Leg Routine

[mastablasta7]

What do you guys think about this routine? Its been working for me pretty good but is there any other excercises i could throw in or change something up?

Squats 3x10 Heavy
Leg Press 3x10 Heavy
Lunges 2x30steps
Leg Curls 4x12
Calf Raises 4x12

Any input is welcome.

[baseline_9]

Id drop the lunges and replace with another hamstring exercise

Make sure evey set is 100%

[terraj]

I like it.

All I would change is either squats or leg press for higher reps...

Maybe every other leg day drop in SLDL for leg culrs

[BigBuck6]

Do you ever work in a lower rep range of 5-9? Both leg presses and squats are good for these numbers along with RDL's and Stiff Legs for hams.

[tbody66]

How frequently do you work legs, and how long exactly have you been doing this routine?

[mastablasta7]

I like it.

All I would change is either squats or leg press for higher reps...

Maybe every other leg day drop in SLDL for leg culrs

Are you saying I should increase reps on one of them? like 15-20reps for leg press?

[growing1]

Id drop the lunges and replace with another hamstring exercise

Make sure evey set is 100%

I'd get rid of the lunges too and try out some strait leg dead lifts for your hams. They are great for the entire rear of the leg. I always get a great pump in my glutes and my hams from them. They don't take an enormous amount of weight to feel them working either at first. It's a good exercise to punish your lady with after you get the form down cause its kind of like a screwing motion....lmao

[mastablasta7]

I'd get rid of the lunges too and try out some strait leg dead lifts for your hams. They are great for the entire rear of the leg. I always get a great pump in my glutes and my hams from them. They don't take an enormous amount of weight to feel them working either at first. It's a good exercise to punish your lady with after you get the form down cause its kind of like a screwing motion....lmao

hahaha. What rep range would you suggest? also i do reg. deadlifts on back day will this be a problem?

[terraj]

Are you saying I should increase reps on one of them? like 15-20reps for leg press?

I like that idea, you got two heavy leg excerises, one or the other could be higher reps....a lot of people get great results with higher reps on legs, so you are getting best of both worlds.

[mastablasta7]

I like that idea, you got two heavy leg excerises, one or the other could be higher reps....a lot of people get great results with higher reps on legs, so you are getting best of both worlds.

I was thinking 3x8 on squats and 3x15 on leg press and see how well that goes. Also is doing SLDL ok when i do deadlifts on back day? What rep range?

[mastablasta7]

How frequently do you work legs, and how long exactly have you been doing this routine?

Ive been doing it for a couple months now and i work my legs once a week. I think i respond better to higher reps since i wasnt growing as much off 3x6.

[terraj]

I was thinking 3x8 on squats and 3x15 on leg press and see how well that goes. Also is doing SLDL ok when i do deadlifts on back day? What rep range?

That is pretty much what I do ATM.

I know what you mean, SLDLs and deads in the same week is hard to fit, and love the deads! However, SLDL if done as such -

Legs bent slightly, don't go all the way up , in fact go up till your upper body is at 45%, go down to what is comfortable.....this range of movement is putting the stress on the hams and keepng the lower back out of the work load.

[mastablasta7]

That is pretty much what I do ATM.

I know what you mean, SLDLs and deads in the same week is hard to fit, and love the deads! However, SLDL if done as such -

Legs bent slightly, don't go all the way up , in fact go up till your upper body is at 45%, go down to what is comfortable.....this range of movement is putting the stress on the hams and keepng the lower back out of the work load.

Alright thanks man. Ill give it a go next monday. And Im the same way with deadlifts i love them!!

[tbody66]

You are getting some good advice, I would suggest some of this and then some. My thoughts are based on this being a leg thread, so I'm guessing that you feel your legs lack compared to the rest of your physique, or you've struggled with getting them to grow. I would change your program up to hit legs twice a week, absolutely nothing hits the hams like SLDL, do not skip these. I find that, if done properly, they have no bearing what-so-ever on your ability to perform regular deads, the muscles used and the poundages are so dramatically different. Do like terraj says, however the most important part is that as you lower the weight you shove your butt away fro your body, towards the back wall, as far as you can to get the full stretch on the ham. You will probably need to keep your feet closer together for this to happen, and I personally lock my knees for the stretch, but this is not an exercise that requires heavy weight.

I am currently on a routine specifically focusing on my legs to catch them up. I believe you cannot properly focus on multiple major muscle groups and see great results. I love lunges as the primary lift on your non-squat leg day and can explain how to perform them without additional weights that will make you sore for days(good stuff). Post some pics so we can gauge your progress as well.

[bigno5]

good stuff from everybody here. I have had fantastic results using a combo or heavy lifts and high rep lifts on the same day....say 2 sets of squats 85% of max to failure (5-6) then 2 sets of overhead weighted lunges. 2 sets of 80-85% of max deads then 2 sets of balance ball hip raises. Also make sure to work some plyometrics into your routine, amazing what adding some impact will do to overall hardness.

There are so many leg exercises I would recommend changing your routine every 2 weeks....I love leg days.

[terraj]

There are so many leg exercises I would recommend changing your routine every 2 weeks....I love leg days.

I disagree.

OP said that he is making gains with his current routine, therefore changing it would be bad. Stick to what is working and progress the poundage.

[tbody66]

good stuff from everybody here. I have had fantastic results using a combo or heavy lifts and high rep lifts on the same day....say 2 sets of squats 85% of max to failure (5-6) then 2 sets of overhead weighted lunges. 2 sets of 80-85% of max deads then 2 sets of balance ball hip raises. Also make sure to work some plyometrics into your routine, amazing what adding some impact will do to overall hardness.

There are so many leg exercises I would recommend changing your routine every 2 weeks....I love leg days.

Before I completely right you off as a total crackhead, show some pics, post a resume', explain your experience, this post makes me wonder if you are a gymnast or ballerina?

[mastablasta7]

You are getting some good advice, I would suggest some of this and then some. My thoughts are based on this being a leg thread, so I'm guessing that you feel your legs lack compared to the rest of your physique, or you've struggled with getting them to grow. I would change your program up to hit legs twice a week, absolutely nothing hits the hams like SLDL, do not skip these. I find that, if done properly, they have no bearing what-so-ever on your ability to perform regular deads, the muscles used and the poundages are so dramatically different. Do like terraj says, however the most important part is that as you lower the weight you shove your butt away fro your body, towards the back wall, as far as you can to get the full stretch on the ham. You will probably need to keep your feet closer together for this to happen, and I personally lock my knees for the stretch, but this is not an exercise that requires heavy weight.

I am currently on a routine specifically focusing on my legs to catch them up. I believe you cannot properly focus on multiple major muscle groups and see great results. I love lunges as the primary lift on your non-squat leg day and can explain how to perform them without additional weights that will make you sore for days(good stuff). Post some pics so we can gauge your progress as well.

Hahaha your first guess was right my legs are lacking. I used to squat in high school only because my football coaches force me too. After highschool i stopped legs all together since i was just going for the looks and i thought legs werent important (plus they hurt my knees). But now i finally started to do them again about 8 months ago so i dont look like a deformed idiot with chicken legs. About a month ago i made them my main muscle to concentrate on and now im trying to make my workout perfect.

Im going to try SLDL on monday. I think my biggest problem will be form.

[growing1]

hahaha. What rep range would you suggest? also i do reg. deadlifts on back day will this be a problem?

The only way that I would use the strait leg if your doing full dead lifts is to possibly change to half dead lifts so that your not blowing your lower back out before or after you've hit it well with the strait leg. I use these so that on back day its about back and there is no leg movement in it. If you don't know what I'm talking about get in a rack and set the safety bars to just below knee height. Use a box to get it just right. Then progress with the same movement for full lifts except...and here is the good part.....you can slam way more weight on there. As for the strait leg reps I'd hit up excellent form at something in the range of 12-12-10-7. Form is everything with those though so if its too heavy know it and get a good squeeze instead of just arching your back and bending your knees to get the heavy stuff up. I've always been told strait leg is all in the glute squeeze and its proven true to me.

[bigno5]

Before I completely right you off as a total crackhead, show some pics, post a resume', explain your experience, this post makes me wonder if you are a gymnast or ballerina?

sports physiology degree with a minor in nutritional science from Oklahoma State University

5 years of football at Oklahoma State University 2 years as a starter

Will post some leg pics up when I get a chance.....not a weakness of mine, I promise.

Dont knock it until you try it...I am far from a bodybuilder, I train for functional strength and that involves working fast type I fibers as well as the type II fibers. I started training both at the same time a few years ago and I have always had good results. The lighter higher rep exercises work a lot more of the stabilizing muscles that keep you upright when throwing heavy weights around. As far as changing a routine every couple of weeks, if youre training to be able to say you squat 4000lbs then by all means yes do as many squats as humanly possible or whatever move youre going for.

I was giving feedback as to what has and does work for me, my concerns are staying fast and avoiding injury....maybe a different perspective???

[tbody66]

sports physiology degree with a minor in nutritional science from Oklahoma State University

5 years of football at Oklahoma State University 2 years as a starter

Will post some leg pics up when I get a chance.....not a weakness of mine, I promise.

Dont knock it until you try it...I am far from a bodybuilder, I train for functional strength and that involves working fast type I fibers as well as the type II fibers. I started training both at the same time a few years ago and I have always had good results. The lighter higher rep exercises work a lot more of the stabilizing muscles that keep you upright when throwing heavy weights around. As far as changing a routine every couple of weeks, if youre training to be able to say you squat 4000lbs then by all means yes do as many squats as humanly possible or whatever move youre going for.

I was giving feedback as to what has and does work for me, my concerns are staying fast and avoiding injury....maybe a different perspective???

Okay, respect, I'm a Boomer Sooner fan, and I'm tight with the director of sports enhancement at OU, however he got his first head strength coach position at OSU, (go pokes) Barry Sanders junior year, were you playing then?

Obviously different perspective, since I've found primarily bodybuilders or powerlifters on this site, I didn't think about functional strength training, although, for whatever the reason, I'm still going to disagree with changing up a routine that frequently. If there is something sport specific there may be some validity, but still think that's too much change.

I take back the crackhead assessment, you never did say you weren't a ballerina though.

[bigno5]

No worries bro, and no I was NOT playing with Barry....it was his QB that was my head coach my senior yr.

Once every couple of weeks might be a bit much for legs....My argument for change lies in the fact that by allowing your muscles to simply adapt to one move youve mastered a plateau will be not too far away (3-6 weeks). My leg days always rotate around deadlifts and squats, how I do them though differs week to week for my purposes. I believe training for strength you still need to work both types of muscle fibers for a better response. Not only that but for bodybuilding purposes type I fibers are the ones that give muscles that hard strained look.

Not a crackhead ballerina either....I move like one with a kettlebell though.

[tbody66]

Not a crackhead ballerina either....I move like one with a kettlebell though.

Can't wait to see that on a youtube video.

[A010011000111]

im just gonna add one bit of advice here

if you do squats and leg presses on the same day ALWAYS do squats first; if your legs are fatigued from leg press when you get on the squat rack, there is much more chance of losing stability and straining a muscle trying to regain control/balance. when you lift you should always work from compound exercises down to smaller exercises, and although you put more weight on the leg press, you are using your whole body for squats and you dont want your prime movers to be fatigued from the leg press when you step up to the squat rack