Calisthenics is old-school strength training with a simple rule: your body is the equipment. The word is often traced back to Greek roots for âbeautyâ and âstrength,â and the training itself lives up to that idea - strong, athletic movement with nothing but you and gravity.
Whether itâs bodyweight squats, push-ups, or chin-ups, youâve almost definitely used calisthenics at some point. Most people keep it in the âwarm-upâ bucket⌠and thatâs where they leave a ton of gains on the table.
Take Your Fitness To The Next Level
Calisthenics doesnât need to be the opening act on leg day. Done right, it can be the main event. You can build real leg muscle with a calisthenics leg workout, you just need the right exercise choices and a plan for progression.
This post will cover:
- What is calisthenics?
- Benefits and drawbacks of a calisthenics legs workout
- Best calisthenics leg exercises
- Best calisthenics leg workouts
- Programming and progressing calisthenic leg workouts
Letâs break down how to train legs with calisthenics in a way that actually moves the needle.
What Is Calisthenics?
Calisthenics is resistance training that uses your body weight as the primary load. That doesnât always mean âzero equipment,â because some movements use basic set-ups like a pull-up bar or a step for step-ups. The big difference is how you progress: instead of adding plates, you manipulate biomechanics, leverage, tempo, range of motion, and unilateral loading.
Most people already do some calisthenics without thinking about it, like push-up variations, lunge exercises, and plyometrics.
The real challenge is knowing how to keep building muscle once the basics get easy. For example, what do you do when you can crank out 50 bodyweight squats without breaking a sweat? How do you increase intensity so your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves keep getting a growth stimulus?
Thatâs where smart exercise selection and progression comes in.
Benefits Of A Calisthenics Leg Workout
Here are three reasons why calisthenics deserves a serious spot in your leg training.
- You can perform a calisthenic leg workout anywhere.
- A leg calisthenics workout requires you to perform fundamental movement patterns.
- Calisthenics leg workouts improve your athleticism.
The biggest advantage is accessibility. Whether you're on vacation and want to stay fit while traveling or would like to start working out at home, calisthenics makes leg training possible almost anywhere.
And because calisthenics leans hard into natural movement patterns, itâs also an underrated way to build usable strength and athletic carryover.
Drawbacks Of Calisthenics For Lower Body Training
Calisthenics is effective, but itâs not perfect. None of these are deal-breakers, but they are real considerations when youâre building a calisthenics legs workout thatâs meant to produce muscle and strength over time.
- There is a limited selection of calisthenics leg exercises.
- Calisthenics can be too heavy for beginners.
- Calisthenic leg workouts are harder to load.
You can absolutely train legs well with calisthenics, but the exercise pool is smaller than a typical gym program. That means you need to get good at using variations and progressions to target different muscles and keep intensity high.
Thereâs also the âmoving targetâ problem: your body weight fluctuates, so the load isnât as consistent as a barbell. You can work around this by tracking reps, tempo, range of motion, and difficulty level, but itâs something to keep in mind.
Finally, some leg calisthenics movements are simply hard. Regressions exist for a lot of exercises, but not all, which can limit options for beginners.
If you're new to calisthenics, be sure to check out our calisthenics for beginners workout plan! It'll help build a strong foundation to tackle many of these leg exercises.
10 Best Calisthenics Leg Exercises
Here are the exercises youâll use in the best calisthenics leg workouts below. Youâll notice a few variations, because variety is one of the easiest ways to keep your legs challenged without adding external load.
Some moves may require a box or bench. If you donât have one, use a chair, ledge, or any stable surface that allows you to safely replicate the movement.
1. Box Jumps:
Plyometric exercises are awesome calisthenic tools for building lower body power. Plyo is a missing ingredient in a lot of leg programs, and adding box jumps is an easy way to fix that.
Box jumps require a box or ledge. Start low enough that you can stick the landing cleanly. When you're ready to progress, try the single-leg box jump variation.
No box or bench nearby? Look for a sturdy alternative that lets you land safely. If nothing is available, jump squats are a solid swap.
How to do Box Jumps:
- Stand a few feet behind a box or bench. When ready, lower into a partial squat position and explode, jumping with both feet off the ground.
- Land with both feet flat on the elevated surface. Bend your knees some when landing to provide a soft landing.
- Gently step off, and repeat.
2. Knee Tuck Jumps:
Knee tucks are another great plyometrics exercise. The goal is simple: jump as high as you can, bring your knees toward your chest, and repeat with control.
How to do Knee Tuck Jumps:
- Beginning with your feet shoulder width apart, lower down into a squat.
- Once you've lowered down as far as you can go, use your arms for momentum as you jump upward.
- As you jump, bring your knees up as high as you can.
- Land softly, pausing for a moment before lowering down again.
3. Bodyweight Squats:
Bodyweight squats are a foundational movement for a reason. They train the entire lower body and teach you how to produce force through a full range of motion.
You can add variety by changing your stance or setup. For example, place one foot on an elevated surface so your feet are at different heights.
You can also do pulse squats. To do pulse squats, only come up 50-75% of the way before lowering back down. Do this âpulseâ 3 times per rep.
How to do a Bodyweight Squat:
- Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and shoulders square. Begin the movement by pushing your hips back to lower your body. You may put your arms forward to help with balance at first.
- Continue lowering while you keep your chest up and back straight. Your goal is to have your shoulders drop in a straight line as you descend. Continue lowering all the way until the top of your thighs are at least parallel.
- Come back up by pushing your feet into the ground and pushing your hips forward. Keep your knees in line with your feet.
4. Cossack Squat:
The cossack squat is also called an archer squat or a lateral squat. Whatever name you use, the first time you do these with good depth, youâll understand why theyâre respected.
This variation loads one leg hard while the other stays extended, and it also pushes hip and adductor mobility in a way most leg workouts ignore.
How to do the Cossack Squat:
- Start with your legs about 2 times wider than normal.
- Lower to one side while keeping the other leg completely extended. This will likely require you to rotate your foot so you're on the heel to allow a full range of motion.
- Hold for 2-3 seconds and then transfer your weight back to the other leg. This can be done by coming all the way up so both knees are extended, and then lowering down to the other side. Or, keep your knees bent the entire time, only coming up about 50% as you transfer sides.
5. Walking Lunges:
Walking lunges are a staple for building legs and movement quality. They hit the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while forcing balance and control with every step.
We like walking lunges over static lunges because youâre moving through space, which adds coordination and stability demands you donât get from standing in one place.
To level up, perform the same pattern backward with reverse walking lunges.
How to do Walking Lunges:
- Find an area where you have room to move. Stand naturally with your arms down by your sides. Take a large step forward, with both feet flat and pointing forward.
- Lower down in a straight line, so your hips drop down until your rear knee touches the ground. Proper foot placement will have both knees bent at a 90-degree angle.
- Gently tap your knee to the ground and then push upward using your front leg, as you move your rear leg to the front.
6. Split Squats:
Split squats are a simple, brutal way to train one leg at a time without moving forward or backward. If you want unilateral strength and a serious quad and glute pump, they deliver.
You can progress these by elevating the front foot or the rear foot, which changes leverage and muscle emphasis and prepares you for harder single-leg work.
How to do Split Squats:
- Place one leg forward and find the proper width so that your knees are at 90 degrees, in the same position as the lunge.
- From here, drop down in a straight line until your rear knee touches the ground.
- Slowly come back up. Focus on pushing down into the ground with your leading leg.
7. Bulgarian Split Squats:
Bulgarian split squats are one of the most effective calisthenics leg builders before you get into advanced single-leg squats. The rear foot elevation makes the working leg do a lot more work with a lot less cheating.
How to do Bulgarian Split Squats:
- Find a bench (or chair, couch, etc.) about knee height or lower.
- Stand in front of it, making sure you're far enough ahead that you can extend your back leg and comfortably lower straight down.
- Put your rear foot on the bench with the top of your foot down. The ledge should be about halfway down the foot to allow ankle mobility.
- Slowly lower down by bending your knees, and then straighten your knees to return to the starting position.
8. Glute Bridge:
The glute bridge is one of the best bodyweight-only hip extension moves, making it a perfect fit for a lower body calisthenics program that wants stronger glutes and hamstrings.
Want more intensity? Switch to single-leg glute bridges.
How to do the Glute Bridge:
- Lay on the ground with your knees bent, so your shins are vertical. Place your arms out to the side and feet flat on the ground.
- Drive your feet straight down while "pulling" the ground toward you. This will further isolate the posterior muscles. Drive your hips up as far as you can go until your hips are extended.
9. Calf Raises:
Standing calf raises are an easy isolation exercise to include in your leg workout. Calves respond well to high effort and full range reps, and theyâre a great finisher.
To progress, do them single-leg. To make them easier, hold onto something for balance.
How to do Calf Raises:
- Find a ledge that's high enough that it enables you to comfortably move your heels up and down in a full range of motion. Further, it helps if you have some support you can hold onto for balance, particularly in the beginning.
- Stand at the end of the ledge with only your tippy toes on it. Allow your heels to drop as far as you can.
- Propel your body up by flexing your calves to extend the ankle. Try to get as high as possible and hold for a few seconds.
- Lower yourself down slowly.
10. Walk-On Toes:
Walk-on toes is a simple, sneaky calf burner you can do anywhere. Itâs also one of the easiest âfinishersâ to work into real life.
How to do the Walk-On Toes exercise:
- In a standing position, raise yourself as high as you can on your toes and walk.
- Continue until you are no longer able to.
3 Advanced Calisthenics Leg Exercises
The exercises above are plenty for building strength and muscle for most people. But eventually, theyâll do their job and get easier. When that happens, itâs time to progress to harder unilateral variations that demand more skill, strength, and balance.
For each movement below, weâll also reference regressions and alternatives to help you work up to the full version.
1. Pistol Squats:
Pistol squats are the most famous single-leg squat for a reason. They demand mobility, control, and strength through a deep range of motion.
Biomechanically, pistol squats typically hammer the quads due to the knee flexion and upright torso. Your core muscles will also be hard at work, keeping your upper body erect throughout the exercise. For a progression, you can use a resistance band attached to a sturdy object.
Regression options include archer squats and Bulgarian split squats.
How to do the Pistol Squat:
- Lift one leg and extend it in front of you as you squat down using one leg.
- Try to grab your front foot with your arms forward, and your knee extended.
2. Skater Squats:
Skater squats are another single-leg squat variation that pairs well with pistol squats. Compared to pistols, youâll usually lean forward more to maintain balance, and the working knee often moves through a smaller range.
This variation tends to emphasize the posterior chain more. For a regression, try reverse lunges, glute bridges, or reverse slider lunges.
How to do Skater Squats:
- Start with your legs shoulder width apart.
- Choose which leg to lift, bending it to about 90 degrees. Begin squatting and pushing your hips back while leaning forward to offset the weight.
- Rather than the raised leg going out in front of you, place it behind you. When you are at the bottom of the movement, it resembles that of a skater.
- To start, you can put your arms forward to help with balance. Work to perform these with arms hanging straight down.
3. Nordic Curls:
Nordic curls are arguably the best body weight exercises for legs that focus on training your hamstrings1. They look simple, but the eccentric control requirement makes them extremely challenging.
How to do Nordic Curls:
- These are best done with a partner, as you need some method to lock your ankles. You can also place your feet under a structure.
- Get on your knees, locking your ankles through the use of a partner or structure. Keep your torso tall and erect. Slowly allow your body to begin dropping forward by using your hamstring muscles.
- Lower as far as you can until you almost begin to free fall, and then come back up. This may not be far at first, but even a small range of motion will strengthen your muscles.
- When first starting this move, you can use a support system to help lower your body. For example, place a sturdy chair in front of your set-up and use your arms to help lower yourself.
What About Sissy Squats?
When done correctly, sissy squats are an impressive calisthenics leg exercise. That said, people have valid concerns about how easy it is to mess them up.
We think they can be safe with the right mobility and solid form, but thereâs also more room for error than with the other moves listed here. For that reason, we generally donât include them in âdefaultâ programs for most people.
To be clear, we believe thereâs no such thing as a bad exercise. There are simply exercises that are a poor fit for certain bodies, goals, or current ability levels.
And with the sissy squat, the risk of it being a poor fit is higher than the other moves weâve included, which is why we didnât add it to these body weight leg workouts.
3 Tips For Improving Your Calisthenics Leg Exercises
Progressions are the main driver of results in calisthenics. But if you want more intensity without changing exercises, these three tactics can make your workouts more effective and give your legs a fresh stimulus.
1. Use Isometric Exercises With Your Calisthenics Leg Workouts.
Isometric exercises contract the muscle without moving it. You're essentially flexing while not moving.
Studies show that isometric exercises can build muscle mass and strength². To add variety, hold different positions, such as a squat midway down or the bottom of a lunge. When the standard reps get easy, add holds.
2. Use Visualization To Improve Your Calisthenics Leg Workout.
It sounds weird, but it works for some lifters. Studies suggest that visualizing a movement can increase muscle activationÂł. When doing bodyweight squats, visualize a barbell on your back and treat the reps like âheavyâ reps.
3. Use Maximal Contractions.
Use your neuromuscular system and mind-muscle connection to contract as hard as you can during the rep. This can increase activation and make the stimulus more intense without adding weightsâ´.
Use as much force as you can when performing your calisthenics exercises, particularly with your plyometric moves.
Best Calisthenics Leg Workout Routine
Your best calisthenics leg workout includes two sessions, both performed once per week. In other words, you train legs twice weekly. Avoid doing these sessions on back-to-back days. For muscle recovery, itâs best to give your legs a few days between sessions.
Aside from plyometrics, the remainder of the exercises are prescribed with RPE instead of a traditional rep target. That means you work based on effort level rather than chasing an exact number every time.
RPE works on a scale of 1-10 with 10 meaning total failure.
Session A Calisthenics Leg Workout:
For Session A, you wonât add pistol squats into the routine until youâve progressed significantly. See our note below Session B for more information on this.
- Box Jumps: 5x5
- Pistol Squats: 4xRPE8**
- Bodyweight Squats: 4xRPE8**
- Glute Bridge: 4xRPE8
- Split Squats: 3xRPE8
- Knee Tucks: 3x10-20
- Calf Raises: 2xFailure
Session B Calisthenics Leg Workout:
For this session, donât add in skater squats until youâve made serious gains in your calisthenics leg routine. Take a look below this workout for more information on how and when to include skater squats.
- Single Leg Box Jumps: 3x5
- Skater Squats: 4xRPE8**
- Archer Squat: 4xRPE8**
- Glute Bridge: 4xRPE8
- Walking Lunges: 3xRPE8
- Switch to Reverse Walking Lunges every other week. - Nordic Curls: 5x5
- Knee Tucks: 3x10-20
- Walk On Toes: 1xFailure
**Beginners should exclude pistol squats and skater squats at first. When you are able to perform a significant amount of bodyweight squats (i.e 40 per set), begin including the pistol squats and skater squats. To do this, insert them after the first plyometric exercise (as shown in the calisthenics leg training programs above). You then will only train bodyweight squats and archer squats with 3 sets instead of 4.
How To Progress Calisthenic Leg Workouts
In calisthenics, your long-term goal is to earn harder progressions. Too many people stall because they only chase more reps of the same easy variation.
While higher reps can be a form of progressive overload for a while, eventually you drift toward mostly muscular endurance. If your goal is strength and muscle, you need to keep climbing the progression ladder.
This means consistently working toward more challenging leg exercises, including pistol squats, skater squats, and full nordic curls.
And keep intensity high. If you feel great one day and youâre hitting massive squat numbers, thatâs fine. As long as your sets are close to failure with good form, youâll keep improving.
Stay consistent with your best calisthenics leg workout
The key to calisthenics is consistency and intensity. Keep showing up, keep progressing, and youâll prove to yourself that bodyweight training can build legitimately strong legs. If things start to feel stale, change the exercise order, add isometric holds, or push a rep test day to see where youâre at.
Once youâre at the point where youâre knocking out 20 pistol squats per leg, your legs will not be âjust bodyweight legs.â Theyâll be strong.
Want a full calisthenics workout program? Check out our Calisthenics Workout Plan For Strength, Mass & Aesthetics.
Looking for more muscle group-specific routines? Head to our Calisthenics Back Workout or Calisthenics Arm Workout for other great routines!
References:
- Al Attar, W.S.A., Soomro, N., Sinclair, P.J. et al. Effect of Injury Prevention Programs that Include the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Hamstring Injury Rates in Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 47, 907â916 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0638-2
- Oranchuk DJ, Storey AG, Nelson AR, Cronin JB. Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2019;29(4):484-503. doi:10.1111/sms.13375
- Counts BR, Buckner SL, Dankel SJ, et al. The acute and chronic effects of "NO LOAD" resistance training. Physiol Behav. 2016;164(Pt A):345-352. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.024
- GonzĂĄlez-Badillo JJ, RodrĂguez-Rosell D, SĂĄnchez-Medina L, Gorostiaga EM, Pareja-Blanco F. Maximal intended velocity training induces greater gains in bench press performance than deliberately slower half-velocity training. European Journal of Sport Science. 2014;14(8):772-781. doi:10.1080/17461391.2014.905987
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