Sebastien Oreb—known online as the Australian Strength Coach—shared his five favorite lower-body exercises for building serious strength and size.
He chose these lifts as if they were the only ones he’d be able to do for the rest of his life, aiming to stay as strong, muscular, and aesthetic as possible. That’s not to say other exercises don’t have their place, but these options are guaranteed to keep your progress moving forward.
We know most guys would rather bench than squat, but Oreb’s advice is worth following if you want to keep leg day as streamlined and effective as possible.
High Bar Squat
“Of all squat patterns, this is the perfect combination of loadability and range of motion,” Oreb says. Front squat is great, but not as loadable. Low bar squat is great, but lacks the range of motion and is more fatiguing.”
He advises using a pair of weightlifting shoes to optimize your position.
Stiff-legged Deadlift
The conventional deadlift is a solid go-to, but it doesn’t hit your hamstrings as much as a stiff-legged variation does. Plus, it’s much more fatiguing on the body, which can affect the recovery you need to power through the rest of your workout.
Oreb suggests using a pair of lifting straps to ensure your grip doesn’t become a limiting factor.
Leg Extension
The leg extension machine sometimes gets a bad reputation, but it’s a must for complete quad development. Squats are great for overall leg development, but they don’t fully engage the rectus femoris. To target it directly, you need an isolation movement.
Lean back in the machine to train the quads at a greater stretch, Oreb advises.
Hamstring Curls
Hamstring curls hit all heads of the hamstrings, which RDLs fail to do.
“If you have access to the seated version, it’s slightly better because it trains the hamstrings in a more stretched position. But if you only have access to the lying version, use that,” Oreb says.
Standing Single-leg Calf Raise
Stop blaming your genetics on your week calves. No more bricks on sticks this year.
Standing calf raises (with your knees extended) are key for full calf development, whereas bent-knee variations exclude the gastrocnemius—the larger, more visible calf muscle.
Related: The 5 Biggest Leg Day Mistakes Guys Make, According to a Strength Coach
