Leg work

[Geeno]

Ive posted on a couple fitness forums and all those guys give me the same response usually: go to a gym.

But I dont really want to, so Im wondering what people can tell me about working my legs. Specifically building mass.

I have a bench with a leg extension/curl attatchment but its really stressing and i dont even feel very worked from it. I have freeweights and a standard bar. I also have two sets of strap on ankle weights, 10 and 20 lbs (combined).

[Freemason]

High weight, low reps of squats. Put on a load-bearing backpack and climb stairs. Run uphill. Run up stairs.

For more information, check out the weight training regimes of football teams.

[Geeno]

Awesome i happen to live on a huge hill.

[mullenman]

Play DDR(dance dance revolution) Play PIU(Pump It Up)

Those games work your legs like you cant even believe.

[Freemason]

Good. Start off by warming up with a gentle 5 minute jog.
Then stretch. Get good and limbered up.

Then get down in a standard stance for a lineman. This is to help the explosive speed at the start. Then explode into a full sprint up the hill. Repeat this at least 10 times a day.

As it gets easier, start to add weight. Carry a 5 lbs dumbell in your hands. Then as you get faster, add a 10 lbs weight in a load-bearing backpack. By the time you can sprint up a hill with 20 lbs dumbells in your hands and lugging a 70 lbs backpack, you'll be in better shape than most anybody you'll meet. Add in the squats and you'll look like you have tree trunks for legs.

Don't forget to work out your upper body as well. Tree trunk legs and puny arms looks ridiculous :lol:

[{KOW}Spazed]

Running stairs/hills is a great way to build up overall enderance and more specifically leg mass. . .just ask my wrestling team.


Squats however give you the most bang for your buck though, squats are the most mass building exercise you can do.

[Freemason]

I like running up hills for the explosive speed that can be developed. The speed to be able to step aside from a strike means a lot when you're too sexy to get a busted up face :cheesy:

[LuckyDwarf]

I like running up hills for the explosive speed that can be developed. The speed to be able to step aside from a strike means a lot when you're too sexy to get a busted up face :cheesy:

Modesty is the greatest tool, Mr. Sexy.

Lucky

[Canadia142]

do calf lifts. Stand on a box or some kind of ledge and stand with only the front of your foot on the ledge. Then just go up and down using only your feet and nothing else. If you want a better workout hold onto weights of whatever amount you want.

[mysnistaken]

I'd start walking around with those ankle weights too

[Freemason]

Modesty is the greatest tool, Mr. Sexy.

Lucky

Modesty is not in my creed

[Vick_Mackey]

Full blown *** to the grass squats (Learn how to do these properly, Technique is most important - Perfect Practice makes Perfect!) Relatively High Volume with Heavy weight (10 Sets of 3 with your 5RM) will get ya tree trunk legs in no time

Remember their are 2 sides to a coin (and their are 2 sides to your legs quads and hammies) my suggestion

Natural Glute Ham Raises/SLDL/Good Mornings of various kinds

Hill sprints at a 3-5% angle, EXPLOSIVE , very short, multiple times, short rests
Speed Squats
Bulgarian Squats
Single Leg Squats
DB Deadlifts
Burpees
Some of these exercises will make you wish you had never been born :lol: :lol: :lol: :thumbsup:

[Anakha1]

Smegsy covered it. Sounds all good.

[robby]

Full blown *** to the grass squats (Learn how to do these properly, Technique is most important - Perfect Practice makes Perfect!) Relatively High Volume with Heavy weight (10 Sets of 3 with your 5RM) will get ya tree trunk legs in no time

Remember their are 2 sides to a coin (and their are 2 sides to your legs quads and hammies) my suggestion

Natural Glute Ham Raises/SLDL/Good Mornings of various kinds

Hill sprints at a 3-5% angle, EXPLOSIVE , very short, multiple times, short rests
Speed Squats
Bulgarian Squats
Single Leg Squats
DB Deadlifts
Burpees
Some of these exercises will make you wish you had never been born :lol: :lol: :lol: :thumbsup:

EDIT:

I see you dont want to go to a gym. I dont really see how you can build appreciable mass without weights, but I suppose you could run a lot... ? Anyways, ignore the below message.

Ditto. Good info.

Squats are basically THE best exercise for building leg mass. Do you have toothpicks for legs? http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html This website will show you proper form for the squat. Go to the leg section.

If you want mass, squat. Make sure you use really good from though.

[jimmyboy]

Windsprints are pretty good too. 100m sprint, 100m job/walk, repeat.
Careful on the squats. Could ruin your back and knee if done incorrectly. Don't lock out your knees. Wear a belt.

[WebDragon]

I have a zero-effort way to build leg body mass.

You could do all those exercises carrying weights .... OR .... you could gain a 150 lbs, and live your normal life.

You might have a big belly, but dragging it around everywhere you go will definitely build you tree trunk-like legs! ;)

[bigD72]

Jump rope.

Jump without a rope, by bending your knees to a 90 degree angle and jumping as high as you can.

Lunges. Start standing up and then extend one foot forward and do like a normal step except take the back leg and take your knee slightly above the ground. Shoot for about 60 yards in 20 yard increments. Add weight as needed (just hold 5 pound plates in either hand, 10 pound, etc.)

Run up and down hills. Run up and down them backwards (sounds strange, but it really gets those hamstrings, and you need to develop both sides of the leg.)

And Ankle Weights for most people with end in water on your knees (whatever that means) or shin splints. The rewards are great but the risk is too high.

[MagiusTheGrey]

As BigD said...i wouldnt wear the ankle weights. That can throw a lot of things out of whack.

Lunges are great if you dont feel comfortable squatting. If you dont feel you have very good technique, dont squat, but do lunges instead. Make sure the motions up and down on the lunges are really smooth and not jerky/extremely explosive. Hold your lunge at the bottom for about 2 seconds or so at a time, with your back knee about 3 inches above the ground and your front thigh about parallel to the ground. If youre going to do them in the 20 yard increments that BigD suggested, make sure you get a full range of motion. That is to say make sure you stand up all the way and then take your step rather than getting half-3/4 the way up and swinging your other leg through.

[Vick_Mackey]

If that's the case (Not wanting to go to a gym, then their are plenty of excellent exercises you can do with no equipment) such as

Already been said
Lunges (What hasn't been said is their is many ways to do lunges - ie regular, reverse, overhead, explosive jump lunges, etc.. What's most important is that your technique is always spot on and focus on progression)
Speed squats (Just bodyweight, just squat in good form with your bodyweight as fast as possible)
Single leg squats aka Pistols
Burpees
Various jumps and hops
Sprints for speed (Hill or Regular)
All of these options could be done without a gym membership,

but im sorry to rain on your parade, if you want tree trunks for legs, then heavy squats/deadlifts are where it's at

[Canadia142]

this site (http://www.netfit.co.uk/bodmen.htm) is really good and should be able to help you out will all your workout questions.

[Geeno]

Honestly if youre just telling me names of excersizes ive obviously never heard of...

Thanks to everyone who went into some sort of explaination. I didnt think the ankle weights were great but i have them, i used to use them skateboarding because when i took them off everything i did was way bigger and better.

And i dont quite have toothpicks, my calves are in decent shape even its just that i have nothing to do for my upper legs so while the rest of me is growing theyre just chillen.

[Anakha1]

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/exercise1.htm

Exercises with pics. That'll get ya going. Scroll down to "freaky big legs".

[Geeno]

Thankyou mucho. I reread my last post and I didnt mean to sound rude.

[Cygnus434]

Play drums......get a double-bass pedal :thumbsup:

Also...when at university, or anywhere for that matter, always take the stairs when you can and avoid the elevators (I say university because I usually have a giant backpack full of books on to add weight)...

As of now, my calves and thighs are pretty monsterous from all that activity.

[Geeno]

I do play drums but thats besides this point.

I just tried running up my hill with two fifteen dumbells, a good overall excersize but i think I need more weight to really get my thighs. Maybe the 25s later.

I tried those knee-dip lungey things too, hard to keep stable but i imagine the stability comes out of the excersize. Actually sweating though so good ideas boys.