Chicken Legs? Do This Instead of Squats
A note on the title: despite the framing, this video is not an alternative to squats — it is an eight-exercise gym leg session that opens with the barbell back squat. What it actually delivers is a straightforward, well-cued lower-body workout covering quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Full written guide: step-by-step form, the muscles worked, common mistakes and easier and harder versions in our step-up guide. Browse more moves in the exercise library.
What are the eight exercises?
| Exercise | Sets and reps | Form cue given |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 3 × 8-12 | Knees track over the toes, never caving inward |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 10-12 | Hinge at the hips; keep the bar close to the legs to spare the lower back |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 10-12 per leg | Front knee stays over the ankle |
| Walking lunges | 3 × 12-15 steps per leg | Longer strides bias the glutes |
| Leg press | 3 × 10-12 | Do not lock the knees at the top |
| Step-ups | 3 × 12-15 per leg | Use a box high enough that the thigh reaches parallel |
| Calf raises | 3 × 15-20 | Pause at the top |
| Glute bridge | 3 × 12-15 | Squeeze at the top; add a barbell across the hips to progress |
How to use it
The video suggests running the session once or twice a week. As written it is a high-volume workout — eight exercises at three sets each is 24 working sets for one region, which is more than most people need or can recover from. If you are training legs twice a week, halving the exercise list per session is the more sensible reading. It also assumes gym access for the barbell, leg press and bench.
Read the research behind it
For the split squat and knee question this video raises implicitly, are Bulgarian split squats bad for your knees?. If squats currently hurt, our knee pain guide covers the supporting muscles to build first. On how much volume actually produces growth and how to progress it, progressive overload. And on why loading the legs matters beyond size, bone density exercises after 40.
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