Pimp your wheels (Train your legs right and remodel your physique)

Legs were made so you could take your smile on tour-

 Anthony Hincks

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I have always believed that a car is only as beautiful as the wheels it rides on, in the same vein a physique is only as amazing as the pair of legs it walks on. Let’s not forget that fact that over 60% of the body’s muscle mass is in the glutes (booty) and legs. What’s your excuse for not giving Leg training all you’ve got again?

If you’re one of those who works out not just for the beach and the camera (Recreational lifters) then chances are you already train your legs with decent volume and frequency and this post may be helpful on your journey. However if you’re one of those who don’t train legs because it’s too stressful, or boring, or because you’re a member of the “I naturally have big strong legs so I don’t need to train them.” “Squats hurt my knees” brigade, then stop reading now.

BENEFITS OF LEG TRAINING:

Growth Hormones: 

Two of the major leg training exercises, the squat and the deadlift cause an increase of testosterone and growth hormones which not only help build muscle but also help burn fat, help muscle repair, aid metabolism, alleviate stress levels and boost the body’s immune function

Increased strength and endurance levels;

Take this from me, there is no quicker way to geometrically increase your strength and endurance levels at the same time from working out than from intensely training your legs. With different squat and dL variations e.g squats and deadlifts work your abs, lower back, shoulders, arms and increase blood flow in general

Better Physique

Fact of the matter is, you looker much better with and more balanced with stronger and toned legs. Toothpick legs over a huge body (on males or females) only work for Johnny Bravo.

Symmetry:

For those who seek to go deeper into the world of physique lifting, body symmetry is everything. This is known as the “x” physique. It is achieved by having the same width in your chest as you do your quads(thighs) and completing the look with possessing a small waist (when it stops at waist level it is called the “v” taper. read older post for this). Who remembers the Sir-Mix-A lot song… “36-24-36”?

Mental Strength:

It actually requires a lot of mental strength to willingly get under a squat bar and chances are if there are 10 guys in the gym, 9 of them are working their upper bodies.

Better Butt

Do I really need to explain this? (Read older posts)

BIOMECHANICS OF LEG TRAINING:

To properly train your legs to get bigger, get leaner, more toned, more vascularized etc it is important to understand the muscular anatomy of your legs and their biomechanics for movement.

For simplication the major leg muscles are the glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves.

Glutes (already discussed in older posts)

Quads (Vastus)- (thigh muscles) are the extensors for the knee joint needed for walking, running, dancing, squatting etc.

Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris) back of thighs) are hip extensors, they also flex the knees and inwardly rotate the lower leg when the knees are bent.

Calves – (Yams) flex the foot at ankle joint.

LEG TRAINING FOR MASS AND DEFINITION:

Training to define and increase the size of your legs (in proportion to the rest of your body), is hardwork and while there is a tonne of material on how to do it, the 4 principles remain the same.

Principle 1: (Diet)

To train legs adequately you’re gonna need to eat. Eat well and eat clean. No other day will tell reveal to you your unhealthy food choices like Legday. Foods rich in carbs, protein and veggies are your best friend on this journey. Eat Junk and risk dying on Legday 😂
Principle 2: (Strength)

When lifting, any weight you cannot repeat for more than 5 reps is the adequate strength test. Get under a bar, get a gym buddy to cheer you on and push. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the increase you make in strength weekly (especially if you’re a beginner).

Principle 3: (Volume)

Volume leg training is not about how heavy the weight is but how well the tension from the weights is transferred deliberately to your body in the shortest possible time. This is where the fabled “mind-muscle” connection comes in. If you’re not feeling it in that area you’re working you’re doing it wrong. I personally like to keep my volume workouts in the 20 rep per set.

Principle 4: (Rest)

Leg muscles ordinarily require about 48hours to recover from wear and tear of a heavy leg day and it is for this reason I recommend training legs no more than 2-3 times a week depending on other extraneous factors.

NOTE:

For those who seek to lose leg mass and maintain definition, including these workouts with low intensity cardio e.g jogging, cycling etc is the way to go.

ROUTINES FOR KILLER LEGS

There are a tonne of exercises for building and sculpting legs but the primary ones always remain the most effective. So I’ll list the 3 most effective in my experience. Furthermore to truly get the best out of leg development I always recommend training legs in splits I.e Quad-Dominant LegDay & Hip (Hamstring) Dominant LegDay.

1: The Barbell Squat:

This exercise is performed by placing a bar on your cleft of your shoulder and lowering yourself till you achieve full knee flexion. This must be done with a straight spine and whole footplaced solidly on the floor the whole time. Range of travel motion and the depth of each squat are great determinants to leg growth as well. Never half squat. Areas affected: legs, butt, abs, shoulders and back.

2. Dumbbell Deadlifts: 

The Deadlift is a more technical lift than the squat. It’s a hip movement exercise and proper performance of this exercise depends largely on hip mobility, back flexion. It is performed by rotating the hips downwards and upwards with minimal or not too minimal bend in the knees to fully stretch out the hamstrings and achieve muscular tension. Dumbbells work more than barbells in this case for me because of the direct transference of tension in each dumbbell to each leg. Areas affected: Hamstrings, Abs, Butt, Back, Shoulders, Arms.

3. Barbell Lunges:

These are knee and hip extension movements rolled into one depending on body positioning, width and angles and are best for volume legdays. I personally prefer the Barbell Lunges over Dumbbell Lunges so I don’t have to worry abeg it my grip. Also no other exercise works the gluteal fold (the “butt-cut”) quite like the lunge. Areas affected: All the above.

Most other Legday routines are an offshoot of these three.

BONUS TIP:

The warm up:

Warming up your legs to activate blood flow before an intense leg day session is as important as the session itself. It is always advised to get a very high volume rep range with light or moderate weights before the training itself proper. Why? Overtime this will increase the amount of capillaries going to your legs as a result your body will be able to shuttle more amino acids and nutrients going to your legs leading to faster recovery and growth.

CONCLUSION:

A lot of folks don’t take leg training seriously simply because legs are mostly covered and it’s not top on the vanity metrix but if your goal is to look better, taller, look and feel stronger and healthier then you should never ever skip …
Blessings and gains 💪🏼❤️

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