Lower body free weight training?

[BohemianFit]

Looking for a good lower body weight training workout using free weights. I'm a firm believer that machines, primarily for lower body, are a) not effective and b) teach you the wrong way to do something. I'm good on upper body but looking to add a workout that's more than just lunges.

[WendyB]

Have you checked Youtube?

There are a ton there

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lowbody+with+weights

[emili]

I would also check out Youtube as Wendy suggested or pintrest. Lots of ideas out there, just double check the source so you don't end up with bad info. Good luck!

[too_spicy · Accepted solution]

Any combination of squats and lunges are gonna be the bread and butter of a free-weight leg workout. Keep in mind that these exercises can be modified to target different muscle groups (for example, a diagonal lunge works the abductors more than a standard lunge would). You can also try other exercises that don't directly target the legs, like deadlifts or farmer's carries. They'll work your back more, but your legs have to be strong too. Also calf raises. Even people who don't skip leg day can have some skinny little calves.

Some extra advice that you didn't ask for:

So here's the deal with machines. Machines are not "teaching you the wrong way to do something," they're teaching you nothing. They don't have a correlated real-life functional movement. Machines are meant to target specific muscle groups. If your goal is to target the muscles of your legs specifically without working any other muscle groups, then a machine is perfectly fine to use. You're doing basically the same thing any time you're doing a bicep curl with a dumbell: a targeted motion designed to strengthen the biceps specifically. Some people use a preacher curl machine instead of a dumbbell. The same thing is accomplished. So if you're really trying to focus on your legs, I wouldn't just say "NO MACHINES >:(" That being said, you can still make all your leg gains using free weights exclusively. I very rarely use machines and my legs hurt like a mothertrucker the next day anyway so you'll be okay I think. 

[Heybales]

---

@BohemianFit wrote:
Looking for a good lower body weight training workout using free weights. I'm a firm believer that machines, primarily for lower body, are a) not effective and b) teach you the wrong way to do something. I'm good on upper body but looking to add a workout that's more than just lunges.

---

By free weights you perhaps mean dumbbells, because barbell is free weight too compared to machines?

Or Free weights meaning free of weights, as in body weight only?

Click on muscle desired - there's barbell, cable, dumbbell, and bodyweight exercise to do to hit that muscle.

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/WtFemale.html

For an actual routine - click on each of the muscles in Workout B lower body and decide on what you'll do. Follow instructions at bottom.

http://www.exrx.net/Workouts/Workout2UL.html

For a better workout that is actually progressive overload and hitting all the major muscles in best order between upper and lower body, start here following instructions. You would be beginner.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Instructions.html

[WorkoutMIKE]

Hi,

Go to BodyBuilding.com there are plenty of routine's on this site from beginers to advanced 

[Mukluk4]

I've been doing the routine outlined here to strong results (no weights required)

http://www.basketballforcoaches.com/vertical-jump/