ways to avoid losing leg size while prep

[luki7788]

I think it will be an interesting topic because I haven't seen one like that on the forum yet.
I have always had this problem, I am tall and my legs have always been my weak point (maybe not always, but since 2017, where serious problems with the knees started, but never mind). It is known that during preparation we usually lose the most size of our legs. This is mainly due to extended cardio sessions. Personally, I think I lose the most size if I do a stationary or stairmaster bike and the least on a treadmill under a very small incline.
I even thought not to change cardio to just walks, only to extend their time compared to cardio because they will be performed at a low heart rate.

I am curious if you have a similar problem and how do you deal with it?

 

[Dugbet]

I was recently talking to Ben Huellen, he is a 60 year old master bodybuilder with a very long career in the sport, he was very successful as an IFBB amateur.

He says he does 500 crunches as cardio, and no any cardio that involves the legs to maintain size. He only recommends walking.

 

[opietaylor]

the stepper. made my calves grow during prep but was to much for my quads. in hindsight i probably should have decreased the intensity by a level or 2. i was doing level 5 and i think 4 or even 3 would have been sufficient

 

[brocksamson]

Low intensity walking

 

[jeroendebleser]

Interesting topic for sure. I've personally found I lose size everywhere (so not just on my legs) if I do either too much cardio or at too high of an intensity.

So for me, plain walking (low incline or just flat) is the way to go. I just lose size too easily with cardio. For me it really is catabolic if I don't watch out.

I'm also on a bèta blocker which caps off my HR at around 120 BPM which helps as well.

 

[jeroendebleser]

Low intensity walking

Definitely the best for me as well.

 

[danieltx]

I'm 6' with long legs and I maintain them well though diets, but they're probably my most genetically gifted body part. They always get flat in those peak weeks when cardio is highest but fill back out when I pull cardio down. The last 2 years I've done about 75% of my cardio walking around my neighborhood (on a hillside so it's incline / decline / flat) first thing in the morning and 25% on an elliptical after lifting. I never do the Stairs.

Something that I really feel helped maintain them the last 2 years is dropping squats probably around half way through my diet. I find they become too fatiguing and hinder recovery when I'm doing cardio and calories are low. For the last half of my diet and a little bit of my rebound I only do leg press as my main lift.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

I know A LOT of tall guys with similar concerns Luki.
I can somewhat do any cardio, this next cut I'm going to add in a bit more HIIT than i have in the past.
I added in HIIT in my offseason, and made sure to really monitor my volume on leg days based on my recovery.
And my legs were the best they've looked in a while. Just echoing what danieltx is saying too, at a certain point you are weighing your leg recovery on what types of movements u do. It's a balancing act.

I personally think the best approach is what Jordan Peters and Corinne do. They are much more into NEAT and steps. And hitting a very high level of steps...and if that still isn't moving, add in addition sessions past that (bike, stairs, whatever). He has gotten a ton of guys (and he and Corinne) in fantastic shape this way. I really like that approach and sounds like it preserves the most muscle. Might be a slower diet...but you're ALWAYS in shape Luki lol

 

[b-boy]

Low intensity walking

This^^^^ low intensity walking, people abuse cardio just so they can eat more food. A lot of coaches use this as selling points like look how much so and so gets to eat on my diet, then they show up on show day stringy looking and flat with deflated legs from all the cardio they were doing. A proper calorie restriction and some walking (movement) is all it takes. Nothing about that is taxing to your legs where you need to recover from the work

 

[warlock]

I agree 100%, the best way to preserve the legs size is by not overdo the cardio and sticking mostly to low-intensity cardio. Also, getting in shape early so that cardio can be pulled back early enough to fill the legs back out.

 

[warlock]

I'm 6' with long legs and I maintain them well though diets, but they're probably my most genetically gifted body part. They always get flat in those peak weeks when cardio is highest but fill back out when I pull cardio down. The last 2 years I've done about 75% of my cardio walking around my neighborhood (on a hillside so it's incline / decline / flat) first thing in the morning and 25% on an elliptical after lifting. I never do the Stairs.

Something that I really feel helped maintain them the last 2 years is dropping squats probably around half way through my diet. I find they become too fatiguing and hinder recovery when I'm doing cardio and calories are low. For the last half of my diet and a little bit of my rebound I only do leg press as my main lift.

When you hit that phase in your diet where you only do leg press for quads, how many sets do you end up doing and what rep range? You do them once a week during this phase?

 

[danieltx]

When you hit that phase in your diet where you only do leg press for quads, how many sets do you end up doing and what rep range? You do them once a week during this phase?

I do them once a week, 8 sets, and the rep range is the same as the rest of the year, 10-15.

 

[b-boy]

I'm 6' with long legs and I maintain them well though diets, but they're probably my most genetically gifted body part. They always get flat in those peak weeks when cardio is highest but fill back out when I pull cardio down. The last 2 years I've done about 75% of my cardio walking around my neighborhood (on a hillside so it's incline / decline / flat) first thing in the morning and 25% on an elliptical after lifting. I never do the Stairs.

Something that I really feel helped maintain them the last 2 years is dropping squats probably around half way through my diet. I find they become too fatiguing and hinder recovery when I'm doing cardio and calories are low. For the last half of my diet and a little bit of my rebound I only do leg press as my main lift.

1. Why drop squats - the overall growth signal produced from mulit muscle movements like squats give your body a great signal that it needs to keep all the muscle on your frame to produce such demanding work.
2. Why do cardio? You diet on bikini chic calories don't you? Calm the refeeds down and do zero cardio and your legs will retain even more size.

Just my observations

 

[tren_plz]

This has been my biggest downfall during contest prep. Personally what B-Boy said applies directly to me. Less is more towards the end. I'm going to be pulling stairs at around 8-10 weeks out and just go to incline walking.

I bought a Peloton and im addicted to it, but i go hard AF on it and i can see that being just as harsh on my legs during prep.

Its hard to find that happy balance and that along with stomach control are my 2 biggest obstacles looking to smash.

 

[MR. BMJ]

If I have to increase cardio (and as calories drop), I drop leg day from 2x/wk to 1x/wk, and it helps.

 

[thedorkyd1]

Ive noticed even walking in excessive amount has hindered my leg training and therefore flattens them out a significant amount. Spend 12 hours on my feet at work 3-4 days a week and accumulate approx 15-20k steps on those days. Leg training on a day following work is a joke

 

[brocksamson]

I tend to go walk outside on trails.
No phone.
No headphones.
Just silence.
I get my heart rate up, get some sun, get steps, and get some peace of mind

 

[sloh]

Treadmill walking or elliptical. Anything else is way too taxing on the legs once sufficient intensity is reached (if the goal is the cardio burning more calories than just sitting on your ass). @DOGGCRAPP has talked about how he's had difficulty keeping leg size on his bodybuilders who did anything more intense than walking on a treadmill.

Keep the load/strength up on those heavy squatting/pressing exercises.

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

Get a hybrid mountain street bike and go up and down hilly streets or trails or what have you while seated (dont stand up, just lean forward and power up the hills)....your leg size will not recede and might even take on a whole new look

 

[luki7788]

Get a hybrid mountain street bike and go up and down hilly streets or trails or what have you while seated (dont stand up, just lean forward and power up the hills)....your leg size will not recede and might even take on a whole new look

I thought about it, but in winter, for example, it's hard to ride a bike when the ice is blowing, hehe