Legs once per week on a three day split?

[BerryBlis]

So I'm just wondering, I'm thinking of changing my lifting so it's on a three day split. My goal at this point is to maintain upper body strength, maybe add a small amount of size if I could and then to lean out or slightly decrease the size of my legs (obviously all fat loss would be ideal but I can accept the fact women and lower body fat is not a pretty situation).

I also want to improve my running a bit, I like to run but lately have been neglecting it so I could focus on lifting. I'm not out to perform any marathons or sprint events, just increase speed a bit.

So I was thinking of doing

Mon - running (30 minutes)
Tue - upper body
Wed - running intervals
Thurs - lower body
Fri - running 30 minutes
Sat - upper body
Sun - off.

Repeat.

Would this be okay? I don't want to start losing all my leg strength so I was wondering about only doing legs once a week - if it would be sufficient.

Would a set-up where I do one week - upper, lower, upper then the next lower, upper, lower be considerably better?

 

[kinkery]

Legs once per week is Fine.

 

[Duncans Donuts]

I work legs out once a week - more like every 8 or 9 days.

Do full squats, ass to the pavement. In the bottom position, pause for 2 full seconds. 3 sets, no more, then throw in leg extensions / leg curls (or whatever else you feel like). Shouldn't last 15 minutes.

Also, sprint once-twice a week. Uphill - improve your times every session. Go until you collapse or until your legs literally stop functioning. You will thrive on 20 minutes of brutal work a week.

 

[BerryBlis]

Okay, great to hear once per week will be sufficient. I think lifting twice per week plus running and they'd start to be overtrained.

As for the leg workout would 3 sets each of

squats (ass to ground )
lunges
leg extension/hamstring curl superset

be okay? Or should I add more? I have been doing one legged squats as well but I'm not sure if I would need them since I'm doing lunges.

 

[Duncans Donuts]

Honestly, if you do 3 sets of squats with full intensity, with the 2 second pause, you'll be hardpressed to do more than two or three sets of anything after. I mean physically, you won't have the ability to. You really wouldn't need to, if you could.

If you aren't doing them pushing yourself as hard, though, your suggestiong works fine. I like lunges. Personally, I've always had a very low volume leg routine, and it's done wonders for me. 8-9 total sets at a moderate intensity should be fine too.

I'd defitently recommend uphill sprints, though, once or twice a week. Warming up with a 5 minute jog and sprinting for 40-45 seconds will raise your metabolic rate in a way that an hour of jogging couldn't do.

 

[BerryBlis]

Thanks for your help, and seriously uphill sprints would be the death of me! You are right though, that is probably the best way to go. Gonna be torturous.

With squating, I"m waiting to get a squat rack (I work out at home) so once I get that I'll go really hard with them likely but for now the weight isn't *as* heavy as it probably could be. I try to push them as hard as I can but obviously within my means. I'll keep with the lunges until then, overall I think it should work.

 

[Bakerboy]

You can still do a lot of great movements for your legs with just DB's

Step- ups
DB front squats
Suitcase squats
Farmer walks
One legged calf raises off a block
Pistols
Side lunges not just regular lunges
One legged RDL's

Other things
One and or two foot BW hops
lateral hops

Just to name a few- I'm not saying do all of those just that you have options.

 

[Duncans Donuts]

Just for reference, I do calf work on a day other than when I do my squats. If you are using moderate intensity, do some donkey calf raises or what have you as needed.

 

[Valias]

if i'd change anything it would just swap around monday with wednesday. Your legs might be trashed abit from intervals. Intervals (if you mean something like sprints) are a similiar kind of work out to a weights day, same mechanism and opposite to a cardiovascular workout, it would be my opinion (albeit that may not be worth much) to go

Mon - Interval Training
Tue - Upper weights
Wed - 30 minute cardio
Thurs - Lower weights
Fri - 30 minute cardio
Sat - upper Weights
Sun - off.

 

[BerryBlis]

Thanks again for all the help. Valias that's a good set-up, probably work better too with sprints on monday since they will be well rested from Sunday.

Just out of curiousity, what are

Suitcase squats
Farmer walks
Pistols

I've never heard of these before....

Maybe I could throw some calf raises in as a super set with some upper body work? Would that be okay?

 

[pabloevan]

you might want to throw in some hamstring dominant work to balance out your quad dominant squats and lunges. i see you have leg curls, but i'd rather have a bigger lift to hit the hamstrings and lower back. you might to consider deadlifts, sldls, gluteham raises, step ups (this hits the quads and glutes pretty good too)

 

[Duncans Donuts]

Stiff-legged deadlifts are good hamstring work. I would cycle them with other exercises (I wouldn't want to do squats/deads on the same day).