Many gym-goers have aspirations of having large and muscular legs, the aesthetics they add to an overall physique is unmatched. Although legs are arguably the most skipped muscle group (because not many people like hitting them), it is VERY important that you train them.
There are multiple benefits of having strong and muscular legs. First of all, it will complete your physique as a proportionate physique is the ideal physique to have. It does NOT look good to have a strong and muscular upper body and then to have no leg development, you might as well just tell the whole world you skip legs.
Secondly, having strong legs will improve your ability to use them, many people suffer with leg problems when they get older, having a strong upper body will heavily decrease your chances of having a bad leg/s in the future.
Overall there are so many benefits of having big legs, they look aesthetic (when built) and add a great amount of emphasis to a good physique, so take my advice and DO NOT SKIP LEGS!
Today, I will be showing you how to construct large and dominant legs, I will be showing you anatomy, exercises to build legs and other required measures to build big and strong legs.
This comprehensive guide will give you the necessary information and methods to efficiently help you create strong and impressive lower body muscles, whether you're an athlete trying to increase performance or simply want to develop larger legs.
Let's dive in!
Basic Leg Anatomy
As mentioned in my previous articles about how to build certain muscle groups (make sure to check them out!), being able to understand the anatomy of your muscles will allow you to know your body. Being able to know how the muscles in your legs look will allow you to understand exercises to a deeper extent, thus allowing you to have the advantage of knowledge.
The legs can be categorized into 5 muscles, within those muscles there are even smaller muscles but we won't get into that because those smaller muscles usually get hit all at once.
The 5 MAIN muscles in the legs are....
Quads
Hamstrings
Calves
Glutes
Abductors
Here is a picture showing where they are in the body:
Quads: The quads are the most aesthetic part of the leg that is located at the front, the area shown in the picture is a little in accurate as the quads also include the non shaded area in the middle between the quadriceps and the abductors. They have incredible pushing strength in the leg and should be a prioritized muscle when working out your legs.
Hamstring: The hamstrings are located at the back of your legs, they are parallel to the quads until the back of the knee. It is also aesthetic and adds a lot of size to your legs. This is a VERY strong leg muscle and will look super aesthetic when built. This muscle helps stabilize your legs.
Glutes: The glutes are the muscles that are in your butt. They provide a lot of lower back stability.
Abductors: These muscles are actually a part of your quads, but we are separating them from the entire quad because it takes different exercises to properly train them. They help build a strong inner thigh.
Calves: These are the muscles located below your knees, they can be seen from the front but they are more seen from the back. These muscles look incredible when they are built. The calves are used to stabilize your lower legs when running/walking.
These muscles have exercises that are specifically designed to them (isolation) but there are also exercises that target more than one of these muscle groups at once (compound).
Keep reading to see the best exercises to hit these muscles on your leg day.
Leg Development Exercises
Let's dive into the exercises that will build your legs. Due to the vast amounts of exercises there are, there isn't enough room in this article for me to explain and show form for all of them.
For exercises with machines there will be technique and form instructions on the machines. But for the compound exercises there is a need to know technique, I will put up pictures that demonstrate them but you should still look up the exercise.
So I highly recommend that you look up exercises that you do not know how to do to ensure you are doing them with good form and technique, the best way to activate muscular hypertrophy (the ability for your body to increase muscle mass).
I'm sorry for the inconvenience but please do make sure stick around for the rest of the article where I will be providing a LOT of good insights about building your legs and bodybuilding in general. Also make sure to view the pictures next to the exercises to get a visual on how to complete the exercise.
Here is a list of Compound exercises, the muscles they hit and a little information about them:
Squats:
The king of leg exercises, squats target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
It's basically squatting with extra weight added either through dumbbells or a barbell on your back
There are many variations that have more emphasis on certain muscles such as bulgarian split squats (which has quad emphasis), goblet squats and front squats.
With all the variation I still recommend back squats as they are the most effective at hitting almost the entire leg
Deadlifts:
While primarily a back and posterior chain exercise, deadlifts also engage your leg muscles. Conventional and sumo deadlifts are both effective.
LOOK UP FORM, this exercise can be very detrimental to your back if done incorrectly, make sure when you pick up the barbell you stabilize your back (I recommend getting a lifting belt)
I recommend conventional deadlifts because they are hard to do and have more benefit.
They biggest leg muscle they engage is your hamstring
Lunges:
Forward, reverse, or walking lunges are fantastic for leg development. They work on muscle imbalances and increase lower body strength.
I highly recommend you carry weight in your hands while doing them, this will activate them more as th exercise will be harder.
Lunges will slightly activate your hamstrings but they put more emphasis on the quads
Hip Thrusts:
This is where you have a barbell on your waist and you use your body to thrust it up
This exercise is great for targeting the glutes and to build lower body balance
Here is a list of the best Isolation exercises for the legs:
Leg Extension:
This exercise is by far MY FAVOURITE leg exercise, I feel such great quad activation when I do this exercise.
This exercise is INCREDIBLE for activating the quads, you feel such a great burn in the front of your legs when you do this exercise
Make sure you focus on squeezing your muscles at the top of the movement for the best results
Calf Raises:
This is a SUPER simple exercise that will isolate your calves, it is widely known as the only calve exercise that your will need
Make sure you keep slow reps for best results
Hamstring Curl:
In my opinion this is the best exercise to isolate the hamstrings, the burn in the back of your legs after this exercise amazing!
Be sure to do slower reps for this exercise, this way there will be tension in the hamstrings throughout the set
There 100s of leg exercises out there, but these are THE BEST ones you can do if you want to build great legs to add onto a great physique!
Progressive Overload and Form
Progressive overload and good form are the building blocks to muscular hypertrophy. Without them, there is almost no chance your leg muscles will grow as there won't be enough tension on them.
Hypertrophy
The process of enlarging your muscle fibers is referred to as muscular hypertrophy. The main cause of this is resistance exercise, which triggers it as a result of a number of factors such increasing overload, muscle fiber damage, and metabolic stress.
When you exercise a muscle, the muscle fibers in that muscle will start to tear, DO NOT WORRY as this is good. Hypertrophy will rebuild these torn muscle fibers bigger and stronger, this is what causes your muscles to grow larger after working them out! By continuing the process of tearing down your muscle fibers and rebuilding them, your muscles will get bigger!
Make sure to have proper nutrition and sleep in order for your muscle fibers to rebuild. Rest is something you have to prioritize ESPECIALLY for legs as it is a bigger muscle and will take longer to recover.
Progressive Overload
A key principle in strength training and muscular growth is progressive overload. It involves gradually increasing the amount, weight/reps which increases the intensity of your workouts to keep your muscles challenged and promote growth. Building strength and muscular mass requires a progressive increase in resistance.
Overload the muscles on your legs to ensure that they get stronger.
Form
In bodybuilding, having the right form is crucial. For maximum workout efficiency and injury prevention, maintain proper form while performing exercises. It guarantees that you are working the desired muscle groups while putting the least amount of stress on other parts of your body such as the joints.
Promoting proper form also encourages muscle symmetry and balance, which are essential for developing an aesthetic physique. You will avoid injuries, maximize muscle engagement, and effectively reach your bodybuilding goals by concentrating on form.
Other Important Aspects of Leg Development
Recovery
Recovery is a crucial part of muscle growth. Ensure you:
Get adequate sleep to allow your muscles to repair and grow.
Incorporate stretching and mobility exercises to prevent muscle tightness and reduce the risk of injury.
Consider massage, foam rolling, and other recovery techniques to alleviate muscle soreness.
Consistency
It's the name of the game, consistency is the most important part of being able to complete any big goal. Make sure you are consistent with your workouts to ensure you keep growing!
Building larger legs takes time and dedication. Be consistent with your workouts and nutrition to see long-term results
Balance
For long-term success and general wellbeing, it's imperative to strike a balance between life and bodybuilding. While maintaining a balance with other aspects of life, such as job, family, and personal time, is imperative. Bodybuilding does need commitment and discipline. This harmony fosters connections, guards against burnout, and gives you the mental and emotional stamina to remain dedicated to your fitness objectives. Finding balance is essential for making bodybuilding a fulfilling and long-lasting part of your life.
Nutrition
If you want to grow your legs you must make sure you are taking care of your nutrition. It is by far a top 3 aspect in the gym. Without good nutrition you can not grow.
Make sure you are eating enough calories, depending on your goals you might be eating BELOW your maintenance calories (caloric deficit), AT your maintenance calories (body recomposition), or above your maintenance calories (caloric surplus).
Make sure you incorporating A LOT of protein in your diet, this is the building block for muscles.
Make sure to eat healthy foods that are not processed, however do not completely restrict yourself as life is something you need to enjoy, you have to enjoy the process and what life offers. It's okay to enjoy a nice pizza or ice-cream, as long as you are exercising and are eating in moderation, ITS OKAY!
Before I sign off I would like to give you my very own personal leg day routine:
YourFitnessHelper's Leg Day Routine:
Squats- 3x6
Leg Curl- 2x10
Calf Raises- 2x10
Leg Extension- 3x15 (dropset the last set)
Overall, It takes a combination of efficient workouts, wholesome eating habits, consistency, and recovery techniques to develop bigger legs in the gym. Include compound and isolation exercises in your routine, pay attention to progressive overload, and maintain proper form. Put your health and recovery first, and keep up the same level of effort. You'll be well on your way to making those desired, impressive leg gains by adhering to these recommendations.
I really hope you can use some of the valuable information in today's article to help construct some big and powerful legs. Until next time.
Thanks for reading!
Just a young man trying to bring fitness to the world!
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