Warm up for LEGS

[JJ78]

Question:

What does everyone do to warm up for a heavy leg day?

I usually just walk on treadmill for 10-15 mins.
Then some light stretching, body weight squats.

But I feel like I should be doing more

Some good static stretches? Anyone got any?

Leg days look like this:
Squats
Warmup stated above
20 reps 135
15 reps 225
10 reps 275
5-8 reps 315
315 to failure
drop 225 failure
drop 135 failure

Dont reeally care to go any heavier than 315, my knee cracks and grinds quite a bit.

Then stiff leg deads
185 x 12
225 8-12
225 failure

Leg press
12 plates 15-18
14 plates 12
16 plates 10

Standing calves 3 sets heavy lots of reps

walking lunges
2 sets DB's 40-55's 8-10 reps

leg extensions 3 sets to failure

I think I have very poor hip flexibilty

[JJ78]

oops Stats:

35 in a month
228 this morning
6'2
runnin:
750 test pw
600 deca pw for another 6-7 weeks
.25 liquidex eod

[kelkel]

Warm-ups just depend on the individual. I do light leg extensions and body weight squats. Then basically use the exercise and the main warm up. My favorite is riding a stationary bike to get blood flowing to the legs and warm up my knees with a full range of motion. Just don't have a stationary bike at home, dammit. Walking won't do that for you as your not bending the knee near as much.

Visit Marcus's Diary in the lounge for some modern training advice and motivation. Great thread for all to learn.

[JJ78]

Thank you Kel. I do visit Marcus's thread. One of the main reasons I started to go to complete failure.
I will sometimes do the bike.

Thanks.

[AlphaMike]

I like to use a foam roller to loosen up and get blood into the muscles, a light cardio session (5-10 min), and then BW Squats and pyramid up in weight.

[JJ78]

I foam roll after legs. I find that I dont get nearly as sore if I spend 20 mins on the roller at home.

Wouldnt rolling before be kind of detrimental? You dont really want to do any tearing of the muscle before hand. Thats why I dont stretch pre workout.

[AlphaMike]

I like to get a small pump before I squat personally. Gets my mind in the zone, tightens me up a little, gets my pulse going. Foam roller gets blood in there for me w/doing some form of pre exhaust exercise (which I also do occasionally to change things up). To each his own really.

BTW I have some minor knee issues so for me, getting some early blood flow is essential for getting pain free reps in.

[kelkel]

Alpha I never wrap knees but I always were neoprene pull ups to keep them warm. Helps me greatly. Put them on about 15 min pre-workout.

[AlphaMike]

Ok I've looked into those before but never actually bought a pair. I'll have to try them out!

[evander87]

Google "dynamic stretching" combined with a 10 minute light cardio is the latest theory in fitness.

I do deep single leg lunges 10 straight out each side. 10 side to side. Then 5 each leg in a arch between side and in front. Really stretch and open up the hips. Then I'll do walking knees to chest stretch down and back. Then walking high kicks down and back. Couple of deep BW squats with a pause at the bottom. I really just do these to feel how my quads are feeling that day.

Then hit the weights.

[JJ78]

Google "dynamic stretching" combined with a 10 minute light cardio is the latest theory in fitness.

I do deep single leg lunges 10 straight out each side. 10 side to side. Then 5 each leg in a arch between side and in front. Really stretch and open up the hips. Then I'll do walking knees to chest stretch down and back. Then walking high kicks down and back. Couple of deep BW squats with a pause at the bottom. I really just do these to feel how my quads are feeling that day.

Then hit the weights.

Thanks evander, kind of what I was after.

Last nite. I did some walking BW lunges first and BW squats, and just some ?moving stretching? Just what felt deep, but not standing still.

Had a good wokout. 315 x9 then 315 x 6 Just below paralell

Thanks for the info.

[JJ78]

Driving to SoCal later today, Im sure that when I step out the car at the hotel its going to take me a minute before I can walk. 4 hour drive.

[powerlifterty16]

i like to do as few reps as possible for warmups, and start off at either my bw, or if im feeling daring ill start with the empty bar. i never start heavier than the bar for any exercise whether it's squat bench, or when i used to deadlift, that too.

tomorrow im doing an easy set of 280x6 as part of my pyramid program, so ill do
barx8
135x2
205x1
235x1
280x6

after that iadd in a high rep set..which tomorrow will be 215 for 21...not to failure, as i said im pyramiding.

im a powerlifter, and natural(with low t) so cant recover from a warmup set of 135x20..imo that is a waste of energy no offense...i dont know how anyone recovers from that.