squats twice a week? leg twice a week?

rob_base

My squats suck--I usually work legs 1 time a week for about 50 minutes and I squat then....but I am not happy with the amount I been squatting

been thinking to add another 30 minute leg workout in during the week (and part of that would be squatting too)

thoughts?

Also I usually hit the gym 5 days a week-
bicep / triceps & abs one day
Legs next day
shoulders next & abs day
rest day
Back
Chest & abs

rybo

It's not uncommon to do legs more than once a week.

just_Jennie1

I alternate legs and abs every other day. I do different exercises for them as well.

mustgetmuscles1

There are much better programs than the old bodybuilder split.

I would recommend following an actual program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5 but you could try a upper/lower split or a push/pull/legs split.

Most people can handle doing each muscle group more than once per week. Muscle protein synthesis stays elevated for up to 36 hours after strength training. A once-per-week split is missing out on a ton of opportunity.

If you did an upper/lower/rest split you would be getting plenty of recovery time between workouts and hit each muscle group every 3 days. .

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

If you want to develop strength and/or hypertrophy, you need to do legs 2-3 times a week. Once a week won't cut it for legs.

Except dead lifts. Once a week is fine for those.

james6998

My squats suck--I usually work legs 1 time a week for about 50 minutes and I squat then....but I am not happy with the amount I been squatting

been thinking to add another 30 minute leg workout in during the week (and part of that would be squatting too)

thoughts?

Also I usually hit the gym 5 days a week-
bicep / triceps & abs one day
Legs next day
shoulders next & abs day

rest day
Back
Chest & abs

I actually use an Overload process on lagging bodyparts.

I train 4 days a week 2hrs sessions.
Take a body part of your choice, this week it will be Long head of my triceps, although no problem using any compound movement, Last week i hit hamstrings.

This is how it works.

Monday- chest, abs. (overload with Hamstrings, stiff legged deadlifts) only 3-4 sets, around 8-10 reps
Tuesday- Back. (overload with Hamstrings, stiff legged deadlifts) only 3-4 sets, around 8-10 reps
Wednesday- arms, abs.(overload with Hamstrings, stiff legged deadlifts) only 3-4 sets, around 8-10 reps
Thursday is rest.
Friday- Legs. Ignore overload as hamstrings will be used in leg workout.
Sat, Sun rest.

The principal behind overload is shocking muscles to be ready before they are use to. It should never be done for more then 1 week at a time with a different body part. Extra rest (naps, sleeping might be needed)

Legs can grow easy enough with 1 time a week workout (hypertrophy).

My overload approach confuses the body part to be ready for punishment for the next workout and since only 3-4 sets are only being used, the body part does not fatigue yet still causes a good shock for growth.

In your case i would attempt the following overload process with squats at the end of your workout. Like i said only 3-4 sets. 8-12 reps max. rince and repeat.

Cameron_1969

I have been doing crossfit for about six months now and have dramatically improved my leg strength. I'm not advertising crossfit here, but I'll describe how it works and maybe it will help you with your own gym workouts. .

Every session, we start out with a single-exercise heavy workout. . This might be Squats, Cleans, Overhead Press, Bench Press or some other workout, usually with a barbel. We do some form of Squating at least twice a week. Sometimes it's a straight squat and sometimes part of a more complex lift.

After that we do the WOD (workout of the day). .Which is a 15-20 minute high-intensity series of exercises. We do some sort of leg workout almost every day during the WOD. Either box-jumps, wall-balls, lighter weight barbel squats, lunges, burpees, Pistols (one-legged squats) etc.

erinsueburns

Is there a reason you are doing splits? I think general consensus seems to be that full body compound lift programs are pretty effective.

For me, I can't do squats more than about once per week, but I do legs (and everything else) three times per week. Currently Monday is Deadlift day, Wednesday is Romanian Deadlift day (which seems for me to help loosen up the hamstrings and hips that may have still been sore from Monday), which leaves me nice and limber for Friday or Saturday which is Squats day, which leaves me with nice sore quads that are balanced out by going back to Monday which is deadlifts and aren't so Quad dependent.

jlclabo

i do a 4 day split.
1- chest/tricep w/6-10 mins hi intensity cardio
2-back/bicep w/6-10 mins hi intensity cardio
3-shoulders/core w/6-10 hi intensity cardio
4-legs no cardio

my 6-10 min h.i.c. is on an elliptical doing 1 min medium pace, 30 secs wide open, alternating til i cant go no more. 6-10 mins.

my split is not day of the week dependent. i rotate constantly and only take a day off when i have to due to work. im there 5-7 days a week. so with my rotation im frequently doing legs twice a week.

leg day is always brutal. high rep squats(315# 8-10 reps, 4-6 sets), stiff legged deadlifts/power cleans(alternating), guillotine leg press(smith machine 8 plates 10-12 reps 4-6 sets), leg extensions, hamstring curls.....

Iron_Lotus

My split is set up where I am doing upper body 2 times a week and lower body 2 times a week.

Acg67

http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3615/articles/smolov-squat-routine

funforsports

I currently do legs twice a week. The first time is a heavy low rep day while the second time is a lower weight, higher rep (3x10) with fewer exercises.

LolBroScience

http://www.seriouspowerlifting.com/3615/articles/smolov-squat-routine

^this. Moving to this when i switch gears to my lean bulk.

ironanimal

Do it as often as your recovery period will allow. For me a good leg session leaves them tired for 2 days, and the third day they're good to go again.

_liftnlove

Bump