Every bro knows you don't skip legs day. That's practically gym law. But some guys can log hour after hour of squats and deadlifts and still have skinny legs. If you're not seeing gains in the size of your quads or hammies, zeroing in on why your hard work isn't paying off can be as puzzling as is it is maddening. So how do you get thicker thighs? For answers, we spoke with Nick Clayton, Visit Prime Boosts M.S., C.S.C.S., a personal training program manager for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Follow Clayton's tips and you might finally manage to turn those popsicle sticks into tree trunks and beat your skinny leg woes permanently. Consistent change is essential to maintaining consistent growth-especially for gym rats. "The longer someone has been training, the more frequently they need to change things up," Clayton explains. But a key thing to remember is that the term "change" extends beyond exercise selection. "Changing things up can mean anything from the type of squats you're doing to an exercise choice to a rep scheme," he adds.

Ready to build muscle but stuck at home? Forget the gym. At-home workouts might be all you need. From bodyweight exercises to dumbbell routines, discover how you can get fit and strong without leaving your house. Ready to build some muscle but stuck at home? Forget a gym membership or a fancy home gym, because you don’t actually need ’em. Just the weight of your body or a pair of dumbbells is enough to get your swole on at home. Let’s start with the basics: Your workout routine should include a mix of cardio and strength training. Strength training can involve some hand weights or just your body weight. As you get stronger and need Learn more of a challenge, weights will be your new best friend. But don’t sleep on cardio. It’s still a necessary (and sometimes evil) part of any exercise plan. For optimal muscle-building, focus on HIIT cardio workouts a few times a week.

So how often should you work out? According to a 2016 research review, strength training at least 2 days a week is ideal to grow your muscles. So start with 2 or 3 days of full-body weight training, 2 days of cardio, and 2 days of rest. As you get stronger, you can add a fourth weight day and try splitting the days between upper- and lower-body workouts. And be sure to reserve at least 2 days per week to let your body rest and recover. You actually don’t have to pump iron to get stronger. All you need is yourself and some creativity to get those muscles moving. The push-up is one of the most efficient bodyweight exercises you can do to build strength in your chest and triceps. But it also gives your shoulders, core muscles, lower back, and lower body a workout. How-to: Lie facedown and place hands on the floor, slightly wider than shoulders. Push up to lift shoulders, torso, and legs until arms are fully extended.

Only your hands and toes should be touching the floor. Slowly lower your body until chest almost touches the floor, then repeat. Pro tip: Push-up variations are nearly endless. If you’re a beginner, you can start with wall push-ups or knee push-ups. Feeling advanced? Give pike push-ups a try. Need a more explosive exercise? The burpee may be the ultimate bodyweight exercise mash-up, working your chest, core, arms, back, glutes, and legs for a full-body cardio workout. How-to: From a standing position, lower yourself into a squat and put both hands on the floor, just wider than your feet. Jump feet back into a plank position. Do a push-up, returning to the plank position. Draw your legs back up into a squat, then jump up explosively with your hands above your head. The pull-up can be intimidating, especially when you’re just starting out. But it’s a great bodyweight exercise to work your shoulders, upper back, and biceps. Start with just a few reps and work your way up as you get stronger.

How-to: Grab the pull-up bar with an overhand grip, wrapping your thumbs around the bar. "Play dead" - start in a dead hang from the bar. Squeeze the bar with your hands and engage the muscles of your upper body and core. Pull up until chin clears the bar. Slowly lower yourself back into the dead-hang position. Pro tip: For pull-ups at home, you can buy a portable pull-up bar that fits in a doorframe. Doing any type of plank exercise will make your arms stronger, but doing plank-ups is especially effective for strengthening the triceps and biceps muscles in your arms. How-to: Start in plank position, with elbows and toes on the floor, core engaged, and torso elevated. Raise yourself into a push-up position by extending one arm at a time, keeping your body straight. Lower onto your elbows one arm at a time. You’ll need a chair, box, ledge, bench, Read more or staircase to do triceps dips.