Tag: 10x Fitness

There are weight-loss guides. And then there are holistic weight-loss guides.

The goal might be similar—to get fitter and slimmer—but the approaches are quite different.

The former is typically a “one-size-fits-all” strategy that tends to focus on diet and exercise for quick results. On the other hand, the latter is the opposite—it considers the whole person and aims for lasting health and overall well-being.

And the latter is the basis of Mindalley’s official guide for accelerated holistic weight loss and muscle gain. 

“What we’ve done is actually curated a very specific, a very exclusive list of 15 ways to accelerate the weight loss process,” explains Lorenzo Delano, the co-founder of Mindvalley’s 10X Fitness Quest.

Developed by the company’s Human Advancement Lab (HAL) and WILDFIT, the guide was originally crafted for the Mindvalley team based on the top science-based fitness principles so that they can reach their ideal weight and maintain a well-toned physique.

And now, with access to it, you can, too.

First off, what is holistic weight loss?

The holistic approach to health means your physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health are all taken into consideration. It comes from the idea that all aspects of your life are interconnected, so when one is out of whack, the rest follow suit. (The word “holistic,” after all, means to look at the bigger picture and address all areas of your life.) 

Rather than just treating symptoms or diseases, the aim here is prevention and maintaining your health for longevity. The goals are for the long term, hence why it caters to the individual.

So it may look like this: a mix of balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, and mindfulness practices based on your body type. For example, if you’re overweight, you may look into practicing mindful eating, doing circuit training, and engaging in meditation or journaling.

This is very much the opposite of what many of us are taught—count calories, go on a restrictive diet, and spend hours at the gym. Unfortunately, with one in eight people struggling with obesity, traditional approaches are not sustainable weight-loss strategies. 

In fact, one study reveals that the odds of clinically obese men slimming down with diet and exercise alone are 1 in 210 in a given month. For women, it’s 1 in 124 in a given year.

On the plus side, though, the participants managed to drop 5% of their body weight. The downside to that is, they weren’t able to keep it down, nor were they able to achieve their desired weight. And half of those who dropped down regained it within two years, with more than 78% regaining it within five years.

The bottom line? Going traditional might be a thing of the past. And holistic weight loss programs will step in to do what the others could not.

So let’s get into the 15 parts of this guide.

Part 1: Food and nutrition

“Training without proper nutrition doesn’t get you anywhere,” says Ronan Diego, a holistic health mentor and the co-founder of Mindvalley’s 10X Fitness Quest.

However, he adds that it’s not about depriving yourself of food or adopting complex diet plans. Rather, it’s about wholesome, simple, nourishing meals.

Nutrition is one of, if not the most crucial, aspects of the holistic weight loss plan. And this guide includes six science-based principles of nutrition that will improve your health and accelerate your weight loss and muscle gain.

1. Break up with sugar and carbohydrates
2. Eat sufficient protein
3. Take fiber-rich foods
4. Stay well hydrated
5. Increase your fat burn with caffeine
6. Don’t get hungry

Part 2: Physical activity

A slimmer waist is just a component of physical activity. Among other benefits, it enhances your mood, your brainpower, and your overall mobility.

“Our bodies are made to move and lift,” Ronan points out. “It’s made for locomotion, it’s made for play, and it’s for carrying and lifting. And if we don’t do these things, it’s like the bird that doesn’t fly.”

The thing is, if your sole aim is to create a better body composition, you actually don’t need to work out a lot; you just need a better system for exercising. So here are three incredibly effective workout methods for quick weight loss and muscle gain that you can check out in this guide.

7. Strength training
8. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
9. Work out in a fasted state

Part 3: Sleep and mindfulness practices

The human brain, according to Ronan, isn’t exactly wired for happiness. Rather, it’s often in survival mode to keep us safe at any given instance.

So for any positive emotions to occur, like happiness, you’d need to make conscious, daily choices. For example, cultivate self-love and self-respect so that you don’t eat yourself to fulfillment.

No doubt, getting rest and practicing mindfulness are incredibly important. And here are the three most important steps we can take toward your desired body composition.

10. Listen to your body
11. Sleep a minimum of 8 hours every day
12. Meditate your stress away
13. Visualize your ideal body

Part 4: Social influences

It’s been said that we’re like the five people closest to us. And it may just apply to our weight as well.

One study from 2007 suggests that the friends we’re surrounded with literally influence our waist size. Its results found that if a person has an obese friend or family member, their chance of becoming so increases by 57%. 

It’s not so much that hanging out with heavier people will make you heftier. It’s just that you’d tend to follow the crowd unless you, yourself, have the willpower to avoid a sedentary life.

In other words, if you’re the smaller-sized person in the room and want to lose weight, then you might just be in the wrong room. But the good thing is, there are steps you can take to make healthy lifestyle changes.

14. Develop a buddy system
15. Seek the advice of an expert

15 steps to holistic weight loss

Fitness is the most you can do for optimal well-being, according to Lorenzo. Health is the minimum you need for normal functioning. And everything else that makes up this guide lies in between.

Check out this video of him explaining how to use this list of 15 points to get the most out of this resource.

1. Break up with sugar and carbohydrates

If this is the only agreement you make with yourself, you are already halfway through the race. Sugar is the ultimate enemy, and it comes in various forms.

If you check the product labels in the supermarket, you will find that almost everything on the shelf has sugar or artificial sweetener in it, often the top three ingredients. Even foods that you wouldn’t even think contain sugar.

The surest bet is to eat an ancestral diet—fresh, unprocessed food. In other words, food that looks like it did when nature made it.

Besides focusing on removing what’s harmful from your plate, it is even more important to…

• Add as many leafy greens to your diet as you can,
• Cut out carbs gradually (especially bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes),
• Fill your plate with nutritious vegetables, meat, and eggs, and
• Keep some healthy snacks near while you work so that you won’t turn to unhealthy ones when your sugar cravings kick in.

At Mindvalley, we developed a seven-day holistic weight loss program rooted in behavioral psychology that conditions you in 10 minutes a day to break up with sugar—for good. It’s called 7 Days to Breaking Up with Sugar, and it’s absolutely free.

In terms of carbs, there are three levels of intake to consider if you’re aiming to lose weight.

Ketogenic or “WILDFIT Deep Spring” 

By eating less than 25 grams of carbs per day, you can put yourself in a fat-burning or keto state that supports accelerated weight release. That means if you’ve eaten a banana or a bowl of cashews, you’ve already reached the limit.

Intense? For sure. But extremely efficient as well.

Low carb or “WILDFIT Spring” 

Eating between 25 and 100 grams of carbs per day still supports holistic weight loss for most people, particularly if they combine that with an excellent workout routine.

“WILDFIT Summer”

If you are not concerned with losing much weight, you have more flexibility and can increase your carbohydrate intake to 100–150 grams.

2. Eat sufficient (high-quality) protein

Protein is misunderstood and vital. It is actually not the protein that we need but, rather, the amino acids that it’s made of.

Proteins are complex molecules that do various biological jobs in our bodies. We eat proteins to get amino acids and then we use those amino acids to make the proteins our bodies need.

The good news for you is, digesting most protein takes a lot of energy so you may be burning more calories than you’re taking in. This also means that protein has a lower risk of being converted into body fat.

What does this have to do with a healthy, lean body?

For starters, your goal shouldn’t be to lose weight but to lose fat, which is an important distinction. It is actually possible to lose fat, lose inches, and gain weight all at the same time because muscle is denser (smaller) than fat.

Simply put, the more muscle you have relative to your body fat percentage, the better you look. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that you lose from your overall body weight.

The key is to combine a nutritional plan that will support both the release of fat and the building of muscle with a workout program that will speed up that process. And protein is key to that.

Now, there are two ways to calculate the right protein intake in your diet.

1. About 25% of your total calorie intake should come from protein, including everything you eat and snack on during the day.
2. You should consume approximately 1–1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. This means that if you weigh 75 kg right now, you will need to have at least 75 grams of protein a day.

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you may find it challenging to meet these criteria. However, high-protein nuts, seeds, and legumes will help you reach a good balance in your diet.

3. Take fiber-rich foods

Both soluble and insoluble fiber can contribute to releasing weight and developing a leaner body.

Soluble fiber—that includes fibrous vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, and flax seeds—can help reduce your appetite. However, while they’re technically carbohydrates, they don’t absorb as sugars in the digestive system.

According to research, soluble fiber can enhance weight loss by decreasing the level of glucose and cholesterol in your blood. It dissolves in your stomach and slows down your digestion so that you can feel full for a longer period of time.

Now, insoluble fiber, like the cellulose found in many vegetables, is another carbohydrate that is not absorbed as sugar. Instead, it turns into a jelly-like substance in your belly, supporting the natural gut bacteria that help you digest your food.

4. Stay well hydrated

Your body needs water to make muscles. Staying consistently hydrated means that as your body works to make muscle, it will be well-stocked with one of the most important ingredients: water.

Ronan also suggests adding some electrolytes—a pinch of pink Himalayan salt or Celtic salt is enough. “Drinking water brings fluid to your bloodstream, but what takes that fluid inside the cells are the electrolytes.”

Further, thirst is one of the six core hungers that drive all of our eating decisions. Staying hydrated is a super simple holistic weight loss strategy and one that can help keep cravings at bay.

5. Increase your fat burn with caffeine

Caffeine (we’re talking about coffee and tea, not those monstrous beverages) might be your go-to substance in the morning. But did you know that it can help promote weight loss and decrease body fat? In fact, one particular study found that when the participants doubled their caffeine intake, there was a 22% reduction in weight, a 17% reduction in BMI, and a 28% reduction in body fat.

Though coffee and tea enhance fat burning and have a positive effect on your mood and energy, they need to be taken in mindful moderation. We often consider it a socially approved addiction, but consuming caffeinated beverages daily can lead to tolerance and, often, dependence.

Balance, as always, is the magic word for managing your weight and your energy level at the same time. So if you are a coffee lover (or even a tea lover), here are a few things you can do to release that extra energy:

• Exercise or do other physical activities to avoid anxiety.
• Get enough quality sleep so that your body can recover during the night.
• Go on the occasional caffeine detox to reset your tolerance level to normal.
• Make gradual changes in your volume of intake so that you can avoid the discomfort of side effects.

One more note to add: get coffee from sources you trust. For example, Dave Asprey’s Danger Coffee comes highly recommended as it’s fresh, high-quality, ethically produced, and mold-free.

6. Don’t get hungry

Hunger is, effectively, scarcity. When the body feels scarce, it will be reluctant to spend any energy on building additional muscle mass. Worse, it will send out emergency messages to eat.

Eric Edmeades, the founder of WILDFIT and trainer of the Mindvalley Quest with the same name, explains this as a survival mechanism. The hungrier we get, the more flexible our food rules become.

This way, as our regular food sources are limited, we would be motivated to turn to alternatives. This leads us to eat things that are convenient in the short term, even when they are detrimental in the long term.

By avoiding hunger and having healthy snacks around, we can tell our bodies that it is safe to release excess weight and build healthy muscle.

7. Strength training

“Strength training will be a priority because of the cascade effect that it has,” explains Ronan in Mindvalley’s 10X Fitness Quest. He adds that it not only helps build muscle mass, but other benefits include improving the way your body metabolizes sugar and helping your bone structure become stronger and more dense.

This is important for everyone, especially at an older age. And Carl de Wet, a Mindvalley Member from Johannesburg, South Africa, knows this well.

“As I am 60 years old, it is important to do strength training,” he shares on Mindvalley Stories. “The biggest surprise I got was, my blood pressure kept coming down and, now, quite normal. High blood pressure is dangerous, and I was struggling to get it to a healthy level. And my biggest win is that I feel so good with a fitter and healthier body.”

Research has shown that lifting heavier weights increases your basal metabolic rate, and your body will continue burning fat for several days after your exercise is over. This also means that you don’t need to go to the gym every day; go once or twice a week and push yourself beyond your limits.

8. High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

The single biggest myth in the health and fitness industry is that the more you work out, the more weight you lose. This might sound shocking, but increasing the time you spend on exercise won’t get you better results.

The hourly rates of gyms and the way we structure our calendars fooled us into thinking that we were supposed to exercise for 60 minutes. This is fine if you want to do some physical activity for fun, but not if you want to get into better shape.

HIIT workouts can last as little as four minutes up to a maximum of half an hour, and they have been proven repeatedly to be more efficient than low-intensity steady-state cardio, a.k.a., traditional exercise plans.

In a study conducted by the University of Western Ontario, they found that people lost more fat doing four to six 30-second sprints (with 4-minute rest periods) than 60 minutes of incline treadmill walking.

So if time has been preventing you from hitting the gym, this is good news for you. Just start with a four-minute daily full-body workout and refine it as you go. These four minutes can increase your metabolic rate, lasting up to 24 hours until you get ready for the next set.

9. Work out in a fasted state

“Intermittent fasting is often used as a restrictive practice to lose weight,” Ronan highlights, “but actually is a practice of integrating and transforming body and mind.”

What’s great about it is, it has a bunch of benefits that can help you with your weight loss goals. Here’s why:

When you exercise with your insulin at a baseline level, your body is able to burn more fat during your workout than when your insulin level is high.

After you finish a meal, it normally takes two to six hours for your insulin level to drop again (that also depends on the type of food you eat and your hormone level in general). Avoid food for a few hours before working out, and your weight-loss speed will go up.

Even though you might not be able to maintain the same physical intensity for as long as you could with a fed belly, it shouldn’t be a problem if you stick to your high-intensity interval training.

The only risk involved in working out in a fasted state is potential muscle damage. If you are working out with heavy weights after a long fasting period, you can consider taking HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) which is a supplement that prevents muscle breakdown.

10. Listen to your body

When you wake up in the morning, it’s likely your body feels stiff from not having much movement during the night. So Ronan suggests this: “Ask your body, ‘What do you need at the start of the day? How do you need to begin the day?’”

This allows you to tune inward. Here are a few things he suggests:

• Stretching
• Yoga under the sun (a little two-in-one where you get movement and beneficial vitamin D)
• Breathwork
• Meditation
• Journaling

“By doing this, you see that your mind will be better throughout the day,” he adds. “Your mood will be better throughout the day. You’ll be more connected with your body and all the good stuff that comes with it.”

11. Sleep a minimum of 8 hours every day

There’s a reason why experts stress the importance of getting your beauty sleep. It helps with maintaining a healthy weight and body composition.

When you sleep, your body completely shifts from the fight or flight state of our everyday hassles to a rest and digest state. It is when you give rest to your body that you digest most of your food intake and build muscle.

Scientists found that when participants in the study had less than seven hours of quality sleep during the night, they started gaining weight. Lack of sleep for an excessive period of time also increased the chance of obesity for children (89%) and for adults (55%).

What’s more, poor sleep habits also increase your appetite and cause you to make more impulse decisions, including those responding to your cravings. All in all, the less quality sleep you get, the more weight you gain. And the more weight you gain, the harder it is for you to sleep, which can turn into a vicious cycle.

The best way to prevent this? Here are a few things you can do:

• Establish a bedtime routine for healthy sleep.
• Set a reminder for an hour before your planned time for sleeping.
• Eliminate all digital devices and strong light from your environment.
• Invest in a comfortable pillow and dark curtains.

Additionally, relaxing herbal tea blends and magnesium as a supplement can also contribute to a good night’s sleep without any side effects.

12. Meditate your stress away

While meditation is rarely associated with nutrition and exercise, this might be one of the most transformative habits for a holistic weight loss program.

The thing is, stress is one of the main contributors to weight gain. And what is the best solution for long-lasting stress release? Meditation.

It decreases the level of the stress hormone called cortisol in your body, which affects your insulin sensitivity and, thus, your metabolism. At the same time, it prevents you from stress-eating as well.

When you stop and listen inward, your mind is able to reflect on what you really need. It allows you to work on your self-compassion so that you can appreciate your weight-loss progress instead of putting yourself down at every single step.

But with mindfulness, especially in meditation, it’s all about making it a habit. You can get started with Mindvalley’s free 6 Phase Meditation Quest and take up this successful habit in less than a week.

13. Visualize your ideal body

In 2008, researchers conducted an experiment on hotel maids and asked them how much they exercised. Even though these women did heavy physical activity on a daily basis, some of them said that they didn’t exercise at all only because they were not aware of it.

After some of these women were reminded of the fact that they live an active lifestyle, the results were astounding: Within a month, the maids who were educated about the effects of their work lost weight, decreased their waist-to-hip ratio, and even their blood pressure dropped.

This is just one of the experiments proving that our consciousness can even shape the way we look.

Visualizing your muscles working hard during your exercise routine can multiply your results. In addition to that, ask yourself the question: What kind of person do I need to become to reach that optimal body composition?

Is it about planning a more nourishing diet, saying confidently no to temptations, or sticking to your workout schedule? Is there an emotional block you need to overcome? Visualize yourself having all of these achieved and developing the mindset that will get you closer to your ideal shape.

Once you think like the person with your desired look (and take action accordingly), that extra weight will melt away.

14. Develop a buddy system

If you want to improve yourself, seek out those who are more knowledgeable than you. For example, if you want to learn to run faster, you’d likely ask a track and field coach or someone who runs for a living.

It’s like what Warren Buffet says: “I learned that it pays to hang around with people better than you are because you will float upward a little bit. And if you hang around with people that behave worse than you, pretty soon you’ll start sliding down the pole. It just works that way.”

It’s no different with weight loss. Start hanging out with those who are a few sizes smaller than you, or find a community that prioritizes holistic weight loss. Observe what they are doing differently as a part of their lifestyle, and try to adopt a few good habits.

One other thing you can do is partner with an accountability buddy or with someone willing to train with you and discuss your weekly progress together. This, based on a 2005 study from Brown Medical School and Dartmouth University, can help increase your chances of weight-loss success.

15. Seek the advice of an expert

Nowadays, it is easier to find a personal trainer or dietician than the right sports shoes. If you don’t have the time to do the necessary research, tracking, and goal-setting and you’re serious about getting fit, hiring a coach may be a good option for you.

Remember, learning without implementation won’t get you the results you desire. Start taking the first step towards your ideal weight and body composition now, and track your daily commitments.

The more you work your way down the list, the sooner you will see your desired outcome.

Futureproof your well-being

The goal of a well-functioning body isn’t so much to be a hashtag on social media or show off those ripped abs at the beach. (Well, it shouldn’t anyway.)

When you get to the root of having a healthy body, it’s to be able to live life. As Ronan Diego says, “We have a body so we can have a human experience.”

Mindvalley’s 10X Fitness Masterclass can be the stepping stone to getting you there.

Make no mistake, it’s no ordinary fitness regiment. And it goes beyond providing you with a holistic weight-loss plan. What it does is show you how you can activate and optimize your adaptive response mechanism so your body can be stronger, fitter, faster, and more resilient—in a short amount of time.

Take it from Mary, a 40-year-old military officer and one of the over 200,000 students who has experienced the transformation of 10X:

“I feel like in the past, I would do workouts, go to the gym, two [to] three hours, I never noticed any difference in my body; it never changed,” she explains in an interview with Vishen, the founder of Mindvalley. “My form looks much more feminine than it ever has, and yet, I’m stronger, I’m faster, and I’m doing obstacle races—things that, you know, in my 40s that I wasn’t doing before.”

Your age is not an obstacle here—you could be in your 20s, or 40s like Mary, or 70s like Vishen’s dad. 10X was designed for everyone. And if you’re willing to put in 30 minutes a week, then you may just find yourself feeling the best you’ve ever felt before.

Welcome in.

Strong, sculpted legs—they’re definitely aesthetically pleasing. Not only that, but they’re the foundation for a powerful and functional physique.

Granted, leg workouts aren’t always the most glamorous part of an exercise routine. However, well-designed strength training for these lower-body muscles can be surprisingly beneficial.

“Strength training will be a priority because of a cascade effect that it has,” explains Ronan Diego, a holistic health mentor and trainer of Mindvalley’s 10x Fitness Quest. “Strength training is not only building muscle mass, but it’s even getting your bone structure more dense and stronger; it’s improving the way that your body metabolizes sugar.”

Let’s explore different exercises to transform your lower body with these effective exercises you can do at home, at the gym, or anywhere you choose.

10 best leg workouts

When it comes to building strong, sculpted legs, not all exercises are created equal. In fact, according to a 2022 study, different leg workouts place varying demands on your muscles depending on the load used.

Here are 10 classic lower body exercises that can help you achieve powerful and well-defined legs:

1. Squats

This exercise is the king of all leg workouts. Why? Because it targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. What’s more, they’re great for building muscle and strength.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back.
3. Keep your chest up and back straight.
4. Return to the starting position by pushing through your heels.

2. Lunges

You know that superhero landing pose? Where one leg’s lunged forward, ready to spring into action? That’s essentially a lunge.

This exercise not only strengthens your quadriceps and glutes but also improves your balance and coordination for everyday activities and athletic pursuits.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall and step forward with one leg.
2. Lower your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees.
3. Push back to the starting position through your front heel. Repeat on the other leg.

3. Deadlifts

Many of us lift things like boxes or a bag of groceries without thinking twice about our form. But imagine doing it with perfect control—that’s the kind of strength this exercise can build in your lower body.

Traditionally done with weights, deadlifts target your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend at your hips and knees to grasp the barbell.
3. Lift the bar by straightening your hips and knees.
4. Lower it back to the ground with control.

4. Leg press

Chances are, you’ve gone to the gym and seen rows of leg press machines. This popular piece of equipment is a favorite for a reason.

The leg press allows you to comfortably lift heavier weights compared to exercises like squats, making it a great tool to target and build muscle in your quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the leg press machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart on the platform. 
2. Push the platform away by extending your legs.
3. Slowly return to the starting position by bending your knees.

5. Bulgarian split squats

Imagine a single-leg lunge with your back leg resting on a bench—that’s the basic idea behind this exercise.

It works wonders on your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, all while strengthening your balance for everyday activities. And it’s a fantastic bodyweight exercise to help improve your leg definition and stability.

How to do it:

1. Stand in front of a bench and place one foot on it.
2. Lower your hips until your front knee is bent at 90 degrees.
3. Push back up through your front heel.
4. Repeat on the other leg.

6. Calf raises

This simple exercise specifically targets the muscles in your lower legs, adding definition and a more sculpted look. So whether you perform them with your body weight or weights, calf raises are a great way to refine your leg definition and boost its strength.

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Raise your heels to stand on your toes.
3. Hold for a moment, then lower your heels back to the ground.

7. Step-ups

This exercise is a champion for building strength in your quads, glutes, and hamstrings.

But that’s not all. Step-ups mimic everyday movements like climbing stairs or walking uphill, making them a functional exercise that translates to real-world strength and stability.

How to do it:

1. Stand in front of a bench or step.
2. Step onto it with one foot, then bring your other foot up to meet it.
3. Step back down, one foot at a time.

8. Hamstring curls

Hamstring curls are like reverse leg extensions. One of the most effective leg workouts at the gym, it isolates and strengthens the hamstrings. Plus, it’s crucial for balanced leg development and injury prevention.

How to do it:

1. Lie face down on a leg curl machine and place your legs under the padded lever.
2. Curl your legs up towards your buttocks.
3. Slowly lower them back to the starting position.

9. Glute bridges

You may wonder how this exercise has anything to do with leg workouts. It’s because of this reason: with glute activation, you not only target the muscles of your derriere, but you also strengthen other key leg muscles. And this contributes to overall improved posture, stability, and lower body strength.

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your hips towards the ceiling by squeezing your glutes.
3. Lower your hips back down with control.

10. Box jumps

This exercise combines cardio workouts and strength training, targeting your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. By explosively jumping onto a box, you can develop lower body power and explosiveness, which are essential for activities like sprinting and jumping sports.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform.
2. Jump onto the box, landing softly on your feet. (Important note: Aim to land softly on the balls of your feet with your knees slightly bent. When you do so, you absorb the impact upon landing.)
3. Step back down and repeat.

10 at-home leg workouts

The reality is, some of us are just not gym people. In fact, a 2023 survey found that more than a quarter (37.9%, to be exact) of the 176,000 fitness enthusiasts surveyed preferred to work out at home.

But just because you may not be a gym person, that shouldn’t stop you from doing leg workouts at home.

Here’s a list that can add variety to your at-home exercises and help you build strength, endurance, and stability without the need for any equipment.

11. Wall sits

Wall sits are what they sound like—it’s like mimicking sitting in a chair but with your back pressed against the wall.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you, though. This isometric exercise packs a punch—it targets your quads, glutes, and core, building strength and endurance in these crucial muscle groups. 

How to do it:

1. Stand with your back against a wall and slide down until your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Hold the position for as long as you can, keeping your back flat against the wall.

12. Reverse lunges

This exercise offers a twist on the classic lunge exercise. Instead of stepping forward, you take a step backward with one leg. What this does is that it works your hamstrings and glutes in a different way.

This variation can be a great way to add challenge and target your lower body muscles from a new angle. 

How to do it:

1. Stand tall and step back with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at 90 degrees.
2. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position.
3. Repeat on the other leg.

13. Side lunges

Unlike traditional lunges that move you forward, side lunges involve stepping sideways. By lowering your body in this manner, you work your inner and outer thighs.

This unique exercise strengthens and tones your legs while improving your stability and coordination.

How to do it: 

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Step to the side with one leg, bending your knee and lowering your hips while keeping the other leg straight.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

14. Donkey kicks

Despite the funny name, donkey kicks are a simple yet effective bodyweight exercise. On all fours, you’ll lift one leg back in a kicking motion, which targets your glutes and hamstrings.

This exercise is a great way to sculpt and strengthen your lower body, especially your backside, without needing any equipment.

How to do it:

1. Get on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Lift one leg towards the ceiling, keeping your knee bent.
3. Lower back to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

15. Fire hydrants

You know when dogs mark their territory? That’s essentially what this exercise looks like: You’re on all fours, and you lift your leg to the side (without…marking your territory, of course).

Don’t be fooled by its playfulness, though. Fire hydrants are a great way to target your glutes, especially the often-neglected outer glutes. This exercise also improves hip mobility, which is crucial for flexibility and overall lower body health.

How to do it: 

1. Get on all fours.
2. Lift one leg to the side, keeping your knee bent at 90 degrees.
3. Lower back to the starting position and repeat on the other leg.

16. Standing leg circles

This exercise is all about making circular motions with your leg while standing on one foot. It’s a fantastic way to improve hip mobility, which is a crucial factor for flexibility and injury prevention. 

What’s more, the constant movement also engages your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. And helps give your lower body a well-rounded workout.

How to do it:

1. Stand on one leg, with the other leg lifted slightly off the ground.
2. Make small circles with the lifted leg.
3. Reverse the direction after a set number of circles, then switch legs.

17. High knees

High knees involve running in place while pumping your knees up high towards your chest. It 1) is a fantastic way to get your heart rate up and 2) adds a cardio element to your leg workout.

But it goes beyond that. Doing this exercise targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, which, in turn, strengthens and sculpts your lower body muscles.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall and run in place, lifting your knees to hip level with each step.
2. Keep a fast pace and pump your arms.

18. Bridge marches

This exercise is all about enhancing strength and stability in your lower body. When you lift your hips into a bridge position and then “march” your legs alternatively, it works on your glutes, hamstrings, and core.

How to do it: 

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your hips into a bridge position.
3. Lift one foot off the ground, keeping your hips level. Lower it and repeat with the other foot.

19. Chair squats

This is one of the leg workouts that require a prop—specifically, a chair. And all it involves you doing is sitting down in a chair and standing back up.

This motion targets your quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. And it’s so easy that beginners can do it.

How to do it:

1. Stand in front of a chair, facing away from it.
2. Lower yourself as if you are going to sit, but stop just before touching the chair.
3. Stand back up by pushing through your heels.

20. Frog jumps

Remember the fun of leaping around like a frog during recess? Well, it’s back… But this time as a powerful plyometric exercise.

It involves you being in a squat position and jumping forward. This motion targets your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. 

And no doubt, it’s a fantastic way to bring back that childhood joy of movement while getting a serious cardio workout and building lower body strength. 

How to do it:

1. Start in a squat position.
2. Jump forward as far as you can, landing back in the squat position.
3. Repeat the jumps, maintaining good form.

5 leg workouts at the gym

If you are a gym person, the question is: What are some good leg workouts you can do? Here’s what Ronan suggests in the 10x Fitness Quest:

21. Lying leg raise

The lying leg raise is a seemingly simple movement that strengthens key areas in your lower core. As you raise your legs, your lower abdominal muscles contract to pull your pelvis off the ground. Additionally, your hip flexors and quadriceps work together to initiate and control the leg movement.

By incorporating lying leg raises into your routine, you can build core and leg strength. And that can lead to better stability and posture. 

How to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight.
2. Lift your legs towards the ceiling, keeping them straight.
3. Lower them back down with control, but don’t let them touch the ground.

Make it more challenging:

For a harder workout, place a dumbbell between your feet for added resistance.

22. Bent-leg L-sit

The bent-leg L-sit challenges your body to hold a modified “L” position. What does that look like? Well, imagine yourself sitting on an elevated surface (like a table) where your legs are hanging off the side. Lift your hips and legs off the surface while keeping your knees bent.

This exercise works wonders on your core muscles (and no doubt, it’s also an arm workout as you’re lifting yourself off the table). As you hold the position, your core engages to keep your body stable and prevent your back from arching. And to help maintain the lifted leg position, your hip flexors and quadriceps are put to work.

So with this exercise, your core strengthens, your hip mobility improves, and you develop better balance and stability.

How to do it:

1. Sit on an elevated surface with your legs bent and hands on the surface beside your hips.
2. Lift your body off the ground by pushing through your hands, keeping your legs bent. For added difficulty, place a dumbbell between your legs.

Make it more challenging:

For a harder workout, try this by sitting on the floor.

23. Unilateral banded leg extension

The unilateral banded leg extension gets specific about your quads. Here’s how: the band is looped around one ankle, and as you extend that leg straight, your quadriceps contract to forcefully straighten the knee joint.

Unlike traditional leg extensions that work both legs at once, this exercise uses a resistance band to target each quad individually. And when you do so, it improves muscle definition, stability, and overall leg strength.

How to do it:

1. Secure a resistance band to a sturdy object and loop it around your ankle.
2. Sit with your back straight and extend your leg forward, stretching the band.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.

Make it more challenging:

Do this exercise while standing. This variation also enhances balance and targets the quadriceps. Additionally, it engages the core for stability.

24. Machine leg extension

The machine leg extension takes the guesswork out of quad training. You’ll be comfortably seated on a machine with padded leg supports.

From this position, you extend your legs against a controlled weight stack. This helps with muscle building in your quadriceps.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the leg extension machine with your legs under the padded bar.
2. Extend your legs, lifting the weight with your quadriceps.
3. Lower the weight back down with control.

Make it more challenging:

Increase weight, slow down the movement, or shorten your rest period. You can also focus on single-leg extensions. 

25. Hip thrust

The hip thrust is both effective and versatile. It primarily targets your glutes as they contract to drive your hips upward. Additionally, your hamstrings and core muscles work together to stabilize your body throughout the movement.

When you strengthen these key muscle groups, it can lead to a sculpted lower body, improved core stability, and better overall athletic performance. 

Imagine sitting on the floor with your back against a bench and your feet flat on the ground. Now, let’s explore the proper form, variations, and benefits of incorporating hip thrusts into your workout routine.

How to do it:

1. Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench 
2. Push through your heels to lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
3. Lower back down and repeat.

Make it more challenging:

You can make this one of those leg workouts with a barbell or a dumbbell. Just place it on your hips for added resistance.

BONUS: Sample leg workout session

Doing the leg workouts individually can definitely help with muscle building. But if you want to torch calories, boost your heart rate, and sculpt a toned lower body in less time, circuit training is the way to go.

The 10x Fitness Quest has a great 3x session you can try. This combination is designed to target all the big muscle groups in your legs. Here’s how you can do it:

Circuit overview:

• Exercises: Hip thrusts, leg raises, and leg extensions
• Format: Repeat the three exercises three times
• Timing: Each exercise follows a seven-second tempo (two seconds up, two seconds hold, three seconds down)
• Duration: Approximately 15–20 minutes

Instructions:

1. Hip thrusts
   • What it targets: Glutes and hamstrings
   • How to do it: Sit on the floor with your upper back against a bench and your feet flat on the ground. Place a weight (like a barbell or dumbbell) on your hips. Lift your hips towards the ceiling by squeezing your glutes. Hold for two seconds at the top, then lower back down in three seconds.
   • Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds hold, 3 seconds down
2. Leg raises
   • What it targets: Core and lower abs, but also engages your legs
   • How to do it: Lie flat on your back with your legs straight. Lift your legs towards the ceiling until they form a 90-degree angle with your torso. Hold for two seconds, then lower them back down slowly in three seconds.
   • Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds hold, 3 seconds down
3. Leg extensions
   • What it targets: Quadriceps
   • How to do it: Sit on a leg extension machine with your legs under the padded bar. Extend your legs fully while lifting the weight. Hold for two seconds at the top, then lower the weight back down in three seconds.
   • Tempo: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds hold, 3 seconds down

Keep in mind that it’s only a small part of your day. So push through and focus on how accomplished you’ll feel afterward.

FAQ

Why are leg workouts important?

There are people who hate leg day workouts and wonder, “Why are leg workouts so hard?” Then, there are people who love them.

But regardless of which camp you’re in, there are tons of benefits to strengthening the muscles in your lower body, including:

• Supporting neurological health and potentially slowing the progression of diseases like motor neuron disease and multiple sclerosis,
• Burning a lot of calories, which can help with weight management and fat loss,
• Improving your overall physical performance,
• Making everyday activities easier,
• Enhancing your balance and stability, and
• Maintaining proper posture.

How many leg workouts should I do?

There’s no set number of leg workouts, per se. It should really depend on your fitness level and goals. For most, committing two to three times a week to leg workouts is ideal. 

With that being said, it’s important to not overtrain your muscles. According to research, it could lead to constant fatigue, increased injuries, prolonged muscle soreness, and mood changes.

So if you’re a beginner, start with two, and as you get more advanced, then increase it to three. This gives your muscles enough time to recover between sessions while ensuring consistent progress.

How long should leg workouts be?

The length of your leg workouts can vary depending on the approach you take. According to Ronan, though, spending hours at the gym to see significant results isn’t necessary. Instead, 15 minutes, on average, is the amount of time you need to commit to per week…with the right leg workout strategy.

“The fitness systems that we have today, they were developed by athletes and sports coaches,” he explains, “and they had their entire day to dedicate themselves to it, right? So their game is to work harder.”

However, for busy people like moms, entrepreneurs, and anyone with a hectic schedule, this isn’t entirely practical. That’s why Ronan and the co-founder of the 10x Fitness Quest, Lorenzo Delano, designed the science-based program with short-burst exercises intense enough to stimulate muscle growth and strength in a fraction of the time. 

“Your training is not about how many calories you burn—that is not efficient; that takes a long time,” he adds. “Your training is about triggering your body’s adaptive response.”

So if you would like to opt to work out smarter, not harder, you can achieve great leg workout results in as little as 15 minutes.

Unleash your limitless

Leg day doesn’t have to be a dread anymore. With the right approach, you can achieve amazing results without spending hours in the gym.

That approach is Mindvalley’s 10x Fitness program—a revolutionary way to get fitter and stronger in just 15 minutes, twice a week. It’s the world’s most optimized exercise program, based on research by top fitness medicine experts.

“I am loving my body,” says Linda Williams, a 56-year-old training consultant from Stone Mountain, U.S.A. “Four days a week, less than 30 minutes a day, and I have literally redefined my body back to when I was in my 30s, spending six days a week, two hours a day in the gym.”

Want to do the same?

Join the free 10x Fitness masterclass with Vishen Lakhiani, Lorenzo Delano, and Ronan Oliveira. You’ll learn their secrets on how to get in the best shape of your life with a science-backed workout.

And the great thing about it? It cuts out 90% of the usual exercise time—that’s time you can be using to do other great things in your life.

Welcome in.