Your leg day workout is crucial in achieving a symmetrical, good looking physique.
Ready to grow? Here’s your mass-building leg workout!
It’s all too common for people to skip a leg day. Because… well… leg workouts are hard, and then there’s the all too familiar “waddle” that comes in the days to follow. But here’s the thing… when you hit your legs hard enough to make them grow, the rest of you usually gets bigger, leaner, and more muscular, too!
This all-around muscle-building leg workout is built around the best exercises for quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Hit it with everything you’ve got once a week, and it will be enough! Ready to build and toughen up those chicken legs? Let’s get to work!
Just remember: if you are looking to build your dream physique, you have pay some attention to ALL muscle groups! You can dial in your entire training week with Vince’s other Ultimate workouts:
Monday: Ultimate Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Ultimate Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest and/or steady-state cardio
Thursday: Ultimate Leg Day
Friday: Ultimate Shoulders
Saturday: Ultimate Arms
Sunday: Rest, play, and meal prep
Ultimate Lower Body Workout for Big Legs
Warm Up:
You should never hit the weights without a proper warm up and warm up sets – especially on leg day!
Exercises:
A. Barbell squat 4 sets, 6-10 reps (rest 2 min. between sets. Lighten the load after the first two sets)
B. Hip thrust 4 sets, 8-12 reps (rest 2 min.)
C. Weighted walking lunge 3 sets, 10-14 per side (rest 90 sec.)
D. Lying leg curl 3 sets 8-12 reps (rest 1 min.)
E. Calf raise 4 sets, 15-20 reps (rest 1 min.)
Successful leg mass building relies on a 4-point rule. First, you must start the workout with the most strenuous exercises and the heaviest weights. Second, you have to hit the thighs from different angles. Third and fourth, you need to keep every routine’s volume high and train at least some of the movements to muscle failure.
Leg Workout Exercises
1. Barbell Squat
(4 sets, 6-10 reps)
Make a hip-width stance with your toes facing slightly outward. Support the barbell on the top of your trap muscles, chest up, and head facing forward.
Bend your knees slowly, while driving them outward and keeping your back straightened. Hinge your hips and your knees will move forward. Make sure the bar moves in a straight line up and down.
Slowly keep the weight on your heels and push up to go back to your initial position.
2. Hip Thrust
(4 sets of 8-12 reps)
Lie with your upper back supported on a bench, and your feet planted firmly on the floor. Hold a barbell across your hips. Slowly lower your hips down to the floor. Only low enough that your glutes and hamstrings remain in constant tension. Power back up while pressing through your heels and squeezing your glutes at the top.
3. Weighted Walking Lunge
(3 sets 10-14 reps per side)
Begin with a hip-width stance holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Put one leg forward, bending your knees to lower your hips. Dip until your back knee nearly meets the floor. Keep an upright posture, and avoid moving your front knee past your toes to avoid injury.
Put your weight on your front foot’s heel and ascend from the lunge. Switch sides and repeat.
As you exhale, extend your legs fully using your quads. Keep your back flat on the padded seat during the movement. Pause and squeeze for a moment and then slowly retreat to your original position.
Repeat until you finish the set.
4. Lying Leg Curls
(3 sets, 8-12 reps)
Lie face down on the machine and place your feet under the foot pad — a few inches below the calves. Grab the machine’s handle, keep your torso flat, and stretch your legs fully.
Keeping your upper legs on the pad, curl your legs as far as you can while you exhale. Pause for a second after fully curling your legs. Go back to the original position as you inhale.
5. Calf Raises
(4 sets, 15-20 reps)
You can do these seated or standing. Plant the balls of your feet firmly on the step with your heels extending over the edge. As you exhale, raise your heels as high as you can, feeling your calves flex. Pause for a second and lower your heels to return to your initial position.
To make the most out of this leg day workout routine — choose loads that let you hit muscle failure within the repetitions you set. If you want to cut the workout short, you can leave out the hamstrings or calves exercises (or both) and train them on another day.
Want to Grow? Eat Like You Mean It
A well-structured leg day like this one can–and will And don’t forget about NUTRITION! You can train like a beast and give your workout 110% — but if you aren’t fueling your body, you won’t see the best results from your hard work!
In addition to a nutrition plan catered to your specific body type and mass building goals, we suggest an inta-workout supplement like Sculpt Nation BCAAs and a fast acting post workout formula like Sculpt nation POST WORKOUT.
If you are serious about putting on size and are looking for a new full body program, check out Vince’s best-selling ready to download CLEAN BULK program.
Do you have any leg day tip you might want to share? We’d love to know them in the comments section below!
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