I am amazed that not many people train their legs

ArroganceInStep

I'm a victim of slacking on leg workouts, but I've found I simply don't have the time. I'm heavy enough now that I try to do an hour of cardio a day just to get myself back to the point where I can do effective interval training. I barely have time to lift the 2 times a week for 30 minutes that I do, so I usually end up just alternating between chest and tris and shoulders and bis. If I had the time I'd probably get back into 5x5, I did quite like stronglifts when I had the time to do them. (Side note, if anyone knows of a stronglifts-like workout that doesn't take 60 minutes+ I'm all ears).

Now, all that being said, when I was in college and was lifting regularly for rugby, I had a 700 lb squat. I did some squats a couple months ago to see how I was doing (I hadn't done any before that in like a year or so) and I put up 550. A 20% loss is substantial, but I am confident that if I had given up say bench press for that long, the loss would've been MUCH bigger.

Lifting legs is extremely valuable, but if you only have time for two between cardio, upper body strength training, and lower body strength training, I think I made the right decision with cardio and upper body.

Id really like to see a 700 lb squat done by a college athlete. Given a pro body builder like Ronnie Coleman has only gotten up to 800 lbs after years and years of training. Id say you my friend will be a legend. And not training legs at all? I think your making the wrong decision. You say you work out two days with weights. Do one upper one lower and kill it. You will be back to doing700 lb squats in no time.

I googled it, he does 800 for reps, 700 was my 1RM max at my best senior year which was after 8 years of weight lifting and 6 years of serious training for power lifting. I always list weights in terms of 1RM. I started lifting at 14 in Samoa, and was cross training power lifting and rugby from my sophomore year in high school through college. I don't think I can ever get back up as high as I was because I simply don't have the time to workout as much as I used to. I end up getting leg work in through my martial arts conditioning, light work via cardio, and any p90x or insanity type things that I may do. I'm happy with how much I can lift now, I still feel I'm very strong.

All that being said, you're probably right, I was taking this into consideration this past Saturday and I lifted legs again. I'm on track to lose about 75 pounds in the next year for my upcoming wedding (60 more to go!), and I am worried that I'll lose a substantial amount of leg strength with all that weight loss. I'll see if I can stick with the leg work, I do miss it tremendously.

BigBadVooDooBob

I don't belong to a gym, so I NEVER see anyone doing leg training! I hate doing legs, but I do them at least twice a week, plus I walk every other day during lunch. I think most guys like doing upper body because the results are visible quickly.

tigeratty

Doing squats and deadlifts has changed my life. If I only had time for one exercise, it would be a squat.

Squatting with a barbell is a full body exercise. You engage your core, you use your arms, everything! Same with deadlifting.

I've going back to running (Couch to 5k) after a year of doing heavy squats and I have noticed such a difference. Running is much easier and stronger. I never used to do legs, now I'll never stop,

I have a body type that will never be long and lean, so yes my legs are bulky -- bulky and strong. Beats bulky and jiggly!

Shari

(squat: 140 PR; dealift: 125 PR)

_gwen

I've always had upper body/lower body workouts. It also helps my back and reduces my sciatica pain.

The largest muscle in the body is the gluteus maximus. If you are trying to lose weight, doesn't it make sense to engage the biggest energy burners in your body?

ninerbuff

I like when people talk training legs. Every one who wants to lose weight ALWAYS talks about their abs and hips. Little do they know if they put in some DAMN HARD work on leg training, those abs and hips will come in faster.

Jeff92se

ninerbuff

Real men train legs...................................

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

tigersword

And I do. Barbell Squats 3x a week. The only other exercise that's more satisfying to me is deadlifts, which also, kinda train the legs.

It's funny, before I started weight training, I never realized how awesome it could feel to just pick something up off the ground. :laugh:

spartacus69

I like when people talk training legs. Every one who wants to lose weight ALWAYS talks about their abs and hips. Little do they know if they put in some DAMN HARD work on leg training, those abs and hips will come in faster.

+1.

Working the biggest muscle groups (legs and back) has a huge impact.

Deadlifts and squats have been a lifechanger for me.

koosdel

That's sad.

Rae6503

I think that guy's bicep is bigger than his quad. That just ain't right.

bahacca

That's sad.

He needs to talk to the guy 2 guys behind him.
I understand what some of the women are saying as far as their legs getting "bulky" when lifting with their legs. In college, I trained really hard and was squatting a LOT of weight. I forget how much. But my thighs were big. STRONG and hard as rocks and big. No, they were not ripped and showing definition like a man's would. But I had about a 27 inch waist and my legs fit into size 12 pants--my waist was about a size 6. All of my jeans were men's jeans. BUT-I'm looking forward to again having "huge massive" legs because they are STRONG, they were SEXY and they were not covered in flab like they are now. I'd rather have huge strong gams than flabby skinnier ones!

pucenavel

Seeing as how there are six pages of comments on here this has probably already been pointed out (I don't have time to read every comment)

Running outside is in fact a better workout but not because of the heat. It's because when you run outside, the ground isn't moving for you. You have to move yourself across the ground. A treadmill is moving, all you have to do is stay on top of it by "spinning" your legs.

One formula that defines kinetic energy is KE=1/2*mv^2 - there would then be more complex formulas that would be used to figure out the KE of your "spinning". The amount of energy being used in "spinning" is the same (at least reasonably so) whether you are on the treadmill or not, but you are not actually moving.

That's one-half of mass x velocity squared. If you are not actually moving (as you are NOT on a treadmill), then the velocity is zero and the KE contribution from forward movement is zero.

Edit - since the units of KE at this point would be kg-m^2/s^2 (or equivalent depending on your unit system), you then need to multiply by the time spent moving at this speed (and do some unit conversion) to calculate the total calories burned. I might be slightly off on this last bit, it's been a few years since I took Dynamics.

So, the difference in the workout from actual running is actually pretty easy to calculate. How much do you weigh? How fast did you go? Get out a calculator.

JamesBurkes

Well, looks like I'm going to be one of those guys who will admit to not training legs.

I rely solely on biking and running for legs (and P90X's Plyo once a week) as not only do I enjoy them but as a biggish guy I'm training for a half-marathon and a one-mile open water swim later this year so I need to up my cardio and doing a leg day would wipe out my legs for several days afterwards - I'd have to dump one, maybe even two of my cardio workouts.

Then again, I have 27 inch thighs and 18 inch calves which, as far as I'm concerned seem in proportion to my 50 inch chest and 18 inch arms (at least from the online calculators I've seen). And no-one's ever accused me of having chicken legs, either. So I dunno - works for me.

Maybe if I did squat I'd have Platz-like legs (lol) but considering my proportions, my training goals and the fact that aesthetically I dislike the look of "big" legs (cyclist legs or sprinter legs,great, but bodybuilder legs? No, thanks) it seems to work for me. Then again, I maybe have two things working for me - 1) I've always had big legs and I actually started working out so I'd look less bottom-heavy, and 2) most of my running and cycling is on hills because of where I live.

That said, if I ever started to look top-heavy I'd have to throw in some leg work but it all seems fine so far....

maryjay51

funny you said that but i work my legs two days a week with weights and on cardio for the rest.. leg press - 475- 565lbs ... deadlifts 220 also leg lifts and leg abbduction/adductions and leg extensions..ahhhh yes and calf raises.. one thing i wont do is lunges and squats because i really hate doing them

missbis

Just starting running a couple of weeks ago and it immediately dawned on me that I need to strength train in my legs. My shins/calves SUCKED. They still do because I'm a beginner, but I've been doing calf exercises like lifts and raised farmer's walks. Thanks for the "rant" because people don't realize that cardio and strength go hand in hand! Any specific tips for training legs?

JamesBurkes

That said, I do miss training legs. I used to like doing calf raises and as far as heavy thigh work is concerned, I'm convinced that doing it somehow helps muscle gains in the rest of the body, too, so I'd probably see better upper body gains.

But as I say - my training goals demand more cardio and leg day would interfere with that.

Then again, I haven't done a curl in 20 years either and I've still got decentish arms. If something works, why change it?

DS67ATX

I mostly run, jog ,fast pace walking,it all works.My legs are pretty strong and I try to do four 45 minute workouts a week just on legs.