If squats aren’t your favorite exercise, don’t worry—there are other ways to build strong legs, especially after turning 60. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Jarrod Nobbe offers five joint-friendly alternatives that can help you maintain and even enhance leg strength.

While squats are a popular choice for strengthening legs, they’re not the only option available. You may not enjoy them, or your knees, hips, and lower back might not appreciate the strain. If you find that squats aren’t suitable for you, rest assured that you can still develop significant leg strength without compromising your comfort.

Leg strength remains crucial as we age, and effective training focuses on simple yet powerful exercises. Compound movements, which involve multiple joints and muscle groups, form the cornerstone of a solid workout routine. Incorporating unilateral exercises can help correct imbalances that may have developed over time. This combination is essential for enhancing your ability to perform everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, and maintaining stability on uneven surfaces.

It’s equally important to incorporate a variety of movements into your routine. Since your legs don’t move in a straight line throughout the day, your workout shouldn’t be limited to linear motions either. Exercising in multiple planes can fortify connective tissues, improve joint stability, and distribute stress more evenly across muscles. This balanced approach often leads to greater strength gains while minimizing wear and tear on your body.

Movement variety matters just as much. Your legs don’t work in a straight line all day, so your training shouldn’t either. Training through multiple planes helps strengthen connective tissue, improve joint control, and spread stress more evenly across your muscles. That balance often leads to better strength gains with less wear and tear.

The exercises below check every box. They hit your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and stabilizers. They build strength through different angles. They feel joint-friendly while still demanding effort. If squats aren’t your thing anymore, these five moves give you a smarter path forward.

Kettlebell Deadlift

The kettlebell deadlift builds lower-body strength without forcing a deep knee bend. It lets you load your hips and hamstrings while keeping your torso upright and controlled. That setup often feels far more comfortable on aging knees and backs. It also teaches strong hinge mechanics that carry over to picking up items, standing tall, and protecting your spine. Because the weight stays close to your body, it’s easy to control and scale.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, core, and lower back

How to Do It:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the kettlebell centered between them.
2. Push your hips back while keeping your chest tall.
3. Bend your knees slightly and grip the kettlebell handle.
4. Drive through your heels and stand tall as you squeeze your glutes.
5. Lower the kettlebell with control by hinging your hips back.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Goblet deadlift, suitcase deadlift, elevated kettlebell deadlift

Form Tip: Keep your ribs stacked over your hips throughout the movement.

Step-ups

Step-ups train leg strength on one side at a time, helping correct imbalances that build over years of daily habits. They closely mimic real-life movements, such as climbing stairs or stepping onto curbs. This exercise challenges your quads and glutes while improving balance and coordination. You control the height, making it easy to adjust intensity without straining your joints.

Muscles Trained: Quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves

How to Do It:

1. Stand facing a sturdy step or box.
2. Place one foot entirely on the step.
3. Drive through your front heel to stand tall.
4. Bring your opposite foot up under control.
5. Step back down slowly and switch sides.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per leg. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Low box step-ups, weighted step-ups, lateral step-ups

Form Tip: Control the lowering phase instead of dropping back down.

Lateral Step-downs

Lateral step-downs strengthen your legs in a direction most people neglect. They load your hips and knees while improving control in the frontal plane. This builds joint resilience and helps protect against slips, missteps, and awkward landings. The slow, controlled movement also strengthens your stabilizers without heavy loading.

Muscles Trained: Quadriceps, glutes, hip stabilizers, and calves

How to Do It:

1. Stand sideways on a low step with one foot hanging off
2. Slowly bend your standing knee as the free foot lowers toward the floor
3. Tap the heel lightly without shifting your weight
4. Press through your heel to stand back up
5. Complete all reps before switching sides

Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps per leg. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Assisted lateral step-downs, tempo step-downs, and weighted step-downs

Form Tip: Keep your knee tracking in line with your toes.

Lateral Lunge

Lateral lunges train your legs through side-to-side movement that squats rarely touch. They stretch and strengthen your inner thighs while building strong hips and glutes. This movement improves mobility and strength simultaneously, which becomes increasingly valuable with age. It also helps distribute force more evenly across your legs.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductors

How to Do It:

1. Stand tall with your feet together.
2. Step wide to one side and sit your hips back.
3. Keep your opposite leg straight as you load the stepping leg.
4. Push through your heel to return to standing.
5. Alternate sides under control.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps per side. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Bodyweight lateral lunge, goblet lateral lunge, sliding lateral lunge

Form Tip: Sit your hips back instead of letting your knee drift forward.

Dumbbell Glute Bridge

Glute bridges strengthen your posterior chain without loading your spine. They target muscles that support posture, walking speed, and overall stability. Strong glutes help reduce strain on your knees and lower back during daily movement. This exercise also allows you to build strength while staying grounded and supported.

Muscles Trained: Glutes, hamstrings, and core

How to Do It:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat.
2. Place a dumbbell across your hips and hold it steady.
3. Drive through your heels to lift your hips.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top.
5. Lower your hips slowly back to the floor.

Recommended Sets and Reps: Knock out 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Best Variations: Bodyweight glute bridge, single-leg glute bridge, elevated glute bridge

Form Tip: Pause briefly at the top to reinforce full hip extension.

The Best Tips for Building Leg Strength After 60

Building strong legs after 60 depends on consistency, effective exercise selection, and recovery. Endless volume or punishing workouts to make progress aren’t the genuine keys to success in your fitness journey. Focus on quality movement and steady effort.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

• Train across multiple planes: forward, lateral, and unilateral movements help build balanced strength and joint resilience.
• Prioritize control: Slow reps and clean technique protect your joints and improve muscle engagement.
• Progress gradually: Increase reps, load, or range of motion over time rather than rushing into heavier weights.
• Stay consistent: Two to three focused leg sessions per week beat sporadic high-intensity workouts.
• Listen to your joints: Mild muscle fatigue is fine, but sharp joint discomfort means it’s time to adjust.

These five exercises give you everything you need to build strong, capable legs without relying on squats. Stick with them, and you’ll feel the difference where it matters most.

References

1. Paoli, Antonio et al. “Resistance Training with Single vs. Multi-joint Exercises at Equal Total Load Volume: Effects on Body Composition, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Muscle Strength.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 8 1105. 22 Dec. 2017, doi:10.3389/fphys.2017.01105