Leg Training that Gets Results!

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One of the most common failings in guys who train with weights is that they have woefully underdeveloped legs. I mean they’re pretty well developed, compared to the general population, but for bodybuilders … sadly lacking in overall muscular development. And there’s a simple reason for this – they get too wound up with the idea that they have to use massive weight to induce great muscle growth. So they struggle to lift weights they can barely even move. Which has two results: firstly, such training is non-productive anyway, and secondly, it’s so brutal that they more or less give up on any serious leg work for the future.

bruce-lee-physiqueSo they end up convinced that they just have poor legs, and blame their genetics. To hell with that! If you’re going to blame your genetics every time something isn’t perfect, you’ll never do anything.

Bruce Lee was only about five foot seven and about half the weight of the average bodybuilder. Oh, and reportedly he had one leg a little shorter than the other! He seemed to manage pretty well, in the circumstances. Who knows why! Maybe he was dedicated to what he was doing. Are you?

Do regular leg work

Seems obvious, but like I just said, many just shy away from leg work and when they look dispassionately at their workouts (if they ever do) they’ll find that they’re doing precious little leg work to speak of. Carry on down that route and the only thing guaranteed is that your legs will be way below impressive, and might even look disproportionate to the rest of your physique.

You should aim for two good leg workouts a week, and treat leg work as seriously as work on any other body part.

Squats

People don’t generally jump for joy at the thought of a day of heavy squatting. Once again, may I point out that you don’t need to be lifting enormous poundages to see serious leg development (in fact, you should shy away from it). The main prerequisite is that you stick strictly to good form, as far as possible. Obviously your form might stray a little from the perfection you’re seeking to achieve, but that’s to be expected near the end of a hard set.

A point worth mentioning is that even for competitive bodybuilders (which account for only the tiniest imaginable proportion of guys doing weight training or bodybuilding), nobody cares how much they lift. Nobody ever walked onto a competitive stage and heard the audience gasp “Wow, I hear he squats over 500 pounds … impressive, huh?”.

The only thing that matters, either to the competing bodybuilder or the regular guy at the gym, is the resultant leg development, nothing else. Basically, you just want your legs to look, and feel, amazingly strong and sturdy. So forget trying to handle huge weights. It’s not necessary, and it’s potentially dangerous.

Pay strict attention to your form when you’re squatting. You might only be lifting 125 lbs, but treat is as though it’s the most challenging lift you’ve ever undertaken. Keep your back straight and your lower back tensed. Squat down fairly slowly and very evenly, and (if possible) hold the bottom position for a second or so … then drive that weight up, still slowly and evenly, and with your breathing. Keep that going for 8-10 reps and you have a perfect set. Rest for a minute or so and bang on with the second set, and continue like that till you’ve completed at least five sets. Note: control the weight at all times – do not ‘bounce’ out of the bottom position.