Suggestions of gaining leg size...?

[SofaGeorge]

If anyone can make some suggestions for a routine to pack some size onto my legs... I'd really appreciate it.

My current routine is:

Sprints 5 X 220 yards

Deadlifts 5 X 5
Squats 2 X 6
Hack Squat 2 X 8-10

Straight leg deadlifts w/dumbbells 3 X 8-10
Leg curls 3 X 10

Calves 5 sets of whatever.

I've had many leg injuries in my life... but no knee problems. My legs are FULLY recovered and I want to start hammering them to regain size.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gettinlarger]

I recommend moving the conv. deads to back day and lose the db's on the SLs.

 

[Night Fly]

First off...are the sprints mandatory or could you do some other form of cardio?

I would up your squat sets 4 X 5 or 3 X5 whichever you prefer.
Hack squat reps seem fine.
I like to throw in 2 sets of 15 reps on the leg press to help with lactic acid formation and muscle endurance. I've found that it has helped me out a lot. You may want to consider doing that instead of doing sprints/cardio. Leg day is NOT a fun day to do cardio on.
Drop the deads to back day like gettinlarger said...

Cut out the db and use the barbell for the SLDL.
Do either good mornings or glute ham raises. Those both hammer my hamstrings.

I hope that made sense! It's helped my legs grow, for sure.

 

[supersizeme]

like nf said...up both your reps and sets for squats. your leg workout should revolve around squats. like if your workout was HBO Saturday Night Boxing, the main event would be squats(except the main event would be fought before the other less important fights) and the other fights would be some combination of leg press, hacks, lunges, and leg extensions. My legs grew best at a higher rep range than nf suggested. i would do a couple of warmup sets at 10 reps, then about 4 working sets starting off with a weight that i could just barely hit 10 for, then moving up 20 or so pounds with each set until I was down to 6 reps on my heaviest weight, then drop to a weight that I could get for 10 on my final set. Then I would 3 sets of 10,8,6 on either leg press, hacks, or lunges, and then 3 burnout sets of leg extensions. I do hams and traps on a separate day, so that's when I would hit the stiff legged deadlifts. and, like nf said, lose the db's on the deadlifts. not only can you not use decent weight unless your db's go well over 100, but i have found that my form suffers if i'm not using a barbell.
oh and sprinting is not going to do very much as far as increasing the size of your legs. i'd get rid of those.

 

[mekannik]

supersizeme
oh and sprinting is not going to do very much as far as increasing the size of your legs. i'd get rid of those.

http://www.testosterone.net/html/1550yar.html

http://www.testosterone.net/articles/165ham2.html


Sprinter's have crappy legs? Sprints might not be the best for quad development, but considering the size/function/appearance of the hamstrings - could you afford to not do these?

Besides - doing sprints (not miles worth at a time) doesn't equate to a cardio session.

 

[CrimsonKing]

Sofa -

IMO throw it all out..

I gained the most size on my legs doing 20 rep heavy breathing squats. That is the most intense exercise you can do for max anabolic reaction.

Throw what you normally do for 10 clean reps on the bar then do that but instead of putting the bar back on the rack keep it on your shoulders. rest for a few seconds, take a few deep breaths and do 1 more rep! Repeat this until you reach 20 reps. Do this no more than 1 per week. Also, everytime you step up to the bar to start the 20 reps add poundage to the bar. YES everytime. Work up to 1.5x your bodyweight fro 20 reps. Your legs will have to grow!

 

[SofaGeorge]

Sprinter's have crappy legs? Sprints might not be the best for quad development, but considering the size/function/appearance of the hamstrings - could you afford to not do these?

I added the sprints after talking to several pros and top amateurs with massive legs. They all universally said sprints 100-200 years were the best size builder there is for hamstrings. It's also an exercise that almost everyone overlooks for building size... but back in the old days when I was in high school was the gospel. (I'm an agnostic on whether or not it is good.)

Per everybody's suggestion I'll switch to barbell instead of dumbbell SLDL. I had been using DB for variation and hated them.

It also seems like most of you agree that high rep sets build size. I've been low repping my squats. I'm a fan of squatting heavy and first liked NF's numbers... but then I saw she followed it with high rep on the leg press.

Thaks for all ideas.

 

[Night Fly]

It also seems like most of you agree that high rep sets build size. I've been low repping my squats. I'm a fan of squatting heavy and first liked NF's numbers... but then I saw she followed it with high rep on the leg press.

Thaks for all ideas.

I think that the heavy squats will benefit you more than anything. OH, and I only do the leg press about every 3 weeks or so....just to add something different. My workout focuses around my squat, though...

 

[gymtime]

I think that the heavy squats will benefit you more than anything. OH, and I only do the leg press about every 3 weeks or so....just to add something different. My workout focuses around my squat, though...

Agreed. Keep the squats heavy, but also keep the volume a little higher. Legs can handle and respond to a lot more volume than upper body.

Hi NF!!

 

[SofaGeorge]

I think that the heavy squats will benefit you more than anything. OH, and I only do the leg press about every 3 weeks or so....just to add something different. My workout focuses around my squat, though...

Kewl... this is old school and what I grew up on. In the old days bodybuilders were strong. They took pride in strong lifts... and equated strength with size.

Somehow that concept got lost.

I shalt squat heavy with more sets.

 

[machman]

Great thread everyone ! ! !

Just a quick question for Crimson King. How do you incorporate those 20 rep squats into your leg workout? At the end for 1 set? The whole workout? How many sets of how many reps? Give us a breakdown.

 

[nikkita]

sofa... are you ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph??

 

[The Shadow]

If anyone can make some suggestions for a routine to pack some size onto my legs... I'd really appreciate it.

My current routine is:

Sprints 5 X 220 yards

Deadlifts 5 X 5
Squats 2 X 6
Hack Squat 2 X 8-10

Straight leg deadlifts w/dumbbells 3 X 8-10
Leg curls 3 X 10

Calves 5 sets of whatever.

I've had many leg injuries in my life... but no knee problems. My legs are FULLY recovered and I want to start hammering them to regain size.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Squats one set of 20
Lunges 3 sets of 12-15 lunges per leg
Hacks - 3 sets of 12-15
Still Deads with barbell - 3 sets of 6-8
Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 20-30
Leg Curls 3 sets of 20-30


...BUT - IO respond better to higher reps....I have lost size since switching to pling...so.....do what works for you......I HIGHLY recommend the lunges and hacks and some form of a squat.

 

[spatts]

I sound like a broken record, I'm sure. I contend that how YOU grow best depends on the type of muscle fiber YOU have. I grow FAST on heavy, low rep, explosive movements....and what do you know, I'm a former sprinter and speed/strength athlete. Go figure. Other people, who do not have the same density of fast twitch muscle fibers tend to respond better to high volume work.

I think how you recover is just as important as how you train.

....and of course, it never hurts to have realistic size gain goals.

 

[SofaGeorge]

sofa... are you ectomorph, mesomorph or endomorph??

Good question... I guess you have to go to where you started as a kid.

In high school I was an ectomorph... about 6'2" at 150 lbs... a very scrawny weed. By natural lifting I was 6'4" 200 lbs in my '20s. After juicing and cramming down lots of protein and lfting heavy for 10 years with a wife who was the best work out partner a man could ask for - I leveled off at about 6'4" 240 lbs.

I've now deliberately pulled my weight back to 208 lbs with DNP and r-ALA.

I lost size on both my arms and legs, but the freaky part in bringing my weight DOWN is my strength is at an all time high. I finished a fina/test/whinny 8 weeker in August... and two months after that my PR deadlift was UP 20 lbs... and the week after that I rep'd the same weight for 6 reps (3 sets!).

I'm juice free now and my strength is still holding... going up slightly on a couple lifts.

I'm experimenting with a supplement, a plant extract called carao, and coupled with r-ALA it appears to have very unique "strength" enhancing qualities. The jury is fully out on how it works or if it works... and research is very scanty... but the anecdotal stuff is amazing. (It also increases hemoglobin by 130%.)

Big problem is there will NEVER be enough carao for it to become a product. One nutty guy as best I can tell is cold processing the extract... and at max capacity he can make 1,000 bottles a year. He sells it in Costa Rica as a health tonic/vigor tonic. It isn't a tree that can ever be grown as a "crop" so he roams the country side picking pods randomly from different sites.

He's having some trouble getting his extraction process right, but when he gets it perfected... I'm going to pay him to ship a bunch of free bottles to people willing to take part in testing it.

But for now, I just want to bring my legs back up an inch.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Re: Re: Suggestions of gaining leg size...?

Squats one set of 20
Lunges 3 sets of 12-15 lunges per leg
Hacks - 3 sets of 12-15
Still Deads with barbell - 3 sets of 6-8
Leg Extensions - 3 sets of 20-30
Leg Curls 3 sets of 20-30


...BUT - IO respond better to higher reps....I have lost size since switching to pling...so.....do what works for you......I HIGHLY recommend the lunges and hacks and some form of a squat.

Spatts, Night Fly, Et al - what is your oppinion of mixing high rep and low rep sets of the same exercise?

i.e., 2 sets squats 3-5 reps and then 2 sets squats 20 reps

Also, I've had some hamstring injuries this year. Is it safer to go higher rep... like 30 reps on something like the leg curl. (I used to always max the stack for like 6-8 reps.)

I'm fully recovered from all leg injuries... but keeping my eyes wide open.

 

[The Shadow]

Re: Re: Re: Suggestions of gaining leg size...?

Spatts, Night Fly, Et al - what is your oppinion of mixing high rep and low rep sets of the same exercise?

i.e., 2 sets squats 3-5 reps and then 2 sets squats 20 reps

Also, I've had some hamstring injuries this year. Is it safer to go higher rep... like 30 reps on something like the leg curl. (I used to always max the stack for like 6-8 reps.)

I'm fully recovered from all leg injuries... but keeping my eyes wide open.

On the squats...I think it is redundent to so to high and low to failure.......perhaps a strip set might be more apropo....a weight that will allow 6-8 - drop some weight to get another 6-8...do a total of 2-3 drops and you will get fast and slow twitch fibers.....


on the leg curls - the higher rep ranger was to balance the lower reps on the deads.....

 

[SofaGeorge]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Suggestions of gaining leg size...?

On the squats...I think it is redundent to so to high and low to failure.......perhaps a strip set might be more apropo....a weight that will allow 6-8 - drop some weight to get another 6-8...do a total of 2-3 drops and you will get fast and slow twitch fibers.....


on the leg curls - the higher rep ranger was to balance the lower reps on the deads.....

Okay... I understand. Thx.

 

[spatts]

Well, SG, we train by lift, so I would say I'm all for mixed volumes. Here's why...on max day we do low rep, with high rep accessory work. Then on speed day we do high(er) rep, with speed high rep acc work. So I would say we hit low, med, high, and different speeds during the week. It works for me.

 

[Night Fly]

SG...if you are talking about mixing high reps/low reps on one exercise during that workout for the day. I don't see anything wrong with it. That is why I sometimes add the 2 sets of 15 leg presses in my routine.

If I were you...since you are going for size...I would do 3-4 sets of 5 reps for your squat...and then drop the weight down so that you can rep out 20 reps on the last set. I have done that...and it works wonders! I think that is along the lines of what you were talking about doing!

 

[SofaGeorge]

I just got back from trying to incorporate this all into a new leg day.

 

[The Shadow]

lol

post it up - lol

 

[SofaGeorge]

lol

post it up - lol

I kept the 5 x 200 yard sprints. They don't tire me at all and act as a great warmup prior to working legs. Also, the walk from the park to the gym is so long I fully rested when I get to the gym.

Squats

4 X 5
1 X 20

hack squats
3 X 6-15 (I had trouble finding my right weight after doing squats... so I had a wide rep range. I was aiming for 8.)

Leg Press

2 X 20

I also tried working a couple sets of lunges... but I am so far from being able to coordinate the movement that I'm not counting them. I'm just going to keep doing them at a couple sets a workout for form... non existant weight till I have the balance.

Straight leg deadlifts
3 x 8

leg curls

3 x 20

Calves 5 sets never matters what.

It may not look like a lot... but my legs are fried.

 

[The Shadow]

nice...ex[ect crazy soreness arounf the inner knee tomorrow

 

[bearrito]

The best way to put size on your legs is to work out with B Fold. I've put .5 inches on my thighs and .25 inches on my calves in the past 5 weeks working out with him .

 

[Night Fly]

Nice job, SofaGeorge! How did the squat sets work for you?

 

[spatts]

Nice job, SofaGeorge! How did the squat sets work for you?

I think he said...

 

[JDarty6173]

The best or fastest leg growth I have ever experienced is in the past 3 months since starting WSB training... I have been trashing my hamstrings with glute ham raises twice per week and they have seemingly doubled in size... So make sure your hitting your hams as hard as your quads since they do make up half your leg size.....

 

[spatts]

I grow well on WSB too.

...and I'm rarely "crazy sore."

 

[SofaGeorge]

Nice job, SofaGeorge! How did the squat sets work for you?

Ass to the floor every set... and then I had to walk a mile home after my workout.



I started doing ATF squats after reading a number of posts here. I used to go parallel. Doing them high weight low rep is definitely brutal.

I think that following them up with the 20 rep sets on the leg press is the true combo killer.

Also, it was really valuable to get the high rep leg curl suggestions. I've NEVER trained my hamstrings high rep... definitely an interesting variation... and makes me feel safer after having had a hamstring injury.

 

[bearrito]

I agree with Spatts. WSB style puts on size, and doesn't make you extremely sore. Although, they are some of the most grueling workouts I've ever been thru