The type of leg exercise you do — whether it’s a leg press, leg extension, or calf raise — can change which part of your leg muscles grow bigger, and you can see the difference in just 8 weeks.

Not all parts of your thigh and calf muscles grow the same way — some parts grow better with certain exercises, so doing different types of lifts can help you build muscle more evenly.

If you want to grow the outer part of your thigh (vastus lateralis), leg presses might be more effective than leg extensions.

Some people think mixing up your leg workouts (like changing weights or angles) might make all parts of your quadriceps grow better than doing the same routine over and over—but right now, science hasn’t proven this for sure.

Some people’s muscles grow a lot with training, others don’t—but if one person’s arms grow, their legs usually grow similarly, meaning your body’s natural response is more important than which muscles you train.

If you're already strength-trained and do upper-body workouts for 8 weeks, it doesn't matter much if you lift all the way up and down or just do part of the motion—your muscles grow and get stronger about the same either way.