Very often, the legs are neglected in favor of the arms and the trunk, the muscles called "mirrors". There are many athletes with the upper body quite developed, but with much thinner legs. This disproportion, in addition to not being at all aesthetic, can increase the risk of injury.
So, how are you going to get legs worthy of the name?
What are the best exercises for the legs?
# 1 The Squat
It is a complete leg exercise allowing you to work the lower part of your body, and therefore increase muscle mass. The most important thing when doing squats is to focus on your movements, as poorly done this exercise can become dangerous.
It's tempting to let your ego take over and load the bar up, but overweight will increase your risk of injury.
So how to perform this leg exercise safely?
First of all, it is very important to warm up, the vacuum bar, before you start, which allows your body to warm up slowly and circulate as much blood as possible in your legs. Place the bar right behind your neck, it must rest on your trapezes, especially not on your neck! Then, during the descent, be very careful to keep your back straight.
You may have heard the "Ass To Grass" method, discussing the best way to do squat. This is essentially true, it is to lower your glutes to below the knees, before you get up again. This "method" offers a greater range of motion, and therefore maximizes muscle mass gain.
The exercise itself:
Once the warm-up is over, you can start your session.
There is another method that would allow you to gain strength, consisting of making series called "pyramid".
To understand, you have to visualize a pyramid, ie a large base, which becomes smaller and smaller in size. It's the same principle. For example, you can start with 12 rep to 10kg, then 10 rep to 20kg, 8 rep to 30kg etc.
As you can see, you have to increase the loads by decreasing the repetitions, until you reach a very heavy weight, with very little rep (2-4). Once you have arrived, it is possible to redo the pyramid but in the other direction. That is to say gradually reduce the weight by increasing just as much the repetitions of this exercise for the legs.
Do this seriously, especially the first few times, because once at the top of the "pyramid", you will be able to correct, increase or decrease your starting weight for the next session.
On your last series, your legs should burn you, it's normal!
It's a method that makes your sessions more complicated, but always keep your goal in mind, it's your motivation.
Your legs are now certainly warmed up, slightly tired, but ready for the next leg exercise!
# 2 Hack Squats
Your quads are painful, but it's not over, it's time to set them on fire! For this exercise, the important thing is not so much the number of weights, but rather the "TUT", the time under tension. For this you must use a weight that would allow you to perform 15 reps in normal time, without much difficulty.
The goal is to realize (for example), 12 repetitions, with a descent cut in 4 seconds. Each downhill movement must be controlled, you must always be in tension. Be very careful not to completely block your knees (stretch your legs completely, which could result in serious injury).
If the exercise is properly performed, your legs will be more painful again! But stay focused on your session, and on the tension endured, which is the most important thing this exercise for the legs.
4 sets of 12 repetitions (not to mention the 4 seconds of descent)
# 3 Seated Hamstring Curls / Lying Hamstring Curls
To gain weight in the legs, hamstring training is very important, although often forgotten, neglected.
There must be a "hamstring curl machine" (sitting or lying down) in your weight room. You will work there in "drop set", it is an exercise for the legs which is very effective.
Choose a starting weight with which you will do 12 repetitions, then reduce the load in half to redo a series with the same number of rep, with the least possible rest time.
Again, it is very important to properly control the movements of the exercise and maintain tension in your muscles.
4 series, 12 repetitions in Drop set.
# 4 Seated Leg Extensions
Here is another legs exercise requiring access to a gym. The idea behind this exercise is similar to the previous one, the "seated hamstring curls". You will also work in the same way, in Drop set. Choose a starting weight with which you can do 12 repetitions, then reduce the load in half to redo a series of rep, without rest.
However, at this point it is normal for your legs to be tired. So if you can not do 12 repetitions, do as much as you can, until you get to failure (to give it a try, with the maximum number of repetitions possible until the failure will be, in this kind of exercise legs, always more advantageous than a complete abandonment).
4 series, 12 reps in Drop set
# 5 static slots
This exercise for the legs will finish them cleanly, although they are probably already sore. Take a dumbbell in each hand, make a feint movement, the right leg engaged forward, then return to the initial position, and start again with the other leg. The goal here is to do as much as possible, until failure, alternating right and left leg.
Do not forget to keep your back straight on each repetition! If you can perform more than 20 repetitions (10 per leg), then increase the weight of the dumbbells. Each repetition must be a real fight. The goal is to work your legs so as to tire them. At this point, your legs should really burn you.
3 sets, as many repetitions as possible
Message to remember
You did it. 5 leg exercises that will allow you to finally take the mass down the body. If you do not train your legs regularly, then these leg exercises are a good routine to start, especially since at first, the results happen very quickly.
Never forget to apply all your movements to take no risk, and take the time to do so for the famous "TUT" in other words, the time under tension.
4 sets of 12 repetitions (not to mention the 4 seconds of descent)
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