Which is better for sculpting legs?! (squat Q)

[VooDoo Lady]

Ok....with squats....

To sculpt my legs is it better to stay at a weight that I can do 10 reps of for all of my sets...or should I be adding weight each time and getting as many as I can???!!!

Thanks experts

 

[gymtime]

If you don't add any weight, your legs will never change Miss.

 

[Lord_Suston]

It all depends on what you want..
if you want good quads then hack squats will help greatly, but if you want overall leg developement then do squats, if you want to gain mass then up the weight.
If you want a nice ass do stiif-legged deads to firm up the rump, but not too much weight, I don't like an ass on a girl that is to big

 

[takniteasy]

I do one-leg split squats on the smith machine. They give my tush lift, and work well with traveling weighted lunges for sculpting quads and hammies.

 

[110%]

periodization, just make sure you are changing your rep schemes up every 8 weeks or so and you will be fine, do low reps do high reps do heavy reps do some of each, whatever just dont do the same thing constant without changing, your body will adapt and you wont get as good as results in strength in size if you were using periodization.

 

[aurelius]

What does "sculpt" mean?

 

[ladymacbeth]

[B
If you want a nice ass do stiif-legged deads to firm up the rump [/B]

LS and VDL: I've heard this before, but never incorporated this into my workout. I know I don't have good form, how do I get the most out of these (i.e. how do I not look like an asshole doing deadlifts in my overcrowded gym)? Any advice, links, good threads? I'm doing a search...hmmmmm

 

[bignate73]

LS and VDL: I've heard this before, but never incorporated this into my workout. I know I don't have good form, how do I get the most out of these (i.e. how do I not look like an asshole doing deadlifts in my overcrowded gym)? Any advice, links, good threads? I'm doing a search...hmmmmm

this months flex magazine has some pretty good pics (drool hehe) of an example of SLDL's.

basically, keep your legs straight or slightly bent (romanian) and bend only at the hips. flat back all the way. go til you feel a stretch and come back up with emphasis on glute contraction at the top. the key to this exercise is not low back work (though it will feel it) but hip extension (using the glutes). to keep yourself strict and safe, drag the bar up and down your legs(not literally) but keep the weight close to you. you can do these with a straight bar, dbells, on one leg or 2. one leg will work your hams something fierce, but get used to doing it on 2 first.

 

[endpoint]

the word sculpting makes me angry....not as angry as "toning" though

 

[bignate73]

the word sculpting makes me angry....not as angry as "toning" though

pink dbells are for sculpting, blue are for toning.

"i dont want to gain any muscle, just tone." heard it today. followed up by "im not so concerned with my weight or bodyfat, im happy with myself, what weight should i be at?" (attempt at sounding nonchalent about being out of shape and trying not to scream "i need a trainer to whoop my ass.")

i wanted to pimp slap.

 

[VooDoo Lady]

To me...sculpting means giving more definition rather than adding size...but in retrospect that will be dictated by my diet more than anything else.

You caught me.....I'm guilty of asking a VERY DUMB QUESTION! Sorrie

I got some good info out of it anyway

Let me clarify what I am really asking......My conundrum is basically this: When I squat, my husband is always adding more and more weight...but each time he does, my form suffers.....so should I keep the weight at a level where I can go all the way down to parallel EVERY rep....or should I just pile the weight on and go down as far as I can?!?!? Was that more clear??

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

stick with the high reps. try to add weight or add reps when you can. dont be afraid to take the reps HIGH if sculpting is what you are after. I used to have an old girlfriend that just did bodyweight squats, sets of 100. She put some tunes on and just tried to keep a rhythm (easier to crank the reps out) and her legs were fabulous! Kind of depends where you are starting at but good luck. Those high rep squat sets are a KILLER!

One thought might be to stcik with your current weight until you can do 40 reps with it. Your legs will be SCREAMING!

 

[wyst]

stick with the high reps. try to add weight or add reps when you can. dont be afraid to take the reps HIGH if sculpting is what you are after. I used to have an old girlfriend that just did bodyweight squats, sets of 100. She put some tunes on and just tried to keep a rhythm (easier to crank the reps out) and her legs were fabulous! Kind of depends where you are starting at but good luck. Those high rep squat sets are a KILLER!

One thought might be to stcik with your current weight until you can do 40 reps with it. Your legs will be SCREAMING!

I'm not disputing the results you've seen, heavywear, but wouldn't that tend to be bad for your joints? I've found better results with sets of 10-15, increasing the weight whenever I can. Of course take anything I have to say with a grain of salt, I haven't even hit bodyweight sets yet, but I'm getting close.



Wyst

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

well, I have never really had any joint problems myself but I will say that the heavy weight and low reps leaves my joints aching much more than high reps. The high reps for legs seem to hit the muscle better, I am just saying to work them in occasionally, not live off of them

what exactly is the chick in your avatar doing anyways wyst???

 

[the People's Champ]

your stance, narrow, wide, toes in/out, also affects which muscles get hit by any leg pushing exercise(i.e squats, leg press).

 

[Getdownonit]

The heavier the weight the more pressure on the joints. Especially squats. It is good to use high rep sets every so often even if it is just for some variation.

One thing you might want to try. A friend of mine uses HIT training alot. One thing he said always stuck in mind after i tried it. If you want a real burn then take you 10 rep squat weight and do 20 reps. It is possible, but it is psychological. If you believe you can do it you will. Try it, see how much it burns.

It is the same as the rack. I bet you could o your 1 rep max 3 times if you did it outside the rack as the fear of no "safety net", the rack, will drive you harder.

 

[sysopt]

To me...sculpting means giving more definition rather than adding size...but in retrospect that will be dictated by my diet more than anything else.

You caught me.....I'm guilty of asking a VERY DUMB QUESTION! Sorrie

I got some good info out of it anyway

Let me clarify what I am really asking......My conundrum is basically this: When I squat, my husband is always adding more and more weight...but each time he does, my form suffers.....so should I keep the weight at a level where I can go all the way down to parallel EVERY rep....or should I just pile the weight on and go down as far as I can?!?!? Was that more clear??

Don't know exactly what you mean by "my form suffers" but lets say a weight you can only do 6 reps you start breaking form and a weight you can do 8 times or more, you maintain it. I would stay at the lower weight until you can rep out 12 or 13, then add weight down to 8 reps again. Every work out try to crank out another rep or two.

Safety (form) first!

side note: sculpting, toning.... *bullshit buzzer*

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

take you 10 rep squat weight and do 20 reps. It is possible, but it is psychological

I would like to see many do this. My 10-rep squat weight is an all out 10. No way I am going to double it because I outsmart myself.

 

[kingsquat]

Diet is for sculpting.

Squats are for adding muscle.

 

[b fold the truth]

VooDoo Lady: If your form suffers..then you need to figure out why. Adding weight and your form being worse means that you have a weak spot...find it and strengthen it.

Getdownonit: A 10 rep set for me is just that...not an 11, not a 11 1/2...especially not a 20 rep set. If you could have possibly have done 20 with it...then it was a 20 rep set that you turned into a little girl and QUIT. It was not a 10 rep set then...you just quit at 10.

I never train to where I COULD HAVE done more...I just did it.

B True

 

[JOKER47]

No way I am going to double it because I outsmart myself.

I like that.....

 

[Getdownonit]

my point was aimed at the intensity at which many people train to.

Alot of people say they train hard, but in fact they are holding back whether they know it or not.

Obviously if your failiing on like rep 6 or 7 on a 10 rep set and need your spot to ensure you finish then fine, but i see so many people squat for 10 and rack the weight and walk away. Although it may have been difficult, if they can walk properly after a proper set then they could probably do more. After a proper set i am basically dead.

Im trying to say that it is psyhcological and many people could do more than what they do.