There is not only one way to train leg muscles. Training programs for the lower body vary by individual goals, which are reflected through different exercise protocols. Effective leg training employs exercises that target all muscles of the lower body and adheres to guidelines that meet the participant's goals.
Step 1
Train all lower body muscle groups. Whether you are training legs to enhance your performance in a 5K or to compete in a bodybuilding competition, exercise all major muscle groups in the lower body for balance and injury prevention. These are the gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Compound movements, like squats, lunges and deadlifts, effectively exercise all of these muscle groups. Performing multiple sets of any one of these movements targets all the legs muscles. Isolation exercises, like the knee extension for quadriceps, leg curl for hamstrings, or calf raise for calves, all need to be executed for a well-rounded program.
Step 2
Perform one warm up of each exercise. If your leg workout consists of deadlifts, lunges, knee extensions and leg curls do one warm-up set of each. Use a weight that is light enough for 20 repetitions. Warming up stimulates blood flow to the exercising muscles, allows you to practice form, and softens rigidity of cold muscles, which is important for injury prevention.
Step 3
Select appropriate exercises for your goals and execute them in the proper order. Decide if you are training for muscular power, strength, endurance or size. If you are training for power include plyometrics or explosive movements in your program. The box jump and depth jump are two staple plyometric exercises for developing lower body power. If you are seeking power, strength or size your training should consist predominantly of compound exercises. For muscle growth use isolation exercises following compound movements to increase overall volume of training. Use isolation movements to support muscular endurance goals without concurrent size increase. When you train, begin with plyometrics, proceed to compound movements and conclude with isolation exercises.
Step 4
Observe proper set, repetition and rest ranges for your goals. Power training sets last between 10 and 30 seconds. Perform two to four sets of each exercise and observe a 1-to-5 ratio between sets. For example, if you do box jumps for 15 seconds rest for 75 seconds between sets. To develop muscular strength do three to four sets per exercise at six to eight repetitions per set. Rest periods for strength are two to three minutes long. For muscular endurance perform three to four sets per exercise at 12 to 15 repetitions. Rest periods for endurance are 30 seconds or less. If you are training for muscular size the most important training variable is volume, which can be increased through additional weight, repetitions or, most practically, sets. Do up to five sets per exercise of eight to 12 repetitions, and rest for 30 to 90 seconds between sets.
Tips and Warnings
- Allow two to three days of recovery between leg workouts. After six weeks, change the exercises in your program to stimulate additional muscular adaptation.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning"; Thomas Baechle, Roger Earle; 2008
- "Strength Training"; National Strength & Conditioning Association; 2007
