leg routine for mass - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

jim · 26-02-2006, 12:22 PM

my legs are a long way behind my upper body and was going to try this routine.

squats 5x 12,10,10,8,8
front squats 3x 8,8,8
lying leg curls3x10,10,10
stiff-legged deadlift 3x10,10,10
i dont have any other machines so i cant do the hack squat or leg press. it is just the rep range that im not sure about should i just do 4x8 on all the exersises?

bdc · 26-02-2006, 01:07 PM

if it were me, i would drop the squatting to 3 x 8/10, get away from lying leg curls completely. you can do plenty of leg work without the use of machines, you just need to be more imaginative, barbell hack squats, dumbell squat, split squats, jump squats, loads of variations of unilateral squats, deadlift, dumbell deadlift, single leg deadlift, barbell lunges, dumbell lunges are just naming a few. in the last couple of weeks i have tried single leg deadlifts, single leg squats and some crazy thing i will try and explain, no idea if it has a name. using a bar, take a big step back and face 90 degrees away (starting position), in one movement rotate towards the bar, lunge forward and grab, commencing the concentric of the lunge while cleaning it to your shoulders, rotate 90 degrees, lunge forward while placing the bar very slowly in front of you, continuing to do this until you work your way around the platform a couple of times, very dynamic, powerful, tiring and proprioceptively effective. its great to try new things, have some fun

**big pete** · 27-02-2006, 04:27 PM

squat heavy as you can, its helped me no end. quads are over 30" now

that combined with heavy SLDL's (used to do them,cant anymore) and quick sets of ham curls and leg extenions.

for instance.... (size not strength)
leg extensions 50 reps light weight supersetted with
ham curls 20 reps

repeat 3 times

front squats, start with empty bar for 6 reps, add 10k per side do 6 more reps, add 10k do another 6 etc etc.
supersetted with
SLDL's same principle as above add weight every set.

its gruelling, and not nice by any means

bdc · 27-02-2006, 09:32 PM

i hate the use of isolation machinery- there are so many possibilities out there and so many reasons why free weights are better, use some imagination, more muscles and produce more anabolic hormones. you will definitely gain hypertrophy of type 1 muscle fibre, good to switch between low and high rep stuff for this reason, growth for all muscle fibre types. assuming you dont have any lifestyle considerations e.g. sports you play- in which case you would have to think about the training being functional and applicable.

try a high and low volume routine, even if you dont continue doing them both you will at least have tried something and seen what works for you

**Pscarb** · 28-02-2006, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdc

if it were me, i would drop the squatting to 3 x 8/10, get away from lying leg curls completely.

Why do you say this??

Are you saying these don't work as good??

I have done single leg squats,leg press and i have found that normal leg press is far better....

I have also trained Hamstrings with Dumbells on a bench but again found better size and seperation from lying leg curls.....

so why do you say the above statement...

bdc · 28-02-2006, 08:45 PM

its a personal thing, my training is more functional than simple hypertrophy, therefore for me i prefer to work with exercises developing motor skills as well as stabiliser and fixator muscles, by lying down and doing the leg curl you are literally just working hamstrings (and gastrocnemius to some extent) and allowing all other muscles to 'switch off'. It does have plus points, like pete said, a 'quick set'- very easy to jump on, go to the point of mcf and jump off again. Simgle leg squats werent the best recommendation in this instance, very proprioceptively demanding and therefore harder to overload on the exercise- bit of a hindrance when training for mass as it were, i was just using it as an example that exercises can be modified very easily, just by narrowing your base of support or standing on one leg the exercise becomes far more demanding. In conclusion, as you have pointed out, different things work for different people, i was just pointing out what i would do, the exercises i named work far more muscles e.g. adductor group to stabilise

**hackskii** · 28-02-2006, 08:52 PM

Some of the best legs I have ever seen were developed from squats.

Tom Platts comes to mind

**Pscarb** · 28-02-2006, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdc

its a personal thing, my training is more functional than simple hypertrophy, therefore for me i prefer to work with exercises developing motor skills as well as stabiliser and fixator muscles, by lying down and doing the leg curl you are literally just working hamstrings (and gastrocnemius to some extent) and allowing all other muscles to 'switch off'. It does have plus points, like pete said, a 'quick set'- very easy to jump on, go to the point of mcf and jump off again. Simgle leg squats werent the best recommendation in this instance, very proprioceptively demanding and therefore harder to overload on the exercise- bit of a hindrance when training for mass as it were, i was just using it as an example that exercises can be modified very easily, just by narrowing your base of support or standing on one leg the exercise becomes far more demanding. In conclusion, as you have pointed out, different things work for different people, i was just pointing out what i would do, the exercises i named work far more muscles e.g. adductor group to stabilise

Very true but when any BB chooses to do lying hamstring curls they are primarily choosing that exercise to develop Hamstrings not because it is quick and easy....if this is what you think i suggest you rethink the way you do this exercise..

ooh yes almost forgot...what course are you doing because you type as if you was doing some sort of personel training instructor course??

DB · 28-02-2006, 08:59 PM

squat 4x6

leg extentions 2x12

walking lunges 2 sets 20 paces per set

lying hamstring curls 2x12

SLDL 2x10

all in 30odd mins job done

DB · 28-02-2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdc

, by lying down and doing the leg curl you are literally just working hamstrings (and gastrocnemius to some extent) and allowing all other muscles to 'switch off'.

mmmmmmm... but thats why u do it....

squats and lunges get stablizing muscles just fine imo

LeRoy · 01-03-2006, 12:38 AM

OK Legs, three types of sports people outside BB'ing with great Legs, Sprinters, Oly weightlifters, bobsled pushers, they all do squats, oly lifts and sprints, powerlifters are stronger, and strongmen are stronger still, and shot putters are pretty strong but their legs are not as impressive!

**big pete** · 01-03-2006, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeRoy

OK Legs, three types of sports people outside BB'ing with great Legs, Sprinters, Oly weightlifters, bobsled pushers, they all do squats, oly lifts and sprints, powerlifters are stronger, and strongmen are stronger still, and shot putters are pretty strong but their legs are not as impressive!

sprinters, oly lifters and bobsleigh crews are also paid to do there jobs!!!!!!

if i had no daytime job and was given 10k+ per year, im sure my leg development would be 'slightly' better also.

BIG-UNC · 23-03-2006, 06:58 AM

just read through above posts and tbh it sound like a " i know more than you"

match you might think im being a bit out of order here but thats my opinion

i dont know half as much as you fellas do but i think the best thing for him to

would be heavy squats and lots of them!!...unc

Crazy Mick · 23-03-2006, 12:49 PM

I would keep the squats a staples ion the routine, for reps of 8 - 12, i would then add stuff like hacks, leg extns, leg presses as secondary, rotate and swap the secondary exercises every few months and do the burns on the secondary exercises, squats do work, there is no other exercise for thighs as good. My opinions.

26-02-2006, 12:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
jim Newbie Trainer Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 37	leg routine for mass my legs are a long way behind my upper body and was going to try this routine. squats 5x 12,10,10,8,8 front squats 3x 8,8,8 lying leg curls3x10,10,10 stiff-legged deadlift 3x10,10,10 i dont have any other machines so i cant do the hack squat or leg press. it is just the rep range that im not sure about should i just do 4x8 on all the exersises?

27-02-2006, 04:27 PM	#3 (permalink)
big pete UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: south midlands Posts: 3,797	squat heavy as you can, its helped me no end. quads are over 30" now that combined with heavy SLDL's (used to do them,cant anymore) and quick sets of ham curls and leg extenions. for instance.... (size not strength) leg extensions 50 reps light weight supersetted with ham curls 20 reps repeat 3 times front squats, start with empty bar for 6 reps, add 10k per side do 6 more reps, add 10k do another 6 etc etc. supersetted with SLDL's same principle as above add weight every set. its gruelling, and not nice by any means __________________ any questions?? feel free to email me on.... To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. 'there is greatness inside all of us, how deep are you willing to dig? '

28-02-2006, 08:52 PM	#7 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,164	Some of the best legs I have ever seen were developed from squats. Tom Platts comes to mind __________________ "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." - George Carlin Scott To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

28-02-2006, 08:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
DB UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: SW London Posts: 11,223	squat 4x6 leg extentions 2x12 walking lunges 2 sets 20 paces per set lying hamstring curls 2x12 SLDL 2x10 all in 30odd mins job done __________________ DB To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. often imitated never duplicated To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. DB sleeps with a night light. Not because DB is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of DB. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

26-02-2006, 01:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
bdc Newbie Trainer Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 64	if it were me, i would drop the squatting to 3 x 8/10, get away from lying leg curls completely. you can do plenty of leg work without the use of machines, you just need to be more imaginative, barbell hack squats, dumbell squat, split squats, jump squats, loads of variations of unilateral squats, deadlift, dumbell deadlift, single leg deadlift, barbell lunges, dumbell lunges are just naming a few. in the last couple of weeks i have tried single leg deadlifts, single leg squats and some crazy thing i will try and explain, no idea if it has a name. using a bar, take a big step back and face 90 degrees away (starting position), in one movement rotate towards the bar, lunge forward and grab, commencing the concentric of the lunge while cleaning it to your shoulders, rotate 90 degrees, lunge forward while placing the bar very slowly in front of you, continuing to do this until you work your way around the platform a couple of times, very dynamic, powerful, tiring and proprioceptively effective. its great to try new things, have some fun

27-02-2006, 09:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
bdc Newbie Trainer Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 64	i hate the use of isolation machinery- there are so many possibilities out there and so many reasons why free weights are better, use some imagination, more muscles and produce more anabolic hormones. you will definitely gain hypertrophy of type 1 muscle fibre, good to switch between low and high rep stuff for this reason, growth for all muscle fibre types. assuming you dont have any lifestyle considerations e.g. sports you play- in which case you would have to think about the training being functional and applicable. try a high and low volume routine, even if you dont continue doing them both you will at least have tried something and seen what works for you

28-02-2006, 08:45 PM	#6 (permalink)
bdc Newbie Trainer Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 64	its a personal thing, my training is more functional than simple hypertrophy, therefore for me i prefer to work with exercises developing motor skills as well as stabiliser and fixator muscles, by lying down and doing the leg curl you are literally just working hamstrings (and gastrocnemius to some extent) and allowing all other muscles to 'switch off'. It does have plus points, like pete said, a 'quick set'- very easy to jump on, go to the point of mcf and jump off again. Simgle leg squats werent the best recommendation in this instance, very proprioceptively demanding and therefore harder to overload on the exercise- bit of a hindrance when training for mass as it were, i was just using it as an example that exercises can be modified very easily, just by narrowing your base of support or standing on one leg the exercise becomes far more demanding. In conclusion, as you have pointed out, different things work for different people, i was just pointing out what i would do, the exercises i named work far more muscles e.g. adductor group to stabilise

01-03-2006, 12:38 AM	#11 (permalink)
LeRoy Rebuilding the Body! Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London Posts: 142	OK Legs, three types of sports people outside BB'ing with great Legs, Sprinters, Oly weightlifters, bobsled pushers, they all do squats, oly lifts and sprints, powerlifters are stronger, and strongmen are stronger still, and shot putters are pretty strong but their legs are not as impressive!

23-03-2006, 06:58 AM	#13 (permalink)
BIG-UNC IF YOU BUILD IT.....THEY WILL COME! Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: middlesbrough Posts: 1,945	just read through above posts and tbh it sound like a " i know more than you" match you might think im being a bit out of order here but thats my opinion i dont know half as much as you fellas do but i think the best thing for him to would be heavy squats and lots of them!!...unc

23-03-2006, 12:49 PM	#14 (permalink)
Crazy Mick Looking Freaky Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 643	I would keep the squats a staples ion the routine, for reps of 8 - 12, i would then add stuff like hacks, leg extns, leg presses as secondary, rotate and swap the secondary exercises every few months and do the burns on the secondary exercises, squats do work, there is no other exercise for thighs as good. My opinions.