Day 2: Lower A
about 37 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet Squat | 4 | 10-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 9 | 75s |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 4 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
Leg Workout Without a Squat Rack
Two leg days for a home gym with a barbell and dumbbells but no rack: what replaces the back squat, and why it still works.
- Workouts shown
- 2
- Per workout
- 37-41 min
- Level
- Intermediate
Equipment: Barbell, dumbbells, bench, pull-up bar, bands and kettlebells, no rack
The workouts
Built by the same generator a MuscleBuddy account uses, for exactly this equipment. These are 2 of the 4 workouts in its week.
Day 4: Lower B
about 41 min| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | 3 | 8-15 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Hanging Knee Raise | 3 | 12-20 | 9 | 75s |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 8-12 | 8 | 2.5 min |
Times are estimates: the prescribed rest plus about 30 seconds per set. RPE is effort on a 10-point scale, so RPE 8 leaves about two reps in the tank.
Why these movements
A squat rack does one job: it holds a heavy bar at shoulder height so you can get under it. Without one, anything that starts with the bar on your back is out. Anything that starts from the floor or from your hands is still in.
So the squat pattern moves to the hands. Goblet squats and split squats train the quads through the same knee bend, and a split squat loads one leg at a time, so it takes far less weight to make the set hard.
The hinge side of the week barely changes. Romanian deadlifts start from the floor and hip thrusts from a bench, so the barbell stays in play for hamstrings and glutes.
How to run it
- These are the two lower-body days of a four-day upper/lower week. Run them with an upper day after each, or slot them into your own week with a day of rest after each.
- Single-leg work counts per side: do every set on one leg, then the other.
Want this progressed from what you log each workout?
MuscleBuddy builds this week around your own equipment, then moves the weight up when your logged sets earn it and adjusts when you stall.
Create your free accountFrequently asked questions
- Can you build legs without squatting a barbell?
- Yes. The quads respond to hard sets through a full knee bend, not to the bar specifically. Goblet squats, split squats and lunges all provide that.
- Should I clean a heavy bar onto my back to squat without a rack?
- Getting a heavy bar onto your back from the floor is a skill of its own, and it caps the squat at what you can get up there. This week avoids the problem by never starting a lift with the bar on your back.