My answer to those of you questioning how to get big legs...

[Big Dave Smith]

I've been doing this exercise for the past 10 years. It works wonders. Took this with the help of some random asian dude and a guy to stand behind me in case I fell over.

YouTube - 6 for 3.MOV

Note: NO BELT. XXL REHBAND KNEE SLEEVES. My XL's are coming in the mail tomorrow because my XXL sleeves only give my knee warmth. They'll be too big (and fall down between sets when I walk to the water fountain) until the off-season between 2011 and 2012 when I get some more size to the wheels.

All I did tonight was Squats, Walking Lunges, and Seated Ham Curls. I did them all till I was sure I couldn't do another set properly. Volume wasn't crazy high... but I used the entire stack on the ham curls and walked till my knees wouldn't properly get up on the lunges.

 

[rAJJIN]

Yea Yea!:headbang:

 

[BabyBeast05]

Its that simple! :banghead: your a monster bro!

 

[Big Dave Smith]

It's probably in the top 3 of all the questions I'm asked. Everybody wants to leg press, do special exercises, this and that. Squeeze this, drop set that. Get under the bar and squat.

My sets went like this...
1 x 20 warm up
2 x 8 warm up
3 x 8 warm up
4 x 6 warm up
5 x 10 (felt easy, so I stopped to play)
545 x 6 (felt good, so I stopped to play)
6 x 3
4 x 10 (2 second pause at bottom of each rep)
3 x 15 (speed squats for fun)
2 x 20 (speed squats for fun)

...then on to walking lunges and seated ham curls.

 

[Queefer]

Holly cow!

 

[-Z-]

That's how you do it?!

 

[Big Dave Smith]

My honest goal is 6 plates for 10 by the end of 2011... regardless of what shows I'm doing. I wanted to try for another rep, but I felt it would be irresponsible without a good spotter and being this close to a show.

Goals
4 plates for 30
5 plates for 15-20
6 plates for 10

 

[BigHilly]

Dam 6 for x3 is impressive! I gotta start squatting heavier! Awesome Vid

 

[Performance-Labs]

WOW!! good shit there, my wife said you are stronger than me btw, thanks alot

p-l

 

[MightyJohn]

Big Dave...You've come leaps & bounds since You were back East

 

[KennyG]

do you do any front squats bro?

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Big Dave...You've come leaps & bounds since You were back East

I never stopped when I left... and I'm back east now. Maybe it's in the water out here!

KennyG- I never do front squats. My structure must not be suited well for them. I've tried them, but I just don't see the point. My quads get FRIED from back squats, I can use MUCH more weight, and my lower back is overused in the front squat. I feel like the weight is unnecessarily too far forward on front squats. To me, it's about how much weight you can move, how deep you can go, and how good your tempo is. My lower back is STRONG, so it's not like that's why I can't do front squats well enough. I just never saw a benefit. Perhaps on other builds it hits their quads well enough to justify. I'd rather just move on to walking lunges or hack squats or something else where I can move the weight in a more controlled matter according to my own body.

 

[tmuscle]

fuck all those videos being posted here about leg presses and hack squat machines...

now THAT's what i'm talkin bout

 

[JETHRO TULL]

Looking strong on those.

I love those knee sleeves. My girlfriend got me a pair and it does feel good to keep the joints warm.

Good squats, man.

 

[Big Dave Smith]

I love those knee sleeves. My girlfriend got me a pair and it does feel good to keep the joints warm.

Good squats, man.

YUP! I've gone through two companies before... JUNK! Rehbands are the best in terms of warmth, breathability, and comfort. The XXL ones are too loose for squatting, but I like the warmth. I use them when I grapple. I'm getting the XL's tomorrow in the mail. Sadly enough, that'll be the highlight of my week! I have both the elbow and knee sleeves. Lifesavers.

 

[superjuicemonkey]

Very impressive. Now big dave I hope I dont offend you or anything like that. do you feel the lunges actually do anything for you? Wouldnt all those sets of squats be good enough?

 

[275bills]

damn thats hardcore

 

[TeknoViking]

badass

 

[dropshot001]

very impressive!

 

[Big Dave Smith]

Very impressive. Now big dave I hope I dont offend you or anything like that. do you feel the lunges actually do anything for you? Wouldnt all those sets of squats be good enough?

Squats, with varying stances, help my inner and outer thighs. I sometimes throw in sumo style instead to work the tear drop. Lunges kill my outer quads and glutes like no other exercise... which is why if I only had to choose two, I'd chose them. Not offended at all, it's a good question.

I would think doing front squats and back squats in the same workout would be like going down the same street twice because the stance doesn't change much. But that's for my body. Somebody else might see a benefit to them.