Workout Routine for Massive Legs

Powerful looking legs just scream for attention. While the legs may not be the typical “show” muscles like the chest and arms, massive quads and shredded hamstrings tell the world one thing; I’m serious about my training. Leg training demands a lot of attention and is very taxing on the body. It is because of this that many so-called weight trainers do not train their legs very hard. If you want to build a lower body that demands respect, follow this workout to develop quads and hamstrings that will put others’ to shame.

First and foremost; STRETCH! Tom Platz was known for stretching his legs for near an hour before training them, and stretching out your legs before training will help loosen the muscles up and prevent injury.

Exercise #1: Leg Extension (pre-exhaust) - Start with a relatively light weight and work your way up to a moderately heavy weight. We are just warming up the leg muscles and the knees here, so training heavy is not that important.

Perform 5 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Exercise #2: Squats - The mother of all leg training exercises. Your feet should be about shoulder-width apart. With the bar set firmly on your traps, slowly lower the weight until your upper legs are parallel to the ground (none of this ¾ or ½ squat crap). Your knees should not bow outward or inward, and they should not pass in front of the toes.

Perform 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps with heavy weight and perfect form.

Exercise #3: Leg Press - I’m not typically a fan of the leg press because too many people use it as an ego lift to pile on plate after plate to give the impression of strength, but it is a complimentary mass building exercise to the squat. I like to place my feet high on the platform with the seat back all the way up. Point the toes straight ahead at a slightly wider than shoulder width, and lower the weight down until your knees touch your chest. DO NOT let your lower back come off the seat, as this causes unnecessary stress on the spine. Push the weight back to the starting position; push more with your heels than your toes.

Perform 3 sets of 20 reps.

Exercise #4: Walking Lunges - A great exercise to help develop the tie-in between your hamstrings and glutes, especially on the outer portion of the leg. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lunge forward with one leg until your back knee almost touches the ground. Your front knee should not come past your toes on that foot. Repeat with the other leg and keep moving forward.

Walk 3 sets of 20 paces.

Exercise #5: Straight-Leg Deadlifts - This is a great exercise to develop the hamstrings and the hamstring/glute tie-in from the back. Grab a barbell with your hands about shoulder-width. While keeping the back straight, slowly lower the weight while bending at the waist (not at the lower back), until you feel a tightness in the hamstrings. Raise the weight back up to the starting position.

Perform 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

By now, your legs should be feeling pretty much like jell-o. I like to stretch again after leg training to help reduce the soreness that will undoubtedly set in. With such a demanding training routine, optimal nutrition is vital to recovery as well. Supplements like a good protein powder, branch chain amino acids and glutamine will help you recover faster and with new muscle.

Keep at this workout for at least 8 weeks and you will notice a significant difference in the quality and size of your legs.