posted Thu, 12/05/2013 - 13:48
1201
Legs and Squats
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I'm adamant about training Quads and Calves. I always want a proportional physique with decent Legs to match my upper body. I'm trying to build strong legs but I also do Cardio as well.
How often do you squat each week? What other exercises for Legs do you like and do you train legs more than once per week?
Would like to know everyone's opinions about Leg Training.
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Thanks for all the replies. Just trying to see what everyone else is doing for Leg Training. It's more important than people think, IMO. It separates the people who want a total body compared to those who only train upper body. I never wanted to be a top heavy lifter and I've always worked my legs, for years. They are muscular and pretty strong, but I'd like to improve them even more. Lately I've been squatting just once per week, partly because I also do cardio which puts stress on leg muscles as well. I've also been doing leg presses, extensions, curls, and deadlifts. I might try squatting twice per week to see if results are any different.
I don't sweat much during weight training because my conditioning is very good and I'm able to run miles without stopping. I notice the better my cardio is, the less I sweat during weight lifting. I'd still like to add some lean muscle, and doing cardio while trying to put on muscle is not easy.
I squatted 2-3 times per week. Now twice and only front squats.
My leg training atm (heavy quad focus):
front squats: work up to one heavy working set 1-5 reps
hack squats: drop set 5 plates down to one
leg extensions: 2 sets of ~30-50 just for fun
deadlifts: 1 heavy set normaly 1-3 reps
leg curls: 3 sets of 12-20
seated and standing calf raises: 3-5 sets each
works great for me, quads are growing like crazy while hams and glutes grow a bit. Once the quads are brought up enough i will do something like: high bar squats, some DL variation, leg curls and maybe one more quad movement then a few sets for calves.
hope this helps
If you work quads hard, you won't be able to train them more than once a week. It's Saturday now, I trained quads Wednesday and they're still giving me a touch if "John Wayne walk" today. They're huge muscles and take time to recover.
Calves are a different ball game. 3-4 times per week. I had shoulder surgery 3 months ago and could only train legs for about 8 weeks. I hit my calves 5 times a week during that time. Made more progress than I have in the last 2 years.
Let your quads dictate your next workout, bottom line: If they're still sore, take some more rest until fully healed and don't be afraid to experiment above your limits (Heavier weights). If you do cardio, it helps a little, but alternate with cardio on one week and fully rest on the other.
I train quads, hams and calves all on separate days. Calves always twice a week cause they are stubborn.
Besides Squats and all forms of squats, bench lunges with dumbbells smoke the quads.
Split looks like this:
Week 1
Sun Back, Calves
Mon Chest, Hams
Tues Quads, Forearms
Wed Off
Thurs Tri's, Bi's, Calves
Fri Shoulders, Traps
Sat Quads
Week 2
Sun Back, Calves
Mon Quads, Forearms
Tues Chest. Hams
Wed Off
Thurs Tri's,Bi's Calves
Fri Shoulders, Traps
Sat Chest, Hams
Week 3
Sun Quads, Forearms
Mon Back, Calves
Tues Chest, Hams
Wes Off
Thurs Tri's, Bi's, Calves
Fri Shoulders, Traps
Sat Quads
Week 4
Sun Back, Calves
Mon Chest, Hams
Tues Quads, Forearms
Wed Off
Thurs Tri's, Bi's, Calves
Fri Shoulders, Traps
Sat Back, Calves
As you can see legs and back get hit 6 times every 28 days, chest 5 times, arms and shoulders 4 times.
I sometimes switch off days from Wed to Tues if i'm feeling I need to. Also every other leg session will be power days with heavy weights, next session of legs will be a lighter day (20 reps squats). I dump cardio in the winter, these workouts are enough cardio for me.
Make sure your eating enough or it's all bullshit!
I would train legs once per week or even 8 days. Most overtrain! Muscle builds as you are resting it. Better to do less than more. Most people I see in the gym would do much better if they did 3 exercises once per week. Dead lifts, squats, and bench press. Train each exercise to failure and go home and eat and come back a week later and do it all over again. Muscle is built more in the kitchen than in the weight room. Those compound exercises workout out your entire nervous system, your whole body. If it is stressed it takes a long time to heal itself and then build itself up stronger to deal with the stress.
I agree with this... especially when hitting legs. I can not walk properly for about 3-4 days afterwards and that is with drinking tons of amino acids and proteins glutamine oils etc throughout the day. I hit them once a week and that is all I need!! Lol calves included...
I agree with this when I'm off cycle. On cycle is a different story
It depends on what you are running.. I have ran test and dbol and even then If I went insane on squatting to the point where I am about to pop I would still be in the same boat as far as recovery lol, off cycle is even worse!!