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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Health & Fitness, Wellness ·

Leg Workout at the Gym


Happy Wellness Wednesday, friends!

Well, a few weeks ago, I shared MY KEYS TO FINDING A GYM which prompted several of you (like Kelli!) to ask me to share my specific leg workout at the gym.

If you’ll go back and read THAT POST, you’ll learn that the reason I went out and found a gym this go around was just for “leg day”.  There are so many leg exercises that you can do at home (lunges for example!), but if you want more equipment (especially if you’re trying to lift heavy), the gym is the best place to find it.

So, the last time I was up there for “leg” day, I took photos of each exercise I did as I did them.  I am not suggesting this is the best workout for you, I’m just sharing what I did to hopefully encourage you (especially if you’re new to going to gyms!).

As discreetly as I could, I took a pic of each machine so that you could see kind of what it looks like should you want to try it.  At each machine, I did three sets increasing the weight for each set.  I’m not going to include that info because that will be personal to you.

Here is an example of what I mean though: the first set you could have 30 pounds and do 15 reps.  The next set, you could increase the weight to 45 pounds and do 10 reps and then the last set, maybe you go up to 60 pounds and only do 4 or 5.

Make sense?  In my opinion, if you can do a whole bunch of reps, you probably want to safely increase the weight.  (Clearly you should be consulting doctors and personal trainers, not me for this type of advice, but that’s just my opinion based on what works for me.)

Okay…

#1: This is a LEG PRESS MACHINE.

This is the kind of machine that made me join a gym because I just cannot load my legs enough at home with any of my equipment.  I love a leg press.

#2: This is a GLUTE PRESS, and you’ll work each side one at a time.  I find this machine really, really effective.  You’ll do one side and then the other and then reevaluate before starting your second set (do you need to increase the weight for the next set?).

Me standing about to do the glute press.

#3: I have a love/hate relationship with the LEG EXTENSION MACHINE.  I love it because I honestly do not know another machine that works the legs harder.  In my opinion, this is the best leg machine at a gym.  I hate it though because after each set, I have to stand up and shake out my legs…it reallllly works those things.

#4: The SEATED LEG CURL is basically the opposite of the leg extension machine and is the perfect complement to it.

#5 & #6: These next two HIP ABDUCTION MACHINES work those thighs, hips and glutes two different ways.  If the gym isn’t busy, I’ll go back and forth between machines.  If the gym is busy, I’ll complete all of my sets on one before hopping over…

…to the other.

…here I am about to take a seat and work those legs!

#7: I love a SMITH MACHINE!  A Smith machine is similar to just racking weights buuuut the bar is mounted permanently on the side with a safety mechanism so you can add more weight since you’re not lifting the bar off the machine (it is mounted on).  At home, I rack weights for squats and chest all the time, but I can’t add too much or it will be too hard for me to balance and keep steady.  With this machine, you can go heavier because the machine is helping you keep it up and balanced.  Make sense?  This is great for squats and lunges AND glute bridges on leg day.

#8: This GLUTE PRESS is awesome too!  You load up both sides, strap yourself in and press up to engage the glutes.

Now, whether your gym has all of this equipment, some of it and/or other leg machines, these are the ones I love.  Again, I personally find that lifting heavy is the key for me actually seeing a difference…and not just on my legs, I see a difference all over when I lift heavy.  If I can easily do 15 reps, it’s too light for me.  I want to be struggling (safely!) on my last set doing 4 reps.  I want that tension to build that muscle.

And there you go.

I hope this encourages some of you to hit up leg day at the gym!  If you have a favorite leg exercise, please comment and share! xx

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Comments

  2. Elizabeth Feldpausch says

    I love a good leg workout! This just might be the kick I needed to head to the gym today

  4. Dana P says

    1. I have an exercise app that encourages always warming up before lifting weights (Caliber). I’ve found it’s a natural way to figure out how much I should lift by starting out with a really light weight for 12 reps, then a little heavier for 10, then heavier still for 8-10 and usually that’s around where I need to be. They also suggested that if you can do more than 10 reps, you should move up. If you can’t do at least 8, you should move down. I thought that was helpful.

    2. You’re not joking about that leg extension machine! Every single time, I can feel the lactic acid or whatever build up in my quads and I jump up immediately! I could imagine it just by the picture you posted. ha!

  5. Katie Compton says

    I recently joined a similar gym to join my 17yr old daughter and my husband who have been working out there for a couple years now. We have all these same machines and I’m just starting to find my groove. They both are teaching me so much! We all use the Hevy app and love it. We can build workouts, track reps and weights, and even share the workouts with each other. It’s been a great resource for me to keep track of what weight I did and to know if I should try to go up. They also have taught me higher weight, low reps.

    Like I said, I’m just getting into this whole lifting stuff but I’m so grateful to have their knowledge and help. It’s like my own two personal trainers!

      • Katie Compton says

        I hope you like it and find it helpful! I’ve really been enjoying it. Years and years ago when we were first married, we lifted together and kept track in a little notebook. My hubby said “This app is our new little notebook.” Ha!

    • Beth Knecht says

      Oh I love hearing about this app! I’ve written my runs and workouts in a notebook for years, but it’s so hard to write all of the weight workouts because I don’t know all of the names or don’t want to write an essay just about my workout!

  6. Kelli says

    Thanks for sharing! I was curious 🙂
    I’ve never tried the Smith machine, but the others are in my workouts. Maybe I’ll be brave this week and try it!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      You’ll love it because it’s really hard to mess it up. The weights can’t go anywhere, there is a safety latch should you drop it…I adore the Smith machine. Thank YOU for the blog post rec!

  7. V says

    I love the glute press machine. It’s a total game changer for hip thrusts. The setup with a bar on the ground in front of a bench is so time consuming and awkward!

  9. Madeline says

    Reading this post just makes my legs sore!! I did legs 3 days ago and am still feeling it lol! I do love a leg press machine though 🙂

  11. Faith says

    When I was a member of gyms in the past, I used a lot of these. You are right! It is such a good workout and not one that is easy to at home. Now I’m kind of wanting to rejoin a gym! As someone who has put exercise on the back burner lately, it’s hard to take that first step back.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      It is hard to get back into routines/habits. Just know, we are all cheering for you. I promise, WE ARE!!

  12. Patty Anderson says

    Live this, Shay! I recently joined a gym and hired a trainer to take me safely through both upper and lower body workouts, and finally I’m beginning to “get it.” Your thoughts definitely correspond to what I’ve been learning, and I can already tell a difference in just a short time. I especially love the leg press!

  13. Debbra Weber says

    Love this post. I belong to a gym but at this time of year, I don’t seem to get there as much as I should and have been working out at home. I started using the Ladder App and love it so far. I have been through two different six-week training programs under two different trainers. I need to get back to the gym for leg day! Thanks again for the post and motivation to do it!

  14. Richelle Fahler says

    Curious how you track what weight to set each machine to for your first set? Is there an app you love, write it down, or do you just store it in your brain?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      The FitBod app remembers which weights you use and then adjusts/modifies as needed (you can tell the app if that weight was too easy/just right/too hard, etc). Right now, I can pretty much go off of routine, but the app does help.

  15. Stephanie P says

    I used to follow the Sweat app as it’s geared towards women. But after a few years found it was focusing too much on home workouts and not enough heavy strength training. I did look at fitbod but ultimately settled on Ladder and really liking it! You join a “team” (there are around a dozen to choose from) that has a coach who loads the workouts each week in 6 week blocks (the 2 weeks “off” to either do recovery workouts or try other teams). Your team can range from one that is strength training only, or cardio + strength, or Yoga etc. You can also keep track of your progress. I like it because the coach gives visual and voice instructions and encouragement throughout the workout and the community aspect is nice too. And each team has a chat function for Q&A and a way to cheer each other on. While home workouts with dumbbells are great I agree pushing around heavy machines just hits different.

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