Leg workout routine

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. 

Chest Workout Routine

This is one of my chest workouts, I like to change my routine every 2 weeks, so that my body doesn't get used to my workouts. This is to help avoid strength plateaus. I personally feel that whenever I change my workout, the soreness the day after is generally much more intense compared to the weeks before, which in my mind means that changing my workout is working.

Basically it's like the first few weeks of you joining the gym, remember these weeks you experience the most INTENSE soreness, and also experience the most gains in muscle and strength, because it's a huge difference on your body (at least in most cases), by switching my workouts up every so often, I hope to maintain these great gains, by means of shocking my system.

In brackets I have put the weights I did for this workout recently (date of post, 07/05/11).

Warming up:

It's important for you to warm up before lifting heavy weights, as it reduces the chance of injury because it increases the flexibility of the muscle fibres. So you should get the blood flowing with some light exercise or even better a few minutes of running, rowing or cycling to get your heart rate up then a few warm-up sets to get blood pumping to the muscles you'll be working.

So get a good warm up and stretch your muscles, which helps the circulation of blood which can also reduces the amount of soreness you experience after your workout. I also like to stretch to feel the muscle I'm working, which helps me maintain focus during the exercises I perform. I start out with light stretches in the beginning and after getting into my heavier sets I get some seriously deep stretches, and hold them for about a minute.

I do a lot of stretches between sets, in my opinion increases the time it takes for my muscle to become tight and numb, when they get tight and numb I generally call it a day,.

1st Exercise: Flat Dumbbell Chest Press

One of my staple exercises for my chest, an exercise which encourages balance in your pectoral muscles, due to the equal amount of weight being pushed in each hand (as long as your form stays solid). This exercise also works your triceps. This exercise works the whole pec, so it is a good mass builder like the typical flat bench press.

Warm up - 2 sets of 12 reps, Light weight (12.5kg)
Working set 1 - 10 reps, Medium to high weight (27.5kg)
Working set 2 - 8 reps, Heavier (30kg)
Working set 3 - 8-6 reps, Heavy weight (32.5kg)
Working set 4 - Till failure, I aim for 6 (35kg)

Note: Get into position, push the weight up, and control it down for about 2 seconds, then push the weight back up for about 1 second. I let them go all the way down for a nice stretch. Try to have the dumbbells to the side of you, like a wide grip bench to utilise your chest muscle more.

Don't be the guy who needs help lifting up 1 of your dumbbells while you get into position (well i guess it's not embarrassing if the weight is above 35kg), learn how to kick up the weights.

I try to use this on my heavier sets

This method is also good, but rarely seen :P

(images from http://www.exrx.net)

2nd Exercise: Barbell Incline chest press

I normally incorporate an incline chest exercise to work the upper pectoral more specifically, because most people lack mass in their upper chest. In most good gyms you'll find a solid incline bench with the 30 degree incline for an optimal upper chest workout.

No warm-up set, sufficiently warmed up from dumbbells.
Working set 1 - 10 reps, Medium weight (40kg)
Working set 2 - 8 reps, Medium - Heavy weight (50kg)
Working set 3 - 8-6 reps, Heavy weight (60kg)
Working set 4 - Till failure I aim for 6, Heavy weight (70kg)

Note: While performing the exercise keep your back firmly on the bench, and bring the bar down to your upper chest, making sure you don't bounce it on your chest, you should always control the weight down anyway. Once down to your upper chest push it back up vertically, trying to keep the bar directly above your upper chest, and keeping the bar at equilibrium, good form induces the most muscle growth and balance in the size of your muscles.

You want tog rip the bar near the guide lines on the Olympic bar or slightly wider, too wide reduces the range of motion, and too narrow will be working your triceps more, in general the wider you go, the more it works your chest.

3rd Exercise: Standing Cable fly's

Working set 1 - 12 reps, Medium weight (15kg each side)
Working set 2 - 10 reps, Medium - Heavy weight (20kg)
Working set 3 - 8 reps, Heavy weight (25kg)
Working set 4 - Till failure I aim for 6, Heavy weight (30-35kg)

Note: This is an isolation exercise, similar to machine fly's an dumbbell fly's, but i prefer to use the cables because unlike dumbbells tension remains in the movement throughout, and unlike machine fly's it's not forcing you through a motion with fixed axis's, so it works more than only your chest muscles, it works the muscles you are using to keep your body stable. On cables you can also alternate  the type of chest fly, but i just go with the typical chest fly which is straight in front of the body, because i like that it seems to work the whole pec, and I feel it much more. 

Keep your arms slightly bent and lock them in that position trying to only use your chest muscles, at the end of the movement squeeze the muscle for a great pump. 

In my opinion you shouldn't cross your fists, or make them cross over each other because if you do that, the pecs are going through different movements, and the angle are different, which can cause muscle imbalance. So I just press my fists together. 

4th Exercise: Burnout, push-ups with supersets of wide machine dips. 

3 sets, as many reps as possible each time, low-medium weight on machine dips. 

Note: This burnout is killer, after the first 3 exercises sometimes i can't even do a push-up since I've gotten so numb. That's just a sign that you've had a good workout, or that the rest periods were too long, but I'd go for the Former.

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.

Progress:

For my last 2 working sets I have my partner spot me. Don't give up if you feel that the weight isn't going up, keep pushing and don't be quick to release pressure/tension! And after a period of straining your spotter may give you a little assistance to help you get them last reps in, these can be important for your strength gains and contribute to large amounts of muscle development, think of it like a static hold lol...

Once you're hitting your last working set for a good 6 reps, it is a good time to go heavier, I personally like to try heavier weights in most of my sessions if I'm feeling strong. It's good to try new weights as you''ll get a general feel of the pressure being exerted on your body, and the effort it may require to lift them, so even if you fail to lift them on your first attempt, later you'll have an idea of when your body is ready to do it.

Try to get a spotter for when you attempt to lift weights you've never tried before to be safe, don't be afraid to ask people at your gym for help, they may look threatening but I'm sure they'd be more than willing to lend a hand, because after all they all started somewhere and its likely that they've been through a position where they needed a spotter and some kind soul gladly obliged. This way you can also meet a lot of new people, maybe get some advice. Going to a gym full of people you know and can chat to is really nice, and it can help keep you going back.

These 2 big-ass Asian guys are one of the many reasons I started working out, they're just awesome! Here's a video of one of the chest workouts they do, I've done their workout a few times, it's really good.