Probably going to get bashed for this but I have rarely ever worked out my legs. Ive gone from 130-205 and benching 135x1 to 285x2 and arms of like 11" to 16.5". Going to start training legs 2-3x per week, should be interesting to see how my overall physique changes.
You don’t need to train them 2-3 times a week.
I think that if the OP has NEVER trained his legs at all then 2-3 times a week would be needed at first.
He would need to get his body use to the movements and rediscover how his legs work(develop the mind/muscle connection). Then after he becomes more efficient using his leg muscles he would be able to actually push his legs that hard enough to where more rest is needed.
This is assuming he has never trained his legs and isnt very coordinated with them yet.
Dude, train them 1 time a week until you have a base…then split them between quads and hams.
[quote]KTranman wrote:
I think that if the OP has NEVER trained his legs at all then 2-3 times a week would be needed at first.
He would need to get his body use to the movements and rediscover how his legs work(develop the mind/muscle connection). Then after he becomes more efficient using his leg muscles he would be able to actually push his legs that hard enough to where more rest is needed.
This is assuming he has never trained his legs and isnt very coordinated with them yet. [/quote]
Do you remember the first time you ever worked out? Maybe the first time you ever worked out seriously?.. What happened the next day? If it was anything like mine, I was dead. could not move. After his first 1-2 sessions of legs, I’m willing to bet he’ll need a solid 5days off to get back in there and work them out at the same level of volume and intensity.
OP, if you’re serious about getting your legs up to speed to the rest of your body, start off slow in the sense that you learn the proper technique for all exercises. I’m sure you’ll be pretty close to knowing how to do them since you probably know the way around the gym. Hit them hard 1-2x a week and you’ll get up there. What kind of leg routine were you thinking of doing?
I think I’m going to start off squatting 135lbs for several sets till failure to see where I’m at and develop them for a couple weeks before I start training them heavy. Of course I’m going to be doing leg curls for the hamstrings too. What kind of results can I see to my overall body? Ive always heard if you want to get huge train your legs and have never really believed in that, I have always been a believer of if I want a certain muscle to grow I just train that muscle directly and it has worked, but I just want to test this out since everyone says to train legs. Will my upper body explode if I start training legs?
I could be wrong here but I dont think you should go to failure if you havent ever worked them properly.Just pick a rep range that will allow you to gradually progress and add weight to the bar on a few key lower body movements.
[quote]jck524 wrote:
I think I’m going to start off squatting 135lbs for several sets till failure to see where I’m at and develop them for a couple weeks before I start training them heavy. Of course I’m going to be doing leg curls for the hamstrings too. What kind of results can I see to my overall body? Ive always heard if you want to get huge train your legs and have never really believed in that, I have always been a believer of if I want a certain muscle to grow I just train that muscle directly and it has worked, but I just want to test this out since everyone says to train legs. Will my upper body explode if I start training legs?[/quote]
Don’t look at training legs as a way to get a bigger upper body. Will it help you achieve that? To a certain degree, yes. BUT that shouldn’t be the point. The POINT should be to get bigger, stronger legs. Real women like men with real legs anyways, trust me man. If you’re able to work legs 2-3x per week and continue getting stronger each session, go for it. If you find yourself too fatigued and not setting consistent PRs when training legs that often, cut back on volume or frequency. Make sure you give your hammies as much attention as your quads. Common mistake.
[quote]Rico Suave wrote:
[quote]KTranman wrote:
I think that if the OP has NEVER trained his legs at all then 2-3 times a week would be needed at first.
He would need to get his body use to the movements and rediscover how his legs work(develop the mind/muscle connection). Then after he becomes more efficient using his leg muscles he would be able to actually push his legs that hard enough to where more rest is needed.
This is assuming he has never trained his legs and isnt very coordinated with them yet. [/quote]
Do you remember the first time you ever worked out? Maybe the first time you ever worked out seriously?.. What happened the next day? If it was anything like mine, I was dead. could not move. After his first 1-2 sessions of legs, I’m willing to bet he’ll need a solid 5days off to get back in there and work them out at the same level of volume and intensity.
OP, if you’re serious about getting your legs up to speed to the rest of your body, start off slow in the sense that you learn the proper technique for all exercises. I’m sure you’ll be pretty close to knowing how to do them since you probably know the way around the gym. Hit them hard 1-2x a week and you’ll get up there. What kind of leg routine were you thinking of doing?[/quote]
Haha oh shit I forgot about my first times. I was limited to what I could clean at first but after I bought a $100 squat rack I was struggling with stairs for a few days and longer till I they were back to normal. Good point.
I think that you should start lower than 135, personally. Don’t do half squats, try to get below parallel and work on form in the beginning.
Also, leg curls aren’t the only exercise to do for hammies. DLs will target areas of the hamstrings and glutes that the leg curl can’t.
Training your legs will produce more GH, so maybe there is truth to that but I train legs for the purpose of training my legs. Not to help my upper body. However, what training your legs will do for your physique will give you a nice X shape rather than a Y… that’s not cute.
Personally, I’d start with a really light weight and add 5-10lbs a week to give you a chance to really hone in on your form.
all good information, I do deadlift so I don’t think 135 will be that hard, we’ll see how it goes and ill judge based off the way my body feels.
I don’t get how you guys can do legs so often. I train legs on Monday, and they are still wrecked on Friday, starting to get better on Saturday, and usually FINALLY almost ready on Sunday.
If you do a GOOD leg day, you only do 1 a week out of necessity.
[quote]Hyena wrote:
I don’t get how you guys can do legs so often. I train legs on Monday, and they are still wrecked on Friday, starting to get better on Saturday, and usually FINALLY almost ready on Sunday.
If you do a GOOD leg day, you only do 1 a week out of necessity.[/quote]
Everybody’s different.
Is it easier to get to a leaner body fat if you train legs? this is also another reason why im going to start training them.
[quote]Hyena wrote:
I don’t get how you guys can do legs so often. I train legs on Monday, and they are still wrecked on Friday, starting to get better on Saturday, and usually FINALLY almost ready on Sunday.
If you do a GOOD leg day, you only do 1 a week out of necessity.[/quote]
Really? On top of regular Marine Corps PT, I usually do 1-2 leg movements 4-5 times per week. I think it’s working pretty well…FWIW this pic was taken today.
Yes, whenever you train larger muscles, the more calories will be burned during and after training.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
[quote]Hyena wrote:
I don’t get how you guys can do legs so often. I train legs on Monday, and they are still wrecked on Friday, starting to get better on Saturday, and usually FINALLY almost ready on Sunday.
If you do a GOOD leg day, you only do 1 a week out of necessity.[/quote]
Really? On top of regular Marine Corps PT, I usually do 1-2 leg movements 4-5 times per week. I think it’s working pretty well…FWIW this pic was taken today.
[/quote]
I <3
I suggest you keep the reps per set low (5-6 reps max), but using light/moderate weight (can ramp up weight a bit, but I’d suggest 2 sets per load selection before bumping up). You’ll have to perform more sets, but more technically perfect sets, equals better technique in the long run, which is critical when it comes to squats.
**This pertains more to squats, sumo deads, RDL’s or other technical lower body compound movements, as well as more advanced lunge and step up exercises. You can use other movements to work closer to failure…leg press, curls, BASIC lunge movements, calves, etc.
I find it better for beginners (or those training a neglected body part) to respond better to lower rep sets (doesn’t mean high loads), because it allows you to focus on perfect technique on every rep, thus avoiding the development of poor motor patterns/habits. Fatigue is the limiting factor at any given weight in regards to technique. Focus on perfect mechanics, and the weight will come eventually.
Frequency will depend on recovery. Like anything else, the more you practice, the faster you’ll master the skill being trained. Technique should be your focus in the beginning, which could allow you to train your legs more frequently at first. Build good habits early on, and reap the benefits later.
I suppose you could say training legs will lead to better gains for other body parts. NOT, because of the leg training directly, but if you can learn to train your legs with animal like intensity, you build the mental capacity to train other body parts in a similar fashion, which could lead to additional growth.
However, none of this means shit, unless your nutrition is in order. If you blow that off, you can’t expect to make any gains in size.
[quote]synergy93 wrote:
I suggest you keep the reps per set low (5-6 reps max), but using light/moderate weight (can ramp up weight a bit, but I’d suggest 2 sets per load selection before bumping up). You’ll have to perform more sets, but more technically perfect sets, equals better technique in the long run, which is critical when it comes to squats.
**This pertains more to squats, sumo deads, RDL’s or other technical lower body compound movements, as well as more advanced lunge and step up exercises. You can use other movements to work closer to failure…leg press, curls, BASIC lunge movements, calves, etc.
I find it better for beginners (or those training a neglected body part) to respond better to lower rep sets (doesn’t mean high loads), because it allows you to focus on perfect technique on every rep, thus avoiding the development of poor motor patterns/habits. Fatigue is the limiting factor at any given weight in regards to technique. Focus on perfect mechanics, and the weight will come eventually.
Frequency will depend on recovery. Like anything else, the more you practice, the faster you’ll master the skill being trained. Technique should be your focus in the beginning, which could allow you to train your legs more frequently at first. Build good habits early on, and reap the benefits later.
I suppose you could say training legs will lead to better gains for other body parts. NOT, because of the leg training directly, but if you can learn to train your legs with animal like intensity, you build the mental capacity to train other body parts in a similar fashion, which could lead to additional growth.
However, none of this means shit, unless your nutrition is in order. If you blow that off, you can’t expect to make any gains in size.[/quote]
good post, thanks!