How often train legs and how

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Danflex
Danflex Posts: 14
in Fitness and Exercise
I have worked out mostly at home for years. Bench presses, shoulder presses, curls etc. I don't do much for legs if any when I work out at home. Some running or on my stationary bike only. I like the gym for the machines but hear mixed messages about if they are good for your legs. My upper body strength is very good and I am not concerned there. I find my lower body strength is below average. I don't seem very strong at the leg curl and leg press. I have tired the squats too with the bar and 25's which I believe is 95lbs. I realize I could do squats at home cause I don't need a rack for that weight. I hear poor hamstring to quad balance causes knee injuries. My knee are a bit wonky and give out sometimes under load. How often should I be training legs and what is the best way to keep the correct balance for quad and hamstrings. My hamstrings seem like the weak link.

Replies

  • vtmoon
    vtmoon Posts: 3,436 Member
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    First thing that came to mind was the pic below.

    friend-dont-let-friends-skip-leg-day.jpg


    I do 2 days a week, weight heavy on Friday (lunges/calf raises/squats with and without weights) and on Tuesday I do a plyometric workout or do the stair master in the gym to give me a mixed leg/cardio deal.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    I do twice a week. Front and back. Before I was doing one day. If you hit them hard enough you should be good with one day a week. They can take a while to recover.
  • superfitconball
    superfitconball Posts: 46 Member
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    The straight legged dead-lift is a good one to do for the hamstrings.

    I do legs twice a week with a combo of squats, lunges, straight legged deadlifts, the program I'm doing right now is more of a body-building vs. olympic lifting one (since I'm getting ready for my wedding and care more about how my muscles look than actually gaining strength), so it also uses machines for leg extension and hamstring curls.

    One thing that could be affecting the weight on your knees is your technique and hip mobility.
    Make sure you've got solid technique before your start piling on the weight or you could be doing yourself some serious damage.

    This one is debated by many, but since my fiance is an olympic weight lifter, it's been drilled into my head to go through the full range of motion (ie squat to below parallel...or as some say "*kitten* to the grass"). You might not be able to squat as much as other who do half squats, but that's "proper" technique.

    Another thing is to mix up the different squats. You use different muscles when doing a front and a back squat...which is also a reason why people say barbell exercises are superior to machine ones because you engage pretty much all your muscles as you work, while machines isolate your muscles in ways that you would never move in real life.
  • Danflex
    Danflex Posts: 14
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    VTMoon, yes I seem to be one of those guys lol. Muscular strong upper body but weak *kitten* legs. Well, time I do something about it.

    Thanks superfit. I think you are right about the hip mobility and lack of flexibility. They say the first thing to go on a man after 50 is his legs lol. I noticed the young woman I was sharing the squat rack trading sets (she asked to trade not me lol) with could keep her back much straighter and could easily go low where my upper body had to lean forward. It made the whole experience uncomfortable. She was doing like you said "*kitten* to grass" . I tried but my form seemed poor and had difficult time getting in 10 reps with the 95 pounds we had on the rack. Legs felt like rubber after three sets so it is obvious I need to work my legs. Turns out it was her warm up weight lol. She told me to start with the bar and my strength and form would improve quick. This advice seems inline with yours. I resisted this the first two trips to the gym but now I see the light. I cramp up using the leg curl after 6 or 7 reps with 50 pounds too. Lesson learned about warm up. Maybe my diet is missing something. Do you recommend stretching before or during or after?
    Superfit, I heard mix opinions about the leg extension machine and leg press. You say you are more into the body building then strength. Is this the real benefit of the leg extension machine? You mentioned the barbell is better then the machines cause they use more muscle groups. Darn, I like those machine compared to the squats lol. Should I use the legs press at all? I noticed no one seems to mention it. Your advice, coming from someone who is connected with a Olympic lifting is appreciated and was very helpful.
  • ChrisGoldn
    ChrisGoldn Posts: 473 Member
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    I Squat every other day.....

    I am currently doing a program called Stronglifts 5x5 (i modified it slightly, adding a few exercises)

    Google it you can find bunch of free articles explaining it.

    The program consists of every other day training

    Workout A

    Squats
    Bench
    Barbell Rows

    Workout B

    Squats
    Overhead Press
    Deadlifts


    Alternate Workouts

    You progress each workout as long as you make the sets and reps.

    Thats the nutshell of the program. And i've gained a ton of strength from this.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,639 Member
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    Like most of my bodyparts, I only train them once a week now. But I split them up so I can bomb them! Quad day I usually do leg extensions, leg press, then I'll either do a squat variation (back, front, hack) along with walking or stationary lunges.
    On hamstring day, it's lying leg curls, seated leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts or hamstring hyperextensions.
    I would encourage you to train legs at the beginning of the week (Monday or Tuesday) because that's when most enthusiasm and attitude for exercise seems highest (which is why most gyms are packed on Monday and Tuesday and slowly empties by Friday).

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    Like most of my bodyparts, I only train them once a week now. But I split them up so I can bomb them! Quad day I usually do leg extensions, leg press, then I'll either do a squat variation (back, front, hack) along with walking or stationary lunges.
    On hamstring day, it's lying leg curls, seated leg curls, stiff legged deadlifts or hamstring hyperextensions.
    I would encourage you to train legs at the beginning of the week (Monday or Tuesday) because that's when most enthusiasm and attitude for exercise seems highest (which is why most gyms are packed on Monday and Tuesday and slowly empties by Friday).

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

    This is what I'm doing now. ^^.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    I train legs twice a week. 12-15 sets per week, and split it up between two workouts.

    Exercises:

    Full Squats - 10 work sets per week
    Leg Curls - 2 work sets per week
    Leg Press - 2-3 work sets per week

    To be honest. All you need are Squats. Squats are king. Always have been, always will be.

    Oh and Calf Raises I usually do on Shoulder day. Don't ask. Just how it works out.
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Legs can be trained 3-4 times a week.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    Legs can be trained 3-4 times a week.

    If I trained legs that often I would never be able to walk, I would never recover.*L*
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Legs can be trained 3-4 times a week.

    If I trained legs that often I would never be able to walk, I would never recover.*L*

    I don't find DOMS to be that bad and I walk up and down several flights of stairs all day long at work. I've done several months of SMOLOV squat routine and gained decent leg strength training 3-4 times a week.
  • TR56
    TR56 Posts: 63 Member
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    I do legs twice a week. 1 day is deadlifts and focus hard on hamstrings and glutes. The other day is squats and hit the whole legs. Starting my third month like this and seeing some nice size and shape to the legs
  • Danflex
    Danflex Posts: 14
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    Many of you mentioned deadlifts . Another exercise I have never tried until today. I could really feel it in the hamstrings, hip region and lower back.

    Thanks Goldn326. I will give this a go.
  • FranchescaFord777
    FranchescaFord777 Posts: 9
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    WOW...That is really funny!!! =) The pic about leg day..

    I try to work my legs 2-3 times a week...lots of squats, lunges, and dead lifts at moderate weights.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    I hit the front off my legs on one day and hit the back of my legs and butt on the other. I wouldn't want to do them more than that to the muscle time to heal and build. But then I'm hitting them pretty hard.
  • kiachu
    kiachu Posts: 409 Member
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    Legs can be trained 3-4 times a week.

    If I trained legs that often I would never be able to walk, I would never recover.*L*

    I don't find DOMS to be that bad and I walk up and down several flights of stairs all day long at work. I've done several months of SMOLOV squat routine and gained decent leg strength training 3-4 times a week.

    I don't care about strength. I'm going for size so I need recovery time. blasted them 4 times a week wouldn't do that for me.

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