Splitting leg day

[Claudette]

I used to have the most beautifully toned legs of anyone I knew or had ever met, but not anymore. For the past four years I've been dealing with Chronic IT-Band tendonitis and PFS, which has severely hindered me from training my legs the way I used to.

First there was no running, then no biking, now no elliptical. Then I couldn't do the leg press, then heavy smit squats and now pretty much eveyrthing hurts. To solve all these problems I would like to attempt to split up leg day to at least isolate my front from my rear (which, incidentally needs the most work). I remember trying this a couple years ago and it did the trick, but that was when I could at least still do the elliptical.

Can anyone please help jog my memory on the best isolation exercises for the quads, glutes, hams, and inner thighs? I'm not asking for help on the outer thighs b/c I have to keep that portion loose b/c of the IT-band and have been directed by many physicians to avoid abductors. Also, I have HUGE calves and would do easy workouts on both leg days. Here are the exercises I know I can do with little to no pain--that is, when I'm sufficiently stretched:

Light-weight smith squats (close, wide, toes out, etc)
Lunges (reverse, stationary, walking, with smith machine)
Leg extension
Leg curl (sitting and lying down, although sitting hurts less)
Butt blaster (no machine at my gym, but can do a variation on the smith)
Adductor
Step-ups on bench
Treadmill (walking on an incline)
SLDL
Good Mornings
Plie Squats

I know of tons of exercises, but I'm having problems picking and choosing. Most all of these exercises work my quads in some form but focus primarily on the glutes and hams, so which exercises would be good for HAMS day and which for QUADS day?

One more thing, plyrometrics are unfortunately out of the question as well, which really sucks because they really helped to get me that 'cut' I was always so proud of.

That's it, my dilemma. I really need help and would love to start my Hams day first thing (0420) Monday morning. Since I'm in Japan, the sooner people reply the sooner I can get started. Thanks so much!

Tracie Claudette

 

[The Monkey Man]

You have most of the good exercises listed there!?!?

Try using a schedule close to what your old split was, but use mostly machines
as compound movements may increase your pain

 

[Yanick]

try front squatting, and back squatting with both an Oly/PL stance/bar placement. also you should try SMF (self myofascial release, i believe it is) with a foam roller on your IT band, it might help.

 

[Claudette]

Thanks guys, but what exercises do you recommend for quad day and which ones for hams day? Thanks!

 

[Claudette]

Problem...

You have most of the good exercises listed there!?!?

Try using a schedule close to what your old split was, but use mostly machines
as compound movements may increase your pain

Yeah, unfortunately I've moved about three times since then and can't find my old journal anywhere which means I'm forced to essentially start from scratch.

 

[CowPimp]

Light-weight smith squats (close, wide, toes out, etc) - Quad day
Lunges (reverse, stationary, walking, with smith machine) - Quad day
Leg extension - Quad day
Leg curl (sitting and lying down, although sitting hurts less) - Hamstring day
Butt blaster (no machine at my gym, but can do a variation on the smith) - No idea what that is
Adductor - Either one
Step-ups on bench - Quad day
Treadmill (walking on an incline) - Either one
SLDL - Hamstring day
Good Mornings - Hamstring day
Plie Squats - No idea what that is

Try to avoid smith squat if possible. Smith squats cause a sheering force to be placed on your knees and increase the chance of injury by teaching your nervous system to execute improper motor patterns.

 

[Yanick]

Thanks guys, but what exercises do you recommend for quad day and which ones for hams day? Thanks!

-your quads extend your knee (straighten knee)
-your hamstrings extend your hips and flex your knee (hip extension is the opposite motion of a leg raise, knee flexion is bending your knee)

so based on that info you can pretty much group exercises into quad/hammy dominant. squats are a little trickly because you can squat olympic style which is with a narrow stance and the bar placed high on your traps and which will use more quads whereas the PL'er squat is with a wider stance and the bar placed low on your rear delts which will use more glutes/hams/erectors. front squats are more quad dominant. most exercises are easy to classify, just think in terms of those two points i mentioned above and its cake.