legs once every 5–6 days
- Upper/Lower split: Train legs twice/week
- Body part split: Dedicated leg day with optional glute/calves focus later in the week
Train legs 1–2x/week for optimal growth, with 48–72 hours between sessions.
Top Leg Exercises for Mass
1. Barbell Back Squats
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
Why it’s great: The king of leg mass. Heavy compound movement. Stimulates growth hormone.
Tips:
- Go deep (parallel or lower)
- Keep spine neutral and knees tracking your toes
- Use moderate to heavy weights (6–10 reps)
2. Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Why it’s great: Builds thick hamstrings and glute-ham tie-in
Tips:
- Slight bend in knees
- Hinge at hips, keep bar close to legs
- Focus on stretch, not weight ego
3. Walking Lunges (Weighted)
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, stabilizers
Why it’s great: Time under tension and unilateral balance
Tips:
- Use dumbbells or a barbell
- Keep torso upright, lunge long to engage glutes
- 8–12 reps each leg = brutal pump
4. Leg Press
Muscles worked: Primarily quads, plus glutes and hamstrings
Why it’s great: Great for adding volume without spinal stress
Tips:
- Foot high = more glutes; foot low = more quads
- Control the descent; don’t lock out your knees
- Use heavy weight (8–12 reps)
5. Bulgarian Split Squats
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, stabilizers
Why it’s great: Intense unilateral quad/glute destroyer
Tips:
- Back foot elevated on bench
- Hold dumbbells or use bodyweight if new
- 8–10 reps per leg
6. Leg Curls (Lying or Seated)
Muscles worked: Hamstrings
Why it’s great: Isolate and build thickness in the hams
Tips:
- Pause at peak contraction
- Control the negative (lowering phase)
- 10–15 reps
7. Hip Thrusts or Glute Bridges
Muscles worked: Glutes
Why it’s great: Best for building glute mass directly
Tips:
- Use a bench and barbell for hip thrusts
- Squeeze glutes hard at the top
- 10–12 reps with controlled tempo
8. Standing Calf Raises
Muscles worked: Gastrocnemius (outer calf)
Why it’s great: Heavy load for maximum calf growth
Tips:
- Full stretch at the bottom
- Explosive lift + controlled descent
- 12–15 reps
9. Seated Calf Raises
Muscles worked: Soleus (deeper calf muscle)
Why it’s great: Completes your calf development
Tips:
- Moderate weight, longer time under tension
- 15–20 reps with pause at top
Smart Training Tips for Leg Mass
- Progressive overload: Increase weight or reps over time
- Volume is key: 12–20 sets per leg workout (total for all exercises)
- Form > ego: Controlled reps = better growth
- Eat for growth: Legs respond best when you’re in a calorie surplus
- Rest between sets: 60–90 sec for hypertrophy, 2–3 min for compound lifts
Sample Mass-Building Leg Workout (90 Minutes)
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squats | 4 x 6–10 |
| Romanian Deadlifts | 4 x 8–10 |
| Walking Lunges (Weighted) | 3 x 10/leg |
| Leg Press | 3 x 12 |
| Seated or Lying Leg Curls | 3 x 12–15 |
| Standing Calf Raises | 3 x 15 |
| Seated Calf Raises | 2 x 20 |
Optional Add-on (Glutes-focused):
- Hip Thrusts – 3 x 10–12
Mistakes to Avoid
- Skipping leg day or under-training legs
- Only training quads (neglecting hamstrings/glutes)
- Not tracking your lifts or reps
- Avoiding compound lifts
- Poor form or shallow squats
Final Thoughts
Building leg mass takes effort, intensity, and consistency. Compound movements like squats and RDLs should be the core of your workout, supported by high-volume isolation exercises for complete leg development.
Train hard, recover well, eat big, and your legs will grow.