Source: wordpress.com
There appears to be two kinds of people in the gym when it comes to legs: the people who want to do squats EVERY day, and the people who say, "why do I need to workout legs? I already have two." I guess that leaves me in the middle ground (even though I said there were only two groups....it's my blog though...so tough), as I make sure that I hit legs at least once a week. I'll come clean and say that in my first year and half of bodybuilding, I would frequently skip out on working out legs, or not give it my all. I realized though, that if I wanted to step up my game, look more well-rounded, and bring everything together, I'd have to start hitting legs.
Working out legs is a good idea for many reasons. Since they have such huge muscles in relation to other muscle groups found in your body, they use up a LOT of your energy. This can help for those of you looking for a good way to sleep well at night, as leg days will exhaust you like no other. Sticking with the size of the muscle point, the muscles found in the legs are said to release a massive amount of hormones beneficial and conducive to muscle growth into your body because they are so big, and thus can have a beneficial effect on the growth of other muscle groups when they are stimulated to release growth hormones. Strengthening legs is also a good idea to help achieve body stability, power, endurance, and aid in injury prevention.
When I workout legs, I don't like to hit JUST the quads like many people do. There are other muscles located in the legs people. So in the list I'm about to present to you, keep in mind that I try to fully workout evey part of the leg. I assure you it won't just be squats....
LUNGES
Working out legs is a good idea for many reasons. Since they have such huge muscles in relation to other muscle groups found in your body, they use up a LOT of your energy. This can help for those of you looking for a good way to sleep well at night, as leg days will exhaust you like no other. Sticking with the size of the muscle point, the muscles found in the legs are said to release a massive amount of hormones beneficial and conducive to muscle growth into your body because they are so big, and thus can have a beneficial effect on the growth of other muscle groups when they are stimulated to release growth hormones. Strengthening legs is also a good idea to help achieve body stability, power, endurance, and aid in injury prevention.
When I workout legs, I don't like to hit JUST the quads like many people do. There are other muscles located in the legs people. So in the list I'm about to present to you, keep in mind that I try to fully workout evey part of the leg. I assure you it won't just be squats....
LUNGES
I've stated in a previous "top exercises" post that I'm not placing the exercises in any specific order of importance. For this post however, lunges will be the first exercise presented because they are my "favorite" leg exercise. The word "favorite" is used here because I actually despise doing lunges, but think they are the most worth while. I also believe them to be EXTREMELY underrated and more important than even squats. Many people overlook this exercise and gravitate towards the more popular barbell squat, but let me tell you...don't sleep on lunges. I've seen guys who thought they were leg-workout monsters totally get brought back down to Earth by a workout that focused heavily on lunges. I don't think any other leg exercise fatiques you more, hits your legs as hard, or stimulates your quads more.
To do these, hold two dumbbells at each side, a barbell over your shoulders, or no weight at all, and stand facing forward.
Keeping the part of your body above your waist completely still and in good posture, step forward with one leg. When you step forward, make sure your knee is directly above your heel and create a right angle with your leg. It's important to step out as far forward as you can without your knee going over your toes so as to get the proper range of motion and stimulation while at the same time being easy on your patellar tendon. Repeat with the other leg. Keep going back and forth between legs until failure.
Keeping the part of your body above your waist completely still and in good posture, step forward with one leg. When you step forward, make sure your knee is directly above your heel and create a right angle with your leg. It's important to step out as far forward as you can without your knee going over your toes so as to get the proper range of motion and stimulation while at the same time being easy on your patellar tendon. Repeat with the other leg. Keep going back and forth between legs until failure.
Source: workoutlabs.com
SQUATS
Alright. Here I go. I guess I have to talk about them. One of the big 3 exercises (squats, bench press, deadlifts). Let me just say that I acknowledge just how amazing squats can be for your leg workout, but think they may be a little overrated in my opinion.
Like deadlifts, there are other versions of squats. I will go through a basic / standard version of them.
Place feet / legs shoulder-width to outside shoulder-width apart with them facing forward. Pay special attention that both sets of toes are lined up on the same imaginary straight line in front of you. I was told recently that my right side has a tendency to be more forward than my left, which I had no idea about until it was pointed out to me. So check that out.
Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width to outside shoulder-width grip (around where the smoothed lines are, and whatever is most comfortable to you). Place the barbell behind your head and on your back, resting them in between your rear deltoids and top of the rhomboids. Bring your elbows in and forward, and make your hands grip in a way that almost seems like you're trying to bend the barbell around your neck.
Tighten your core, get a nice sturdy cat-like arch in your back, make sure your knees aren't wobbling in or out or shaking, and bend down. When you go down, it's in a straight line, straight through around the middle of your foot. Once you get to where your knees can no longer bend you down further, make a motion with your butt as if you're trying to sit down to get that extra distance to the ground. You SHOULD be going all the way down to the ground to achieve a full range of motion.
When coming up, drive through with your heels. In any quad exercise that requires a squat-like motion, drive through your heels when you can. I believe this technique activates your quads even more. When you come up with squats, it's again in a straight line upward. Make sure that you're flexing your legs and making them do most of the work on the way up, and not your lower back. Make sure to use a weight that's comfortable for you when you're first starting out. Getting the right form is priority number one when first learning how to do squats.
Source: gymper.com
LEG EXTENSIONS
Leg extensions are a great exercise for quad isolation. While squats are a good exercise for incorporating many muscle groups at once, leg extensions make quads do a lot of the work.
Using a leg extension machine, find a weight that you can extend 8-15 times. With your legs squared and a good distance apart, slowly lift up the weight and hold for half a second to a second, flexing hard at the end range of flexion. Slowly lower the weight back down. Continue until failure.
Leg extensions are a great exercise for quad isolation. While squats are a good exercise for incorporating many muscle groups at once, leg extensions make quads do a lot of the work.
Using a leg extension machine, find a weight that you can extend 8-15 times. With your legs squared and a good distance apart, slowly lift up the weight and hold for half a second to a second, flexing hard at the end range of flexion. Slowly lower the weight back down. Continue until failure.
Source: workoutlabs.com
HAMSTRING CURLS
Have you ever tried to workout your hamstrings? Well, you should. They are an important part of your leg and should be strengthened along with the rest of your leg. My favorite hamstring exercise is the hamstring curl. More specifically, the variation where you lay down as if on a surf-board and bring the weight up with your legs.
Find a hamstring curl machine (pictured below). Lay face-down and put a slight arch upward into your back. Placing the machine lifting-pad at the bottom of each calf, bring the weight up, flexing the back of your leg hard at the end range of flexion. Lower the weight down slowly and continue until failure.
Have you ever tried to workout your hamstrings? Well, you should. They are an important part of your leg and should be strengthened along with the rest of your leg. My favorite hamstring exercise is the hamstring curl. More specifically, the variation where you lay down as if on a surf-board and bring the weight up with your legs.
Find a hamstring curl machine (pictured below). Lay face-down and put a slight arch upward into your back. Placing the machine lifting-pad at the bottom of each calf, bring the weight up, flexing the back of your leg hard at the end range of flexion. Lower the weight down slowly and continue until failure.
CALF-RAISES
Of all the leg workouts, I think the only one that I really enjoy doing are calf-raises. You feel a nice pump, can do a lot, and don't tax your body's energy as quickly as with other leg exercises.
Find a seated calf-raise machine. Put on weight that is comfortable for you. place the balls of your feet on the platform, with the heels hanging off the side. Release the weight and let it drop down as far as your feet will let it (when you get a nice stretch in your calf area). Point your toes slightly inward and drive with the balls of your feet. Bring the weight all the way up, and flex the calves as hard as you can. Lower back down to the full range of motion towards a stretch slowly. Repeat until failure. There is also a standing version of this that works well too. However, you can probably do more weight standing than sitting. Please take that into consideration if you choose the standing variation.
Of all the leg workouts, I think the only one that I really enjoy doing are calf-raises. You feel a nice pump, can do a lot, and don't tax your body's energy as quickly as with other leg exercises.
Find a seated calf-raise machine. Put on weight that is comfortable for you. place the balls of your feet on the platform, with the heels hanging off the side. Release the weight and let it drop down as far as your feet will let it (when you get a nice stretch in your calf area). Point your toes slightly inward and drive with the balls of your feet. Bring the weight all the way up, and flex the calves as hard as you can. Lower back down to the full range of motion towards a stretch slowly. Repeat until failure. There is also a standing version of this that works well too. However, you can probably do more weight standing than sitting. Please take that into consideration if you choose the standing variation.
Source: wordpress.com (fredkochtraining)
And those are my exercise suggestions for a well-rounded leg workout! Try them out and let me know what you think. Legs can be unglamorous and exhaust you, but you need to do them. Just have a positive mindset on leg day and get it done! Offer any other suggestions in the comment section below!
-Jtrain
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-Jtrain
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