Building strong, powerful legs is extremely important in bodybuilding, as it can give your physique an edge, and help you stand out from other competitors. Bodybuilding leg workouts can be grueling, and leave you feeling sore for days. You need to be mentally prepared, and willing to put in maximum effort, as these tough workouts can lead to very impressive gains.
Leg Extensions and Squats
Perform a set of 20 leg extensions with a moderate weight, pausing each repetition for two seconds at the top, then move straight into a set of 10 back squats, going as low as possible. Repeat this superset five times, aiming to add a small amount of weight to each set of squats, so that the fifth set is your 10 repetition maximum. This is a technique known as pre-exhaust. Charles Poliquin, owner of the Poliquin Performance Center for elite athletes recommends using pre-exhaust training to increase the intensity of your workouts, and boost your muscle gains.
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
As the first two exercises both focus on your quadriceps at the front of your legs, your next exercise should be for the muscles on the back of your legs -- your hamstrings. Aim for six sets of 12 repetitions on stiff legged deadlifts, using a weight which you find challenging, but can just about complete all the repetitions. If you wish to make this exercise even more effective, then stand on a 6-inch platform to increase the range of motion, and give your hamstrings a really good stretch in the bottom position.
Walking Lunges
Find a space in your gym where you can take at least 20 long steps in a straight line, and perform four sets of walking lunges with a barbell on your back. For an added challenge once you have done your four sets, perform two further sets without the barbell. While this may sound easy, it is extremely difficult after the weighted sets. Lunges are a unilateral exercise, as you perform them one leg at a time. Introducing unilateral exercises into your program can spark new muscle growth and, according to strength coach Mike Robertson, they are also extremely effective for preventing injuries, improving muscular imbalances and developing coordination.
Calf Raises
Your calves are made up of two main muscles -- the gastrocnemius, which is predominantly a fast twitch muscle, and the soleus, which is a slow twitch muscle. Fast twitch muscles respond best to low repetition training with heavy weights, and slow twitch are more suited to lighter weights and higher numbers of repetitions. For this reason, you should perform two types of calf raises to fully develop your calves. Do six sets of six explosive repetitions on the standing calf raise machine for your gastrocnemius, followed by three sets of 20 on the seated calf raise machine for your soleus.
Frequency
As this workout is incredibly tough, and will leave you feeling sore for days afterward, you should not attempt it too often -- once a month is ideal. In your other leg workouts during the month, focus on basic compound movements such as squats and deadlifts, with a small amount of isolation and machine work added in.
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