should I do more?

[vakker]

I have tooth picks for legs, just naturally that way but I work on it. I decided a few months ago to really focus on legs with super intense workouts rather than super long workouts. My leg day is currently 5 sets of heavy squats (as deep as I can go) or leg press (sometimes all the squat racks are in use) followed by heavy stiff deadlifts.

My legs feel brutal, 2-3 days sore afterwards.

Should I be doing more or should I take the soreness as a sign that I'm taxing my legs pretty good and growth should come?

[devo09]

Yes. . you should do more. ..

. . more frequent training.

If your legs are a weakpoint train them 2x per week. Yes it will be hell at first, but within a few weeks they won't get near as sore (ala the repeated bout effect)

[physique]

when my legs sucked, i use to do 10 sets of squats twice a week. and 5 sets of leg curls
reps in the 8-10 range and putting more weight on the bar each set.

worked like a charm.

[vakker]

yikes. two votes for twice a week.

I guess I'll give it a shot in a day or two. Should I switch from deads to hamstring curls? Due to time, I no longer have a back day, I just focus more on power movements and let them take care of my back.

[devo09]

yikes. two votes for twice a week.

I guess I'll give it a shot in a day or two. Should I switch from deads to hamstring curls? Due to time, I no longer have a back day, I just focus more on power movements and let them take care of my back.

You should still try to have some rowing and pulldown movements for back (if your looking to maximize its development)

I think the best way to set up a 2x per week leg routine is:

day 1- Squat (variation of choice) + Stiff-leg deads +isolations

day 2- conventional deadlift + leg press +isolations

some people can't handle that much work on the lower back; if that is the case then don't do SLDL on day 1, just follow the squats with machine work

For the 4 movements above do each for 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps with the same weight for all those sets.

[gmoney]

I also have toothpicks.

I was training my legs once every four days before... I think that was too much. I am now training them once a week and I don't think it's enough. So i guess that would leave once every 5 or 6 days. Maybe just experiment and find the most frequent rate at which you can train them whilst still recovering and progressing in strength.


I think the best way to set up a 2x per week leg routine is:

day 1- Squat (variation of choice) + Stiff-leg deads +isolations

day 2- conventional deadlift + leg press +isolations


I also like this idea of having two different legs days and alternating as I think you could likely train your legs more frequently and effectively this way.

[ironwill]

I have tooth picks for legs, just naturally that way but I work on it. I decided a few months ago to really focus on legs with super intense workouts rather than super long workouts. My leg day is currently 5 sets of heavy squats (as deep as I can go) or leg press (sometimes all the squat racks are in use) followed by heavy stiff deadlifts.

My legs feel brutal, 2-3 days sore afterwards.

Should I be doing more or should I take the soreness as a sign that I'm taxing my legs pretty good and growth should come?

Please dont be pissed at what im going to say.....
Stop being lazy dude, thats not super intense by any stretch man.......

Try doing lunges, extensions, hack squats, leg curls, deadlifts etc......4-5 sets for all of them pick 5 exercises and go hard bro, focus on continuous improvements ie; More reps, or higher weight each time out, keep a journal and use it..........Once a week is fine IMO,
2x a week you better have good recovery, or do the workout as you have laid out above, but 2 times /week and be honest with yourself and almost puke every time...lol...
Hope this helps......meant in an honest constructive way......:D

[vakker]

Please dont be pissed at what im going to say.....
Stop being lazy dude, thats not super intense by any stretch man.......

Try doing lunges, extensions, hack squats, leg curls, deadlifts etc......4-5 sets for all of them pick 5 exercises and go hard bro, focus on continuous improvements ie; More reps, or higher weight each time out, keep a journal and use it..........Once a week is fine IMO,
2x a week you better have good recovery, or do the workout as you have laid out above, but 2 times /week and be honest with yourself and almost puke every time...lol...
Hope this helps......meant in an honest constructive way......:D

I can't walk after the squats, so I think thats intense. I think you are a volume guy, which is cool, but increasing the amount of sets (from 10 to....25?) just doesn't sound like something that would work for me, at least not to the degree which you suggest.

I might try the twice a week leg workout while switching the exercises, I think that might work a bit better for me.

I have yet to throw up in the gym, but this gym is so small and so un-hardcore, I'd never live it down if I did :)

Thanks for all the advice guys.

[GYMBRAT]

I do 10 sets of squats with a pyramid style (including 3 sets 4 warm up) once per wk, working from higher rep to lower reps down to 4 reps SUPER HEAVY, and continue with hacks with 4 x 6-8 reps copied with ext., leg curls......but once per wk!

[Ritch]

I`d still say train everything once a week. Try drop sets, negatives, performe 1 1/4 reps to increase intensity. Besides if you squat and deadlift in the same week on different days, you`re getting stimulation in the legs twice as it is. You gotta train hard enough on the first set so that on your second you can`t get the same amount of reps on the second. Usually 2 less reps means you gave it your all.

[btufts]

I personally found training one muscle group twice a week is relentless. You should be training hard enough on legs that they're still sore for a few days after. Try new things, I've found pre exhausts work well for growth. Pump out a few sets of leg extensions before your squats every once in a while. Try front squats, in my opinion they brought my quads up incredibly. Even at the end of a hard leg workout i'll rep out holding a 120lb dumbbell under my chin and do close stance front squats. Also recommend hack squats, they really bring out the sweep in your quads. A lot of people don't realize how big of a muscle group your upper legs contain, you have to hit them from all angles.

[Big J]

Do some high reps once in a while. 15-25 reps

[devo09]

I personally found training one muscle group twice a week is relentless. You should be training hard enough on legs that they're still sore for a few days after.
Just because your legs are still sore does NOT mean you can/shouldn't train them again. The more often you train them the less sore they will get...

You can only stimulate so much growth during a workout. So while you keep doing legs 1x per week; I'll do them 2x per week, and stimulate protein synthesis TWICE as often as you :D

[btufts]

Just because your legs are still sore does NOT mean you can/shouldn't train them again. The more often you train them the less sore they will get...

You can only stimulate so much growth during a workout. So while you keep doing legs 1x per week; I'll do them 2x per week, and stimulate protein synthesis TWICE as often as you :D

Well for me personally when i do legs i'm toast for a week anyway, a long with doing heavy deads on back day. The more often you train them the more immune they'll get to exercise making it harder to get a burn. Why do more when i can do less and still tear muscle fibers :D

[devo09]

Well for me personally when i do legs i'm toast for a week anyway, a long with doing heavy deads on back day. The more often you train them the more immune they'll get to exercise making it harder to get a burn. Why do more when i can do less and still tear muscle fibers :D,
whatever works, I like doing deads on leg day (so it pretty much becomes a leg/lower back day)
It would also depend if your taking any "super supps" because if you're not, then you want to train a muscle MORE frequently because you want to stimulate protein synthesis as often as possible; aas results in eleveated protein synthesis around the clock so people can get away with training a muscle less frequently

[btufts]

Yeah but as for the natural guy, we love our growing time... if i were on the juice id be training everything twice a week lol

[devo09]

Yeah but as for the natural guy, we love our growing time... if i were on the juice id be training everything twice a week lol

well once protein synthesis levels return to baseline (approx 48hrs) "growing time' is over lol

[btufts]

Its ok, My split is 4 days on one day off usually, everything gets hit enough that it has about 2 days to rest. I do my big compound movements 3 out of those 4 days which work everything so there isn't many moments when one muscle group isn't being stimulated for more than 48 hours.

[warlock]

workout more and don't do stiff legs deadlifts or leg extentions they **** you up

[GYMBRAT]

once a wk is plenty if you do it right ;)

[JifeLacket]

i would do 2x week, for max hypertrophy do 10x10's one day and higher rep stuff the next working day.