I am amazed that not many people train their legs
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I work my legs every other day and arms the opposite days. I am circuit/strength training though, not necessarily lifting for bulk. I do know what you mean about seeing all these guys with massive upper bodies and toothpick legs. Too funny. I've also noticed the power lifter types have great legs and great upper bodies minus abs....they have flabby little bellies and don't work thier abs. Weird!
As for running on the treadmill versus outside, I agree with you on being outside in this heat trying to run is stupid, but to me it feels like I have to give more effort when running outside than inside on the treadmill because the treadmill "ground" is rolling while the ground doesn't which makes me feel like it takes more effrt to run on the ground versus a treadmill. Maybe it's all in my head or bring a "new runner" maybe experience will prove me otherwise.0 -
Needless to say I educated him a little bit by explaining to him that first of all, running out in 100% heat isn't brave, it's stupid. He got offended. Then I proceeded to explain to him that running on the treadmill requires more than DOUBLE the amount of coordination and balance in your entire body over running outside thus giving you more of a workout.
So you said all this to this guy with nothing to back yourself up, I hope he didn't listen to you. Sorry but you made yourself kinda sound like an uppity know it all when you haven't given any of us anything to substantiate your claims at all..........................I think you have lost this one for now.0 -
Me too. My leg program is pretty heavy, so I've started to do hamstrings and calves separately, but I do lunges, squats, leg extentions, leg press, leg curls etc etc for lower body. I usually have muscle pain for 2-3 days afterwardsI HATE HATE HATE lower body day. But I do it anyway.
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I've seen those stickly legged men and women, and they look odd, and on men, i don't find it attractive at all.
At my gym, the leg press, and smiths are constantly being used to do squats (with wrong form obviously LOL), or free squats, deadlifts, calf raises.
I did however meet a fellow calf raiser yesterday, that said there IS something (can't remember the name) that some people get, like stubborn calves or something, and your calves wont gain mass. He said his are really strong, but as far as actual physical size, he cant get them to get any bigger. He saw some people go as far as implants to fix this.----what?!
Calf raises are indeed hard to train. The problem is that most of their 'strength' comes from elasticity in the achilles tendon, which is why people can 'raise' ridiculous amounts of weight.
It takes constant calf attention to make any differences. Who gets that attention? Extremely overweight people losing weight over months. Look at anyone who did Biggest Loser. Look great! Hayuuuuuge calves!
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html
Yes I'm going back to Lyle on this :P0 -
I am a ballroom dancer and I had ACL reconstruction surgery on my knee a couple years ago. My leg workouts with strength training are very important both for dancing and rehab. I actually like the leg workouts ( when I am good..2 -3 times a week) better then the upper body workouts... my legs have not bulked up because I don't go crazy with the weight amounts. No running for me outdoors unless it is on a cushioned track....can't be pounding the knee joints on the pavement.0
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I've seen those stickly legged men and women, and they look odd, and on men, i don't find it attractive at all.
At my gym, the leg press, and smiths are constantly being used to do squats (with wrong form obviously LOL), or free squats, deadlifts, calf raises.
I did however meet a fellow calf raiser yesterday, that said there IS something (can't remember the name) that some people get, like stubborn calves or something, and your calves wont gain mass. He said his are really strong, but as far as actual physical size, he cant get them to get any bigger. He saw some people go as far as implants to fix this.----what?!
Calf raises are indeed hard to train. The problem is that most of their 'strength' comes from elasticity in the achilles tendon, which is why people can 'raise' ridiculous amounts of weight.
It takes constant calf attention to make any differences. Who gets that attention? Extremely overweight people losing weight over months. Look at anyone who did Biggest Loser. Look great! Hayuuuuuge calves!
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/training-the-calves.html
Yes I'm going back to Lyle on this :P
LOL!!!! I find running up stairs a lot to be effective too 0 -
I always work my legs - that is why I have had men envy my calves LOL
I like to run - for fat burning - but I don't feel like it "hits the spot" for toning.
When I run on the treadmill, I do HIIT. I find its more effective, for me.
When I run outside, I do it in the sand. I feel like its more intense and helps me burn more fat. I do it at night, when the sun is down and there is a cool ocean breeze - I'm not interested in a heat stroke.
I do sprint on the boardwalk, or on my way to the gym, occasionally but not as part of a routine.
I'd like to be a runner, but I really don't run religiously. I know I need to work on my cardio endurance, its one of my fitness goals.
I go to the gym 4-6 times a week, depending on my kids, my husband's schedule and South Florida storm season.
In the gym I do spinning classes, Power Training and many other variations of weight-lifting and cardio burst training classes. I mix it up.
At home, I do P90X dvds - plyometrics or legs and back AND stretch.
I don't like JUST going to the gym, or JUST workingout OUTSIDE, or JUST workingout in my home. I like variation and mixing it up.
I also skate, surf, wakeboard, etc. Watersports use EVERY muscel in your body. You cannot take yourself serious and not work them. Sure I want to LOOK GOOD but I also want to be strong and athletic in my sports - my REAL interests are things that I DO not who thinks what of me when they see me doing them 0 -
And to answer Paddy's question, unfortunately I don't have a study or any science to back up the coordination and balance requirement statement so we'll have to dismiss that statement as having any concrete evidence to it. But I'd be interested in reading an actual study that shows where the balance and coordination is the same between the two.
No. That is not how it works. There was a thread recently that the argument went the exact same way.
In studies/tests the status quo is assumed. It is the divergence from the status quo that needs to be proven.
In our example, the status quo (NULL HYPOTHESIS) is "There is no difference in the balance and coordination needed to run on the treadmill vs. running outside." It is up to YOU to PROVE the divergence from the status quo (ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS) which is "The balance and coordination needed to run on the treadmill is GREATER than the balance and coordination needed for running outside."
Null Hypothesis: No difference (assumed)
Alternative Hypothesis: Treadmill > Outside (must be proven)
Bottom line, it is up to YOU to prove your statement (ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS). It is not up to US to prove our statement (NULL HYPOTHESIS). The ball is in your court.
This thread has turned into two completely different discussions. 1) Not many people do leg workouts. I think most people agree with this. 2) Treadmills vs. running outside. Many different statements. No real proof (that I have seen as of yet).0 -
And to answer Paddy's question, unfortunately I don't have a study or any science to back up the coordination and balance requirement statement so we'll have to dismiss that statement as having any concrete evidence to it. But I'd be interested in reading an actual study that shows where the balance and coordination is the same between the two.
No. That is not how it works. There was a thread recently that the argument went the exact same way.
In studies/tests the status quo is assumed. It is the divergence from the status quo that needs to be proven.
In our example, the status quo (NULL HYPOTHESIS) is "There is no difference in the balance and coordination needed to run on the treadmill vs. running outside." It is up to YOU to PROVE the divergence from the status quo (ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS) which is "The balance and coordination needed to run on the treadmill is GREATER than the balance and coordination needed for running outside."
Null Hypothesis: No difference (assumed)
Alternative Hypothesis: Treadmill > Outside (must be proven)
Bottom line, it is up to YOU to prove your statement (ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS). It is not up to US to prove our statement (NULL HYPOTHESIS).
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If you care about your health and your quality of life as you get older, train your legs and your posterior chain. I have a very weak posterior chain and my squat is embarrassingly low. RDLs, lunges, Bulgarian squats, and leg press are what I focus on.... I think it will be a life-time project for me to get my hip flexors and legs to the strength I'd like.....0
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I asked one woman if she does barbell squats, dumbell squats, or even lunges.
She said "No, I just run." I nodded and went back to my training. Couldn't believe it. Do people really have this misconception that running whether it's outside in 100% heat or on the treadmill works your legs enough? I mean seriously? How many marathon runners do you know out of the millions that there are have fabulous and porportioned legs? Probably less than 5%. Their legs look horrible. They may have great endurance but you can get endurance doing any HIIT training or sports.
Back to the original post, what makes me shake my head when I read this, and other posts by "bodybuilders" on this forum who post things like "not enough" "does nothing" "you must increase weight" "blah blah blah" is that I think they seriously believe everyone wants to constantly build more muscle.
Above we even have "they look horrible" when talking about runners legs. That is pure opinion, of course. And I see nothing in the account given to suggest that the woman who "just runs" is under any misconception. It seems more likely a misconception by the OP that this woman wants to build more muscle in her legs. I'm going to make an assumption of my own and assume that she can see her own legs. On that assumption, it seems more likely that she is simply happy with the way her legs look from "just running" (*gasp*).
There are people who think bodybuilders "look horrible", ya know. It's all personal preference when it comes to what one finds appealing.0 -
I do. Sometimes I do full body strength training, and sometimes I'll do a dedicated leg day followed by a dedicated upper body day. I need to train my legs because I have bad knees and it helps AND because I want to tone my hips, thighs, and bum. I'm still recovering from my leg workout I did on Monday . . .0
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This might be just me here... But I never look at what other people in the gym are doing. I pull all of my gym research from online places (like MFP) and work out videos then repeat them there. It does me no good to look at others in the gym because it screws with my head.
And I do lunges at home on the Wii Fit. They're very helpful to me.0 -
Glad to see I woke all the "runners" up this morning/afternoon.
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Indian club or "high" calf insertion. It's predominant in many African Americans. The insertion is "high" and gives the calf a club like appearance. No matter how hard and heavy you work them, the calf will still look "high".I've seen those stickly legged men and women, and they look odd, and on men, i don't find it attractive at all.
At my gym, the leg press, and smiths are constantly being used to do squats (with wrong form obviously LOL), or free squats, deadlifts, calf raises.
I did however meet a fellow calf raiser yesterday, that said there IS something (can't remember the name) that some people get, like stubborn calves or something, and your calves wont gain mass. He said his are really strong, but as far as actual physical size, he cant get them to get any bigger. He saw some people go as far as implants to fix this.----what?!0 -
Absolutely. If a house has a bad "foundation" it will only stand as long as that foundation. Legs are the foundation of our bodies. What injures more elderly over 65, leads to necessary emergency help and is common amongst them? Falls. Medicines, and poor lighting attribute, but having poor leg strength to help "catch yourself" from a slip will encourage a fall. Also like any other muscle, if it's not "challenged" somewhat, it atrophies and becomes unconditioned. In the legs, that would lead to pre mature deterioration of cartilage in the knees, hips and ankles because weight is transferred to the joints to hold you upright, rather than the muscle doing it.If you care about your health and your quality of life as you get older, train your legs and your posterior chain. I have a very weak posterior chain and my squat is embarrassingly low. RDLs, lunges, Bulgarian squats, and leg press are what I focus on.... I think it will be a life-time project for me to get my hip flexors and legs to the strength I'd like.....
Working legs is good. HARD DAMN work, so it's always a motto in the gym "REAL MEN SQUAT" or "REAL MEN WORK LEGS".0 -
Muscular men with chicken legs look funny!
Leg press is my favorite thing..... Until the day I tried it at a new gym (my college gym when I went back for grad school) and couldn't get the sled to lock back into place after my set. I had to call some 20 year old football player who worked there over to help the old fat lady (me) figure it out.
The End.0 -
Muscular men with chicken legs look funny!
Leg press is my favorite thing..... Until the day I tried it at a new gym (my college gym when I went back for grad school) and couldn't get the sled to lock back into place after my set. I had to call some 20 year old football player who worked there over to help the old fat lady (me) figure it out.
The End.
LOL it's ok. 0 -
I didn't read all of the responses, but I wanted to say that I'm all about working my legs and butt. Squats and lunges are my butt's best friend. I don't want a flat or nonexistent butt, so I know that getting lots of toned, strong muscles there will help. Also, I want strong legs, so I do everything I can to work those muscles too.
I have to wonder if people are generally more focused on working their upper body muscles because those are the muscles men are more likely to show off - and it does seem like weight lifting has been a mostly male-geared thing in the past. Shorts for me are probably the same thing as no shirt for most guys - I want to look my best in as little clothes as possible.0 -
biking is the best leg workout...if stay on a high gear and make sure you pump hard with every pedal.
I never use weight training for my legs...and they're still jacked and toned because of all the biking I do.0 -
biking is the best leg workout...if stay on a high gear and make sure you pump hard with every pedal.
I never use weight training for my legs...and they're still jacked and toned because of all the biking I do.
I agree. My husband is a cyclist (as are all his office) and he has huge thighs, but little teeny arms.0 -
Indian club or "high" calf insertion. It's predominant in many African Americans. The insertion is "high" and gives the calf a club like appearance. No matter how hard and heavy you work them, the calf will still look "high".I've seen those stickly legged men and women, and they look odd, and on men, i don't find it attractive at all.
At my gym, the leg press, and smiths are constantly being used to do squats (with wrong form obviously LOL), or free squats, deadlifts, calf raises.
I did however meet a fellow calf raiser yesterday, that said there IS something (can't remember the name) that some people get, like stubborn calves or something, and your calves wont gain mass. He said his are really strong, but as far as actual physical size, he cant get them to get any bigger. He saw some people go as far as implants to fix this.----what?!
So that's why my calves look like they do. I never thought anything about it because they are proportional to my body and look fine to me, but they are indeed high.0 -
I don't run, not even on the treadmill because I don't like to so I am not going to get into that argument. I know a lot of women think that if they lift weights they will bulk up and even some women who lift think they won't do legs because they will bulk up. Some peopel(men and women) are genetically gifted and find it easy to build muscle in some areas very quickly. My best friend has wicked triceps without even trying, me I have to beat the crap out of them with heavy weights and tri-specific exercises. I have always told women that if you want a killer butt, get into the gym and squat, squat squat. In just a few weeks I can literally see my butt get higher and tighter and smaller and rounder. I do squats at 140lbs right now, I do leg press, leg extensions, leg curls. I also do a full body workout 3x's a week because if I had to do a leg day I would wimp out. I do cycle my workout with upper body exercise, abs, lower body exercise until I have gone through them all.0
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Im a girl and train my legs more than anything else! i do lots of squats and lunges with kettlebells and do bench presses (think thats the right name). im usually the only girl in the weight section at the gym and get some funny looks sometimes from both sexes! Stopped wearing my glasses now, so cant see the funny looks i get,, lol0
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biking is the best leg workout...if stay on a high gear and make sure you pump hard with every pedal.
I never use weight training for my legs...and they're still jacked and toned because of all the biking I do.
Full Squats are the best leg workout over any kind of machine, biking, running, or eliptical machine. There is simply no other leg workout or exercise that not only stimulates muscular growth in your legs, but skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, connective tissue stress and strength, as well as providing a level a central nervous system activity.
Also let's not even talk about how much they work your core.0 -
Debatable. The key to overload is to tax the muscle to where it CAN'T contract anymore. If you're pedaling for 30 minutes, it's obvious that point can't be reached. This would be more muscle endurance than strength so the movement is considered aerobic (slow twitch fiber activation). Weight lifting is anaerobic and uses a different muscle fiber (fast twitch).biking is the best leg workout...if stay on a high gear and make sure you pump hard with every pedal.
I never use weight training for my legs...and they're still jacked and toned because of all the biking I do.0 -
First exercise I recommend to a female who asks for a "toned" butt.I don't run, not even on the treadmill because I don't like to so I am not going to get into that argument. I know a lot of women think that if they lift weights they will bulk up and even some women who lift think they won't do legs because they will bulk up. Some peopel(men and women) are genetically gifted and find it easy to build muscle in some areas very quickly. My best friend has wicked triceps without even trying, me I have to beat the crap out of them with heavy weights and tri-specific exercises. I have always told women that if you want a killer butt, get into the gym and squat, squat squat. In just a few weeks I can literally see my butt get higher and tighter and smaller and rounder. I do squats at 140lbs right now, I do leg press, leg extensions, leg curls. I also do a full body workout 3x's a week because if I had to do a leg day I would wimp out. I do cycle my workout with upper body exercise, abs, lower body exercise until I have gone through them all.0 -
My legs are naturally stronger than my upper body so I pride myself in being able to train my legs and "show off" what I can do I devote equal to upper and lower Side note, I have back problems (not due to weight, have a bulging disc) and working out my lower body actually helps strengthen my lower back and I rarely have pain anymore 0
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Im a girl and train my legs more than anything else! i do lots of squats and lunges with kettlebells and do bench presses (think thats the right name). im usually the only girl in the weight section at the gym and get some funny looks sometimes from both sexes! Stopped wearing my glasses now, so cant see the funny looks i get,, lol
I hear ya. I'm one of those too (in the weight section, not giving funny looks).0 -
On the running outside vs the treadmill. I don't trust myself to run outside... I'm too afraid of traffic...obstacles and getting hurt LOL. I am one of the clumsiest people I know and always trip over things since I wear glasses and don't have good peripheral vision. So the treadmill it is for me...feel safer in a more secure building with staff all around. And lately have been hearing about lots of women being raped/kidnapped out running.0
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