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I was told by a respectable bodybuilder I know to use higher reps. I've been doing 5x5 for squats, and he said the low reps won't grow. I believe in progressive overload. But does it work for legs? Here is the routine he sent me.
You're not going to want to hear this because you're stuck on that 5x5 program but that shit won't work for legs. Legs do not work like other muscles. you might be able to get by using such low reps with other muscles but legs won't grow for shit like that.
There are two things you need to know about building big legs, do these two things correctly and your legs will grow, trust me. First, legs grow best from high rep squats, shoot for 15-20 reps, find a weight that you will absolultely fail in that rep range meaning you will need a spotter to step in and assist you getting it back up. If you get more than 20 reps, that's fine too, don't just stop in the middle of a set just add more weight next time. The next tip is to do FULL squats, which means beyond parallel, ass to your calves, if you can't feel your butt touching your calves, you're probably not going low enough. This is what separates the men from the boys bro, these are not easy squats when you start going all the way down and start doing 20 reps. It takes everything you got in you, but its so rewarding, I'm not going to lie, I fucking hate squats because I know how much pain this routine brings, but your legs WILL grow if you start using this method.
Don't worry about the fact you don't have a leg press or hack squat, those are secondary to squats anyway.
Now this the routine I would suggest for you and no matter how crazy it sounds, stick to it to a T and watch your legs grow like never before.
Squats
2-3 warm up sets, 12 reps, always ass to your calves, never do partial squats or stop at parallel, this creates weak knees and small legs. after your 2-3 warm up sets, do one maximum effort set until complete failure in the 15-20 rep range, this takes balls, its not easy and if it were, everyone would have big legs, choose a weight that you will fail around 18 reps or so, make sure you have a spotter ready, when you think you can't get any more reps, just stop squatting with the weight on your shoulders for a few seconds and squeeze out another, then rest for a few seconds and do another, this is what I mean by maximum failure. Usually 2-3 rest pause reps and you won't be able to continue at all. You will probably feel sick and light headed when you get done, but that is what it takes to grow. And this is all you need to do for squats.
Lunges
Since you don't have a leg press or hack squat, I would say grab a bar, put it behind your head and do walking lunges, no need to do but one set until absolute failure, choose a weight again that will allow you to fail around 15-20 reps again. this is including your 2-3 rest pause reps. Those reps really make a difference so don't leave them out. Those are what allow you to take leg training to a whole new level.
Leg Extensions
I would finish up quads with leg extensions, you don't have to go terribly heavy here and honestly you shouldn't be able to after going all out on the other two exercises, choose a weight that will allow you to fail around 15 reps including 2-3 rest pause reps. The main thing with leg extensions is you HAVE to do them slow and controlled and squeeze the legs at the top, don't just go through the motions, feel the muscle burn and ache.
Seated Leg Curls
If you have one of these machines do these first, some gyms have them, some don't. Do 1 warm up set squeezing the hams tightly and concentrate on flexing them like your biceps during every rep. 12 reps should be fine for a warm up. Then its time to go heavy, hams tend to respond better with low reps, so choose a weight that you will fail around 8 reps with a few rest pause reps in there.
Lying Leg Curl
No need to do a warm up here if you just did Seated Leg Curls, go immediately to your heaviest set and choose a weight that you will fail around 8 reps with a few rest pause reps. Now, if you don't have a seated leg curl, do two heavy working sets here to make up for it and of course do at least one warm up set since you won't be doing seated leg curls.
Alright, as soon as you get finished with those, its VERY important to stretch the quads for at least 30-45 seconds in an extreme stretching position, I like to squat down, push my thighs forward and lean backwards, almost like a sissy squat, just get in position and hold, the stretch is essential for quad growth. Then stand up and bend over with your butt against a wall and touch your toes, hold this for about 30-45 seconds to stretch the hamstrings.
On to calves.......
Seated Calf Raises
1-2 warm up sets, full range feet need to go down as far as possible and up to the top and hold for a sec, you need to do them slow and controlled feeling the calf do the work, next move up to your heavy working set, lo reps work best on seated calf raises, pick a weight that you will fail around 6-8 reps with some rest pause reps included. The weight needs to be heavy but not at the expense of full range of motion. if you can't raise the weight all the way up and hold, its too heavy.
Standing Calf Raises
No warm ups needed since you just finished with seated calf raises, choose a weight that you will fail around 12 reps with a few rest pause reps. Very important to make sure you can raise up on your toes and hold, you don't have to go down as far on these as you do on seated cal raises but IT IS important that you are able to hold at the top, do 12 reps slow and controlled but it has to be to failure.
This is all you need to grow, if you do exactly as I have listed and you don't cheat yourself, you go balls to the wall all out failure with some res pause reps in there, you WILL grow. Full squats aren't easy and anyone not doing them is taking the chickenshit way out, but your legs will also show it. High reps are ESSENTIAL for big legs, I know many powerlifters who are strong as Hell on squats but because they don't do high reps, they don't have huge legs, its a fact. You want big legs, stick to those two rules and take them to absolute failure to the point where you think you might not live another second, then you're there. Listen to what I told you, do them exactly as I said, give them one month of doing everything the way I told you and watch your legs grow like never before.
You're not going to want to hear this because you're stuck on that 5x5 program but that shit won't work for legs. Legs do not work like other muscles. you might be able to get by using such low reps with other muscles but legs won't grow for shit like that.
There are two things you need to know about building big legs, do these two things correctly and your legs will grow, trust me. First, legs grow best from high rep squats, shoot for 15-20 reps, find a weight that you will absolultely fail in that rep range meaning you will need a spotter to step in and assist you getting it back up. If you get more than 20 reps, that's fine too, don't just stop in the middle of a set just add more weight next time. The next tip is to do FULL squats, which means beyond parallel, ass to your calves, if you can't feel your butt touching your calves, you're probably not going low enough. This is what separates the men from the boys bro, these are not easy squats when you start going all the way down and start doing 20 reps. It takes everything you got in you, but its so rewarding, I'm not going to lie, I fucking hate squats because I know how much pain this routine brings, but your legs WILL grow if you start using this method.
Don't worry about the fact you don't have a leg press or hack squat, those are secondary to squats anyway.
Now this the routine I would suggest for you and no matter how crazy it sounds, stick to it to a T and watch your legs grow like never before.
Squats
2-3 warm up sets, 12 reps, always ass to your calves, never do partial squats or stop at parallel, this creates weak knees and small legs. after your 2-3 warm up sets, do one maximum effort set until complete failure in the 15-20 rep range, this takes balls, its not easy and if it were, everyone would have big legs, choose a weight that you will fail around 18 reps or so, make sure you have a spotter ready, when you think you can't get any more reps, just stop squatting with the weight on your shoulders for a few seconds and squeeze out another, then rest for a few seconds and do another, this is what I mean by maximum failure. Usually 2-3 rest pause reps and you won't be able to continue at all. You will probably feel sick and light headed when you get done, but that is what it takes to grow. And this is all you need to do for squats.
Lunges
Since you don't have a leg press or hack squat, I would say grab a bar, put it behind your head and do walking lunges, no need to do but one set until absolute failure, choose a weight again that will allow you to fail around 15-20 reps again. this is including your 2-3 rest pause reps. Those reps really make a difference so don't leave them out. Those are what allow you to take leg training to a whole new level.
Leg Extensions
I would finish up quads with leg extensions, you don't have to go terribly heavy here and honestly you shouldn't be able to after going all out on the other two exercises, choose a weight that will allow you to fail around 15 reps including 2-3 rest pause reps. The main thing with leg extensions is you HAVE to do them slow and controlled and squeeze the legs at the top, don't just go through the motions, feel the muscle burn and ache.
Seated Leg Curls
If you have one of these machines do these first, some gyms have them, some don't. Do 1 warm up set squeezing the hams tightly and concentrate on flexing them like your biceps during every rep. 12 reps should be fine for a warm up. Then its time to go heavy, hams tend to respond better with low reps, so choose a weight that you will fail around 8 reps with a few rest pause reps in there.
Lying Leg Curl
No need to do a warm up here if you just did Seated Leg Curls, go immediately to your heaviest set and choose a weight that you will fail around 8 reps with a few rest pause reps. Now, if you don't have a seated leg curl, do two heavy working sets here to make up for it and of course do at least one warm up set since you won't be doing seated leg curls.
Alright, as soon as you get finished with those, its VERY important to stretch the quads for at least 30-45 seconds in an extreme stretching position, I like to squat down, push my thighs forward and lean backwards, almost like a sissy squat, just get in position and hold, the stretch is essential for quad growth. Then stand up and bend over with your butt against a wall and touch your toes, hold this for about 30-45 seconds to stretch the hamstrings.
On to calves.......
Seated Calf Raises
1-2 warm up sets, full range feet need to go down as far as possible and up to the top and hold for a sec, you need to do them slow and controlled feeling the calf do the work, next move up to your heavy working set, lo reps work best on seated calf raises, pick a weight that you will fail around 6-8 reps with some rest pause reps included. The weight needs to be heavy but not at the expense of full range of motion. if you can't raise the weight all the way up and hold, its too heavy.
Standing Calf Raises
No warm ups needed since you just finished with seated calf raises, choose a weight that you will fail around 12 reps with a few rest pause reps. Very important to make sure you can raise up on your toes and hold, you don't have to go down as far on these as you do on seated cal raises but IT IS important that you are able to hold at the top, do 12 reps slow and controlled but it has to be to failure.
This is all you need to grow, if you do exactly as I have listed and you don't cheat yourself, you go balls to the wall all out failure with some res pause reps in there, you WILL grow. Full squats aren't easy and anyone not doing them is taking the chickenshit way out, but your legs will also show it. High reps are ESSENTIAL for big legs, I know many powerlifters who are strong as Hell on squats but because they don't do high reps, they don't have huge legs, its a fact. You want big legs, stick to those two rules and take them to absolute failure to the point where you think you might not live another second, then you're there. Listen to what I told you, do them exactly as I said, give them one month of doing everything the way I told you and watch your legs grow like never before.
