I am often asked what is the best
way to train legs.
Everybody loves to look at a great set of pins so in this
feature I am going to explain the methods that I use and
believe to be the best and most effective ways to develop
them.
Firstly, if you’re not prepared for a little bit
of pain and a lot of hard work, then you might as well
resort to being one of those people who wear long pants
all year round.
I always get butterflies in my stomach before a leg session
because I know too well that the pain will not only continue
through my workout but well into the following days.
Anybody that has had sore legs can probably sympathise,
but the gains are worth a little pain.
How
many reps?
After you’ve warmed up, the
first issue of contention is the most effective rep range.
Most people get stuck in the mind frame of 8-10 reps.
Though this is still beneficial, in my opinion it’s
not the best.
Through my own body-building experience along with my
personal association with world class athletes and strength
and conditioning coaches, I have found the most effective
range is a minimum of 15.
The sky is the limit – there is no rule on how many
is too many.
It has been proven that time under tension and a high
volume of intensity and repetition is the way to go.
Tom Platz was a body builder from the 80s who was renowned
for his legs. He was known to set a stopwatch for 10 minutes
and squat until the buzzer went off; that is a lot of
reps.
Another example is a track cyclist –they literally
do hundreds of repetitions.
Just make sure you have a decent amount of resistance
on your legs. Another benefits from training at this intensity
is the rate at which your heart will pump.
This will increase your metabolic rate not just while
exercising but for many hours after, so you will effectively
burn fat long after you leave the gym.
Which
leg exercises?
When selecting leg exercises, think
about which will be the best to help you gain the most
out of your time.
I have found free-standing squats and lunges to be the
ultimate exercises. These are the two most functional
exercises and require a good amount of neural drive.
Conclusion
Don’t be scared to think outside
the box. You can super-set your weight training with jump-squats
to really add to the fun.
A lot of people are stuck in a ‘three sets of 10
reps’ routine, and while it is a great benchmark
for beginners, those intermediate and experienced trainers
out there should try and step it up to 5, 6, 7 or even
10 sets of squats.
If you want awesome legs, then that’s where it’s
at. Doing 3x10 is simply not enough. If you are unsure
on correct technique, make sure you consult a PTI, especially
before adding any resistance.
In a Nutshell
