No matter how good you seem from the waist up, failing to grow your legs will eventually make your body look strange and uneven. Leg training should not be put off until after you've achieved your aim of developing a massive upper body.
We understand that you may find it less enticing than, say, biceps training, but the reality is that if you want to construct a highly beautiful and well-defined physique, you must be as serious about creating huge legs as you are about building a massive chest.
With that in mind, we've compiled a list of five must-do leg routines that will take your lower body growth to the next level and set you apart from the ordinary obsessive bench presser. Start now!
1. Squats
Squats, roughly speaking, mark the beginning and finish of leg training. This exercise is the most crucial for building bulk to your lower body, but its potential is often unfulfilled owing to a lack of emphasis on form and technique. Here are the top ten benefits of squatting.
To get the most out of squats, put your ego at the door and avoid placing plate after plate on the bar; instead, work on perfecting your technique and improving your mind-muscle connection by focusing on maximising contraction on each rep.
To get the most out of squats, put your ego at the door and avoid placing plate after plate on the bar; instead, work on perfecting your technique and improving your mind-muscle connection by focusing on maximising contraction on each rep.
First, warm up properly by completing a few sets with only the weight of the bar. This will increase the blood flow to your leg muscles and prepare your joints for hard labour. As you drop the weight, maintain your back straight. To maximise muscle fibre recruitment, aim to complete the whole range of motion.
Pyramid sets are excellent for increasing leg strength. Begin with a weight that permits you to accomplish 12 repetitions with proper technique, then raise by 20 pounds and repeat 10 reps.
Pyramid sets are excellent for increasing leg strength. Begin with a weight that permits you to accomplish 12 repetitions with proper technique, then raise by 20 pounds and repeat 10 reps.
Increase the weight again by 20 pounds and execute 8 repetitions, followed by another 20 pounds and 6 reps. The following set should be the pinnacle of your pyramid: raise the weight by 20 pounds again (you've now added a total of 80 pounds to your starting weight) and strive for 4 reps with as precise form as possible.
Now it's time to work your way down the pyramid, so remove 20 pounds and aim to achieve 6 reps, then another 20 pounds and shoot for 8 reps, and so on until you reach your starting weight and accomplish your final 12 reps.
Now it's time to work your way down the pyramid, so remove 20 pounds and aim to achieve 6 reps, then another 20 pounds and shoot for 8 reps, and so on until you reach your starting weight and accomplish your final 12 reps.
2. Hack Squats
Hack squats will then make your quads scream "no more". While performing these, your primary goal should be to increase the duration under tension by slowly and deliberately moving through the whole range of motion.
Choose a weight that will allow you to complete 15 excellent repetitions and 12 reps with a 4-second decreasing phase. Each lifting phase (upward motion) should be rapid and explosive, while each lowering phase should last 4 seconds and be maximally regulated, with an emphasis on maintaining muscular tension. However, be careful not to totally lock out your knees, since this may easily lead to damage.
Choose a weight that will allow you to complete 15 excellent repetitions and 12 reps with a 4-second decreasing phase. Each lifting phase (upward motion) should be rapid and explosive, while each lowering phase should last 4 seconds and be maximally regulated, with an emphasis on maintaining muscular tension. However, be careful not to totally lock out your knees, since this may easily lead to damage.
Hack squats have a particular position in your leg training regimen since they focus more on the lower, inner portion of your quads than ordinary squats do. Because hack squats remove the upper body from the equation, they eliminate any compensations that might alter your squat depth.
You may also modify the focus of the exercise by simply shifting your foot position; a higher foot position hits the glutes more efficiently, whilst a lower foot position predominantly engages the quadriceps.
You may also modify the focus of the exercise by simply shifting your foot position; a higher foot position hits the glutes more efficiently, whilst a lower foot position predominantly engages the quadriceps.
Hack squats are performed on a hack squat machine, which provides extra control and stability to the activity, allowing you to load more weight. It is critical to keep your back in touch with the backrest during the movement to ensure that your spine is properly supported at all times.
Given that you do it correctly, this rigorous workout will produce considerable discomfort in your leg muscles, but it will result in fantastic bulk increases. To get the most advantages, maintain proper form and attempt to keep mechanical tension constant.
Ideally, you should do four sets of 12 repetitions, with a 4-second descending period between each exercise.
Given that you do it correctly, this rigorous workout will produce considerable discomfort in your leg muscles, but it will result in fantastic bulk increases. To get the most advantages, maintain proper form and attempt to keep mechanical tension constant.
Ideally, you should do four sets of 12 repetitions, with a 4-second descending period between each exercise.
3. Lying Hamstring Curls
Unfortunately, hamstring training isn't as popular as quad training, so many lifters overlook the need of total muscle growth, leaving their hamstrings underworked and unattractive.
Because the hamstrings traverse two joints - the knee and the hip - they must be exercised individually using workouts that target the hamstring muscle's knee flexion and hip extension functions. Leg curls, as the name implies, use the hamstrings' knee flexion function.
This exercise is best done in a drop set method. Choose a somewhat heavy weight and execute 12 repetitions with proper technique before lowering the weight and repeating the process.
Drop the weight again and do 12 repetitions, then drop it one more time and complete the last set, ensuring sure your form is correct. That totals four sets of 12 reps each. Again, try to fully exhaust your hamstrings by keeping the muscle tension as high and consistent as possible.
Drop the weight again and do 12 repetitions, then drop it one more time and complete the last set, ensuring sure your form is correct. That totals four sets of 12 reps each. Again, try to fully exhaust your hamstrings by keeping the muscle tension as high and consistent as possible.
4. Seated Leg Extensions
Leg extension is a basic, confined exercise that happens just at the knee joint and can help to develop the quadriceps. Leg extensions have a negative reputation since many guys feel this is the only move they need to produce awesome-looking quads and use it as an excuse to skip superior workouts like squats and deadlifts.
While leg extensions aren't the best leg workout on the globe, they nevertheless have a lot of potential to improve your leg growth if you employ them like any other isolated exercise.
While leg extensions aren't the best leg workout on the globe, they nevertheless have a lot of potential to improve your leg growth if you employ them like any other isolated exercise.
As simple and fundamental as this exercise is, it's important to remember a few essential form aspects that will increase its efficacy. First, position the pad so that it rests on top of your lower thigh, right above your feet. Additionally, ensure that your legs form a 90-degree angle between the lower and upper leg. This will assist you avoid putting unnecessary strain on the knee joint.
Again, do a drop set, beginning with a weight that is heavy enough to make it difficult to accomplish 12 excellent repetitions, then dropping it and doing another 12 reps. Continue in this manner until you have completed four sets of twelve repetitions.
Again, do a drop set, beginning with a weight that is heavy enough to make it difficult to accomplish 12 excellent repetitions, then dropping it and doing another 12 reps. Continue in this manner until you have completed four sets of twelve repetitions.
Your legs will be scorching at this point, so if you can't go through a complete range of motion on every rep, do half reps on the final two sets. Using your quadriceps, stretch your legs to their full potential while preserving a tiny bend in your knees to preserve the joint and ensuring that the rest of your body remains motionless on the seat at all times. Hold the peak contraction for a second, then carefully drop the weight back without allowing your legs to exceed the 90-degree mark.
5. Static Dumbbell Lunges
To thoroughly deplete your leg muscles of any leftover strength, conclude the workout with a few sets of dumbbell lunges. Lunges are excellent exercises for working your quadriceps and gluteal muscles, as well as improving overall leg definition. Instead of executing forward lunges, you will maintain the position for around 30 seconds.
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with your right leg while maintaining your body straight and abs clenched. Without shifting your feet, bend your front leg and drop your back leg until the knee almost reaches the floor.
Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Perform three sets of 10-15 repetitions per side. If you believe you can do more, raise the weight of the dumbbells and ensure that you fight with each rep at the conclusion of the set.
Hold for 30 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side. Perform three sets of 10-15 repetitions per side. If you believe you can do more, raise the weight of the dumbbells and ensure that you fight with each rep at the conclusion of the set.
These five exercises provide a wonderful beginning leg programme that is sure to help you jumpstart your leg growth. If you start training your legs frequently with this programme, you should notice significant changes in size and strength relatively fast.
Good luck, and remain focused!
Good luck, and remain focused!
Comments
Post a Comment