Leg Training 10-9-13

When we train our legs we are referring to primarily the quads and hamstrings. While it is almost impossible to train the upper legs without indirectly working the calves, we do our actual calf training when we train our shoulders. We do this because generally we are so "drained" after training our legs that calves were being done as an after thought. We would end either just doing a couple of lazy sets or not doing them at all. By training them on a separate day we can really work them hard which is a necessity when it comes to calves. Everyday every step we take hits the the calves directly so they are used to high volume stimulus with a relatively heavy weight (bodyweight). Doing a few lazy sets of calf work on a seated calf machine will do not a damn thing for them. Instead you have to really push the heavy weights with big lifts like standing calf raise machine and calf raises on a leg press machine.

But enough about calves, last night was all about building big upper legs.

DEEP Squats- 4 x 6-8 reps
Hack Squats- 4 x 8 reps*
Leg Presses- 4 x 8 reps
Leg Curls- 4 x 8 reps
Lunges**

*The last set was a triple drop set. This was super intense and really smoked my legs.

**I am including this lift in here even though we did not perform it. We both went VERY heavy this session after having not gone (too) heavy for the past month. Both of our legs were like noodles by the end. Trying to do lunges would of been damn near impossible because of balancing issues with our legs so fatigued after the three big compound lifts.

This serves to prove a point that doing an endless amount of lifts is not necessary. As you notice I did not perform leg extensions. While leg extensions are a nice isolation exercise for the quadriceps, what really builds big quads is squats and leg presses. Sometimes you need to drop the small stuff and really focus on moving some heavy ass weight on the big stuff. Trust me if you are really pushing the poundages and doing a drop set or two, a few compound leg exercises is all you need to think you are on the stairway to heaven (or the highway to hell).