Oct 102 min read

5 Essential Leg Day Exercises for Dads: Front Squats, Single-Leg RDLs & More to Build Strong Legs!

Dads... 5" inseams are in and it is more important than ever to build an absolutely juicy set of quads and hams.

As a dad, you are responsible for staying fit and setting the example for your kids. No skipping leg day or chicken legs up in here!

Your appearance and physical presence are the first impressions you give to others. Make it a strong one.

Today, I've got 5 of my favorite leg exercises for you. From heel elevated tempo front squats to Single-Leg RDLs. Enjoy. (ps stick around to the end of the blog for a full leg workout).

1: Heel Elevated Tempo Front Squats

This powerhouse leg day exercise will beef up those chicken sticks. Elevating the heels makes squats easier on the ankles and knees but more importantly will put more emphasis on your quads.

Use a 3-5 seconds tempo on the descent. This will refine technique and aid in quad hypertrophy aka make the quads bigger (with proper recovery).

4 sets of 10 reps

Grab a free 7-day trial of my Garage Gym Gainz workout subscription here.

2: Single-Leg RDLs

The single-leg Romanian Deadlift is one of my all-time favorite exercises.

Benefits:

Unilaterally train the legs (make sure you're even)

Work on balance

Epic rump pump (effectively train the glutes)

Strengthen the hamstrings and low back

I like to superset my RDLs with the front squats above. 4 sets, 8 reps per leg.

3: Single Leg Extensions

Squats and lunges take precedence over this isolation exercise. However, I have always had strong but small quads. The intension here is purely for intimidation and aesthetic purposes. Basically, men need jacked quads. Superset exercise 3 with exercise 4.

3 sets of 15 per leg.

4: Staggered Squats

The staggered squat is a great way to train the quads unilateral by placing the emphasis on the forward leg. You lunges, bulgarian split squats, and step-ups programmed a ton. This variation is great for aesthetics, functionality, and variety.

3 sets of 8-12 per leg. Watch the YouTube video below to see how I superset this with exercise leg extensions.

5: Lying DB Hamstring Curl

Don't sleep on the dumbbell hamstring curl. This variation is great because you use partial range of motion and keep tension on the hamstrings throughout the set.

Pro Tip: I do these without shoes to get a better grip on the dumbbell. (use caution)

3 sets of 15-20 reps. Go for extra reps on the final set.