The Ultimate Leg Workout

26/4/2014
The Ultimate Leg Workout: The Best Leg Exercises for Big Wheels | Muscle For Life
The Ultimate Leg Workout: The Best Leg Exercises for Big
Wheels
By Michael Matthews on January 29th, 2014
Nothing makes or breaks a physique more than leg development,

and in this article, youll learn the best leg exercises for building an
impressive set of wheels.
If youre hitting the weights regularly but neglecting your leg workouts, I want to warn you of what is to come:
http://www.muscleforlife.com/best-legs-exercises/
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In all seriousness, I understand the temptation to skip legs day. I used to do it all the time and am paying the price now. My legs are still a bit behind
my upper body in overall development, and my calves are still too small (working on it!), but my legs are no longer a glaring weakness:
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Ironically, now that I have a few years of proper leg training under my belt, Ive actually come to really enjoy my leg workouts. But it took time to get
there. It wasnt a simple matter of MOAR SQUATS MOAR SQUATS MOAAAAR SQUATSSSS!11!!!!
In this article, Im going to share with you what Ive learned about building big, strong legs: the best leg exercises, tips on performing them correctly,
and a workout that will deliver immediate results in terms of building leg muscle and strength.
The Major Leg Muscles in Detail

Before we get to the training, Id like to quickly review the major muscles of the leg so we know what were looking to develop.
The quadriceps is a group of four muscles that comprise the bulk of the muscle on the front of the thigh. The four heads of the quadriceps are:
The rectus femoris
The vastus lateralis
The vastus medialis
The vastus intermedius
Heres how they look:
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The back of the leg is dominated by three muscles that contract the hamstring tendon:
The semitendinosus
The semimembranosus
The biceps femoris
Heres how they look:
And last but not least is the calf muscle, which is comprised of two muscles:
The gastrocnemius
The soleus
And heres how they look:
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(As you can see, the bulk of the calf is the gastrocnemius muscle, and the soleus lies under it.
So, those are the major muscle groups that were concerned with in terms of visual development. There are quite a few smaller muscles that will
greatly affect our ability to properly train the larger muscles, but we dont need to review each of them. By following the advice in this article, they
will develop along with the larger groups.
Leg Training 101

The three biggest mistakes most people make in their leg workouts are:
1. Focusing on the wrong leg exercises.
Many people focus too much on machine and isolation exercises, which do not build big, strong legs.
2. Squatting horribly.
Partial-squats are probably the most common mistake, but there are others such as hunching over, bowing the knees in, pushing the knees out
beyond the toes, and more.
3. Focusing on high-rep training.
This mistake will stunt the growth of any major muscle group in the body, and is a subject I talk about in more detail in my article on muscle
hypertrophy (muscle growth).
But wait a minute, you might be thinking. INSERT SHREDDED FITNESS MODEL HERE does a lot of high-rep leg exercises in his leg workouts, and
he has huge, anatomy-chart-like legs What gives?
The answer is steroids. I know, that might sound cynical, but its true.
When someone is on enough drugs, achieving muscle growth is mind-numbingly simple: he sits in the gym for a few hours every day doing rep after
rep after rep, exercise after exercise, and his muscles get bigger and bigger. In this case, focusing on high-rep training is actually a good thing.
Furthermore, theres a certain level of overall muscle development, especially of the smaller muscles, and muscle separation that you just cant get
without steroids (and certain steroids are particularly effective in this regard).
For example, check out the following bodybuilder that competes in natural bodybuilding shows:
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While I cant say with certainty whether hes natural or not (the drug testing in many natural federations is a complete joke), I think his legs
represent a realistic goal for natural leg development. Youre not going to get much better than that naturally.
Compare that now to the following:
And thats the power of drugs. Sheer size isnt the only benefit, either. Remember I mentioned the muscle separation and development of the smaller
muscles?
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Again, the power of drugs. (And no, Im not bitter about either of their guys having more impressive physiques than me. They work incredibly hard for
their bodies and deserve the recognition theyve earned.)
Now, dont despairyou can still build a great set of legs without drugs. It just takes time, and it takes the right approach to your leg training. And the
right approach as a natural weightlifter is very simple:
1. Focus on lifting heavy weights in your leg workouts.
If you want your legs to get big and strong, youll want to focus on the 4 6 or 5 7 rep range.
2. Focus on the leg exercises that safely allow for sufficient progressive overload.
Well talk more about this in a minute, but these are exercises like the Back Squat, Front Squat, Hack Squat, Barbell Lunge, and more.
Training volume and frequency is also important. Like ideal rep ranges, optimal training frequency is a hotly debated subject. The bottom line is it
boils down to workout intensity and volume.
The lighter the weights and fewer the sets per workout, the more often you can train the muscle group. And, as a corollary, the heavier the weights
and greater the sets per workout, the less often you can train the muscle group.
Ive tried many different splits and frequency schemes, and what Ive found works best is in line with an extensive review on the subject conducted by
researchers at Goteborg University:
When training with the proper intensity (focusing on lifting heavy weights), optimal frequency seems to be about 40 60 reps performed every
5 7 days.
This not only applies to the legs but to every other major muscle group as well. If youre an advanced weightlifter (3+ years of proper training under
your belt), you can probably push this up to the 70 80 rep range, but any more than that and you will be risking overtraining.
Alright, lets now look at the best leg exercises for muscle growth.
The Best Leg Exercises

My list of favorite leg exercises is pretty short and simple. They are compound movements, they allow for heavy weights, and they are safe.
These are the exercises Ive used to dramatically improve my own legs, and that will do the same for yours.
1. Barbell Back Squat

No surprise here, of course.
The Squat is hands down the most effective leg exercise you can do. It blasts every muscle in your legs.
It must be performed correctly, however. Improper squatting is not only ineffective, it can increase the risk of injury, so lets quickly review the key
points:
The first point is if youre not at least reaching parallel in your squats, The main problem with this is the shallower the squat, the less work your leg
muscles have to do, which results in less muscle and strength growth.
Heres what this parallel position looks like (this image is from my book Bigger Leaner Stronger):
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Notice also how the head is neutral, chest is up, shoulders back, and the spine is in a neutral position, and the knees are behind the toes. These are all
key points to maintaining proper form on the Squat.
Heres what a proper parallel squat looks like:
Mark Rippetoe: Coach Rip Squats 315x10
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The Ass to Grass or Full Squat is also popular and effective, and it looks like this:
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Perfect Form ATG Squat 350 lbs x 10 No Belt (2x...
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While there are benefits to the Full Squat (it makes the legs, and butt in particular, do more work), it requires quite a bit of mobility and flexibility. I
recommend you start with the Parallel Squat and build your strength up there before including the Full Squat in your leg workouts.
Before we move on to the next leg exercise, I want to talk about the biggest problem many people run into when they try to squat properly: lack of
lower-body mobility and flexibility.
Lack of hip flexibility is probably the most common problem that prevents people from squatting properly, but hamstring tightness and even
calf and ankle stiffness can also throw your form off.
Fortunately, fixing these issues is pretty simple. All you have to do is follow this squat mobility routine, and youll be squatting properly within no
time.
2. Barbell Front Squat

The Barbell Front Squat is a great exercise for emphasizing the quadriceps, and for taking the stress off the lower back.
How To: Front Squat (Barbell)
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It feels quite awkward at first, and often uncomfortable, but the more you do it, the better it gets.
3. Barbell Lunge
The Barbell Lunge is another great exercise for targeting the quadriceps, as well as the glutes.
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How To: Barbell Stepping Lunge
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4. Romanian Deadlift
The Romanian Deadlift, or RDL, is my favorite exercise for isolating the muscles of the hamstring.
How To: Romanian Deadlift (Barbell)
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5. Hack Squat Sled

While Im generally not a fan of machines, I really like the Hack Squat Sled. It emphasizes the quadriceps and places no strain on the lower back.
Instructional Fitness - Hack Squats
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6. Leg Press Machine

The Leg Press is another worthwhile machine for leg training. It emphasizes the quadriceps, but also hits the hamstring muscles and glutes.
There are two types of leg press machines found in most gyms, though. One has you seated more or less upright, pressing the weight straight out and
back:
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And the other has you seated, pressing the weight up at a 45-degree angle:
I much prefer the latter as it allows for a fuller range of motion. Heres how to do it:
Instructional Fitness - Seated Leg Press
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7. Hip Thrust
While this exercise looks ridiculous, its actually an awesome way to target your glutes. It can be performed without weight:
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How To: Hip Thrust
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Or with weight:
Hip Thrust Instructional Video
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8. Standing Calf Raise

This simple exercise is a tried-and-true calf builder.
Instructional Fitness - Standing Calf Raises
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9. Seated Calf Raise

This is a worthwhile variant of the calf raise. I like that it doesnt place any stress on the lower back as you get heavier.
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MUTANT in a MINUTE - Seated Calf raises with Bi...
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10. Calf Raise on the Leg Press

This is another good calf raise variant. I like that it easily allows for a full range of motion.
Calf Workouts: Leg Press Calf Raise
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RememberProgression is the Key to Muscle Growth

Thats it on the exercises.
The key, however, isnt just doing the above exercises. Its progressing on them. That is, increasing the amount of weight you can push over time.
If you dont get stronger, you wont get bigger. But if you do work on building your strength on these exercises, and you eat enough food to grow, your
legs will get bigger and stronger.
The Ultimate Leg Workout

A good leg workout trains both the quadriceps and hamstrings, and focuses on heavy weights. Just like any other muscle group, legs can benefit from
higher rep work, but you have to emphasize the heavy weightlifting if you want them to grow.
While I go over everything you need to program your own leg workouts in Big g er Leaner Strong er (and provide you with an entire years worth
of workouts that can, when combined with proper nutrition, help you put on 20 25 pounds of muscle in your first year of weightlifting), I want
to leave you with a leg workout that will prove the effectiveness of what Ive discussed in this article.
What I want you to do over the next 8 weeks is perform the following leg workout once every 5 7 days:
Barbell Back Squat: Warm up and 3 sets of 4 6 reps
Hack Squat (or Leg Press if your g ym doesnt have a Hack Squat Sled): 3 sets of 4 6 reps
Barbell Lung e: 3 sets of 4 6 reps or 6 8 reps if you cant maintain proper form with 4 6
Optional (if you feel like you have some juice left): Romanian Deadlift for 3 sets of 4 6 reps or Hip Thrust for 3 sets of 6 8 reps if you
want to targ et your g lutes
Standing Calf Raise: 3 sets of 4 6 reps and then 3 sets of 8 10 reps with 1 minute of rest in between each set
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Thats itjust 9 12 heavy sets for your entire workout. If youre an advanced lifter, or you feel you have more in you at the end of the workout, you
can do the final 3 sets, but dont do more than that or you will likely wind up overtrained at some point.
Once you hit the top of your rep range for one set, you move up in weight. For instance, if push out 6 reps on your first set of Squats, you add 5
pounds to each side of the bar for your next set and work with that weight until you can squat it for 6 reps, and so forth.
Rest 2 3 minutes in between each set. This will give your muscles enough time to fully recoup their strength so you can give maximum effort each
set.
I guarantee you that if you combine that leg workout with a proper nutrition plan, you will be very happy with how your legs respond.
This type of training is the core of my Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner Stronger programs, and Ive received hundreds and hundreds emails
from readers ecstatic that they were finally breaking through 1+ year plateaus with ease, gaining strength and size every week.
What do you think of these leg exercises? Have anything else youd like to share?
Let me know in the comments below!
Want more ultimate workouts? Check out the following:
The Ultimate Chest Workout
The Ultimate Back Workout
The Ultimate Shoulder Workout
The Ultimate Arms Workout
How to get lean and build serious muscle and strength, faster than you ever thought possible
Depending on how you eat, train, and rest, building muscle and losing fat can be incredibly easy or incredibly hard. Unfortunately, most people
make many different mistakes that leave them stuck in a rut.
And thats why I wrote Bigger Leaner Stronger for men, and Thinner Leaner Stronger for women: they lay out EVERYTHING you need to know
about diet and training to build muscle and lose fat effectively
BUY NOW
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BUY NOW
Im Mike Matthews and Ive been training for nearly a decade now. I believe that every person can achieve the body
of his or her dreams, and I work hard to give everyone that chance by providing workable, proven advice grounded
in science, not a desire to sell phony magazines, workout products, or supplements. More about me.
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Nothing makes or breaks a physique more than leg development,

The Major Leg Muscles in Detail

Leg Training 101

The Best Leg Exercises

1. Barbell Back Squat

Perfect Form ATG Squat 350 lbs x 10 No Belt (2x...

2. Barbell Front Squat

How To: Barbell Stepping Lunge

5. Hack Squat Sled

6. Leg Press Machine

How To: Hip Thrust

8. Standing Calf Raise

9. Seated Calf Raise

MUTANT in a MINUTE - Seated Calf raises with Bi...

10. Calf Raise on the Leg Press

RememberProgression is the Key to Muscle Growth

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