It will be superfluous to talk about why many people in sports are looking for the opportunity and variations of doing exercises at home. The reasons for this can be very different, and our task will be to highlight the most common problems and the simplest and most effective methods for solving them.
Henry Ford, the founder of the world famous car brand, rightfully argued that 80% of the beauty of a car lies in its wheels. A person’s legs, in a sense, perform the function of wheels, and even if their beauty is not the determining criterion for 80%, it is of great importance for both men and women. Sometimes buttocks are much better than multi-inch wheels. Strong legs significantly improve stability, coordination of movements, and also affect gait, which often serves as the very “clothes” by which a person is greeted.
Let's talk about how to make our “wheels” not only stronger and more productive, but also more beautiful. To do this, let's try to build our workouts at home. This will not be as effective as in the case of a gym and an abundance of exercise equipment, but with the right approach we can achieve quite good results.
In our article, we will consider typical problems associated with the lower part of our torso, which covers the buttocks and legs, and will also analyze in detail a number of targeted elements of the corresponding training.
Let's consider exercises that are most effective and at the same time not characterized by an increased degree of complexity. To do this, I would like to classify the problem of the legs and buttocks into several types. Our job will be to eliminate this problem.
It seems that the scope of work is considerable, and there is no point in continuing. So stop listing the problems, let's get started.
Squats at home will be practically no different from the squats that people perform in the gym. The main key will be your persistence and adherence to the simple rules that we list here.
Squats are different, and in order to expand the range of exercises performed at home, it is very advisable to acquire the most basic sports equipment. So, these could be small dumbbells, a fitball or a body bar. It should be noted that any of these devices will be useful to you when performing other home exercises.
Here we will look at one of the varieties of squats that will improve your legs and buttocks, as well as strengthen your back and even the muscles of the shoulder girdle.
The role of dumbbells can be played by the above mentioned fitball or bodybar. It is also common to use one dumbbell, but a heavier one, which needs to be held with both hands. In this case, any weight is necessary only as a counterweight, making it possible to maintain the correct position of the back and the body as a whole, without falling back.
In addition, you can apply a static load, turning this exercise into an isometric one. To do this, hold in the lower phase for 10 seconds. Also, squats at home can become a full-fledged isometric exercise. Try (even without additional weight) to perform one repetition for 1 minute. That is, slowly and evenly descend into the lower phase, and then also slowly rise from it. I warn you right away that it will not be easy, but you can vary the execution time yourself, and after a while you will come to 2 or even 3 minutes.
There is no sports equipment, but there is a great desire? Alternatively, you can even use plastic bottles filled with water, and for convenience, the handles can be made with regular tape.
From the outside, this may seem like an easy job, but in reality, many are convinced that this is not so. You can perform lunges at home with or without the same types of weights, but over time it would be nice to be able to increase their weight.
So, let's look at performing lunges with weights:
Lunges at home, as in any gym, can be performed while holding the weight above your head (this is especially appropriate in cases with a body bar and fitball). They are an effective exercise that develops the upper legs, including the glutes and core muscles.
An exercise that imitates their natural work will allow you to strengthen your calf muscles - the process for which they are designed - raising your toes. For more productive training, it is advisable to come up with an elevation - either make some kind of structure yourself (for example, from boards), or use a high threshold, for example, a balcony. Any level is almost ideal.
With the help of an elevation, standing on it on your toes, you can perfectly stretch your calf muscles, lowering your heels down. As they rise, they contract, and the greater the working amplitude, the more effective the work will become.
Considering that we do not expect to have large weights at home, our calf raises will be aimed at strengthening the muscles and giving them definition. Accordingly, the number of repetitions we have can be from 20 to 100. Remember that each subsequent repetition is more valuable than the previous one. Because it's harder.
Calf raises for calf development require proper technique when performing them. There are a number of important points:
Calf raises can also be performed on one leg. Accordingly, the number of required repetitions in this case will decrease.
In addition, you can vary the pace of execution. Let's say, if you plan three approaches, you can do the first slowly, the second quickly, and in the third you can combine fast and slow tempos.
Stretching can be either part of the warm-up process or a full-fledged element of leg muscle training. Proof of this can be the muscle pain that will inevitably visit you the next day after a good stretch. But there is a certain amount of truth in the fact that muscles grow when they hurt.
For many girls, the problem with “thighs” manifests itself in the back and inner part of them. Directional stretching will help with this and will significantly improve the picture by tightening the necessary muscles. Do more forward bends, stretch in transverse and longitudinal splits, and very soon you will learn to “hear” your body and the muscle groups being loaded. This will allow you to reach your goal as efficiently as possible.
Don't forget that an active lifestyle is not only about your muscles, but also about your health. During training, all metabolic processes and blood circulation improve, which has a positive effect, in particular, even on the condition of the skin, which by its appearance often aggravates the situation in problem areas. This is why playing sports makes you better in every way. Therefore, if there are no other options, find an opportunity to do exercises at home!
Women always have a special attitude towards their legs - after all, they are the ones that can attract attention to your person. Having very thin calves is unsightly, but being too full won’t look aesthetically pleasing either. Ideally, the calves should be slightly muscular and moderately full. Do you think this is impossible to achieve? But in vain - there are not only special diets, but also exercises for losing weight in the calves. But, everything is in order.
Unfortunately, without physical exercise you won’t be able to overcome the fullness of your calves and get your legs in perfect shape. So you have to work and, moreover, you have to do it selflessly and desperately. Remember the basic rules:
To achieve the desired result, you must have a special platform or, alternatively, a large book, a piece of board (high enough - 7-10 centimeters). You need to do the exercises in such a way that the load goes directly to your calves - you yourself will feel how they tense up and hurt. So let's get started:
Please note that exercises for losing weight in the calf muscles must be repeated 20-25 times each. The leg that is on the platform must be changed - this way the load will be distributed evenly. Watch how your body feels - the load should only be felt on your legs. You shouldn’t “throw yourself into the pool headlong” and start actively training for several hours from the first training session - this can only harm yourself. And one more thing: never count on quick results. The calves lose weight very slowly, and only hard training and proper nutrition can help cope with this problem.
Many ladies want to do without exercise and build their calves through diet. In principle, this is possible - go on any diet and your calves will begin to lose weight, but this will only happen if the fatness is caused only by adipose tissue, and not by overly developed muscles. And then, after all, when the fat goes away and the calves become thinner, where is the guarantee that they will be toned?
So don’t be lazy and don’t try to deceive nature - only an integrated approach to this problem will help improve the situation. With the help of regular training, you can pump up your muscles well, and by balancing your diet, you will lose weight not only in your calves, but in all parts of your body.
To ensure that the process of losing weight in calves does not drag on for too long, you need to use all possible methods. Don't forget that sauna, steam bath and massage are additional helpers in a difficult task. In addition to the benefits for your calves, you will get real pleasure from such procedures, have a great rest and cleanse your body of toxins. It is better to entrust the massage to a professional, but you can learn the techniques yourself. Moreover, there is nothing complicated here.
First stroking, then warming up, then spiral and circular movements (deep, with pressure) and finally stroking again. You can use oil for massage - buy a base oil or experiment and add a few drops of essential oil to the base. This way you will also get an aromatherapy session. If you have cellulite on your calves, then massage with anti-cellulite cream. Buy it at the pharmacy, where the pharmacist will tell you which one is best to use.
It should be noted that there is a category of people for whom physical activity and procedures in saunas and baths are strictly prohibited:
With such problems, it is necessary to resolve the issue with a specialist - after all, with serious illnesses, you need to take care of your health, and not just about beauty. And if you decide to undergo plastic surgery, which, in principle, is the easiest option, then remember - even this measure does not guarantee ideal legs in the future. So it’s better to take care of yourself, and not run to surgeons and go to extremes. Still, surgery is considered the most extreme measure.
In general, if you really want to, you can achieve whatever you want in this life, let alone any problems with your calves! And if you do it with a smile and pleasure, combine all known methods and enjoy the procedures, then the result is guaranteed. Take care of yourself and your legs, look after them and help them always be in shape. They will only thank you and will not bore you with pain, fatigue and irregular shapes.
If you lead a sporty lifestyle and prefer to spend your weekends on sports fields, then strengthening the muscles of your buttocks, thighs and calves is more than necessary for you.
People with well-developed muscles in this group will be successful in almost any sport. So train your legs and you will reap a lot of benefits from it.
Unfortunately, not all guys who go to the gym understand the importance of leg training and devote the lion's share of their training time to developing the upper body without paying attention to the necessary exercises for the leg muscles.
Remember: you need to devote equal amounts of time to training the upper and lower parts of your body. One of the reasons for such “discrimination” on the part of gym goers is the fact that training the muscles of the lower body requires the expenditure of more energy, which is associated with the size of the muscles involved in the process of performing the exercises, but this is the wrong approach to the matter. You must develop your body harmoniously, without giving preference to its individual parts. And in order to provide your body with enough energy, do not forget about the proper nutrition program.
The gluteus maximus muscle is the most massive of all the six hundred plus muscles in the human body. The gluteus maximus muscle is located just under the skin in the buttock area.
She extends her leg at the hip joint, turning it outward. If we fix the legs, then she will extend the torso bent forward.
The gluteus maximus is not the only gluteal muscle. Beneath it lie two more - the gluteus medius and minimus muscles. The gluteus medius muscle in its posterior part is covered by the gluteus maximus muscle, and lies superficially in front. By contracting, the gluteus medius muscle abducts the thigh. If only its anterior bundles contract, then the thigh rotates inward, and when the posterior bundles contract, the thigh rotates outward. The gluteus minimus lies under the gluteus medius and performs similar functions.
Additionally, the gluteal muscles play an important role in maintaining body balance. The buttocks are the center of your body and help maintain balance.
At first glance, the buttock training program is quite simple and includes all kinds of squats and lunges. In fact, all these exercises will require a lot of muscle tension and considerable energy expenditure. This is explained by the fact that when performing exercises on the buttocks, in addition to the gluteal muscles, which themselves are massive muscles, the leg muscles are also included, which also form a fairly large muscle mass.
One of the most effective exercises for the gluteal muscles is squats, which also actively load the quadriceps of the thighs, biceps of the thighs and even the muscles of the legs.
The second, and no less effective exercise for the lower body is lunges. There are several variations of lunges that you can include in your training program as you see fit. But no matter what lunges you do, use light weights to begin with or do lunges without weights.
You can do lunges as you like - forward, backward, and even sideways, using dumbbells, barbells, or performing them on exercise machines. With side lunges you will take a step to the side, and with reverse lunges you will take a step back.
The most traditional lunge variation is the front lunge, in which you take a large step forward and drop into a deep squat, bending the knees of both legs. In this case, at the lowest point of the lunge, the front thigh should be parallel to the floor, and the back thigh should be perpendicular to it.
When training with weights, it is very important to accurately determine your goals and objectives, since the muscles you work with in training, depending on the training tactics you choose, can either be developed to hypertrophied sizes or made more graceful by focusing on their shape. This is equally true for the gluteal muscles. First, decide whether you are interested in increasing the volume of your buttocks. If not, keep in mind that it is possible to reduce your body size, but it is a rather complex and lengthy process. However, you can adjust their shape and maintain the minimum buttock size possible for you.
If you have a large buttock, you shouldn't do exercises like barbell squats and lunges with heavy weights for low reps.
Exercising with heavy weights will stimulate the growth of muscle mass, which will steadily lead to an increase in the volume of the buttocks.
The effect of losing weight as a result of sports activities is explained by the destructive effect of adrenaline on adipose tissue. And this hormone is released into the blood in response to physical activity. The problem is that in the buttocks area the sensitivity of the nerve receptors that respond to adrenaline is reduced, which means that the process of destruction of adipose tissue is much more difficult. This situation can be corrected by increasing blood flow (and therefore adrenaline) to the buttock area by increasing the number of repetitions.
Therefore, if you want to strengthen your glutes and give them the ideal shape, rather than adding mass, then focus on more repetitions and use either light weights or no weights at all. For example, do lunges with light dumbbells or use only your body weight. Leg kicks are an excellent exercise for developing beautiful buttocks. Perform them on all fours and repeat them as much as possible.
Each of us has our own problems in life. And while some are furiously struggling with large volumes, others, lacking them, are actively building muscle mass. Well, to each his own. But since such a problem exists, it must be solved.
The only way to increase the size of your buttocks is to train with weights, using heavy weights for low repetitions: the heavier the weight, the more muscle fibers you recruit into the process and the more actively the muscle will grow. In this case, you should give preference to exercises such as squats with a barbell and lunges with weights.
A very effective way to stimulate muscle growth is to mentally concentrate on its contraction while performing exercises, or more precisely, when performing the eccentric phase of the exercise. So you can use this secret trick.
The thigh muscles are involved in walking upright, maintaining the body in an upright position and, of course, moving the legs. During the process of human evolution, these muscles acquired an elongated shape and fused into powerful muscle masses with one common tendon, forming multi-headed muscles (for example, the biceps and quadriceps femoris muscles).
The thigh muscles are divided into three groups: the anterior (extensor muscles), the posterior (flexor muscles) and the medial (or internal) adductor muscles. And if the first two groups determine the movement of the leg in the knee joint, then the adductor muscles act exclusively on the hip joint.
The largest muscle of the thigh is the quadriceps femoris muscle, or quadriceps, which occupies the entire front and part of the lateral surface of the thigh and consists of four muscle heads connected to each other. The quadriceps femoris muscle is one of the extensor muscles and extends the lower leg at the knee joint.
By training your quadriceps, you not only make your muscles more prominent, but you can also protect yourself from all kinds of damage and injuries in the knee joints. This is because by strengthening the muscle, you are also strengthening the connective tissue that maintains the integrity of the knee joint.
The quadriceps, as larger, more massive muscles, should be stronger and more toned than the hamstrings, located at the back of the thighs.
If, for example, when performing leg curls in a machine, which are known to be aimed at developing the hamstrings, you use a weight of 22.5 kg as a weight, then in order to develop the quadriceps of the thighs, you need to use a weight no less than this when extending the legs and gradually increase it or the number of repetitions. The weight for the hamstrings should remain unchanged.
Another fairly large muscle of the thigh is the biceps muscle, which occupies its posterior surface and consists of two heads - long and short, which connect together and ensure flexion of the leg at the knee joint.
As we have already said, due to anatomical features, the quadriceps should dominate the hamstrings. But this does not mean that when training, you should ignore the latter. Keep in mind that the hamstrings are the most commonly injured thigh muscles, and if you get injured, the effects will be felt for a long time. Moreover, there is a tendency for re-injury. It’s not for nothing that hamstrings are called “hamstring” in English, which means “to clip the wings,” “to trip up” or “to make something or someone ineffective or powerless.” This is why it is so important to develop your hamstrings.
Very often, speed skaters who have fantastic quadriceps (unlike the hamstrings) also received injuries to the knee joint. This situation can be changed by filling this gap in leg training. As soon as the number of hamstring exercises is increased in a training program, injuries are noticeably reduced.
Runners, on the other hand, have stronger hamstrings than quadriceps, but they suffer from knee injuries just as much as speed skaters. The conclusion suggests itself, as in the case of other muscle groups, balanced training and harmonious muscle development are the key to the world of safe and injury-free sports.
When doing barbell squats, which are undoubtedly the main exercise for the leg muscles (it involves the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and even the torso muscles, which play a supporting role in this case), do not lower yourself into the squat too quickly. Do the exercise slowly.
When performing squats, you must control the weight. If you are doing this exercise for the first time, try doing it first with just a barbell, without weight, or use dumbbells on either side of your body to relieve some of the stress on your back.
Never arch your back while doing the exercise. Look straight ahead. This will help maintain correct back position.
It is much more difficult to train the calf muscles than the thigh muscles, but don’t let this scare you, since, unlike those thigh muscles, they “respond” to load much better and with the right approach to training, you can pump them up quite quickly.
If you lead a fairly active lifestyle and regularly play sports, this does not mean that your calf muscles do not need additional training. Following the principle of “comprehensive development of the body,” you should not allow the slightest disproportion.
Many guys justify such an omission in their training by saying that they run a lot, but this cannot be a solution to this problem, since running rather maintains the existing athletic form in general and leg strength in particular. But running is not able to increase this strength.
If your calf muscles are poorly trained, when playing sports where there are sharp jumps and a lot of stress on the ankle, be it basketball or wrestling, you risk getting injured - a ruptured Achilles tendon. Such injuries can be avoided if you pay due attention to training your calf muscles.
But if this is not done, then any sudden movement can lead to rupture of the tendon connecting the triceps surae muscle to the heel bone. The Achilles tendon, losing its elasticity, which usually occurs after 40 years, is very susceptible to various types of injuries. Therefore, it is so important to train the muscles of the lower leg, which will allow you to strengthen the tendons. And this, in turn, will prevent possible injuries. For this purpose, resistance training will be indispensable, which allows you to “work” the calf muscles in the full range of motion.
Calf exercises are usually performed either standing or sitting. Moreover, exercises that are performed while sitting are aimed primarily at working the soleus muscle or the lower part of the gastrocnemius muscle. If you perform exercises while standing, you develop the calf muscle to a greater extent.
Leg presses work both of these muscles equally effectively.
If you want to additionally load your calf muscles, then while training your thighs and buttocks when doing barbell squats, raise yourself onto your toes at the end of each repetition. This is a great way to give your calves extra training. In this case, as with other calf exercises, your movements should be slow.
Still avoid sudden movements, otherwise you risk tearing your calf muscles or injuring your knee joints.
The bulk of the calves is formed by the triceps surae muscle. It consists of two muscles - the gastrocnemius muscle, located superficially, and the soleus muscle underlying it. Both muscles in their lower part end in tendons, which, merging, form a massive Achilles tendon, which is attached to the back surface of the heel bone.
The entire calf musculature produces plantar flexion of the foot at the ankle joint. It is thanks to them that you can walk, run, jump and, of course, stand on your tiptoes. However, it's worth noting that the soleus muscle only comes into play when your knees are bent.
The calf muscles are a rather strange group of muscles. On the one hand, they are difficult to train, but on the other hand, you don’t need to spend a lot of time training them. So how do you properly train your calves?
The key is to “load” your calves before they recover from the previous set. This will allow you to use as many muscle fibers as possible in the process.
First, perform one set of weighted calf raises or seated calf raises, doing a fairly large number of repetitions, for example, 15 - 20. Then rest a little, spending the same amount of time resting as you spent doing the set (on average this should be 15 - 20 seconds) and proceed to the next approach.
Such a rhythm of doing the exercise will not allow your muscles involved in the first approach to fully recover, and during subsequent sets they will use more and more new fibers. And during the third or fourth set, even those muscle fibers that you do not normally use will be included in the training; you will experience an unbearable burning sensation in your calves. But this is precisely what will stimulate muscle growth.
If you are not careful when performing calf raises, you risk not only getting yourself into a stupid position, but even worse, getting seriously injured.
To perform this exercise, you will need a platform 5 - 10 cm high. You can also use two barbell plates stacked on top of each other as a platform. Stand on the edge of the platform with your feet hip-width apart. Bend forward and rest your hands on the bench next to the platform. In the starting position, your back should be parallel to the floor. Bend your legs slightly at the knee joints and support your body weight while standing on the platform on your toes. Lower your heels. To increase the load on the calf muscles when performing this exercise, ask your partner to sit on top of you. Slowly rise on your toes as high as possible, pause for a second at the top point and also slowly return to the starting position. As the strength in your legs increases, you can resort to the help of a heavier partner or. “fatten up” the former.
To avoid back injury, make sure your partner is not sitting on the lower back, but just below the waistline.
If you find this option for performing this exercise too inconvenient for you, then you can easily perform it without a partner, using only your body weight, or imitate the exercise on a machine.
Exercises to reduce calf size need to be approached intelligently. The choice should be based on the presence of fat deposits in the calf area. If you have this layer of quite impressive size, then you should focus on a set of movements that are fat burning. Thanks to them, the amount of energy expended will increase and, as a result, this layer will decrease. Well, if you are the owner of pumped muscles, and they are in constant tone, then stretching exercises will be enough for you.
In order to determine the condition of your calves, try pinching yourself in this area with two fingers. If you managed to do this, you need the first complex, and if not, then the second will suit you. To lose weight in your calves, do the following exercises.
Before you start performing the complex, you need to start with aerobic movements. Improve your ability to jump rope on both legs. With the help of such jumps, you will spend a fairly large amount of calories, and the calf muscles will seem to “dry out”. Spend at least ten minutes jumping rope before performing the complex, then continuously perform all the exercises, following all recommendations on the number of exercises performed.
A jump rope is the best way to quickly remove volumes throughout the body.
Plie on toes
You need to stand straight, the width between your legs should be fifteen centimeters greater than the width of your shoulders. And now, bending your knees and tensing your thigh muscles, begin to lower yourself into a squat until your thighs reach parallel to the floor. Take an even position. The first twenty squats must be performed resting on the entire area of the foot, after which the remaining twenty should be performed on the toes.
We again take a position, standing with a straight back, the feet should be parallel to each other. With your left hand you need to lightly touch the support that is close to you, for example, the back of a chair. Now we begin to stretch the right leg forward, while the toe must be pulled out very strongly. After this, you need to swing your leg forward with a quick movement. This exercise must be repeated about fifty times for each leg. The calf muscles should be in constant tension during execution.
We take a starting position similar to the previous exercise. First, you need to focus only on your heels and take about thirty steps, while stretching your calf muscles. Then we quickly transfer our weight to our toes and take thirty steps on them. After this, we return to our heels and repeat everything from the very beginning four times. At the end of the complex, select one exercise from the complex presented below and perform it.
All of the following exercises should be performed only after performing aerobic exercise or standard strength training. If you prefer these exercises as an independent complex, then use walking as a warm-up.
Feet must be placed shoulder-width apart, now take a step forward with your right foot, lower yourself into a lunge, but at the same time your left leg should be lowered with your heel to the floor. Fix the body in this position for about a minute and repeat for the second leg.
Place yourself sitting on the floor, your legs should be straightened and placed in front of you. We tilt the body forward and you need to grab yourself by the arches of your feet with your hands. The toes should point upward and the body forward. Fix in this position for about a minute.
You need to stand on a step, a threshold of sufficient height and a small bench. Your hands should be placed on a support, your heels should seem to sag down. In this position, it is as if you are stretching your calves, and at the same time it is advisable to try to keep your knees straight. We fixate for a minute and perform two approaches.
Dedicate yourself to regular training and over time your calves will certainly become the most slender. Include some exercises in a complex for reducing hips, combining them with a healthy diet.
If you allow yourself to overeat, try simple exercises to shrink your stomach and strengthen your abs.
Nothing transforms your physique like well-developed legs. From this article you will learn about the best exercises for the leg muscles.
If you regularly go to the gym but neglect leg exercises, your body will look like this...
I perfectly understand your reluctance to train your legs.
I admit that I myself often skipped leg workouts, and because of this I looked like the guy in the photo.
But I realized my mistake and won’t make it again. And although my legs lack definition and volume (which is a matter of time), they are still quite well developed...
I also learned to enjoy leg workouts.
However, the point is that it takes a lot of time and effort to develop your leg muscles, and it's not enough to just do squats.
Of course, squats are an extremely important part of your leg training, but if that's the only thing you do, then you could get a lot more out of your time in the gym.
In this article, I want to share what I know about how to get bigger, stronger legs, including...
Before we talk about training, I would like to briefly review the main muscles of the legs so that you know what exactly we should be developing.
The quadriceps (quadriceps) is a muscle that consists of 4 heads and makes up the bulk of the muscle mass on the front of the thigh. The four heads of the cradriceps are:
The main part of the back of the thigh consists of:
Here's what they look like:
Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that the back of the lower leg is made up of two muscles:
As you can see, the bulk of the back of the lower leg is made up of the gastrocnemius muscle, under which lies the soleus muscle.
These are the main muscles of the legs, the development of which we should direct our efforts.
There are also a large number of small muscles that greatly influence our ability to work the larger muscles, but we do not need to look at each of them individually.
By following the tips outlined in this article, you will develop them along with larger muscle groups.
The three biggest mistakes most people make when training their legs are:
Many people place too much emphasis on machines and isolation exercises when they should only be considered as complements to core exercises.
And I don't just mean partial reps. There are many other common mistakes, such as rounding the lower back, setting your feet too narrow, and having your knees placed incorrectly.
Such training inhibits the growth of all muscle groups of the body.
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that when building muscle, the more compound lifts you do with heavy weights (80-85% of 1RM or more), the better your results.
And if you hear some fitness model declare that she has huge muscles thanks to the high number of repetitions, then know that this could not have happened without steroids.
I know this sounds cynical, but it's true.
If you take steroids, then achieving muscle growth is extremely easy: spend several hours in the gym every day, do more repetitions in each exercise, and the muscles will become bigger and bigger.
While taking steroids, high repetitions are usually recommended.
Steroids cause your muscles to grow quickly, but your ligaments and tendons can't keep up with the growth, so weight that may seem light to you may be too much for your connective tissues to bear.
Therefore, joint injuries are common among those who use steroids.
In any case, don’t despair - you can build great legs without chemicals.
For example, look at this bodybuilder who competes among natural athletes:
Although he may not actually be a natural athlete (it is very easy to bypass drug tests in many federations), I think that it is quite possible for any natural athlete to build legs like his.
To achieve such (or almost such) results, you must have certain knowledge, as well as hard work and patience. The strategy is quite simple:
If you want big and strong legs, then do 4-6 or 5-7 reps
As a natural athlete, you must take this into account: If you don't get stronger, you won't get bigger.
Rule #1 of natural muscle growth is progressive overload, which involves constantly increasing working weight over time.
Some exercises are not suitable for both heavy weight work and progressive overload. For example, leg extensions place more stress on the knees.
Another aspect of leg training is the total number of repetitions you do in a week.
This becomes especially important when you do a lot of heavy weight exercises because the main rule is:
The heavier the weight, the fewer repetitions per week you should do.
Heavy weights require more recovery time. This means you can't do a lot of work without overtraining.
I tried many different training programs and found the one that worked best.
This statement applies not only to the leg muscles, but also to all other major muscle groups.
Now let's move from theory to practice and look at the best exercises aimed at increasing muscle mass and leg strength.
There are many leg exercises, but only a few of them really need to be done.
The list of the best exercises for the leg muscles is quite short: several types of squats and lunges, as well as several exercises in machines.
Before we look at those, let's talk about the Smith machine.
When it comes to squats, the main disadvantage of the Smith machine is that it provides less muscle growth and strength compared to free weights.
One of the main reasons for this is that in such a machine the bar moves along a constant vertical path. On the other hand, a free weight exercise requires you to balance the implement to prevent it from wobbling and deviating from the correct path.
I used to do Smith machine squats and never lift more than 105kg for multiple reps. When I first switched to free weights, I barely managed 85 kg.
That was a few years ago, and since then I've increased my regular squat weight to 165kg for 2-3 reps and my front squat weight to 125kg for the same reps (not great, but respectable).
A regular power rack is a good option if you are training with a spotter. But if it’s not there, you probably won’t be able to apply maximum effort for fear of not being able to handle the weight in one of the reps.
Even if you are an experienced athlete and know your abilities well, when training to muscle failure there may be a situation where you feel like you can do one more repetition but fail.
Use a power rack. Here's a great frame from Rogue that I highly recommend.
The limit bars are what make the frame so indispensable. Set them to the correct height and you can safely remove the barbell from your shoulders when you can't finish a rep. This is what it looks like:
Let's now move on to an overview of the exercises I recommend.
Back squats are undoubtedly the most effective exercise for building muscle mass and leg strength.
Many people think that this exercise is only for the legs, but this is not true. In fact, this compound exercise works every muscle group in the body except the chest.
However, it must be done correctly. Improper technique not only makes the exercise less effective, but also increases the risk of injury.
The first thing you need to know about squats is the correct squat depth. You should lower your hips to at least a level parallel to the floor.
Here's what I mean:
Please note that the pelvis is slightly below the level of the knees, and the hips are slightly below the line parallel to the floor.
There are several reasons for this position, but one of the main ones is that the shallower the squat depth, the less the muscles work, and this leads to a decrease in their growth.
Notice also that the head and spine are in a neutral position, the chest is facing forward, the shoulders are back, and the knees are slightly extended forward beyond the toes.
These are the key points that will ensure proper squat technique. Here's what it looks like in action:
Before we move on to the next exercise, let's talk about the deep squat.
First, here's what it looks like:
While deep squats have their benefits (they put more stress on the legs and especially the glutes), they require more mobility and flexibility—much more than most people have.
Therefore, I recommend the deep squat only to experienced athletes who know how to do it correctly and have the flexibility to do so.
If you are not one, then perform a squat to parallel. Deep squats are not necessary to build larger, stronger posterior chain muscles.
Before we move on, let's talk a little about how lower body flexibility and mobility affects your ability to perform squats correctly and safely.
Lack of flexibility in the hips is perhaps the most common problem that prevents people from performing squats correctly. But low mobility in the back of the thighs, calves and ankles can also cause problems.
Luckily, you can solve or prevent this problem quite easily by following this program.
The front squat is by far my second favorite leg exercise.
Research shows that front squats put more stress on the quadriceps than regular squats (which put more stress on the hamstrings), and also reduce stress on the knees and lower back, making them an ideal exercise for those with problems in these areas.
Here's how to do this exercise:
Yes, you may feel difficult or uncomfortable at first, but the more often you do the exercise, the better you will get at it.
When I started doing front squats, the 60 kg weight was putting a lot of pressure on my shoulders. Now I work with a weight of 125 kg and do not experience any discomfort.
Although lunges are considered a quadriceps exercise, research shows that they target the hamstrings and glutes more.
Regardless, this exercise is worth including in your leg training program.
Here's how they're done:
The Romanian deadlift is one of my favorite hamstring exercises.
Here's how it's done:
Although you may see only a few people in the gym doing this exercise, I find it worthwhile.
In fact, the split squat is becoming an increasingly popular exercise among trainers. And for good reason.
Research shows that split squats can be just as effective at increasing squat 1RM as squats themselves, while putting less stress on the lower back.
In addition, they differ from front squats in that they more actively involve the hamstrings.
Although I'm not a fan of machines, I like this exercise because it focuses on the quads.
Along with front and split squats, this is an effective way to train your legs and hips with minimal stress on your lower back.
The leg press is another machine-based exercise that specifically targets quadriceps strength.
Most gyms have 2 types of leg press machines.
In one, you sit in a more or less upright position, pressing your weight forward and pushing it back:
In another, you sit and press the weight at a 45° angle:
I prefer the latter option as it allows you to do the exercise with a full range of motion. Here's how to do this exercise:
Although this exercise looks simple, it is great for working your butt.
It can be performed without weights or with light weights:
Or with weights:
This simple exercise is a tried and true way to work your calves.
This exercise is also a decent option for developing your calf muscles.
I like the fact that this exercise does not put additional stress on the lower back.
This is another calf exercise that I like to do.
Remember that progress is the key to muscle growth.
These are the best exercises for the leg muscles.
However, the key to success lies not in simply performing these exercises, but in continuous progress in them. That is, you should increase the working weight over time.
If you don't get stronger, you won't get bigger.
If you work on building strength through these exercises and also eat enough food, your legs will respond to these activities.
A good leg workout includes exercises to develop the quadriceps and hamstrings, and also emphasizes compound exercises with heavy weights. It may also include glute and calf exercises if needed.
As with other muscle groups, high rep ranges can benefit your leg muscles, but you must focus on heavy weights if you want continued muscle growth over time.
You can learn more about creating a training program in my books Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger, but I want to give you a simple example of a leg training program that you can follow for the next 8 weeks to see how mine works adviсe.
For 8 weeks, train according to the following program once every 5-7 days.
As you can see, the program includes 9 heavy sets of hamstrings and quadriceps, while exercises for the buttocks and calf muscles are left to your discretion.
This will allow your muscles to recover so you can put in maximum effort on your sets.
For example, if you are able to do 6 reps of squats, you should add 5kg to the bar and start working with that weight until you can do 6 reps again, etc.
I guarantee that if you do this work and eat right for the next 8 weeks, you will be pleased with how your legs respond.