My legs wont grow...
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Despite the fact that there are still so many functional fitness zealots around there's nothing wrong with isolation exercises especially if a muscle isn't growing. A combination of 20 rep squats, a hearty calorie surplus and well applied isolation would do wonders. How many days a week are you training legs op? If that's what you want to grow then make it a priority, two days at least. One day work up to your 3x5 or 5x5 sets then take about 30-40% off (maybe even more initially) and do a set of 20 reps. Increase the weight 5lbs/2.5kg every week that you hit all 20 reps. Google breathing squats if you're not familiar with high rep squat sets - you need to learn how to rest with the bar on your back. Then the following day hit extensions, leg curls, and leg press or hack squat machine if your gym has one, all 8-12 rep range.
Assuming you eat enough I don't see how you couldn't grow doing that for 3-4 months.0 -
Some people need tough love. Telling the kid "you're doing great, keep trying" is going to get him exactly where he doesn't want to be.0
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Do some Leg Press after your squats and deads, 8-12 reps, feet close together at the bottom of the plate, toes slightly turned in. Making my outer quads grow good at the moment.0
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Some really weird advice in this thread. At least two or three mentions of doing cardio to gain size on legs? Suuuuure.
OP, look into something more hypertrophy oriented maybe? I've been thinking about doing some Layne Norton PHAT when I start my bulk.
Dope, mountain biking is a high stress micro rupture activity from low gear climbing (think 15 rep to failure stuff) that does impact leg size to some degree. It won't build hypertrophy in the bodybuilding sense but it will build a solid base.
As an avid mountain biker I'd say only use it as a base, the most efficient thing is going to be the gym - move those 5x5 to x8-12s. Another protocol suggestion would be the allpro program. It's easy to transition from 5x5.
Hypertrophy ranges of higher rep - add those.0 -
LOL...ok, kid.Some people need tough love. Telling the kid "you're doing great, keep trying" is going to get him exactly where he doesn't want to be.0 -
Some people need tough love. Telling the kid "you're doing great, keep trying" is going to get him exactly where he doesn't want to be.
Do you even read bro? :laugh: :noway: :laugh:0 -
Some people need tough love. Telling the kid "you're doing great, keep trying" is going to get him exactly where he doesn't want to be.
I just don't know anymore lol0 -
I agree with switching to a hypertrophy program, and are you eating enough? Are you gaining weight?0
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I do at least 3 working sets of squats, leg press, leg curls and calf raises in a hypertrophy workout for legs.0
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I agree with switching to a hypertrophy program, and are you eating enough? Are you gaining weight?
Yeah I'm going to start next week. Seems like the right option. I'm eating between 2700-2850 daily. I'm gaining weight yes, 5lb over the last 2 months.0 -
I agree with switching to a hypertrophy program, and are you eating enough? Are you gaining weight?
Yeah I'm going to start next week. Seems like the right option. I'm eating between 2700-2850 daily. I'm gaining weight yes, 5lb over the last 2 months.
Hrm... That doesn't seem like very much for a man. I think a lot of men aim for 1lbs a week while bulking. I ate 2800 during my bulk, gaining a half pound a week and I am a woman.0 -
Some people need tough love. Telling the kid "you're doing great, keep trying" is going to get him exactly where he doesn't want to be.
this is funny.
a 25-year old calling another 25-year old a kid.
:laugh:
also... get off my lawn!
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He has "coach" in his username.Get off the leg extension machine and do some squats and deadlifts.
Can you not read?
Doing the squat movement, and doing a squat are two entirely different things. Muscles respond to stress, if your upper body is growing and your lower body is not it, you are not stressing your lower body enough. Get off the message boards and put some weight on the bar.
(Quarter squats on the Smith Machine don't count)
I don't use machines! Are you completely stupid?0 -
How about pyramid training for those compounds then adding the hypertrophy stuff afterwards. You can ditch 5x5 if you want more size.
This is one of my fave blog articles: http://bretcontreras.com/training-for-maximum-muscle-growth-explained/
Eta: I'll add genetically, I build upper faster and easier than lower. I have to work harder on lower to make it 'pop'.0 -
In for info. Good luck on growing the legs.0
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Vibrams + 40lb backpack+ hiking
^^^^^ this.. Pure genius^^^^^^^^0 -
1) up your calories to 3000-3150 for a 4 lb/mo. gain.
2) drop the 5x5 program which is a strength program and not a hypertrophy. 8-12 rep range with your major compound lifts. And go hard with an eye toward progressive loading in that range.
3) ISOLATE! Add in leg curl, leg extension, and leg press. 3x10 or 3x12 for the accessory lifts. Use the machines. Don't fear them. They do have a purpose.
4) and for ships and giggles, do a few hip thrusts. I read on here once that they're the ultimate exercise.0 -
Sorry to say that everyone can't have perfect bodies no matter how much they work out. After all the lifting and protein eating, if you aren't gaining in your legs, then you probably never will. I say you should just get used to your legs and learn to work with what you got. We all have imperfections that can't be fixed, luckily, you can cover yours up if you want to.0
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4lbs a month is 48lbs a year - the vast vast majority of that is going to be fat gain. That's unnecessary and frankly counter productive. The op gained 2.5lb in the last month, if they gain another 5lb the following 8 weeks there's really no reason to increase calories until that slows down. The op has not given a full history of their weight gain/loss history but until they are a complete noob (which they're not if they're squatting 315 for reps) who is underweight (again seems very unlikely) anything more than 5lbs gained a month is overkill.0
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bump for hypertrophy, james response--good advice0
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I see you train your legs twice per week which is good. Perhaps you could do something like this:
First leg day heavy squats 5x5 or whatever set rep range you like
Light SLDL or RDL 3x10 but pick a weight you can do for 15 reps
Leg press 4x6-12
Lunges or step ups 3x8-12
Second leg day
dynamic squats 8-10x2-3 60-65 % of your 1 rep max do 2-3 reps for 8-10 sets but rest only 45-60 second between sets
Deadlifts (your set and reps would work)
times leg press- set a timer for 10 min. Pick a weight you can do for about 15 reps. Do 2-3 reps and rest for 15-20 sec and keep doing 2-3 reps for 10 min.
Leg curls-same as leg press but for 5 minutes
calf work as needed.0 -
More volume. Do about three to four exercises for quads and three to four for hamstrings.
Squats, front squat, hack squat, leg press, lunges, leg extensions for quads.
For hamstrings, deadlift, stiff legged deadlift, romanian deadlift, seated leg curl, lying leg curl.
Calves seated and standing.0 -
In...
...for advice that is relevant to my interests...
...and for learning more about why a particular member came out swinging with admonishment based on faulty facts and covers for it calling it "tough love".0 -
Sorry to say that everyone can't have perfect bodies no matter how much they work out. After all the lifting and protein eating, if you aren't gaining in your legs, then you probably never will. I say you should just get used to your legs and learn to work with what you got. We all have imperfections that can't be fixed, luckily, you can cover yours up if you want to.
Say wha??0 -
Some really weird advice in this thread. At least two or three mentions of doing cardio to gain size on legs? Suuuuure.
OP, look into something more hypertrophy oriented maybe? I've been thinking about doing some Layne Norton PHAT when I start my bulk.
PHAT is a good program. Added half an inch to all bodyparts in three weeks using that. Was pretty skeptical at first until I tried it.0 -
In...
...for advice that is relevant to my interests...
...and for learning more about why a particular member came out swinging with admonishment based on faulty facts and covers for it calling it "tough love".
Maybe I should add that I train out of one of the top powerlifting gyms in the US. We have many world and US record holders, as well as many competitive bodybuilders, some of which I have done programming for.
With all due respect, most suggestions in this thread are way off. Most responses so far have been straight off the pages of Muscle and Fiction. Lack of volume is rarely an issue for beginners. If this was the case, Crossfitters would be HUUUGE. 25 reps of squat (5x5) is more than enough volume. Most of the lifters in my gym do less than 10 "working" reps in a workout. Of course they do accessory work too, but they have also been training for years.
Stress is the name of the game. Some do it by lifting a few heavy sets, some spend 1.5 hours in the gym on the leg extension machine. Both will get results, but the previous is definitely more efficient.
PS we don't even have a leg extension, leg curl, or calf raise machine in the gym; and I think most of our lifters are doing just fine.0 -
Sarauk2sf posted this in another thread and I thought it might be useful here.
Brad Schoenfeld has done the homework on this subject.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/4_reasons_youre_not_gaining_muscle0 -
In...
...for advice that is relevant to my interests...
...and for learning more about why a particular member came out swinging with admonishment based on faulty facts and covers for it calling it "tough love".
Maybe I should add that I train out of one of the top powerlifting gyms in the US. We have many world and US record holders, as well as many competitive bodybuilders, some of which I have done programming for.
With all due respect, most suggestions in this thread are way off. Most responses so far have been straight off the pages of Muscle and Fiction. Lack of volume is rarely an issue for beginners. If this was the case, Crossfitters would be HUUUGE. 25 reps of squat (5x5) is more than enough volume. Most of the lifters in my gym do less than 10 "working" reps in a workout. Of course they do accessory work too, but they have also been training for years.
Stress is the name of the game. Some do it by lifting a few heavy sets, some spend 1.5 hours in the gym on the leg extension machine. Both will get results, but the previous is definitely more efficient.
PS we don't even have a leg extension, leg curl, or calf raise machine in the gym; and I think most of our lifters are doing just fine.
So you're saying that OP should keep doing what he's been doing with his 5x5? The very thing that OP has said isn't working for him? I'm confused as to what your actual advice for OP is...as the things you told him to stop doing are things that he says he isn't doing, and the things you're telling him to do are what he's already doing.0 -
In...
...for advice that is relevant to my interests...
...and for learning more about why a particular member came out swinging with admonishment based on faulty facts and covers for it calling it "tough love".
Maybe I should add that I train out of one of the top powerlifting gyms in the US. We have many world and US record holders, as well as many competitive bodybuilders, some of which I have done programming for.
With all due respect, most suggestions in this thread are way off. Most responses so far have been straight off the pages of Muscle and Fiction. Lack of volume is rarely an issue for beginners. If this was the case, Crossfitters would be HUUUGE. 25 reps of squat (5x5) is more than enough volume. Most of the lifters in my gym do less than 10 "working" reps in a workout. Of course they do accessory work too, but they have also been training for years.
Stress is the name of the game. Some do it by lifting a few heavy sets, some spend 1.5 hours in the gym on the leg extension machine. Both will get results, but the previous is definitely more efficient.
PS we don't even have a leg extension, leg curl, or calf raise machine in the gym; and I think most of our lifters are doing just fine.
I've gotta ask, do you have more knowledge about the OP's current training program than has been presented to us? You seem to be assuming facts not in evidence0 -
When in doubt increase the intensity0
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