Building big legs comes easy to some people who have the right genetics. But for the rest of us not as lucky, we have to bust our asses to bring up the lower body. The good thing is that legs usually respond when worked hard enough so at least you won’t feel as if you’re wasting your time. But that also means that you can’t be a pussy on leg day.
It’s pretty simple – your legs are comprised of big strong muscles that require and can withstand a large workload. And for those of you who bitch and moan about climbing the stairs after a leg workout, man up or take the fuckin’ elevator.
You can get the job done for the quads (the main part of the leg located in the front) and carve out that teardrop by doing a combination of exercises and you should do at least three of these five if you want to make some solid gains once and for all:
1 – SQUATS
The King of Exercises and one that can be an entire workout all in itself. Be sure to stretch out before squatting and do at least one or two warmup sets before loading up the plates.
Rep count isn’t a major issue here and you should focus more on adding weight as you climb up higher in sets. We’re not suggesting to become a powerlifter and go after your one rep max, but moving down from the 10-rep range to six-to-four as you peak with weight is fine for a large body part.
You can also mix in front squats or even use the Smith machine to really isolate the quads. Regular squats will work the hamstrings and glutes heavy, especially the wider your stance. So keep those things in mind and blast your legs in a few different ways using the same movement.
2 – LEG PRESS
Here’s a good place to see how strong your lower body is. Some guys load up the leg press so much that they run out of room with the plates and have a buddy or two ride the top for them for added resistance.
Regardless of how much weight you decide to pack on, keep the reps no lower than four or else it’s not a full set.
3 – HACK SQUATS
Foot position is important with these, as you can work different areas of the thighs depending on if you point you toes out, in or straight ahead. Hacks are also a great isolation movement for the quads and really work them deep. You can be a little more rep-conscious with this exercise and not worry about heavy weight as much.
4 – LEG EXTENSIONS
Another movement that is more for the rep count rather than the weight, extensions will give your legs great detail and dial them up really good. Perform them at the end of the workout once pre-exhaustion and a pump has set in.
5 – DEAD LIFTS
Not your quintessential leg exercise, but deads are really a full body movement and will help build up your overall strength. Because it is ground based, your lower body will be responsible for the hardest part of the rep – getting the weight off the floor in a crouched position.