Upgrade Your Leg Day With These Smart Movement Swaps

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are filled with fitness influencers touting “new” and “innovative” leg exercises that promise to help you grow muscle.

“A lot of this is just a cosmic waste of your time,” says Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., MH US fitness director. “It’s really hard to know if any of the leg exercises that pop up on your feed have any value at all.”

Many of these are a straight up waste of your time. Here, Samuel explains which ones are worth skipping, and what exercises to do instead to gain true muscle and strength.

4 Leg Exercises You Should Stop Doing

Bosu Ball Squat

The Bosu ball squat is good in a few contexts, like as an activation exercise in a warmup, or if you’re trying to rehab and injury. It might help you learn how to keep your chest up during a squat, but that’s about the extent of its benefits. The stability demands will never allow you to load up this move enough to build real muscle.

Do This Instead: Goblet Squat

The goblet squat, or a front rack kettlebell squat, will allow you to really activate your core but with your feet firmly planted on the ground. You’ll also be able to load it way more— key for muscle-building.

Any Combo Squat

Squats into lateral raises or squats into bicep curls are group fitness favorites, but they really don’t do much for you. You’re not getting the most out of your legs, or the accessory move paired with them. You’re missing out on load that your legs can handle by pairing it with a much weaker exercise like a bicep curl or lateral raise.

Do This Instead: Thruster

The only combo move worth doing is the dumbbell or kettlebell thruster. You can generate maximum force upwards to drive the weight upwards—creating real power.

Jump Squat

“Know this about the jump squat—it is not a natural jump. If you’re jumping, you’re not lowering deep into your squat pattern to do it, so we’re not taking ourselves through a truly athletic version of the jump,” Samuel says.

Do This Instead: Depth Jump

If you’re looking to build athleticism, the better option is the depth jump. You’re forced to redirect force quickly, helping you build power and strength.

Pistol Squat

Yes, the pistol squat is a great expression of strength and mobility. But, it requires so much stability that there’s no way you’re able to load the move enough for it to help you build muscle.

Do This Instead: Bulgarian Split Squat

If you want to build single leg strength and muscle, take it to a Bulgarian split squat. It still requires some stability, but you’re able to load it much more.

Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.