1. Set up. Sit on the seated leg extension machine seat and adjust the back pad so your knees are just in front of the edge of the seat. Adjust the lower leg pad so it touches your shins right above your ankles and puts your feet as close to your butt as possible. If there’s a thigh pad, ensure it’s snug but comfortable when seated.

Some of the leg strengthening exercises for experts are calf raises, lunges, squats, knee extensions, and cardio. These free leg exercises can help build stronger muscles in the legs.

You can practice these alternatives alongside any other quad exercises for strong and toned legs even if you don't have access to a leg extension machine. The leg extension is a great exercise for the quadriceps, but what happens if you aren't near a gym or if you don’t have a leg extension machine at home?

1. Dumbbell Leg Extensions This is the closest leg extension exercise without machine that you can do in a gym. It presents an extra challenge in that you have to engage the adductor muscles in order to hold the dumbbell between your feet. It’s limited therefore by the size and weight of the dumbbell you can grip.