Getting big legs

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getting big legs....

Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

Training them Once or twice a week?

My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

Many thanks

Replies

  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    edited December 2015
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    When I trained at home, I did different variations of both twice a week. Back squats, front squats, Bulgarian split squats, goblet squats, sometimes lunges; conventional, sumo, and stiff leg deadlifts. Also, barbell hip thrusts.

    My goal wasn't for bigger legs though, so I ate at a deficit. If your goal is to have bigger legs, your diet needs to determine that.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    I train at home. I usually do 5/3/1 but am currently taking a break and doing the Candito strength/hypertrophy program. On the first lower body day I do squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, and front squats. On the second lower body day I do squats, stiff legged deadlifts (and it seems like different people do these differently but I do them like this), glute bridges/leg curls (supersets), and step ups.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
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    I follow SL5x5 for a full body workout and workout at home. My legs essentially get covered by squats and deadlifts. At this point in time I don't see the point in me doing more, we'll see if that changes over time.

    You could add calf raises, hip thrusts and other accessory lifts easily if you want to target your legs (or specific parts of your legs) more. Squat and deadlift variations, lunges, box jumps, and probably more can all be done from home if you can do squats and deadlifts from home.

    Once a week training for a single muscle group probably isn't sufficient for growth (past a certain point, at least based on the papers I've read), 2x/week should be the minimum for each muscle group. Go for 3x/week if you want, you'll build muscle faster. Everything I've read about high frequency training says you'll build muscle faster the more frequent you train, but I haven't tried anything more than squats and pull ups 3x/week.

    I'd find a good routine and do that, but I don't have any to recommend that focus on the legs as I mostly pay attention to full body routines.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)

  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
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    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)

    This is what I do and I've noticed huge booty and leg gains. 3x per week squats and 2x per week deadlifts on the days between squats.
  • dstromley90
    dstromley90 Posts: 60 Member
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    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Options
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    Wut

    I Dl twice a week. One day is low rep/high weight and the other day is low weight/high rep. I train plenty hard, thx.
  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    Options
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    When I wasn't eating enough to properly fuel recovery I couldn't but I absolutely can now and I train hard. Perhaps that's why you can't do two a week deads.
  • dstromley90
    dstromley90 Posts: 60 Member
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    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    Wut

    I Dl twice a week. One day is low rep/high weight and the other day is low weight/high rep. I train plenty hard, thx.

    You must have am amazing recovery rate. Dont get offended. Just my two cents. Ik after i deadlift i cant get out of bed the next day.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Options
    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    Wut

    I Dl twice a week. One day is low rep/high weight and the other day is low weight/high rep. I train plenty hard, thx.

    You must have am amazing recovery rate. Dont get offended. Just my two cents. Ik after i deadlift i cant get out of bed the next day.

    Amazing recovery rate? Not sure about that, but I am properly fueled for what I'm doing.
  • dstromley90
    dstromley90 Posts: 60 Member
    Options
    Kimo159 wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    When I wasn't eating enough to properly fuel recovery I couldn't but I absolutely can now and I train hard. Perhaps that's why you can't do two a week deads.

    Or becausr im using 600+ lbs.
  • Willbenchforcupcakes
    Willbenchforcupcakes Posts: 4,955 Member
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    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    _dracarys_ wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    Wut

    I Dl twice a week. One day is low rep/high weight and the other day is low weight/high rep. I train plenty hard, thx.

    You must have am amazing recovery rate. Dont get offended. Just my two cents. Ik after i deadlift i cant get out of bed the next day.

    Amazing recovery rate? Not sure about that, but I am properly fueled for what I'm doing.

    I can myself and know quite a few people who can easily pull to within 85% of their max 2-3 times a week. With squatting on top. Eating appropriately to support the training is the key.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,683 Member
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    My legs lagged and it's because I didn't train them as intensely as upper body. To help them catch up, I did VOLUME training.
    25 sets total a session. Average rep range from 8-20 depending on the exercise. Squats, leg presses, hack squats, lying leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts and standing leg curls were always somewhere in each leg workout.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Kimo159 wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    When I wasn't eating enough to properly fuel recovery I couldn't but I absolutely can now and I train hard. Perhaps that's why you can't do two a week deads.

    Or becausr im using 600+ lbs.

    So basically, you have no useful information to impart, you just came here to brag. I see.

    Yes, trying to deadlift max/near-max effort 600lbs+ multiple times a week would be suicide. But no one is talking about that. There are many scenarios where one could deadlift multiple times a week. Varying the intensity or using lower intensity all-around, being a beginner, being a female, etc..
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    Kimo159 wrote: »
    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.

    When I wasn't eating enough to properly fuel recovery I couldn't but I absolutely can now and I train hard. Perhaps that's why you can't do two a week deads.

    Or becausr im using 600+ lbs.

    Or because you don't know how to manipulate volume and intensity
  • BWFit16
    BWFit16 Posts: 22 Member
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    Athletes train the same muscle groups multiple times per week, all varying %RM, volume, etc.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
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    yusaku02 wrote: »
    getting big legs....

    Will squats and deadlifts alone do the job?

    Training them Once or twice a week?

    My goals are to increase my size of my legs so any workout plans would be great and I ask about only squats and deadlifts as I don't belong to a gym I train at home so have limited equipment so be good to hear from you women and men that also train at home and what you do for leg day

    Many thanks
    Squat 3x a week and deadlift 1-2 times (every other workout)
    You'll get juicy legs (and dat *kitten*)
    I dont think your training hard enough if you can handle twice a week deads.
    novice lifting routines have you deadlift every other session. That's 3 times every 2 weeks.
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    My husband suffered from skinny calf syndrome; squats and deadlifts (heavy and high rep) helped (he doesn't do any isolation). Just took him some time and patience.
  • piperdown44
    piperdown44 Posts: 958 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    My legs lagged and it's because I didn't train them as intensely as upper body. To help them catch up, I did VOLUME training.
    25 sets total a session. Average rep range from 8-20 depending on the exercise. Squats, leg presses, hack squats, lying leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts and standing leg curls were always somewhere in each leg workout.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Same here but my legs still have a ways to go. Getting there but it takes time and lots of volume.
    Of course bringing them up will have to wait a bit more until I move to a surplus of calories too.

  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
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    Similar to the above. Additionally, I went from training legs every 5 days to every 3 . Big difference. Volume training worked for me.