If you think a weight bench is only for upper-body work, you’re missing out on some of the best leg workouts you can do in a home or commercial gym. Leg exercises on a weight bench help you build strong legs, improve your core stability, and unlock a full range of motion that’s hard to achieve with bodyweight floor movements alone.
This guide covers setup, muscle targeting, programming, and the 13 essential bench-based leg exercises:
Step-Up
Step-Down
Bulgarian Split Squat
Bench Squat
Single-Leg Squat to Bench
Hip Thrust
Single-Leg Hip Thrust
Bench-Supported Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Box Jump / Bench Jump
Glute Bridge (Feet on Bench)
Seated Calf Raises
Leg Curl on Bench
Incline Leg Press Against Bench
Performing these exercises on a bench lets you effectively target all major lower-body muscle groups, even with minimal space or simple equipment like a pair of dumbbells or adjustable dumbbells. It also reduces the risk of injury by giving your back foot or upper body the support it needs for controlled reps.
Ready to build a stronger, more balanced physique? Let’s jump in.
A workout bench, whether you use an adjustable weight bench, a flat bench, or a different type, gives your lower body a stable platform that increases control, improves your starting position, and helps you maintain proper form. It creates elevation for deeper hip and knee angles, which leads to better muscle activation and safer movement patterns.
Using a weight bench on leg day allows you to strengthen your legs with or without heavy weights. It also supports core stability, making each rep more efficient.
Why it works:
Improves balance and reduces the risk of injury
Engages quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves more effectively
Fits home gyms and small spaces
Leg exercises on a bench challenge the entire lower body while encouraging controlled, intentional movement. Here are the muscle groups they primarily target:
Quads
Glutes
Hamstrings
Calves
Bench height and foot placement shift emphasis, making it easy to scale difficulty for any fitness level. We’ll also talk about the specific muscles targeted by our favorite bench leg exercises in the next section.
Benefits:
Step-ups are one of the most effective leg exercises on a weight bench for building quad and glute strength, improving balance, and developing functional power for daily activities. They’re beginner-friendly and easy to load with a pair of dumbbells.
Cons:
May feel unstable at first, especially if your bench is high relative to your leg length.
How to Do It (Without Dumbbells):
Place one foot firmly on the bench.
Push through the front leg to stand tall.
Lower back down with control.
Keep your chest tall and drive through your heel (not your toes) for better glute activation and reduced knee strain. You can use dumbbells for added resistance.
Benefits:
A great unilateral exercise for strengthening the quads, hamstrings, and glutes while training control during the lowering phase. It also improves stability around the knee joint, making it a fantastic prehab movement for the knees and lower body.
Cons:
Can exaggerate knee discomfort if form or bench height is not adjusted properly.
How to Do It:
Stand on the bench with one foot and slowly lower the opposite leg toward the floor.
Tap the ground lightly, then return to the starting position.
Pro-Tip: Move slowly in a “3-second descent.” The slower tempo boosts muscle growth and improves joint stability.
Benefits:
The Bulgarian split squat’s definitely a leg day staple for building strong legs, increasing hip mobility, and targeting the gluteus maximus, quads, and hamstrings. The bench allows a deep hip hinge, making this one of the best leg workouts for unilateral strength.
Cons:
Balance can be challenging at first; lifters may struggle to find their starting position.
How to Do It:
Place the back foot on the bench and step the front leg forward.
Lower into a lunge until the front leg reaches about a 90-degree angle.
Push through the heel to stand back up.
Keep your front foot farther forward than you think. This protects your knee and maximizes glute engagement.
Benefits:
Bench squats help you learn proper squat depth, improve hip mobility, and maintain good form without shifting into your lower back. They’re also ideal for beginners or anyone rebuilding leg strength.
Cons:
If the bench height is too tall, the range of motion becomes limited; too low, and form may break down.
How to Do It:
Stand in front of the bench with feet shoulder-width apart.
Sit back until you lightly touch the bench.
Drive through your heels to return to standing.
Do not fully sit or relax on the bench. Just “tap” it. This keeps constant tension on the major muscle groups and produces better results.
Benefits:
This is a unilateral movement that can help build balance, coordination, and lower-body strength, especially in the quads and glutes. The bench provides a safe depth target, making it an ideal progression toward a full pistol squat.
Cons:
Can be challenging for beginners due to mobility and stability demands.
How to Do It:
Stand on one leg in front of the bench.
Lower your hips back until you lightly touch the bench.
Press through the standing leg to rise back up.
Keep your shoulder blades tight and extend your arms forward slightly for counterbalance if you're new to single-leg exercises.
Benefits:
One of the best exercises for glute development, hip thrusts target the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and posterior chain. Elevating your upper back on a bench increases your range of motion and leads to better strength gains and muscle growth. You can perform this with weights such as dumbbells or barbells as shown in the video below, or using just body weight.
Cons:
Improper setup can cause discomfort around the shoulders or lower back.
How to Do It:
Position your upper back on the bench with your feet flat on the floor.
Drive through your heels to lift your hips until your torso forms a straight line.
Squeeze the glutes at the top before lowering with control.
Keep your chin tucked. This helps maintain proper form and reduces lower back arching. Also, check out How to Hip Thrust for a more comprehensive guide.
Benefits:
A unilateral hip thrust variation that targets each glute individually, helping correct strength imbalances and increasing hip stability. Great for lifters wanting a strong lower body without heavy weights.
Cons:
Might be difficult to stabilize; beginners may struggle with balance initially.
How to Do It:
Set up as a standard hip thrust, but lift one foot off the ground.
Push through the planted heel to raise your hips.
Lower back down slowly and switch legs.
If needed, start with body weight first. Once your form is consistent, add a dumbbell or plate like in the video for extra resistance.
Benefits:
This is one of the most effective leg exercises on a weight bench for building hamstring strength, improving hip hinge mechanics, and boosting posterior chain development. The bench adds stability, helping you stay balanced while isolating each leg.
Cons:
Requires good coordination; poor hip hinge mechanics may strain the lower back.
How to Do It:
Stand beside the bench and place one hand lightly on it for balance.
Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand.
Hinge at the hips while extending the free leg behind you, then return to standing.
Keep a slight bend in the standing leg and focus on pushing your hips back, not bending at the waist.
Benefits:
Box jumps are a great way to train explosive leg power, athleticism, and fast-twitch muscle fibers. This movement targets the quads, glutes, and calves while improving coordination and confidence in your lower body.
Cons:
Missing the jump can increase the risk of injury. Not ideal for beginners or anyone with knee issues.
How to Do It:
Stand facing the bench with feet hip-width apart.
Drop into a quarter squat and explosively jump onto the bench.
Land softly with knees slightly bent, then step down carefully.
Choose a bench height that feels safe. Explosive training works best when you can maintain perfect control.
Benefits:
Elevating your feet increases the emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes, making this a powerful accessory exercise for hip thrusts and Romanian deadlifts. Great for improving hip mobility and posterior chain strength.
Cons:
If the bench is too high, it may place stress on the lower back.
How to Do It:
Lie on your back with your heels on the bench.
Drive your hips upward by pressing through your heels.
Lower with control and repeat.
Pro Tip: Pull your toes up slightly to shift more load into the hamstrings.
Benefits:
Targets the soleus muscle, which plays a major role in ankle stability and lower-body strength. Perfect for home gym setups without a dedicated calf machine. You can use a dumbbell, kettlebell, or other weights to add resistance.
Cons:
Limited range of motion without added weight or blocks.
How to Do It:
Sit on the bench with feet on a small plate or step.
Place a weight on your thighs.
Lift your heels high, then lower slowly for a full stretch.
You can pause at the top for 1–2 seconds to increase muscle growth and control.
Benefits:
A simple but effective leg exercise for targeting the hamstrings with minimal equipment. Lying on a bench reduces lower back strain and encourages proper knee flexion mechanics.
Cons:
Requires a dumbbell or ankle weights to load up.
How to Do It:
Lie face-down on the bench with a dumbbell held between your feet.
Curl your heels toward your glutes.
Lower slowly while keeping your hips stable.
As shown in the video, this movement can also be performed using a bench with a leg developer attachment commonly found on home gym benches, which provides a smoother resistance path and makes it easier to load.
Benefits:
This is a creative option for home gyms. By lying on a bench and driving your feet upward, you can load the quads and glutes through a safer, more controlled range of motion. It also helps reinforce leg-press mechanics without needing large equipment.
Cons:
Resistance is limited unless you add external load, and it won’t match the overall strength potential of a traditional leg press.
How to Do It:
Lie flat on the bench and brace your core.
Place your feet shoulder-width apart at the end of the bench or on an elevated surface above you.
Press your legs upward, straightening them without locking the knees.
Slowly bend your knees to bring your legs back down with control.
Pro Tip: Add a resistance band looped around your feet, or hold a dumbbell between your thighs, to increase difficulty while keeping the movement smooth and safe.
Training legs on a weight bench is one of the best ways to build lower body strength in a home gym without needing machines like a Smith machine or squat rack. Bench height, foot placement, and your starting position influence which leg muscles you target and how much stability your core provides.
Quick Setup Tips:
Choose a bench height that keeps your front leg or working leg near a 90-degree angle.
Keep your shoulder blades engaged for stability during single-leg exercises.
Use light weights at first to dial in proper form and reduce the risk of injury.
A pair of dumbbells, adjustable dumbbells, or resistance bands can level up your workout routine and support progressive muscle growth.
Good form is everything when performing leg training on a bench.
Key cues:
Maintain your spine in a neutral position.
Ensure your knees are aligned with your toes during squats and split-stance work.
Brace your core before every rep to support core stability and hip mobility.
If you’re wondering when you should add weights, increase load only when you can perform full range of motion without shifting your upper body or losing balance. Additionally, you might be able to see great results training legs 2–3 times per week, allowing at least one recovery period between sessions. Higher volume sessions work well for muscle mass and hypertrophy, while beginners can start with lighter weights and shorter bench workouts.
Avoid these common errors to get better results:
Relying on momentum instead of controlled movement
Poor back foot or front leg alignment in single-leg exercises
Skipping full range of motion
Using heavy focus before mastering proper form
Home gyms may fall short on leg day because bodyweight alone can only take you so far, and unstable furniture or improvised setups limit your progress and put you at risk of injury. Without the right support, you lose range of motion, struggle to maintain proper form, and miss out on the full muscle-building potential of movements like split squats, hip thrusts, and step-ups. Your lower body deserves better than awkward angles and half-effort reps.
A high-quality weight bench or adjustable bench is sure to transform your training. It gives you the stability, elevation, and versatility needed to execute every leg exercise in this guide safely and effectively. For dependable strength training equipment built to last, browse our selection of premium weight benches and adjustable weight benches at Strength Warehouse USA.
Joe leverages over 20 years of intense workout experience and six years in the fitness industry. As a former collegiate football player, Joe knows what it takes to stay in peak physical condition. He's dedicated to providing straightforward, expert advice on setting up home gyms, personal training spaces, and commercial facilities. Balancing his passion for fitness with being a devoted family man, Joe’s rigorous full-body and metcon workouts exemplify his commitment to staying strong and being a role model for his kids and customers alike.
Build stronger legs anywhere with these leg exercises on weight bench. Learn 13 powerful movements that boost strength, balance, and mobility using just a bench—perfect for home or gym workouts.
Discover 13 effective Leg Exercises on Weight Bench to build strength, balance, and mobility. Learn how a simple bench can unlock powerful lower-body workouts at home or in the gym.
Learn how to use a weight bench to unlock its full potential! Discover proper setup, angles, and exercises to build strength, improve form, and get a complete full-body workout at home or in the gym.
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