The use of muscle magnetic resonance imaging in patients with muscular dystrophies or congenital myopathies has been limited. We describe the development of a short protocol to be used in young patients with neuromuscular disorders. The protocol includes transverse T1-weighted spin echo sequence images of thighs and calves. The total scanning time is less than 30 minutes, and can be easily applied to patients over the age of 4 years without any need for sedation. Although only the leg muscles are imaged, the images obtained can still help to identify specific patterns of muscle involvement and provide additional help in the differential diagnosis of muscle disorders with overlapping clinical features.