Cross-fit is one of the best ways to push your body to its limits. It’s also one of the best ways to build muscle. If you’re interested in using cross-fit to make your legs longer, leaner, and more explosive- look no further. Here are 7 of my most favorite cross-fit moves that will do just that!
1. Bulgarian Split Squats
Sometimes when we forget to isolate each leg imbalances can occur. This exercise targets the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
- With your feet hip-width apart, place the instep of your rear foot on a box or bench- 3 feet apart
- Lower your hips in the direction of the floor, almost touching your back knee to it
- Drive up through the front heel to the starting position
- Repeat
This exercise is one of the best for toning the muscles of the upper leg.
2. Dead Stop Squats
The dead stop squat is a squat variation often overlooked, however, extremely useful in developing muscle in the legs.
- Set the pins on the squat rack to the position you are in at the bottom of your squat
- Begin your reps at the bottom of the squat and go about the rest of the exercise as if you would a normal squat.
- Repeat
Keep in mind because of the positioning of this exercise you will be using weights much lighter than your average squat.
3. Weighted Sled Pushes
Weighted sled pushes will build overall tone and musculature of the leg in its entirety.
- Load the sled
- Push the sled for about 25 to 50 meters
- Repeat
Try and move the sled as quickly as possible.
4. Box Jumps
Box jumps are high-intensity and get the metabolism going in high gear making them as an asset in burning excess fat off of the body.
- Grab a box
- Jump explosively from the ground onto the box
- Jump down
- Repeat
Push yourself by increasing the height of the box.
5. Pistol Squats
Another isolated leg exercise, pistol squats involve focusing on one leg at a time.
- Start in a standing position
- Lift one leg parallel to the floor
- Use the grounded leg to squat as far as you can
- Repeat
Eventually, you can add weight to make the exercise more intense.
6. Power Clean
Power cleans are complex and extremely effective in building muscle throughout the entire lower body.
- Squat down and grab a bar with both hands about shoulder-width apart
- With a flat or slightly arched back lift the bar from the floor by extending the knees and hips to the shoulders
- Lower the bar back down to hips, then to the floor
- Repeat
7.Thruster
Thrusters are a total body exercise but work wonders for creating muscle definition in the legs.
- Raise the bar to your chest
- Lower yourself into a deep squat
- Squeeze your glutes and push through the floor, thrusting the bar overhead
- Lower to the chest and repeat
Incorporate any of these exercises into your routine to achieve longer and leaner leg muscles!
