Calisteniapp / Bigger legs
Bigger legs: your step-by-step plan.
This plan is designed for people who already have a certain level in calisthenics and want to progressively increase the muscle mass of their legs with bodyweight exercises and without equipment. In addition to increasing the mass of your legs, you will learn the wide variety of exercises that can be performed with body weight.
Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.
Explore my path
Objective
Achieve notable development of muscle mass in the legs and buttocks.
- Frequence
- See program guidance
- First session duration
- 36 min
- Program
- 27 estimated weeks
On this page
01 / Requirements
Required prerequisites
- × 15 Squat
Necessary equipment
For this program you will need Bodyweight, Box. Leave room to practise the movements.
02 / Program
Build your path.
Each phase prepares you for the next. Weeks are a guide: repeat a phase when you need more practice before moving on.
Week 1–2General conditioning
What you will practise
With this phase you begin to build a solid foundation for the entire program. The goal is to generally condition the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves with basic patterns such as the squat, the lunge, and hip extension. Exercises like the Deep squat, the Bulgarian squat, and the Femoral bridge will help you gain mobility, control, and tolerance to volume without excessive difficulty, which is very important if later on you want to progress safely toward more demanding unilateral movements such as the Pistol squat.
Week 3–4General strengthening and injury prevention
What you will practise
In this phase we add isometrics and new movement patterns to strengthen muscles, tendons, and joints before moving into more demanding progressions. The work with the Isometric wall squat and the Isometric single leg femoral bridge improves your ability to hold tension, which is very useful for stabilizing the knees and hips. At the same time, the Back lunges, the Side lunges, and the Partial single leg squat expand your control in different planes and prepare you for increasingly specific unilateral efforts.
Week 5–6Unilateral work and rep increases
What you will practise
In this phase you clearly increase the training volume and give more importance to unilateral work. The combination of the Partial single leg squat, Single leg femoral bridge, and Single leg box step-ups forces you to develop strength, balance, and coordination separately on each side, which helps correct imbalances and build a real foundation for one-leg progressions. In addition, the increase in repetitions in exercises such as the Sumo squat or the Deep squat provides a very useful stimulus for hypertrophy in the quadriceps, glutes, and adductors.
Week 7–8Pistol squat initiation
What you will practise
In this phase you begin to work specifically on the Pistol squat with the Assisted pistol squat. Thanks to the preparation from the previous phases, you should already have a sufficient base of strength, mobility, and control to start practicing it safely, although the initial volume is still moderate so that you can focus on technique. Alongside it, explosive movements such as Explosive switching lunges and the Explosive squat appear, adding a very interesting power component to continue stimulating lower-body growth and improving your ability to produce force quickly.
Week 9–10Boost
What you will practise
In this phase you increase the repetitions of the Assisted pistol squat and adapt to a higher intensity in almost all the work. The goal is for the unilateral progression to stop being only technical and start becoming an important source of strength and hypertrophy. The inclusion of the Hawaiian squat adds a new and demanding stimulus for the quadriceps, glutes, and ankle and knee stability, while the isometrics and explosive work continue to strengthen your ability to hold tension and move your own bodyweight with power.
Week 11–12Endurance
What you will practise
We continue progressing with the Assisted pistol squat while you improve your endurance in explosive exercises, isometrics, and unilateral work. This block mixes long efforts with powerful movements such as Box jumps or the Explosive bulgarian squat, which forces your legs to perform well both when they are fresh and when fatigue has already built up. In addition, the appearance of the Maldini squat introduces an advanced variation that demands knee control, stability, and strength in challenging ranges.
Week 13–14Pistol squat mastery
What you will practise
In this phase you begin trying the free Pistol squat without assistance. It is an important step in the program, because now you must transfer all the strength and control built up so far into a complete, unilateral, and highly demanding movement. The Pistol squat is combined with higher-volume assisted work, prolonged isometrics, and explosive exercises, so the goal is not only to get a few isolated repetitions, but to consolidate the pattern with strength, balance, endurance, and power.
Week 15–16Progressions beyond the pistol squat
What you will practise
In this phase you move beyond the basic Pistol squat and begin to explore more difficult progressions, while continuing to improve in both free and assisted repetitions. The Assisted shotgun squat introduces a new demand for mobility, balance, and unilateral strength, and forces you to control your posture very well throughout the entire range of motion. At the same time, the complementary explosive and unilateral work keeps the hypertrophy stimulus high and continues to develop power in the legs and glutes.
Week 17–18Advanced strengthening
What you will practise
In this phase we focus on increasing the number of repetitions in the most intense exercises you have worked on so far, so the muscular stimulus will be especially high. The combination of the Pistol squat, Assisted shotgun squat, and explosive work makes this block a very productive phase for gaining muscle mass in the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings, while still developing stability, coordination, and local endurance. It is no longer just about learning advanced movements, but about sustaining them with more volume and under greater fatigue.
Week 19–21Airborne squat
What you will practise
In this phase you introduce the Airborne squat as a new advanced and powerful progression. It is an exercise that requires very precise technique, since it combines unilateral strength, balance, knee control, and the ability to move through a wide range without losing stability. Together with the Pistol squat and the Assisted shotgun squat, this block raises the technical level of the program and continues to provide a great hypertrophy stimulus thanks to the accumulated volume and the complementary explosive work.
Week 22–24Advanced leg loading
What you will practise
You face the final stretch of the program with advanced exercises at a very high level of sets and repetitions. The combination of the Pistol squat and Airborne squat with explosive and high-volume unilateral work maximizes the stimulus on the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. In addition to the hypertrophy component, this phase demands an advanced level of control, endurance, and the ability to repeat complex movements without losing quality.
Week 25–27Iron legs
What you will practise
We finish the plan with very complete and demanding routines, at a level of exercises, sets, and repetitions suited to legs that are already highly trained. The Explosive pistol squat and the Shotgun squat represent the highest point of the program’s progression, combining unilateral strength, power, balance, and control through wide ranges. Together with the Airborne squat, Broad strides, and accessory work for the glutes and hamstrings, this phase will allow you to consolidate a lower body with a very high level of muscle mass, endurance, and athletic capacity.
Estimated end of the plan
Choose a valid date to preview your plan.
This date reflects the planned duration, not a guaranteed date for completing Bigger legs. Your progress may take additional weeks.
03 / Calisteniapp
Your first session, step by step.
Here is the first session of the program, so you have a reference for how the sessions are structured.
Estimated duration of 36 min depending on the rest periods you choose. Sets and reps are a reference: adjust them to your level.
The exercises you will discover.
Every movement that appears at least once across the program.
Femoral bridge
Bulgarian squat
Lunges
Deep squat
Calf raises
Femoral bridge with elevation
Sumo squat
Single leg box step-ups
Back lunges
Side lunges
Miners
Squat
Isometric squat
Isometric wall squat
Isometric single leg femoral bridge
Partial single leg squat
Calf extensions
Quad stretch
Rear chain stretching
Rear chain stretching on the floor
Side split stretch
Pancake stretch on the floor
Single leg femoral bridge
Assisted pistol squat
Explosive switching lunges
Explosive squat
Hawaiian squat
Single leg isometric wall squat
Box jumps
Explosive bulgarian squat
Maldini squat
Single leg femoral bridge with elevation
Pistol squat
Double lunge and squat
Isometric single leg femoral bridge with elevation
Assisted shotgun squat
Airborne squat
Broad strides
Explosive pistol squat
Shotgun squat
Understand the reason behind each step.
- To achieve the best results it is designed in a way that you do it at least 2 times a week, to complement the rest of your training routines.
- Duration of between 45 and 75 minutes per routine.
- Use breaks between 1' to 2'30” depending on how difficult it is routine works for you.
They train with Calisteniapp.
App reviews already published on our website. These are not specific to this program.
The best. I've been on the pro plan for two years and have achieved excellent results. Resistance, strength, skill, and aesthetics, I've obtained it all thanks to the guidance of this app on this beautiful calisthenics journey.
If the free option is already great, the pro option has to be amazing. I'm super happy. I'm a beginner, a very beginner, and really everything is simple, the exercises can be done anywhere without equipment, and it's helping me a lot.
From “one day” to your first session.
Download Calisteniapp on your phone.
Find Bigger legs and check its access options.
Review the terms shown in the app and start the first phase.
If the app offers you a 7-day trial, check the subsequent price, billing period, renewal and cancellation before activating it. Availability and terms are those shown in your account and store.
Before you start.
Is it mandatory to do the reinforcement routine?
No, only if you want to add an extra day of training or if you notice that you are stuck and need extra work.
What rest times to use?
We recommend using intermediate breaks of between 1' to 2'30". If in any phase you find it difficult to advance and you feel stuck, you can try using longer rest times to try to complete it.
What requirements must I meet to be able to do this program?
To start this program it is necessary to be able to perform at least 15 squats without problems.
Every step counts.
Start with preparation. Follow the path. Give your progress time.
Available in Calisteniapp for iOS and Android.