Primal Blog

In high intensity interval training (HIIT) you are aiming for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption.

In other words, you want to train at an intensity that leaves you panting and breathing hard so that your anaerobic fitness improves. The best way to do that is by training legs. Your leg is made up of large muscles and capable of much more effort and explosive power than your arms.

A squat will always burn more calories than a pushup. So, by focusing on your legs, you will burn more calories, lose unwanted fat faster and you will gain more lean muscle overall. You will be surprised to find out that training legs makes it easier for you to gain muscle on your upper body.

Now let’s look at some of the best lower body exercises that you can do to tone your legs and raise your heart rate.

• Squats

Yes… it does not get better than this one. You can do bodyweight squats or goblet squats or use dumbbells/barbells when you squat. Using weight will make your workouts more challenging and help to burn more calories. 

You can choose to do either half squats or full squats depending on how good your knees are. Both types of squats have their pros and cons. So, it is up to you which way you do it.

• Box jumps

Like squats but with an explosive element to it. You will be squatting and jumping on to a box repeatedly. It will require more effort and using this exercise in a HIIT circuit will really take things to the next level. It is a powerful exercise.

• Lunges

Another staple when it comes to leg training. If you hold a dumbbell in each hand while doing the lunges, you will be training at a higher intensity

• Skater hops

This exercise will increase your agility and train muscles that you do not normally train because of the side-to-side movement.

Important note: High intensity interval training requires maximum effort and speed. However, you should NEVER sacrifice form for speed. Doing this will not only reduce the efficacy of the exercise but make it dangerous as well.

If you are not sure of any move/exercise, you can always search online or look for demonstration videos on YouTube. Practice each move slowly until you can execute it well. From there you can try and do it faster while maintaining correct form at the same time.

Besides the exercises mentioned above, there are many other leg exercises such as pistol squats, deadlifts, hack squats, lateral shuffles, step ups, pelvic peels, etc. that will all help to train and tone your legs.

What really matters is that you include at least a few leg exercises in your HIIT circuits. Many people abhor leg training because of how tiring and painful it can get. Yet, it is these exercises that will really take your stamina and strength to the next level. Start training your legs today.