But having studied from the masters of their craft, and attempting first hand the lessons that they preach, any gym veteran will agree with me that, put simply:
Leg workouts = war
What do I mean by this? Because of their built-in genetic thresholds for endurance, power and muscle fibre density, to truly train your legs to a high standard requires you to bomb your leg muscles with more weight, sets and reps then any other body-part. To hear the training stories of some of the greats (Tom Platz, Franco Columbu - who both possessed tremendous leg development) is a humbling experience. But remember that technique is always the most important factor when training, regardless of your level of expertise or fitness goals.
With me, I am limited to a degree on the time and equipment necessary to truly blast my legs. The gym at an Esporta Health Club is effective, but never intended to be a heavy lifting environment geared towards people craving hardcore muscle development! My philosophy is to keep it basic, but still to force myself as hard as I can go. Legs have always been a weak point of mine - correction; I have always allowed legs to be a weak point of mine. For the longest time, I lacked the necessary mentality to train my legs - I was not tuned into leg training at all. When I did martial arts, I told myself that I did not need bulky legs, just flexibility and quickness (which is true). With wrestling, for the longest time I wore long spandex that covered my legs, and I reasoned that as long as I could get up for a high drop-kick or leap frog someone, that was all that mattered.
Then they stuck me in trunks, and oh boy did my negligence come back to bite me in the ass...
So today, I try to put a lot of emphasis on my legs to make up some lost ground. It's far from perfect, but so far, this program is giving me some good results. One thing that I don't do with legs that I should do is to superset my exercises. Why I don't, I'm not quite sure - I think perhaps it's because I want to devote total attention to one leg exercise at a time. But my advice is to do as I say, not as I do - superset your leg exercises to really feel the burn.
1. Calf Raises (15 sets @ 20, 15, 10 reps)
Professional body-builders would put this muscle group in a program to itself because of it's importance to total body development and proportion. I recognise calves as my greatest weak point, and now take great pride in showing calf veins (the biggest of which I now call 'El Gigantor'). Training the calves requires a lot of weight, sets and reps - there's no way around it. Your calf muscles have carried your body weight your entire life, but have hardly ever been called upon to perform at the extreme ranges of it's potential movement - full extension or contraction. It is also important to remember that the calf muscles can be targeted in multiple directions by changing the direction of stress placed upon them - toes pointing in stresses the outside more, toes pointing out stresses the inside more. Toes facing forward will allow overall calf development. In my workout, I perform 5 sets for each position, starting with toes in at 20 reps, toes out at 15 reps, and then finishing with toes facing forward for 10 reps as heavy as I can go.
N.B. Calves are something that you can train without really realising it - in between sets of any exercise, perform calf raises. You won't have the weight, but really focus on full extension and really feeling the contraction. At work behind a desk, come up on your toes and squeeze your calves - it will all add up
2. Seated Leg Extensions (5 sets @ 15 reps)
Purpose of exercise: To define and shape the front of the thigh. Leg extensions are great for getting really deep definition in the thighs without losing size, and especially for developing the area around the knees. Always perform this exercise before attempting squats - I wish I had heard of this a lot earlier in my training, but this movement will help prepare your legs (especially the ligaments of your knees) for the heavy stresses that squats impose. Using one of the various leg extension machines, sit in the seat and hook your feet underneath the padded bar. Extend your legs out to the maximum without cheating the weight up, really feeling the contraction in your quadriceps, then lower the weight slowly until your thighs are fully stretched out.
3. Squats (Heavy/Deep) (5 sets @ 12 reps, 5 sets @ 15 reps)
Purpose of exercise: To build mass and strength in the legs, especially the thighs. Full squats are one of the traditional mass-building exercises for the entire lower body but are primarily for developing all four heads of the quadriceps. Squats come in many variations: front, half, sissy, partial, machine etc) but proper form and technique are crucial to avoid unnecessary sprain and injury, especially when using heavier weight. With the barbell on a rack, step under it so that it rests across the back of your shoulders, hold on to the bar to balance it in a wide grip. Raise up to lift it off the rack and step back. Keeping your head up and back straight, bend your knees and lower yourself until your thighs are just lower than parallel to the floor. From this point, push yourself back up to the starting position.
Squatting deep develops strength along the entire range of motion. The width of your stance will also determine the area of the thighs you will work - a wider stance works the inside of your thighs to a greater degree, a narrower stance tends to work the outside more. The basic stance for greatest power is usually feet shoulder-width apart, with toes turned just slightly out.
I like to go heavy to start and do 5 sets at 12 reps, then strip a plate off each side and do an additional 5 sets at 15 reps, but making sure that I go as deep as I can to maximise the fatigue I make my thighs feel (be aware that depending on your existing leg strength and intensity of workout, delayed muscle soreness can sometimes take days to fully disappear!)
4. Leg Curls (5 sets @ 15 reps)
Purpose of exercise: To develop the hamstrings (rear of thigh). Due to limited time, this is the last exercise I perform for legs. Depending on the machines available to you, they can be performed in a standing or horizontal position. This exercise should be performed strictly and through the fullest range of motion possible. Lie flat on a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the lever mechanism. Your legs should be stretched out straight. Keeping flat on the bench, curl your legs up as far as possible, until the leg biceps are fully contracted. Release and lower the weight back to the starting position. Hold on to the handles to prevent yourself from lifting off the bench.
"Not Everyone can be the best, but Everyone can be the best that they can be"
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