Leg Training Help

[heavyhitter]

???

Yep….the gastrocs assist heavily in the beginning of the rep. Here you go https://www.instagram.com/tv/CXG0QS9FWIs/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

[marssel]

I would have to say that legs are my weak point with my physique (mainly hamstrings), and I'm wondering if you guys had any pointers. I just switched over to an LA fitness (Esporta), from a shitty 24/7 commercial gym AND THANK GOD! They actually have good hammer strength equipment.. For everyone that is going to suggest RDL's for my hamstrings, I can NEVER get to feel them like I think I should be feeling them. I have tried smith machine, barbell, and dumbbell so many times. Ive tried pre exhausting my hams before doing them as well, and all I feel is a stretch with a lot of lower back work. so now I just don't do them, and do more sets of seated hamstring curls. If you guys have anymore hamstring suggestions PLEASE let me know!!!! I'm all ears!!!!

Anyways, this is my current leg day I have set up that I have been doing for about 4-5 weeks now. My legs have been growing so slowly, so I just started slowing some movements down and really focusing on the contractions.

---Hammer Strength V Squat (basically a plate loaded squat machine if you aren't familiar)---

2 warmup sets with no weight
1 set 10x reps 1 plate each side
1 set 10x reps 2 plates each side
1 set 10x reps 3 plates each side (light working set)
1 set 10x reps 4 plates each side (working set)
1 set until absolute failure 4 plates each side (I got 12 reps and stopped on the way down oof the 13th rep.. couldn't muscle up lol)

--- leg press --- (feet closer and lower, trying to really concentrate on my sweep)
2 plate warmup set (about 10 slow reps)
3 plates about 10 slow reps (2.5-3 second decend)
4 plates (working set around 12 reps 2.5-3 second decend)
DROP SET 4 plates/2 plates until failure (gym friends strip the weight to only about a 5 second break)

--- leg extensions ---
weight really depends on the extension machine
1 light warmup set
2 sets 12 reps (2 second decends)
1 Drop set to finish quads

--- Seated Hamstring Curls ---
I finally found these once I switched to this gym and holy shit these are amazing

2 warmup sets
1 set 15 reps (light working)
3 sets 10-12 reps (working sets)
1 set 10 reps (slow defending (2-3 seconds until failure)
***sometimes a bonus drop set because I love these so much, and my hamstrings are dog shit small

--- lying hamstring curls ---
1 warmup set
1 set 12 reps (working set)
1 set 10 reps (working set)
1 set 10 reps (working set) then drop set in half until failure

--- standing calve raises ---
1 warmup set
4 sets of 10-15 until absolute failure
***I just fuck them up super hard until I can barely walk, I have grown my claves pretty well over the past 2 years

My opinion you’re overthinking it, brother my legs are pretty big bro I do about 3 hour lifts which I live for but instead of logging everything and being all clinical about it just go in chase pump, chase the pain Bc that’s where the fun is. I never count reps unless I’m over 405 and that’s for safety not ego and I try to go til I can’t walk, literally like I’ll come off a machine or rack and stumble then I know I’m done. Drops, giants, GVT, FST 7 do all of it but for fun and i promise they’ll grow brother.

 

[maldorf]

I lean forward slightly as the stretch feels better, and I don’t go to full extension. I stop about 5-6 inches short of fully lengthened as the calves do the majority of the work for the first portion of a hamstring curl

The big thing you have to do is point your toes the whole time to take your gastrocnemius out of the movement. Don't flex your ankle joint, keep feet extended out the whole time.

When I first started doing that, I had to decrease the weight I used because it made me weaker in the movement, but more stress on the hams. At first it made my calves sore, but they aren't doing any actual work. Just an isometric contraction. For some reason, once I got used to it my calves no longer got sore.

My gross anatomy professor at med school taught me to do them that way. He was right.

I usually do the set to failure, and then at the end flex my ankle joint and get out an additional 2 reps or more because the calves kick in. A sort of cheat move.

 

[Ruhlfreak55]

I lean forward slightly as the stretch feels better, and I don’t go to full extension. I stop about 5-6 inches short of fully lengthened as the calves do the majority of the work for the first portion of a hamstring curl

I had forgotten this trick, makes it harder if you exaggerate it.

 

[HBMax]

I would have to say that legs are my weak point with my physique (mainly hamstrings), and I'm wondering if you guys had any pointers. I just switched over to an LA fitness (Esporta), from a shitty 24/7 commercial gym AND THANK GOD! They actually have good hammer strength equipment.. For everyone that is going to suggest RDL's for my hamstrings, I can NEVER get to feel them like I think I should be feeling them. I have tried smith machine, barbell, and dumbbell so many times. Ive tried pre exhausting my hams before doing them as well, and all I feel is a stretch with a lot of lower back work. so now I just don't do them, and do more sets of seated hamstring curls. If you guys have anymore hamstring suggestions PLEASE let me know!!!! I'm all ears!!!!

Anyways, this is my current leg day I have set up that I have been doing for about 4-5 weeks now. My legs have been growing so slowly, so I just started slowing some movements down and really focusing on the contractions.

---Hammer Strength V Squat (basically a plate loaded squat machine if you aren't familiar)---

2 warmup sets with no weight
1 set 10x reps 1 plate each side
1 set 10x reps 2 plates each side
1 set 10x reps 3 plates each side (light working set)
1 set 10x reps 4 plates each side (working set)
1 set until absolute failure 4 plates each side (I got 12 reps and stopped on the way down oof the 13th rep.. couldn't muscle up lol)

Maybe its just my structure (I'm 6'2") but I don't understand why gyms opt to include this piece of equipment over a regular hack squat. It has never felt natural to me no matter my foot position. If I do them reversed I can feel it better in my quads but as I increase the weight, the load places too much strain on my neck/shoulders.

 

[marssel]

The big thing you have to do is point your toes the whole time to take your gastrocnemius out of the movement. Don't flex your ankle joint, keep feet extended out the whole time.

When I first started doing that, I had to decrease the weight I used because it made me weaker in the movement, but more stress on the hams. At first it made my calves sore, but they aren't doing any actual work. Just an isometric contraction. For some reason, once I got used to it my calves no longer got sore.

My gross anatomy professor at med school taught me to do them that way. He was right.

I usually do the set to failure, and then at the end flex my ankle joint and get out an additional 2 reps or more because the calves kick in. A sort of cheat move.

You mean straight forward like if you were on skis, me I do that for sissy squats but once you have big quads and deep squaring rotational hips it impossible for me to do that without an insanely wide stance, I will however do hacks with my feet straight and almost touching- good tear drop burn

 

[heavyhitter]

Maybe its just my structure (I'm 6'2") but I don't understand why gyms opt to include this piece of equipment over a regular hack squat. It has never felt natural to me no matter my foot position. If I do them reversed I can feel it better in my quads but as I increase the weight, the load places too much strain on my neck/shoulders.

I’m 6’1”. I’ve never liked that machine either

 

[deadliftdeez]

What works best for me is high rep squats. You can tweak the program below. Just as it is grew my legs. If you do the program right your legs will be jello twice a week.

The 185 Rep Squat Workout

Climb out of that training rut and challenge your muscles and mental fortitude with these old-school squat workouts.

www.t-nation.com

I just came back to look at this thread, and I may try this. I love higher rep squats, less stress on my lower back.

 

[bad rad]

Wide stance, low bar squats hit the hamstrings hard. I always felt them in my hamstrings when I was PLing.

 

[FK86]

Maybe its just my structure (I'm 6'2") but I don't understand why gyms opt to include this piece of equipment over a regular hack squat. It has never felt natural to me no matter my foot position. If I do them reversed I can feel it better in my quads but as I increase the weight, the load places too much strain on my neck/shoulders.

I'm 6 feet tall and love the v-squat. Feels great and I progress very well and consistently on it for long periods of time.

 

[marssel]

Volume is key to growth but so is weight and a good stance for your standard squat (meaning your squat) throwing in wide and narrow sets provide better lines in most people but I still believe less than 10 is too heavy and more than 15 is too light but if you do 5 sets plus hacks, curls, extensions, lunges and even recently I’ve been doing band work for glutes at the end of leg day, yea I laughed too til I did it right and almost fell down and I don’t get striated easy even lean though I have muscular glutes, point is squat is the core and volume matters but I don’t think very high rep sets will help with anything but vasculararity and lines but at the expense of overall size in day 95% os serious lifters.

 

[Sixfoottwo]

Wide stance, low bar squats hit the hamstrings hard. I always felt them in my hamstrings when I was PLing.

You don't train hamstrings during a squat or legpress.

For TS, look up Kuba Cielen's hamstring videos on YouTube. He has at least two where he explains how what when and where.

 

[heavyhitter]

You don't train hamstrings during a squat or legpress.

For TS, look up Kuba Cielen's hamstring videos on YouTube. He has at least two where he explains how what when and where.

This one from Paul carter explains it pretty well https://www.instagram.com/p/CapT_lZr7yY/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

[bad rad]

You don't train hamstrings during a squat or legpress.

, if you say so. That's like saying bench doesn't hit triceps.

 

[Sixfoottwo]

, if you say so. That's like saying bench doesn't hit triceps.

No it is not. Get your movement patterns straight

 

[marssel]

You don't train hamstrings during a squat or legpress.

For TS, look up Kuba Cielen's hamstring videos on YouTube. He has at least two where he explains how what when and where.

You absolutely train hamstrings in squat and leg press but they are not the dominant muscle the quads and glutes are but even claves get hit hard in a deep squat. Now I agree that training hamstrings directly with specific movements is required to not only build good hams but even good quads as one limits the other, shit has will result in weaker quads but to say hamstrings aren’t trained in squats is terribly inaccurate.

 

[Sixfoottwo]

You absolutely train hamstrings in squat and leg press but they are not the dominant muscle the quads and glutes are but even claves get hit hard in a deep squat. Now I agree that training hamstrings directly with specific movements is required to not only build good hams but even good quads as one limits the other, shit has will result in weaker quads but to say hamstrings aren’t trained in squats is terribly inaccurate.

No it is not. Of course you use hamstrings in a squat as in you can not squat if you have no hamstrings. But they will not grow doing squats or legpresses.