This is one of my few leg workout routines.
In brackets I have put the weights I did for this workout recently
Warming up:
It’s a good idea to get your blood flowing with a warm-up before performing any weight training, to reduce the risk of injury and help aid in gaining an efficient workout. I sometimes do 5 minutes of running or cycling, nothing too tenuous, but if I’m in a rush, I just stick with a few warm-up sets, in high reps.
1st Exercise: Weighted Squats
Introduction:
This is another one of my staple exercises which I perform most weeks, if done with good form and enough weight this is without a doubt one of the best exercise to build muscle in your legs. This exercise, similar to deadlifts, also recruits many other muscles in your body for stabilisations, which means it helps to increase your overall strength.
How to:
Basically with a bar positioned on your traps or along your shoulders, you go down into a seated position and push back up to standing.
Preparation:
Put the bar on a suitable level on the squat rack, and then load on the weights you require. While the bar is on the rack, position yourself under the bar with the bar lying comfortably across the length of your traps, making sure you don’t rest the bar on solid bone or on your spine. Grip the bar so that your traps pinch together a bit, for me this is just before the markings on an Olympic bar.
Putting the bar on your spine can cause some damage, and is quite painful, try and avoid it.
Execution:
1.) Position yourself, with the bar comfortable on your traps.
2.) In a slip stance, lift the bar off the rack.
3.) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, angled 5 degrees outwards.
4.) Descend slowly, with your ass out, try to go into a nice pelvic tilt.
5.) Once your thighs are at or below parallel, push straight up, keeping your knees square.
6.) Repeat
Form:
Performing a pelvic tilt generally constitutes to a good squat. You may also imagine that you’re trying to go into a seated position, but obviously without the physical seat.
Tips:
If you struggle to keep the bar steady, and on your traps, it may help to pick a spot high on the wall in front of you and stay fixated on it while you squat. A good squat requires you to keep your knees ‘square’ so keep your knees pointed in the same direction as your feet.
When going heavy with squats, you may want a spotter. Having a spotter may also help you get those last repetitions done, for a more effective workout.
Target Muscles:
This exercise targets the quadriceps, but it also exercises your gluteus effectively, along with a wide range of other muscles which are used for stabilisation.
Workout Routine:
Warm up set 1 - 12 reps, Light weight (60kg)
Warm up set 2 – 12 reps, Light weight (60kg)
Working set 1 - 10 reps, Medium to high weight (80kg)
Working set 2 - 8 reps, Heavier (90kg)
Working set 3 - 8-6 reps, Heavy weight (100kg)
Working set 4 – 4-6 reps, 90% of 1 rep max (120kg)
Working set 5 - 1 rep max (140kg)
2nd Exercise: Lying Hamstring Curls
Introduction:
This is my preferred exercise for hamstrings, because I feel I get the most activation and largest range of motion. It’s important to exercise all the muscles in the legs, so I always incorporate a hamstring exercise in my leg workouts, because squats don’t target the hamstrings very effectively.
I use the machine for this exercise.
How to:
Lie down on the machine, and curl it as far as you can.
Preparation:
Adjust the cross bar which you curl up to your ankles, and set the machine up so you can curl it with the largest range of motion.
Execution:
1.) Lie down with your ankles positions on the cross bar.
2.) Curl it as far as you can.
3.) Let it back down slowly
4.) Repeat
Target Muscles:
Hamstrings and gluteus
Tips:
Hold the contraction at the top for a second or two, and then lower the weight down slowly.
Workout Routine:
Warm up set 1 - 10-12 reps, (Light weight)
Working set 1 - 10-12 reps, (Light weight)
Working set 2 - 8-10 reps, (Medium weight)
Working set 3 - 6-8 reps (Heavy weight)
Working set 4 – 6 reps (Heavy weigh)
body weight +20, normal)
3rd Exercise: Calf Raises
Introduction:
There isn’t much variation when it comes to exercising your calves, I’d stick with calf raises. At my gym there is a standing calf raise machine, but you can also do this with a leg press machine, seated calf raise machine, or leant over something with a weight on your back (2 girls if you’re Arnold Schwarzenegger).
How to:
Basically stand on the ledge, with your heels hanging off, with the weight on your shoulders, push up onto your tip toes.
Preparation:
Adjust the height of the bars low enough to get a good deep stretch.
Execution:
1.) Grab the two handles of the machine, and position both feet on the platform with your shoulders under the bar.
2.) Lift the weight up until you are in a standing position (you may want to re-adjust your foot position)
3.) slowly descent down until you feel a nice stretch
4.) Push up and onto your tip toes
5.) Hold for 1 or 2 seconds
6.) Slowly descent down
7.) Repeat
Target muscles:
This exercise targets the calf (gastrocnemius) muscles.
Tips:
Try to keep your ankles square, so keep your heels on a fixed plane while they rise (raise them vertically).
Workout Routine:
Warm up set 1 - 12 reps, Light weight
Working set 2 - 10 reps, Medium
Working set 3 - 8 reps, Medium to Heavy weight
Working set 4 - 8 reps, Heavy weight
Working set 5 - 6 reps or till failure, heavier weight
4th Exercise: Burnout, Squats
Workout routine:
3-4 sets, reps till failure, medium weight (70kg)
Note:
Try and do these at a nice medium to high intensity, while maintaining good form.
Finish
Get that protein, drink that water, eat that food and get some sleep. The workout isn't the sole factor in muscle growth or strength progression. You have to eat well, sleep lots and drink enough water or else your body won't get enough nutrients, to build muscle and sustain your internal systems, and enough rest for your body to fully recover before your next workout.
Stretch
Quadriceps
Bend your leg and bring your foot to your butt, grasp your ankle with one hand and stabilise yourself with the other. Pull your ankle towards your butt until you feel a good stretch, and hold it. Try to keep your knee level with your other knee, to get a better stretch pull your knee back or push your hip forwards.
Calves
A simple way is to step on a ledge with your heels hanging off and descent down into a nice deep stretch, but you may also take one leg and stride forwards, transfer your body weight to the leg you stepped forward with, keeping the heel of the trailing leg planted to the ground. You may step further if you don’t feel the stretch.
Hamstrings
You can basically just bend over and touch your toes to stretch your hamstrings, but if you want to isolate each hamstring, cross your feet and bend over to touch your toes.
Progress
To make strength progress I try to attempt higher weights each time I do squats, with the safety of a spotter I have no worries about trying new weights.
