There is no better day than leg day. This day involves moving massive amounts of weight and a whole lot of pain. This is good pain though and the kind that only comes from heavy lifting. The day is exhausting, but you can walk a bit taller heading out of the gym. This is why we have no idea why ANYONE would skip a leg workout. It does happen and it results in FAILURE everytime.
It should be common sense that your workout routine requires balance. This allows the body to maintain a symmetrically balanced physique. It is too often that you step into a gym and see a guy with a tight fitting tank and baggy shorts. Why is this a problem? Well, he is covering up is chicken legs, that’s why. The upper body gets all of the attention, especially the arms. The legs are overlooked and overall, the training routine is horrid.
A missed leg day would result in the same performance loss as removing 5 cylinders from an 8 cylinder engine. The engine would run awful, sound awful, and likely fail a few miles down the road. This is exactly what happens when you skip leg day. Two of the three big lifts are missed and your training suffers. The squat and deadlift are apart of the 3 core lifts (the other being the bench press). Without a leg day, these key exercises are missed.
The squat and deadlift incorporate nearly every muscle in the body to fire in unison to complete the lift. They are also the two lifts that can incorporate massive amounts of weight. This means an even higher surge of the body’s natural hormones (i.e. testosterone and growth hormone). I do not want to hear about bad knees. The squat is safe for knees when completed properly. Be sure to keep your heels on the floor throughout the lift. It is also vital to keep your abs drawn in and spine aligned.
Let’s check out some leg workouts to thicken up those tree trunks.
Beginner:
Squats – 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
Deadlifts – 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
Front Squats – 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
Leg Press – 3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
-Rest 2 – 3 minutes per set
-Always warm-up with several lighter sets prior to beginning your working sets.
Intermediate:
Squats – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Deadlifts – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Front Squats – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Leg Press – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Stiff Legged Deadlift – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
-Rest 2 – 3 minutes per set
-Always warm-up with several lighter sets prior to beginning your working sets.
Advanced:
Workout A (Mon or Tues)
Squats – 3 sets of 4 – 8 reps
Front Squats – 3 sets of 4 – 8 reps
Leg Press – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Lunges – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
-Rest 2 – 3 minutes per set
-Always warm-up with several lighter sets prior to beginning your working sets.
Workout B (Thurs or Fri)
Deadlifts – 3 sets of 4 – 8 reps
Stiff Legged Deadlifts – 3 sets of 4 – 8 reps
Good Mornings – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
Leg Press (ft high on the platform, legs slightly wider to avoid chest) – 3 sets of 6 – 8 reps
-Rest 2 – 3 minutes per set
-Always warm-up with several lighter sets prior to beginning your working sets.
The most important thing to remember about leg day is, DON’T SKIP IT. Leg day is the most often missed workout day of the week. Much like breakfast (which is the most skipped meal), it is the most important. Your challenge is to get in one of these leg workouts after reading this article. Ready? Go!
