Ever wonder why you have not been fitting well in those amazing pair of Jeans you bought last weekend or have not been looking great despite spending fortunes on expensive clothing brands? The answer is simple: you need to get your Legs to do the hard work for you!
Legs are one of the most important muscle groups and need to be trained regularly to attain overall athletic performance and support healthy movement patterns in your daily life. A strong lower body helps to prevent injury and manage chronic conditions such as arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes.
But what are those exercises that help you get those sculpted legs, what could be the training regime, and what should be the diet to achieve those thicker and toned legs?
Let us begin with the training regime.
Training Regime
Legs are made up of four major muscle groups that are adductors, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. However, there are also muscles which are not in these groups that stabilise and add mobility to the legs. The picture below shows the different muscles that are present in leg.
To train the legs efficiently and to achieve higher strength in your legs, all the muscle groups need to be targeted at least 2 times a week. However, it also depends on how fast you can recover after 1st day of training the legs in the week. If you are a person whose recovery is on the slower side, then training the leg once a week is enough for hypertrophy.
All four muscle groups explained above must be trained effectively with equal intensity to achieve hypertrophy. You do not have to spend multiple hours in the gym but need to focus on two exercises for each muscle group, with special attention on the quadriceps.
Here are the list of 6 essential exercises that you must include in your Leg Day Workout:
- Squats
Squats are a compound movement and are often referred to as the king of all leg exercises. This one single exercise targets every muscle group in your leg and helps you build big muscles in your leg.
The squats can be performed with the barbell, dumbbells, or on the Smith machine, depending on your current strength and status whether you are a beginner, moderate, or advanced athlete. We would recommend you perform on the Smith Machine as it provides greater stability and helps you retain the form throughout the movement. One can do 4 Sets of 8-12 reps each with the progressive overload.
2. Romanian Deadlift (RDL)/Stiff-Legged Deadlift (SLDL)
The Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is an exercise that targets the posterior chain muscles of the legs, including the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and adductors. On the other hand, the stiff-legged deadlift usually refers to a similar-looking motion that instead begins each rep with the bar resting on the floor (an actual deadlift in stricter terms). In weightlifting, it’s usually synonymous with the Romanian deadlift or RDL.
You can select any of these exercises, and it will train your back, hamstrings, and glutes. The exercises can be performed with either a Barbell, Dumbbell or on a Smith Machine and again, we would recommend a Smith Machine for the same reason as Squats, i.e. higher stability and to retain good shape and form.
3 sets of 12 reps each with the progressive overload is enough for hypertrophy.
3. Hack Squat
Hack Squat is an amazing exercise that targets all the muscle groups of the legs, but the larger focus remains on the quadriceps. This machine movement helps you retain your form and avoids any sort of injury that might occur while performing regular barbell squats.
The hack squat allows you to go comparatively higher weights than regular squats because of the stability and proper form that it provides. One can do 3 sets of 8-12 reps each with progressive overload.
4. Standing Calf Raises
Calves are the most essential part of your legs, and many beginners commit the mistake of not training them enough. Remember, the calves will make your legs look toned and sculpted. You can find the Calf Raises machine in almost all the gyms, and if the machines are not there then the same can be performed on the Smith Machine or with Barbell or Dumbbells.
One can do three sets of 15-20 reps each with the progressive overload.
5. Leg Curls
Leg curls are a machine-based isolation exercise which must be included in your workout routine to build stronger hamstrings. The exercise will help you grow your leg optimally.
One can do three sets of 10-12 reps each with the progressive overload.
6. Leg Extension
Leg Extension is a type of isolation exercise that puts a larger focus on the Quadriceps. It is the best exercise for developing the quads with a greater mind-to-muscle connection.
One can do three sets of 10-12 reps each with the progressive overload.
Eat enough carbs before you train
A heavy leg day workout demands a lot of energy. Therefore, you need to eat enough carbs before you hit the gym. Rice or Oats can be a good option, and you can eat them 1 hour before you hit the gym, and you will surely notice a significant difference in your performance.
