Skinny Legs

[Skinnylegs]

Hi. I am new and as my handle suggests, this is my problem. I have tried and failed with weights before. Trouble is I developed my upper body when young,at the expense of my legs. Muscle memory being what it is, my upper body kicks in and I can get pumped quick if I do any upper body work. So I don't. I used to try and do a full workout but my legs wouldn't feel anything. I would squat and do calf raises till I was blue in the face.Not even a burn next day. I realize I am doing something wrong. I have tried running, kicking a soccer ball against a fence, for fresh air and general conditioning, but legs just look as skinny as ever. I am despondent about trying to get back into weights again and fail. Any suggestions?

[cog]

Leg press at a slower pace.Obviously your form with squats had to have been quite poor.

[Skinnylegs]

Yes.Obviously I was doing something wrong. I guess if I was actually doing something that showed results, I would be encouraged. Got a mental block about it.

[cog]

Likely leaning forward and not going deep enough.Repeat every five days and take care of nutritional needs.Strength should increase.Leg presses should result in a steadier load on your lower body,maybe add some hyperextensions for your low back to get ready for squats in a few weeks.

[Skailes]

I agree with the above you need to re-asses your squat form IE stay on your heels and make sure you get down to at least parallel if not lower. Also do not lock out your reps until the set is over. Lastly you need to eat and rest to grow, so your nutrition may not be suitable for your purposes.

[Durk]

Running and kicking soccer balls will give you leg endurance not size.

[sharkwhistle]

also doing 3 sets of 12 reps just isn't enough trust me I had the same problem. You are going to have to super set or giant sets to start seeing growth. Try 3 sets of leg extensions, 3 sets of squats, 4 sets of leg presses and 2 hi rep sets of sissy squats with only body weight. But only once a week.

[Praetorian]

If you want legs you'll need to learn to look forward to pain. First learn to squat with correct form. Then strive to improve your strength while maintaining form. Dont shy away from volume....a beginner can do many sets and never worry about over training...I would recommend minimum 5 working sets and hit all the rep ranges....warm up to your first set of 5-6 to failure, then drop some weight and hit 7-8, then drop again and hit 9-10, drop again and do 11-12, drop again and do 13-15, drop again and go for 16-20. Then move over to leg press for 4-5 more working sets. Something else to remember is to not neglect the hamstrings....they are half your leg size if not more...I would recommend doing 4-5 sets of leg curls first prior to squatting. This not only works the hams but will help with squatting from a pumped hamstring muscle.
P

[Skinnylegs]

Thanks for the response all of you. I thought this would be a positive forum. I will hit it again. I think I have cracked a big part of the problem in that I should simply forget about upper body at this time and just try to get my legs going. Before, I was trying to do a full workout with treadmill to start and by the time I got to the legs I was not really up for it. Seeing as the legs just make my whole body feel out of balance I will work on them. Getting a kettle bell a couple of years finally convinced me that I simply don't need to do upper body work right now. With the kettle bell I became pumped and bulked so quickly, thinking it was meant to be a full body workout in a ball with a handle, but it wasn't. Thanks guys.

[cog]

Legs must have their own workout day.You will never have enough energy including them with upper body workouts.

[TT Eric]

Agreed, leg day is enough hard by itself, like Prae said prepare for pain if done correctly, personally after giving my max in the last sets I'm right there lying on the ground searching for my life to get back in and when I finally get up to do the next set you can see exactly where I was on the ground cause my print is there, that would be practical for the CSI's if I don't get up, lol.

Eric

[Skailes]

Thanks for the response all of you. I thought this would be a positive forum. I will hit it again. I think I have cracked a big part of the problem in that I should simply forget about upper body at this time and just try to get my legs going. Before, I was trying to do a full workout with treadmill to start and by the time I got to the legs I was not really up for it. Seeing as the legs just make my whole body feel out of balance I will work on them. Getting a kettle bell a couple of years finally convinced me that I simply don't need to do upper body work right now. With the kettle bell I became pumped and bulked so quickly, thinking it was meant to be a full body workout in a ball with a handle, but it wasn't. Thanks guys.Holy crap!! You have no legs and you do a full treadmill warm up? Are you just looking to fail in your quest for bigger legs? Also quit reading Mens Health or Mens Fitness as these are not for BBing and as such are useless for training info. And also do a Praetorian has pointed out IE train your hammies first for a number of reasons but most importantly to maintain balance between the quads and the hammies...... Kettlebell.....really?!?! If you want to look like a bodybuilder then train and eat like one!!

[Praetorian]

Never do cardio right before training that is just plain silly...would Usain Bolt run a marathon before doing the 100M sprint? Not bloody likely!
P

[Skinnylegs]

Holy crap!! You have no legs and you do a full treadmill warm up? Are you just looking to fail in your quest for bigger legs? Also quit reading Mens Health or Mens Fitness as these are not for BBing and as such are useless for training info. And also do a Praetorian has pointed out IE train your hammies first for a number of reasons but most importantly to maintain balance between the quads and the hammies...... Kettlebell.....really?!?! If you want to look like a bodybuilder then train and eat like one!!
I have been going down a path to nowhere for a long time. I appreciate all of your input.

[Skailes]

Outline of a sample training week:
Mon
legs

Tues
shoulders
abs
calves

Wed
back

Thurs
chest
abs
calves

Fri
arms

You can add in cardio if need be, and you can also split up arms so as to get another rest day if required. Legs IMO should be about 12 sets for hammies first in the routine and then 20 sets for quads. Calves you can add in or not as you're already training them on other days.

[Andre Gregoire]

Never do cardio right before training that is just plain silly...would Usain Bolt run a marathon before doing the 100M sprint? Not bloody likely!
P

Never do cardio... there fixed it for you Prae... ;)

[Andre Gregoire]

I have helped many guys get big legs.. My secret is 20 rep Squats.

Squat once per week on a day dedicated to Squats. Start with Squats and do them ass to grass that means full range of motion.

Do 2-3 warm up sets then max out for 20 reps with a weight that you figure you can only get 12 with. Don't be scared to stop every few reps, with the bar still on your back and breathe a few times.

I have had guys start with 100lbs x 20 full reps, add 5lbs per week and 6 months later then are doing 2 plates ass to grass with greatly improved legs.

After Squats doesn't really matter what you do but if you have balls do some leg press then lots of hamstring work and calves.

If you want us to critic your form post a video of you Squatting.

Also, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?

You can't have 30"+ inch quads if you only weigh 175lbs, that means you need to pack on some weight with increased calories, mostly protein and fat.

[dustyrustee]

Full squats, 3 times per week. 5 sets as follows:

1 x 15 @ lighter weight
1 x 10
1 x 8
3 x 5 you should only make 4 reps in last set and aim for 5th rep....once you make 5 reps in last set add weight next workout.

[cog]

3 times a week.Sounds like an old York barbell routine....time to recover?

[dustyrustee]

3 times a week.Sounds like an old York barbell routine....time to recover?

Actually as taught me by Doug Hepburn when we trained together in Vancouver in 1973/74.

Prior I was doing 3 sets of 10 reps and getting nowhere slowly. Doug told me that you'll never get strong trying to add weight to higher rep sets. Much easier to add 5/10 pounds to the bar on last set on a regular basis if you keep the obtainable reps low.

He was very right in his advice. In no time at all I was able to use 300 lbs for 5 reps in last set....would have taken me eons to get to 300 pounds for 10 reps on a 3 x10 system.

Beyond diet, you must get strong to grow. My thighs grew 3 inches in less than a year; from 24 to over 27 inches. My best single squat from 240 to 340 lbs in same period.

Recovery? yes....and that recovery period is essential to strength gain and hence growth.

Basic exercises plus a shaping exercise; whole body 3 times/week.

Mon./wed./fri. week one....alternate tues./thurs./sat. week 2...back and forth that way.

Shaping exercises, for example dumbell lateral raises or one arm concentration curls done in reps of 12, 10, 8, 6,4

The only way to build mass is to get strong,,,the only way to get strong is to work for realistically obtainable reps so weight can be added on a consistent basis.

He was absolutely right. And by getting stronger on a regular basis you can see and enjoy your progress and feel that you are getting somewhere.

If you are at 290 lbs for 5th rep last set squat, it won't be that long before you are adding 5 lbs. per side to the bar and working out that 300 pound squat in the last set.

If you are at 290 pounds max at rep 6 of a 3x10 routine it will take you forever to get up to 300 pounds for the 10th rep eventually. Some may never get there.
Higher reps with heavier weights aggravate the hell out of your joints and wear the shit out of your cartiledge by repeat friction. keep heavy reps low and reduce the amount of sliding friction on the joints. Can't get strong if you are always in pain; need rest to recover.

Low reps, add little bits each week and get strong inch by inch on a regular basis. That is how he became the strongest man in the world in his day, and you do need high strength to get the size......and yes, the muscles grow during the rest time between workouts.

Olympic style lifters have always used a low power rep program after higher reps w/warm-up weights to get strong.

Build your mountain a grain of sand at a time with consistent progress. No shortcuts in life; you cannot force the pace...sure and steady patient progress.

And lots of flexing isometric poses in front of mirror to bring the shape and peaks out.....build strength and bulk in gym and follow by isometric hard flexes to shape between sets and exercises and at home on off days when you get out of the shower and the hot water has flushed muscles with blood.

In later years I made strong larger people out of weak skinny guys helping them train using the principals I've described. Plus adequate protein and lots of carbs from peanut butter, milk and honey to keep the body fueled.

Lots of homemade high protein fudge.....peanut butter, honey and milk and egg protein powder kneeded together into a thick doughy consistency....layed out on baking tray and refrigerated then cut into bars......tastes great, fuels your growth.

Hope this helps someone....it sure worked for me....made a fast gainer out of a stalled out slow one. Amazing progress can be had on an ongoing basis.

[zziggzzigg]

I have helped many guys get big legs.. My secret is 20 rep Squats.

Squat once per week on a day dedicated to Squats. Start with Squats and do them ass to grass that means full range of motion.

Do 2-3 warm up sets then max out for 20 reps with a weight that you figure you can only get 12 with. Don't be scared to stop every few reps, with the bar still on your back and breathe a few times.

I have had guys start with 100lbs x 20 full reps, add 5lbs per week and 6 months later then are doing 2 plates ass to grass with greatly improved legs.

After Squats doesn't really matter what you do but if you have balls do some leg press then lots of hamstring work and calves.

If you want us to critic your form post a video of you Squatting.

Also, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?

You can't have 30"+ inch quads if you only weigh 175lbs, that means you need to pack on some weight with increased calories, mostly protein and fat.

so are you saying only do one work set for squats after the warmups?

[Andre Gregoire]

so are you saying only do one work set for squats after the warmups?

Yeah only one intense, ball busting, gut wrenching, nauseating, ass to the floor set of Squats per week. They key is to always add 5lbs per week by the time you are doing 20 reps ass to grass with over 2p or 3p per side you will have a good set of wheels. You can get to 2p per side in 6 months or less even if you start with 100lbs so anyone can do that.

You should be sore for at least 3 days afterwards. Don't stop at 20 if you can do more do more.

Remember to eat, that's what builds muscle, if you can't increase by 5lbs every week for at least a few months you are either not eating enough or sleeping enough.

This isn't the best way to get strong, but the best way to get big legs in my opinion.

The problem with heavy Squats is that most people use Hips, Lower Back, Glutes, Hamstrings but not a lot of Quad to get the weight up. With very deep high rep Squats with a relatively light weight your Quads should be burning after 10-12 reps.