Leg-training is one of those facts of life that most of us would just as soon avoid if we could. It's a necessary evil founded on the premise that all good things happen at times we like
least. A strange excitement accompanies the anxiety as you envision loading the bar with plates and lifting a ton of weight. We may not look forward to the sick feeling in the pit of our
stomach as we try to steady the weight behind our neck, but - let's face it - there's just something about leg-training that keeps us coming back for more.
Spending 45 minutes under a pile of plates helps make accomplishment real. No matter how often you puke or feel you're going to die, or how many days you spend recuperating from the
ordeal, the experience is one you cannot go out and buy. If growth depended solely upon the utter ass-pounding of a hard leg day, most guys would be dropping like flies.
A hard day of leg-training is tough both physically and mentally. The enduring pain and suffering and the sheer magnitude of squatting thousands of pounds are gut wrenching, but they're
also a bit like an endorphin after-party that makes showing up to the venue worth every penny of the admission price.
Several factors make a leg-training routine a success - not just exercises but also the manner in which you execute them. Take squats for instance. Anyone can load a bar, sling it behind
his neck, and bend and straighten his knees. You don't have to read my column to know how to do that. You could simply go to the gym and watch. On the other hand, if you loaded the bar
with 50 percent of the weight you normally use, put your feet closer together, bent your knees so that your thighs were completely parallel to the floor with each repetition, held the
position for a count of 2, went down and came up slowly, and repeated this action for a minimum of 25 times, the picture might change in terms of execution because that's what post set
pukes are all about in the world of leg-training.
The type of exercise you choose, the workout schemes you employ, the amount of rest you take between sets, and the kind of sets you do (supersets, straight sets, etc.) will have a dramatic
effect on the outcome of your workouts. Many variables go into setting the standard for how mediocre or excellent a routine is. In the long run, how you use and combine those variables
will affect how much size you pack on.
If you take nothing else away from this article, try to stay away from any preconceptions about leg-training. The notion that high-rep work makes size gain impossible is a myth. You can't
overtrain the legs unless you run for two hours before a workout and then train for two hours. Remember that when you're planning your workout, and you'll be halfway home. The legs are
the absolute largest muscle group in the entire body. Though not impossible, the likelihood of over training them is almost nil on a scale of one to ten, despite what all your buddies may
tell you. The key to leg-training is in finding the limits within yourself that maximize growth and development while minimizing exhaustion and sticking points. The level of intensity is
what dictates growth, not the volume of work.
None of the regular rules of engagement applies when you're talking about training legs. Sadly, there are no all-encompassing rules for every bodypart, least of all for quads. What works
for one person won't for another, and what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow.
My quad-training routine consists of five exercises over the course of one training cycle (usually 12 weeks minimum). You may use variations of one exercise (walking lunges or stationary
lunges or two different types of leg press), but you may not substitute other exercises. I specify these rules for two reasons: First, these exercises best stimulate quad development, and
second, exercises can also be considered variables. Don't confuse the issue by making a lot of changes. If you begin to pack on mass, you may not know which exercise or technique is working
for you, so don't add so many variables that you can't properly evaluate your routine.
The 5 exercises (for 12 weeks):
Squat, leg press, hack squat, lunge and leg extension.
I have selected these five exercises because they are the absolute best for all-around development and growth in the quad region. The list includes both mass movements and finishing
exercises. In a workout where you're training a smaller muscle group, one mass movement is ample. However, because the legs are the largest single muscle group, you need two or three mass
movements followed by two or three finishing exercises.
Always begin any workout with a mass movement and then use exercises that exert less stress on the body toward the middle and end of the session. For example, begin with squats and go to
the leg press next. If you're following a total-growth program, include a third mass movement (hack squats, for instance). Finish with at least two exercises that work the quads for shape
and endurance.