Building leg muscle is not only aesthetically appealing, it also improves your sport performance and job performance around the house. Take landscaping for example. If you try to push a wheel barrow full of rocks up a hill with weak legs, you are going to struggle. Even though you want to build your muscles fast, you still need to be patient. Getting careless and trying to make progress too quickly can actually set you back.
Step 1
Consume healthy foods that will give you energy and promote muscle gains. Follow a diet that is high in quality protein, complex carbs and essential fatty acids. This will give you energy during your workouts and promote recovery when you are done. Eat nothing but lean meats, fish, eggs, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, whole grains and beans.
Step 2
Start your workouts with dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretches involve repetitive motions that are similar to your exercising movements. Do stretches like leg swings, knee highs, lateral lunges, side bends, trunk rotations, ankle bounces and deep knee bends.
Step 3
Perform as many compound exercises as possible. Compound exercises work more than one muscle at a time, and they promote fast gains in size and strength. Squats, legs presses, lunges, step-ups and deadlifts are compound leg exercises. Reserve isolation exercises, like leg extensions, leg curls and calf raises, for the end of your workouts.
Step 4
Execute proper form with your exercises. Move through a full range of motion, lower the weights slowly throughout your reps and never use momentum. Take lunges for example. Stand with your feet in a staggered stance and hold dumbbells at your sides. Keep your core tight and back straight as you lower your body toward the ground. Stop when both knees are bent 90 degrees, your front thigh parallels the floor and your back knee is an inch above the floor. Stand back up and repeat. Take two full seconds to lower your body and one second to stand back up.
Step 5
Use the heaviest weights possible. This will ensure that you fully tax your leg muscles and promote the fastest gain in size. Have a spotter on hand for assistance.
Step 6
Exercise often enough to see results, but do not overdo it. Do three or four sets of your exercises and perform each one until failure. Take two days off between your workouts to rest your muscles.
Step 7
Spend your nighttime hours sleeping. During sleep, your body is releasing key hormones that promote muscle growth. If you do not get adequate sleep, you will compromise your gains and also be lethargic in the gym. Typically, adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
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