Thread: legs ???

Depends on what your goals are.

What do you do in the gym 6 times a week if none of it consists of leg training?

It's a matter of efficiency IMO. You could do a leg routine with weights two days a week for 45minutes then finish it up with 10 minutes HIIT for cardo and be done with it producing the better results.

Originally Posted by rahaas

It's a matter of efficiency IMO. You could do a leg routine with weights two days a week for 45minutes then finish it up with 10 minutes HIIT for cardo and be done with it producing the better results.

I agree. At least put in one leg workout in this manner.

Yep depends on the goals. Obviously building the legs and posterior chain are not one of them.

So what are your goals by working out your upper torso then running so freakin' much?

Lower back issues?

no, i don't have any back pain or anything like that. the main reason i don't work my legs is because i just don't enjoy it . secondly, they are always tired from all the cardio.

my goals are to trim down, get lean, build muscle and lose body fat. that's why i do so much cardio. plus, i enjoy it.

i have a very limited amount of time i can spend in the gym. that's why i go 6 days a week. i work:

- chest & back
- bi & tris
- shoulder & abs
- skip a day
- start over, working same body parts, but with different exercises

i guess i could a leg workout on shoulder/ab day. it takes the least amount of time.

For all of those goals the key factor will be your diet. Too much cardio is counter-productive for building muscle, un-necessary for losing fat, and you can't do both at the same time anyway.

What i meant was that neglecting training your legs with weights and building up strength in those areas CAN lead to lower back issues, especially if your upper body grows a fair amount, and you're putting yourself through a lot of high-impact activity like running.

Nobody really enjoys training legs - its difficult, its technically demanding to learn the exercises, it makes you feels sick, your muscles hurt a shitload during and the next day. But its those things that make leg training so beneficial. Massive muscle groups contracting uses a lot of energy so is great for using up all those calories for cutting. If you're eating for bulk, the same movements stimulate the maximum growth response from the body. I don't know if you've ever done a high rep set of squats, but believe me - there is some serious cardiovascular work in there too.

I would do two weights and two cardio sessions a week, one upper body and one lower body for both. So for weights have an upper body day, and a lower body day, and for cardio you could do running on one day and something like the rower/swimming on another. You still get the CV benefits, but your legs don't take so much of a battering so you can get some leg work in there.

i agree w gazhole. also if your goal is to gain muscle, muscle you are being counter productive with all that cardio. like gaz said we all hate intense leg training but a heavy intense leg ranks right up there with an intense cardio session.

Originally Posted by FMJ

What do you do in the gym 6 times a week if none of it consists of leg training?

That's what I would like to know.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

I don't know if you've ever done a high rep set of squats, but believe me - there is some serious cardiovascular work in there too.

Truer words have not be spoken! You'll be suckin more wind from 1 set of 20 rep squats than if you ran a 5k, no doubt.

i can go to the gym every day (but only go 6), but i can't stay all that long. i have to maximize my time.

what if i did:

1 - chest / back
2 - cardio
3 - bi / tri
4 - cardio
5 - shoulders / legs
6 - cardio

cant build a house on sticks!

that looks fine. but again if your goal is to gain muscle keep the cardio at low intensity.....
What is your rep and set ranges?

I would take out the arms day. Its a waste of recovery time.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

I would take out the arms day. Its a waste of recovery time.

what do you mean?

Originally Posted by klc9100

what do you mean?

I mean they are tiny muscles, and don't require a whole session to themselves. It's a waste of energy and your body's recovery resources compared to what you will gain from it. That time would be better spent recovering from the other workouts you've done that week - especially with the frequency you'll be training.

You'll hit your arms well enough in things like shoulder press, bench press, rows, and pullups. Theres certainly a place for arm isolation in some training programs, but even then its the icing on the cake. I do no isolated tricep work, and only 3 sets of curls a week at most. I've always trained like that, and my arm development has always been proportional to the rest of me.

Work hard on the big movements, and rest up on that day. Theres really no need for a dedicated arms day.

Originally Posted by Gazhole

I mean they are tiny muscles, and don't require a whole session to themselves. It's a waste of energy and your body's recovery resources compared to what you will gain from it. That time would be better spent recovering from the other workouts you've done that week - especially with the frequency you'll be training.

You'll hit your arms well enough in things like shoulder press, bench press, rows, and pullups. Theres certainly a place for arm isolation in some training programs, but even then its the icing on the cake. I do no isolated tricep work, and only 3 sets of curls a week at most. I've always trained like that, and my arm development has always been proportional to the rest of me.

Work hard on the big movements, and rest up on that day. Theres really no need for a dedicated arms day.

i see what you're saying. thanks.

You will put on more muscle on your body by doing heavy leg training.
You will see in-direct benefits on your upper body from doing squats.

In example, squats increase test and GH levels.

Try squatting for Quads and Stiff Leg Deadlifts for hams and spinal erectors.