Question about legs? - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

Karl Sanders · 02-06-2006, 09:52 PM

I have been working out now for about a month but I have a question about my leg workouts. I train every muscle once a week and for my legs I do 12 sets of reps as I read that the bigger muscles need 12 sets and the smaller muscles like the biceps need 7 sets of reps, but I do the quads and hamstring muscles of my legs seperately using a multigym, my question is this, should I do 12 sets of reps for my quads AND 12 sets of reps for the hamstrings, or is 6 sets of reps enough for each of these two muscles.
Thanks.

**hackskii** · 02-06-2006, 10:12 PM

I would do squats first of all for legs and you can do 4-5 sets.
If you are warming up then really one workset to failure should be ok, maybe 2.
But because you are just starting out you dont need alot of volume. As the legs or any muscle group for that matter get used to the load, the muscles will adapt.
So, when the muscles adapt you will either have to raise the intensity or up the volume to allow for extra stimulis to start the muscles to try to adapt.
This can also be done by using diffrent angles, like bar instead of dumbells, diffrent exercises like lunges instead of extensions or leg press.
The idea is to keep the body guessing whether it be diffrent exercises, rep range, number of sets and so on.

So the best advice is when starting out would not be to do 12 sets for lets say quads. That is pushing the overtraining envelope for me and I have been training for 27 years.
I would just do basic compound exercises for legs like squats, stiff leg dead lifts, start slow and let the legs adjust slowly. Otherwise you will overtrain, possibly get an injury or lose interest due to the amount of time you have to spend in the gym.

If it makes you feel any better, you can do quads on one day and hamstrings and calvs on another.
Either way the muscle grows due to adapting to the stimulis you are putting against that muscle. It will keep adapting as long as you change a few things, every so often.

Karl Sanders · 02-06-2006, 10:55 PM

Thanks for the advice, I will do as you say and keep it a little lighter until I'm more experienced. One other thing, is it a good idea to stretch before workouts?

Tatyana · 02-06-2006, 11:29 PM

All the physios I have seen recently say NO.

Warm up with a light jog or walking is a good idea, however too much stretching before legs or too soon after may only promote injury.

By 12 sets did you mean 12 reps?

That is a lot of sets.

Optimum rep ranges to build is thought to be between 8-12 though.

x
x
x
T

Karl Sanders · 03-06-2006, 11:03 AM

I did mean 12 sets, but having read what hackskii said I will do less, thanks for the stretching info, i will do a light five minute jog instead.

**hackskii** · 04-06-2006, 03:51 PM

Yah, cut those sets way down.
Later when you stop growing then you can add a set or so.

02-06-2006, 09:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Karl Sanders Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 44	Question about legs? I have been working out now for about a month but I have a question about my leg workouts. I train every muscle once a week and for my legs I do 12 sets of reps as I read that the bigger muscles need 12 sets and the smaller muscles like the biceps need 7 sets of reps, but I do the quads and hamstring muscles of my legs seperately using a multigym, my question is this, should I do 12 sets of reps for my quads AND 12 sets of reps for the hamstrings, or is 6 sets of reps enough for each of these two muscles. Thanks.

02-06-2006, 10:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,754	I would do squats first of all for legs and you can do 4-5 sets. If you are warming up then really one workset to failure should be ok, maybe 2. But because you are just starting out you dont need alot of volume. As the legs or any muscle group for that matter get used to the load, the muscles will adapt. So, when the muscles adapt you will either have to raise the intensity or up the volume to allow for extra stimulis to start the muscles to try to adapt. This can also be done by using diffrent angles, like bar instead of dumbells, diffrent exercises like lunges instead of extensions or leg press. The idea is to keep the body guessing whether it be diffrent exercises, rep range, number of sets and so on. So the best advice is when starting out would not be to do 12 sets for lets say quads. That is pushing the overtraining envelope for me and I have been training for 27 years. I would just do basic compound exercises for legs like squats, stiff leg dead lifts, start slow and let the legs adjust slowly. Otherwise you will overtrain, possibly get an injury or lose interest due to the amount of time you have to spend in the gym. If it makes you feel any better, you can do quads on one day and hamstrings and calvs on another. Either way the muscle grows due to adapting to the stimulis you are putting against that muscle. It will keep adapting as long as you change a few things, every so often. __________________ "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.

04-06-2006, 03:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 23,754	Yah, cut those sets way down. Later when you stop growing then you can add a set or so. __________________ "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.

02-06-2006, 10:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
Karl Sanders Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 44	Thanks for the advice, I will do as you say and keep it a little lighter until I'm more experienced. One other thing, is it a good idea to stretch before workouts?

02-06-2006, 11:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Tatyana My name is EARL Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: On my bloody bike doing cardio Posts: 3,463	All the physios I have seen recently say NO. Warm up with a light jog or walking is a good idea, however too much stretching before legs or too soon after may only promote injury. By 12 sets did you mean 12 reps? That is a lot of sets. Optimum rep ranges to build is thought to be between 8-12 though. x x x T

03-06-2006, 11:03 AM	#5 (permalink)
Karl Sanders Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 44	I did mean 12 sets, but having read what hackskii said I will do less, thanks for the stretching info, i will do a light five minute jog instead.