Thread: My own observation at the gym...

gotta work legs

Originally Posted by ctr10

gotta work legs

Agreed!

I'm not a pro body builder.. Never will be. I do it for the fun. I really like working out. I don't like doing legs... I do them once a week. One week is squats then one is machine work, back and forth. I only do it to keep the proportions close, but honestly the intensity is different . I could understand someone not wanted to go through any leg work... I mean it looks stupid at a point but I don't really care why anyone but me(ok maybe some ladies) are at the gym. I got a guy at my gym who has freakshow arms. Nothing else remarkable, works them every day, gram of t, all he wants is big ass arms and he's got em. I used to think wtf is this guy doing. Now I think he's happy so what else is relevant.

That's nonsense. Your body fights for symmetry. Building big lower body and doing lower body and full body lifts will aid in overall development including upper body development. I can tell you from experience that I could never get a big upper body until i understood the benefits of squats and deadlifts. If those same guys you see at the gym invested in a proper leg day they would likely be even bigger upper body.

Law of specificity: if you only train certain muscles or specific energy pathways, you'll only see benefits on those muscles or energy pathways.

With that being said, guys that don't train legs look ridiculous.

^^^ especially wearing shorts and a wife beater with chicken legs.

Originally Posted by x~factor

This being said, this should also work vise versa. If I want an awesome looking legs, I should stop working the upper body and do legs twice, three times a week.

Larger muscle groups (legs & posterior chain) take longer to recover.
Just saying it might work better hitting legs harder than doing more volume more than twice a week.

Originally Posted by exphys88

Law of specificity: if you only train certain muscles or specific energy pathways, you'll only see benefits on those muscles or energy pathways.

With that being said, guys that don't train legs look ridiculous.

Thanks for that info. I have a big pair of calves even though I train them only once a week. But my arms are not so big. I think I have to skip legs, chest and back workout and pay more attention to my arms for a while. I am thinking about hitting my arms about three times a week until they get big enough match with my legs.

I have big thighs (compared to my upper body) and recently had ankle and foot injuries. So I had to stop training them for 2-3 months now. I only had like 2 leg workouts in 3 months and they still maintain their size and definition fine. This gave me the idea of just training them once every few weeks to maintain and focus more on my upper body. It's working great so far, I have more time and energy to focus on my upper body and I can notice the improvement already.

P.S: I wouldn't advise to d othat off-cycle though

Originally Posted by fit26

Thanks for that info. I have a big pair of calves even though I train them only once a week. But my arms are not so big. I think I have to skip legs, chest and back workout and pay more attention to my arms for a while. I am thinking about hitting my arms about three times a week until they get big enough match with my legs.

good plan - skip enough workouts and sooner or later your chest, back and legs will shrink up to match your growing arms!

seriously though, I can see prioritizing muscle groups and focusing/emphasizing weaker body parts - but not skipping training body parts.

However, I am a power lifter so my outlook is a little different (focus is strength, not symmetry).

Originally Posted by x~factor

Maybe its just me... and this has been on my mind for a while now so please bare with me... the guys that I see at the gym that don't work out their legs have AWESOME upper body. I'm thinking this is because whatever nutrition they put in their mouth goes to rebuilding their upper body. Since legs don't really need it, their body ONLY needs to repair half their physique. So the result they get is achieved in half the time.

This being said, this should also work vise versa. If I want an awesome looking legs, I should stop working the upper body and do legs twice, three times a week.

don't stop altogether just prioritze your leg training for growth and simply maintain the rest.

Originally Posted by bdeljoose

^^^ especially wearing shorts and a wife beater with chicken legs.

reminds me of a light bulb!!

I use to hate legs and working out my legs but after 11 years of lifting I've grown an appreciation for strong legs. After a few good leg workouts, I can see my legs growing more so than any other body part.

Originally Posted by fit26

Thanks for that info. I have a big pair of calves even though I train them only once a week. But my arms are not so big. I think I have to skip legs, chest and back workout and pay more attention to my arms for a while. I am thinking about hitting my arms about three times a week until they get big enough match with my legs.

This... might work for you, and there are different schools of thought on it, but here's a tutorial from Dorian Yates essentially saying you've got the wrong strategy and should focus on recovery instead of over-training: It's worth a listen.

Originally Posted by chocolatemalt

This... might work for you, and there are different schools of thought on it, but here's a tutorial from Dorian Yates essentially saying you've got the wrong strategy and should focus on recovery instead of over-training: It's worth a listen.

Those were some bad ass videos. Never thought of only doing one working set. I still do it the old school way of four sets per exercise but that was very interesting.

^^^ Doesn't work for everyone. I tried all kinds of low volume training styles and it never worked for hypertrophy for me, just strength.

Pin quads

Well. Just typical gym, Type - A type of shit. I would say the OP's observation is well founded and accurate. Nothing much to do but joke about it. I mean yea, at the end of the day, you can go to the gym to do curls in the squat rack and go home if you want to. What grinds my gears is when these types want to start talking or training or acting like they are special in ANY regard.

So you have never seen a guy that doesn't train legs but has only a decent upper body? I have never seen an INCREDIBLE upper body attached to.non trained legs. I disagree with your theory and refute your sample lol

Originally Posted by rippedgolfer

Those were some bad ass videos. Never thought of only doing one working set. I still do it the old school way of four sets per exercise but that was very interesting.

Check out dogcrapp. The key is the INTENSITY of the set. Anyways its good to mix it up.. tie. Break from your standard rep scheme and go to two working sets. One max x5 and then drop weight to max x8. Run it for four weeks see what happens.

Originally Posted by Agentyes

So you have never seen a guy that doesn't train legs but has only a decent upper body? I have never seen an INCREDIBLE upper body attached to.non trained legs. I disagree with your theory and refute your sample lol

I am againt neglecting a body part and strongly advise to have a proportional physique, but your logic here is flawed. You might never see an INCREDIBLE upper body attached to non trained legs cause BBers who are serious enough to have an incredible body are committed enough to train all body parts equally.

Go check out some videos on youtube of handicapped BBers (in wheelchairs). They have INCREDIBLE upper body

Originally Posted by supaman23

I am againt neglecting a body part and strongly advise to have a proportional physique, but your logic here is flawed. You might never see an INCREDIBLE upper body attached to non trained legs cause BBers who are serious enough to have an incredible body are committed enough to train all body parts equally.

Go check out some videos on youtube of handicapped BBers (in wheelchairs). They have INCREDIBLE upper body

Oh you HAD to pull the handicapped card! :/ I almost feel ashamed of myself. I can't agree with your theory though. In fact I have long suspected that having big legs motivates the body to make the rest of the muscles big too. It has to do with either testosterone, or symmetry. It's very scientific.

~A

Originally Posted by Agentyes

Oh you HAD to pull the handicapped card! :/ I almost feel ashamed of myself. I can't agree with your theory though. In fact I have long suspected that having big legs motivates the body to make the rest of the muscles big too. It has to do with either testosterone, or symmetry. It's very scientific.

~A

This is valid if the trainee is not on steroids or PEDs. Otherwise, it wouldn't matter really. The more you focus on a muscle the more it will grow.

Originally Posted by CaptainNapalm

That's nonsense. Your body fights for symmetry. Building big lower body and doing lower body and full body lifts will aid in overall development including upper body development. I can tell you from experience that I could never get a big upper body until i understood the benefits of squats and deadlifts. If those same guys you see at the gym invested in a proper leg day they would likely be even bigger upper body.

^ This X 1,000. If you don't develope your legs you're holding your entire body back from becoming what it COULD.

Originally Posted by rippedgolfer

Those were some bad ass videos. Never thought of only doing one working set. I still do it the old school way of four sets per exercise but that was very interesting.

High Intensity training is awesome.................if done correctly. In that one set you have to take the target muscle to total muscular failure and actually beyond. That involves doing negative reps after you can't do anymore positive reps. You also have to be incredibly careful and use ultra strict for, otherwise you'll destroy your joints in short order.

Originally Posted by x~factor

Maybe its just me... and this has been on my mind for a while now so please bare with me... the guys that I see at the gym that don't work out their legs have AWESOME upper body. I'm thinking this is because whatever nutrition they put in their mouth goes to rebuilding their upper body. Since legs don't really need it, their body ONLY needs to repair half their physique. So the result they get is achieved in half the time.

This being said, this should also work vise versa. If I want an awesome looking legs, I should stop working the upper body and do legs twice, three times a week.

1) IQ? A standardized test exists.
2) Sexual orientation? I noticed you don't look at the guys at the face precisely.
3) Just in case have you tried shovin your finger up you rear end?

Originally Posted by flex365

don't stop altogether just prioritze your leg training for growth and simply maintain the rest.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by exphys88

Law of specificity: if you only train certain muscles or specific energy pathways, you'll only see benefits on those muscles or energy pathways.

With that being said, guys that don't train legs look ridiculous.

exctly, these huge upper bodies and spanned backs with little tiny legs!! those legs have to support the weight of everything else, me and the wife just joined the gym and first thing i need to work is my legs to take weight off my ruined knees!

Originally Posted by Mr.Guvernment

exctly, these huge upper bodies and spanned backs with little tiny legs!!