Lower Body Workout

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Lower Body Workout Routine

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On This Page
Building Strong
Muscular Legs
Rules of Leg Training
Bigger Calves

Building Strong, Muscular Legs
The squat is a growth exercise. Its effects aren't just limited to the thighs, glutes and lower back; it affects the entire body. While some people truly can't squat intensely in a safe way, most people can. Squats are needed to growth on. So if your upper body is not developing as well as you would like, try increasing your squats. Don't forget the knee wraps.

Rules Of Leg Training

Avoid an excessive range of movement when leg pressing. Never descend to a point where your low back starts to round. Discover your lowest safe position, and never descend below that point. To minimize stress on your knees, avoid forcefully locking out on each rep. Stop each rep about an inch short of lockout.

Position your feet high on the leg-press foot platform so you can push primarily through your heels. Pushing through your heels minimized the stress on your knees. Use a shoulder-width stance with your feet flared like they should be for the squat - at about the five-minutes-to-one position of the hands of a clock, or a little more flared.

Use a maximum of eight exercise per workout; just six are better for many monelite bodybuilders. Cut back your training and give yourself a chance to grow.

In a strength-building phase, do 6-8 reps for most body parts. Thighs and hamstrings may benefit from both medium and high reps. Find what rep range works best for you for each exercise.

Avoid extremes in foot positioning when doing calf raises - they can lead to exaggerated stress on ligaments and tendons, and thus injuries.

Only gifted easy gainers can build mass and refine muscle at the same time. Most of us need to first spend a few years building the required mass.

Don't skimp on warm-up work. A warm muscle is much less likely to get injured that a cold muscle. This rule applies for every muscle exercise. Begin each workout with a general warm-up activity until you break a sweat, then do specific warm-up sets before your work sets for each exercise.

Elevating your heels on plates or a board while squatting is a bad ideal because it excessive forward lean. In addition, look forward or slightly upward while you squat - never down. This also helps to minimize forward lean. Don't permit your knees to come in on the ascent of the squat. The main flaws responsible for harmful buckling of the legs are failing to flare your feet and positioning your heels too close together.

Many trainers don't flare their feet enough in squats. This promotes excessive forward lean, along with inward travel of the knees. Placing your feet as if they're hands on a clock set at five minutes to one, or a little wider, hip-width apart works well for most people. Also elevating your heels on plates or a board while squatting is a bad ideal and can cause lower back and possibly knees injuries.

The deadlift is another one of the most productive exercises for building mass. Master the technique of the deadlift - conventional style or sumo - and then build up the weight to something really challenging. Remember to wrap those knees.

Don't bend your elbows when deadlifting. Consider your arms as hooks attaching your shoulders to the bar. When rising up, push through your heels, not the balls of your feet. Squeeze the bar off the floor - don't snatch at it - and keep your back flat or slightly arched. Remember to protect the lower back by wearing a belt.

When doing stiff-legged deadlifts, keep your back flat. To avoid rounding your back, avoid using an excessive range of motion. Don’t go any deeper than the point at which your back is parallel to the floor.

Only at the top of the stiff-legged deadlift should your legs be straight; keep your knees slightly unlocked at all other times.

The Leg Workout

1. Free-weight squats
2. Leg Presses
3. Dumbbell lunges
4. Lying leg curls

5. Stiff-legged deadlifts
6. Standing calf raises
7. Seated calf raises

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I’m going to present you with a variety of leg exercises. Some are primarily for quads, some are for hamstrings, and some are for calves. If, for some reason, you decide to do all the exercises I’ve listed in one workout, you might as well plan on spending the next two-three days in bed because your legs won’t function enough to walk. Instead, I recommend choosing a select number of exercises from the "list" I’ve provided and doing them until your body adjusts to them. In other words, you’ll need to change the workout periodically if you want to keep on growing. How many leg exercises you do will depend on your conditioning, your goals, and how many sets and reps you do of each. The leg workout routine is the most fundamental of all lower body exercises. It allows you to work the entire lower body, as well as conditioning you upper body. Because you have to balance the weight on your upper back, stabilizer and core muscle strength is important. I recommend you always incorporate a complete abdominal and lower back program into your training to prepare for squats. I suggest contacting your physician prior to performing the squat if you have any existing and past back injuries.

	1# Free-weight squats
Tips	Place the bar on the upper portion of the trapezius muscle. Keep your chest up, shoulders slightly back, and head up. Do not round your back and always wear a lifting belt, knee wraps and use a spotter while performing this exercise.
Starting position	Stand in front of a squat rack with your feet placed squarely under the bar. Position yourself under the bar, and place the bar on the upper portion of the trapezius muscles. Make sure your chest is held up and out while you squeeze your shoulder blades together slightly, and place your hands on the bar. Tighten the abdominals, lift the weight off the rack, and step one small step back. Position your feet approximately shoulder-width apart with toes pointed slightly outward. For most people a positioning your feet shoulder-width is fine. However, you can use a wider stance. A wider stance allows you to squat deeper without bending too far forward and straining your lower back. Remember, no matter what stance you choose, you must always keep your spine neutral, look straight ahead, and keep your feet flat on the floor throughout the movement. Warm up to get the blood flowing through the thighs. You may need 2 sets to get the thighs loose.
The Exercise	Bend your knees and in a slow, controlled fashion, squat as low as possible. Your ultimate goal will be to squat to a position where your thighs will be almost parallel to the floor. If you go any lower, you’ll put too much stress on your lower back and spine. Once you have reached the bottom, slowly press the weight upwards while maintaining spinal alignment. Your knees and hips will move back in line with one another simultaneously as you move upwards. It is important to keep the abdominals tight and chest held high. Straighten the legs as much as possible without locking the knees. Never relax and drop swiftly or bounce into the squatted position. Contract your muscles evenly throughout the movement.
Sets	Because the squat is so difficult and so darned efficient, you may find it becomes the backbone of your leg program. Sometimes, just for the sake of variety, you can use squats as your only exercise. With this approach, vary the set and rep scheme. Perform anywhere from 6 to 12 sets with reps ranging from low to high (anywhere from 4-6 reps to 12-15 reps). I recommend you take about 3–4 minutes to fully recuperate between sets if you’ve really working out hard. Squats are just one of many that works the legs, but it’s very challenging because you use free weights, and it requires good balance.
Caution:	Do not round your back or pull your knees together during this exercise. Use a slow, controlled movement and avoid "jamming" the bar up at the top of the ascent.
	# 2 Leg Presses
Tips	Keep the knees in line over the toes each and every rep. Focus on straightening the knees rather than pressing the weight.
Starting position	Place your hips deep into the seat, and keep your back pressed against the back pad. Some people prefer to hold the backside of the pad, which enables them to keep their shoulders back. Always keep your abs tight throughout the entire exercise.
The Exercise	Position yourself on the leg press machine, feet against the cross piece platform, shoulder width apart. I recommend you lower the weight only to the point just before your hips/pelvis begin to curl up. If you’re one of the people who thinks deeper is better, you may want to reconsider. If the pelvis curls upward off the pad, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your spine and greatly increasing the chances of injuring your back. That would definitely slow down your training or, even worse, end it! So if you find your hips "curl" easily, try widening your stance. Release the weight safety holding and lower the weight by bending your knees toward your chest/shoulder area.
Caution:	Don’t round the shoulders and don’t allow the hips to curl up. Avoid pushing on your knees with your hands.
	#3 Dumbbell lunges
Tips	Make sure you keep your shoulders over your hips. Keep your chest up and shoulders back. Remember your back legs is for balance; it’s not the primary mover in this exercise. Form is important. You don’t need to use a lot of weight.
Starting position	Your feet should be pointing forward and positioned at least hip-width apart. Pick up a pair of dumbbells, being extremely cautious not to strain your back. Keep your head up, back straight, and chest high. Lunges work the thigh, quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
The Exercise	Lunge or step one foot forward, bending your knees, and bring your trailing knee almost to the floor. Your step forward should be about the same length as your quadriceps (from your hip to your knee). For example, if you step forward with your left leg, your left knee should be directly over your left ankle. Your right knee (which will end up inches from the floor) should be directly under your right hip, and your right thigh should be perpendicular to the floor. Push yourself back up focusing on pushing through your heels (this will help with balance), to the starting position with one strong, but not jolting, thrust that brings your feet back together. You may feel a bit of tension in the back leg, but remain focused on the front leg. The front leg is the primary mover, while the back leg is used only for balance. Keep your mind on the muscles you’re working! You’ll really feel this one in your butt and the quad of the front leg. I recommend you work one leg at a time rather than alternating between one leg and the other. This is easier on the knees.
Sets	You can either do several sets, say 3 or 4 of 10 to 15 reps, or you can do one set to failure at the end of your leg routine for a burnout. Although the squat is the king of leg exercises, the leg press can serve as an occasional alternative.
Caution:	Avoid striding to far or too little forward. Don’t let the knee travel over the toes because this can place extreme tension on the tendons of the knee and ankle joints. Avoid breaking form by leaning forward. Excessive stress placed on the lower back in this way can lead to injury.

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	#4 Lying leg curls
Tips	Keep your abs tight.
Starting position	Lie face down on a leg curl machine and hook your heels under the padded bar and line the knee joints up with the cam of the machine just so your kneecaps are not supported by the bench. These two points of axis should be in line for this exercise to be performed with maximum efficiency. Press the hips down onto the pad, and hold onto the handles below. To further emphasize the hamstrings, point your toes away from your knees. Tighten the abdominal muscles, and keep them tight through every rep. If your abdominals aren’t kept tight, your hips will rise upwards as you contract your hamstrings and will rotate backwards during the eccentric phase. Any excessive and uncontrolled hip motion will only reduce the amount of tension placed on the hamstrings. Also, put a bit of tension on your hamstrings before you actually begin the exercise. If possible, do lying leg curls on a "hump-shaped" bench to improve their effectiveness.
The Exercise	While your body remain flat on the bench, contract your abdominal muscles, flatten your back, and then bend your legs and curl them toward your gluts or derriere as far as possible. Slowly contract the hamstrings as much as possible until your lower back begins to arch or your hips begin to rise. At that point, hold and flex the muscles for seconds, then slowly lower the weight in a controlled fashion back down to your starting position. Keep your toes pointed toward your shins. Use a full range of motion and avoid making incomplete "reps".
Sets	Do anywhere from three to six sets with the reps ranging from eight to ten.
Caution:	During this exercise, avoid lifting your head, arching your back or use momentum for assistance.
	#5 Stiff-legged deadlifts
Tips	Visualize letting the bar drop straight down as your hips move backwards simultaneously. I recommend doing a warm-up of good mornings first because it imitate a good stretch and warns the muscles. Good mornings are gone with half the weight as your first rep of deadlifts.
Starting position	Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, balancing your weight on your heels. Grip the bar with either a pronated grip (palms down) or a powerlifting grip (one palm up and one palm down) and place your hands about shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees, head straight pull back your shoulder blades, and tighten your lats.
The Exercise	You want to keep the back slightly straight throughout the exercise; don’t bend forward at the shoulders or lower back. Tighten the adbominals, and maintain this throughout each and every cautious rep; this will help stabilize the pelvis and lessen the risk of lower back injury.
Sets	Perform anywhere from six to twelve sets with the reps ranging from low eight to ten. I recommmend you take about three minutes to fully recuperate between sets if you're really working out hard.
Caution:	Avoid arching the back at anytime during the lift. Always keep your eyes forward when doing deadlifts. Be sure to wear a heavy-duty belt and keep the bar as close to your body as possible because this exercise can be dangerous

Bigger Calves

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	#6 Standing calf raises
Tips	Maintain tight quads and hamstrings to stabilize the knee joint. Try to keep the knees as still as possible to really accentuate the calf involvement. It’s extremely important for your calves to be warmed up and stretched out before you increase the intensity. Rest approximately 1 to 1.5 minutes between sets. Depending on your training intensity, try to give your calves at least 48 to 72 hours to recover before training them again. 8,000-10,000 mg. of Amino Acids are recommended before legs training, follow training with High Protein.
Starting position	Stand on the block at the base of a calf machine with your toes pointed straight forward. Adjust the shoulders pad height to an appropriate position to allow for a full range of motion in the ankle. Situate your shoulders under the padded bars and place the balls of your feet on the foot plate roughly shoulder-width apart. Tighten the abdominals to stabilize the pelvis and straighten the legs. Make sure your quads and hamstrings remain tight throughout the exercise.
The Exercise	Lower the heels as far down as you can eccentrically control. Be careful not to let the feet slide. Once you have reached a full eccentric stretch, contract the calves as much as possible, raising the weight back up. Lift as high as you can on your toes. Lower yourself down slowly and allow your heels to drop as far below the platform as possible. Maintain control with each and every rep. You should feel the stretch until it almost hurts.
Sets	The gastrocnemius is composed of a higher percentage of fast-twitch fibers, so it will respond better to a lower number of rep and less time under tension. Your calves respond best to sets that can be completed in 20 to 40 seconds. For example, you might want to try doing 3 to 4 sets of 8 reps.
Caution:	Avoid bending your knees and do not train so heavily that you sacrifice technique. This exercise allow you to work the other main calf muscle, the gastrocnemius.
	#7 Seated calf raises
Tips	This exercise primarily works the soleus muscle, which is one of the two main calf muscles. The soleus is a single joint muscle and is responsible for motion in only one joint, the ankle. Focus on relaxing the ankles to ensure a full eccentric stretch on the soleus muscle. It is important to stretch the calves between sets
Starting position	Sit erect on the machine with the balls of your feet firmly positioned on the bottom crosspiece. Adjust the knee pad, so it’s snug against the end of your thigh and your toes are on the foot pad. Place your hands on the handles to keep the pads from sliding off your knees.
The Exercise	Slowly lower your heels as far towards the ground as possible. Go as deep as you can until your feet almost start sliding off the plate; then proceed to contract the muscles completely, and then press back up onto your toes until your calves are fully contracted and hold this position for 2 seconds. Allow the muscle to go through a controlled range of motion.
Sets	The soleus is composed largely of slow-twitch muscle fibers and therefore responds better to higher reps and longer time under tension. Soleus sets should not be completed in less than 40 seconds. For example, you might want to do 1 to 4 sets of 12 reps.
Caution:	Select a light weight that allow you to warm-up and calf muscles.

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