To get great legs, start with squats

Q: What is the secret to getting great legs? I have always wanted to focus on my legs but have never really been able to get the results that I wanted. Do you have any suggestions?

A: If you want to have great legs, get familiar with the granddaddy of all leg exercises, the squat. But don’t limit yourself to just one generation; get to know the whole family and you’ll be cruising around the gym with the best wheels in town.

Back squats
The oldest and most common squat is the back squat. To try this exercise put a bar with some modest weight firmly across your shoulders. Stand with your feet at shoulder width, your chest and butt out and your toes slightly angled outward. Sit back as if relaxing in your favorite chair and when your thighs reach 90 degrees ascend back to the starting position and repeat for the desired amount of reps, and you’ll be doing the greatest leg exercise of all time.

Front squats
Front squats are very similar to regular back squats except instead of placing the bar across your back you will fold your arms in front of your body and place it across the front of your shoulders. To get started, face the bar with your chest and butt out, your feet at shoulder width and your toes slightly angled outward. Balance the bar across the front of your shoulders with your elbows facing the wall in front of you and sit back into the squat position until your thighs are parallel to the floor and then rise back to the starting position.

Dumbbell squats
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging freely along the sides of your body. Place your feet a little wider than shoulder width and with your chest and butt out sit back as far as you can until your thighs reach 90 degrees and then return to the starting position.

This exercise is great for people who tend to have back pain because you get the results of squatting without placing the weight on your back and compressing your spine.

Goblet squats
Goblet squats are simply a hybrid dumbbell squat in which you hold a single dumbbell vertically in both hands in front of your chest like the goblet glasses your mom breaks for Thanksgiving dinner. Place your feet a little wider than shoulder width and sit back with your chest out until you feel an intense burn in your legs and then return back to the starting position. The great thing about this exercise is the dumbbell acts as a counterbalance, allowing even the most inexperienced lifters to perfect the form instantly.

Plié squats
Stand in the squat position with your toes out and your feet as wide as you can go without feeling uncomfortable. Hold a dumbbell vertically in both hands and allow it to dangle between your legs. Slowly bend your knees and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor and then stand back up until your legs are almost locked out.

One-leg pistol squats
This may possibly be one of the hardest exercises you’ll ever do because it requires unilateral strength, balance and coordination. Very few people will be able to do these babies well without months of practice. To complete a pistol squat, stand up with your arms to your side and your knees slightly bent. Pick up one leg and extend it in front of your body. With your chest out slowly sit back and squat with the other leg until the top of your thigh reaches 90 degrees and then return to the starting position.

If your workout doesn’t include at least three of the above exercises, you don’t know squat about leg training, but it’s still not too late to get great legs. Try adding a few of my suggestions, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll get the results you’re looking for.