Complete leg training, especially squats, has always been a lot of fun for me. That’s right, fun. I always look forward to squats. I like combining them with intensity techniques to make the workout even more brutal. Squats are, to my mind, the single most important exercise you can do. They bring into play some 200 muscles and cause large amounts of natural testosterone release. This in turn can cause growth over the entire body.

It’s been said that squats can cause as much as a 10% increase in upper body size. Tom Platz knew this when he was trying to bring his upper body up to the standards of his amazing legs. yes, the same legs that set new standards in development. They are still among the best ever. Before Platz, weak legs were common. Now you’d be hard pressed to find a competition bodybuilder with poor leg development.

Let’s Take A Look At The Anatomy

There are four muscles that make up the quadriceps, or thigh muscles. These include the rectus femoris, the vastus intermedius ( these are the center of the thigh), the vastus medialis ( inner thigh) and the vastus lateralis ( outer thigh). The quadriceps attach to the front of the tibia and originate at the top of the femur. This is with the exception of the rectus femoris which crosses the hip joint and originates on the pelvis. The function of the quadriceps is to extend the knee. The rectus femoris also acts as a hip flexor because it crosses the hip joint.

As Far As What Exercises Hit The Different Parts Of The Quadriceps

Outer thigh sweep refers to the vastus lateralis. You develop outer thigh sweep by keeping your feet close together. In fact, they can be touching on exercises like squats, hack squats and leg presses. Inner thighs are hit by keeping your feet turned out. You can do this on squats, leg presses and leg extensions. For lower thigh development, partial movements emphasizing the first 3/4’s range of motion hit this area. Of course for overall quad development squats and leg press are the main exercises.

For Complete Leg Training Don’t Be Afraid Of Squats

Squats can be tough. People will look for all kinds of reasons not to do them. You need to understand the correct performance of the exercise. You also need to be willing to work through a little bit of (good) pain. If you do, you will be rewarded with meaningful results in your desire for bigger legs. Real results require real effort but what a sense of accomplishment after a tough leg day!

Great Legs Are More Than Great Quads!

But there’s a lot more legs to look at! We still have the hamstrings and the calves! These two may be among the forgotten muscles. You know, the ones regulated to a few sets at the end of your workout. Usually, forearms and rear delts are in this group also.

Thighs have been historically ignored in bodybuilding. The hamstrings have been ignored even more so. They have taken an even longer time to be acknowledged as important. In sports, they are vitally important. They balance out the legs and help prevent injury.

In bodybuilding competition they are now posed in the mandatories. No doubt they add a lot to a ripped physique. To my mind, Rich Gaspari was one of the first to really demonstrate effective hamstrings in competition. Of course he also had ripped glutes which he was known for. However, yet again you really have to go back to Tom Platz. He’s the first real example of amazing, complete leg development. Today, there are so many top guys with great legs I wouldn’t know where to begin!

Complete Leg Training – Hamstring Anatomy

The Hamstrings are actually three separate muscles. These are the Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus. These muscles originate just underneath the Gluteus Maximus on the pelvic bone. They attach to the tibia. The primary functions of the Hamstrings are knee flexion. This means bringing the heel back towards the butt. There’s also hip extension. This means moving the leg to the rear.

Another View Of The Hamstrings

One school of thought suggests that in movement. The hamstrings “primary” function is not knee flexion. In walking or running, for example, the primary function of the hamstring is to decelerate the lower leg in the sagittal plane. The sagittal plane is an imaginary anatomical plane that travels vertically from the top to the bottom of the body. It divides it into left and right portions. Positionally, knee flexion in walking/running occurs as a result of hip flexion and plantar flexion, again positionally. When the body responds to gravity, hamstring function changes. I find this to be an interesting observation. I understand the logic. I included it in this article but remain unconvinced as to its accuracy.

Complete Leg Training – The Calves

Calves are historically considered to be extremely difficult muscles to develop. Yet they are very impressive when developed to their fullest. In fact large, ripped calves are as impressive as any other body part bar none! Back in an era where legs didn’t matter, guys had great upper bodies on stick legs. This is especially true of calves. In fact, I can remember one “blond” bodybuilder who had a great upper body. But, it appeared as if he never even touched legs. Of course, this created quite a mismatch of body parts.

Arnold helped change this as he improved his own weak calves to an outstanding level. For proportional purposes, calves and arms should be about the same size. Yet Chris Dickerson, 1982 Mr. O, had amazing calves. In fact, they were a little larger than his arms. Then, of course, you had guys like Mike Mattarazzo. He had amazing calves that he barely ever had to train!

Getting The Calves To Respond

Calves don’t always respond, you have to train them with both high reps and heavy weight. Results come from imposing a demand greater than what they are used to. High reps encourage improved blood flow, high rep sets as well as the use of intensity techniques, maximize the pump. Also there are two nutritional aspects to this: be sure you eat adequate carbs in the hours leading up to your workout so your muscles have enough stored glycogen. Not enough glycogen will mean no pump. If you are cutting carbs, use a cycling approach that has you eating more carbs on workout days and less carbs on off days. Finally, add a Nitric Oxide supplement, they work great at enhancing blood flow.

Strength and muscle growth also have a strong neural component. Poor neuromuscular pathways to the muscles result in poor development. This refers to the mind muscle connection and ties into blood flow, which we just discussed. Learning to feel a muscle when it’s working takes deliberate focus on that muscle: stand and flex your calf, go up on your feet to get a good stretch- what does that feel like? Do several sets of light weight and an overly slow, deliberate rep performance, up and hold and flex, down into a deep stretch. Focus intently on what is happening in the muscle. Now begin to increase the weight without losing focus on how the muscle feels and responds. This exercise will build the mental aspect so you can feel the muscle work.

Complete Leg Training – Calf Anatomy

The Soleus – the largest calf muscle, serves to extend and rotate the foot. The soleus is best targeted when your knees are bent, as in seated calf raises.

The Gastrocnemius – this muscle actually has two heads ( medial and lateral) it also overlays the Soleus muscle. The function of the gastrocnemius is to flex the foot. The Tibialis Anterior, which actually runs up the front of the lower leg by the shinbone. The function of the tibialis anterior is to elevate and flex the foot. This muscle is best developed by doing reverse calf raises.

Complete Leg Training – The Routines

The routines that follow will offer variety. That’s an important key to progress. You progress when you change things up. Not when you do the same thing month after month, year after year. Unless you are focusing purely on strength by using progressive overload on specific exercises.

Otherwise, after 3-4 weeks it’s time to change. Still, there’s a lot to be said for keeping certain core movements in all your routines. This includes squats, deads, and bench presses, at least.

These routines assume you are working the entire leg in one workout. You can divide up your legs if you want to. This in fact makes sense if you need to do more work on a weak area.

Routine #1

• Warm-up completely by doing 3 light sets of the first exercise, for reps of 12-15.
• Squats/Leg Extensions – 2 working sets: This will be a post-exhaust superset with drop sets and static holds. Pick a weight you can get 10 reps with, go to failure. Drop weight, go again to failure. Drop weight, go again, drop weight and go a third time. Then go right into leg extensions.
• You will do 3 drops as in squats and at the end of each series of reps before you drop weight, hold the weight up for a 5 count.
• Leg Curls – 3 sets of 12 reps, hold the weight at the top for a 3 count.
• Standing calf raises – 2 sets of 30 – slow up, hold for a 3 count, slow down.
• Seated calf raises – 2 sets of 30

Performance notes: Do your reps in an explosive up, slow down (at least a 4seconf negative), continuous tension style. No locking out, no pausing unless it is called for as part of the intensity techniques. By using a post exhaust superset and not a pre-exhaust, you can use more weight on squats. Therefore, you aren’t ignoring the strength component.  Do not let momentum come into play on any exercise. Add weight as you can. Do this routine for no more than 4 weeks before changing to something new.

Routine #2

• Squats – 15, 12, 10, 8, 6,4-6 reps
• Leg Press – 2 sets of 10-12 reps
• Leg curls – 4 sets of 12, 10, 8,6 reps
• Calf raises using a leg press calf raises – 3 sets of 50, 30, 20, 15 reps
• Reverse calf raises – 2 sets of 15 reps

Performance notes: This is the classic pyramid approach. As you get to the heavier sets you want to fail at the rep range listed. But, do not stop if you can do more reps than what is listed. Add more weight the next time. Use the same rep style as in the first routine.

Routine # 3

• Warm up with 3 easy sets of 12-15 reps
• 20 rep squats, drop set style: 20 reps done with a weight you can handle for 8-10 reps. At 20 drop the weight ( at least 20%) and continue until failure. Drop the weight again and continue until failure. This is one set and should be enough to fry your thighs. Do your reps slow and controlled. No pausing or locking out.
• Rest 3-5 minutes. Then:
• Stiff legged deadlift– 3 sets of 12 reps
• Calf raises – standing – 2 sets of 15 with very heavy weight!
• Calf raises – seated – 2 sets of 15 with very heavy weight!

Performance notes: This is a turbo charged 20 rep squat routine. By its very nature the 20 rep incorporated rest pause. As the set gets tough you are stopping and taking several deep breaths before continuing. But in this case, you are doing 2 drops after the 20. Now you won’t get many reps at all at this point. However, you will fry your legs! Use the same rep performance here as in the other routines. On stiff legged deadlifts use a slow and controlled up. Follow with a slow and controlled down to focus on the stretch. One trick you can try on these is to slightly elevate your toes on a pair of 25’s. This can hit the hams better. Try it and see if you like it.

Each of these routines are demanding and require full recovery for maximum results. I typically advocate one session per week for each body part. Train that body part again every 6 or 7 days.

Complete Leg Training – Nutrition & Supplements

Sound nutrition/supplementation is essential for proper recovery. Recovery in this day and age can start with an intra workout drink. I’m using Monster Amino byCytosportfor this purpose. This does not mean you can skip the post workout shake. You should have that about 30 minutes after your workout. About 30-40 minutes after that, have a good meal. You will notice I don’t use a pre workout drink likeNO-Xplode.   This is because I work out late and don’t want the caffeine. By all means use a drink like that to enhance energy and training intensity. You may need it to get through some of these routines!

By: Jim Brewster