The thought of training your quadriceps always sends a chill down your back, because real leg training is exhausting and exhausting. We will prove that swinging your legs can be fun!
Let's be honest: all guys want to know how to quickly pump up their legs so that their quads and calves will be admired! However, having received the long-awaited knowledge, not everyone is in a hurry to do it. Sometimes you really want to skip leg exercises (squats and lunges) - if only because they require a lot of energy. But that's exactly the point.
Real leg training is exhausting and exhausting. This is probably why many people avoid working on their legs, and pay all their attention to the bench press and biceps. But leg training is the most important, because legs are the foundation of the body. And it is simply impossible to build a house without a reliable foundation.
In addition, if the leg muscles grow, then other parts of the body also grow. If you are not serious about working with weights, it is better to move on to another article, for example, about circuit training, here we will talk about building powerful legs.
This article will focus primarily on the quadriceps and their complex muscle structure:
- Rectus muscle
- Intermediate wide
- Medial wide
- Lateral wide
And now we’ll figure out how you can quickly pump up a man’s legs (and of course a girl too!) in the gym, and what bodybuilding methods are best to use for this.
Want to pump up your legs quickly? Train to failure
Many people perform shoulder or chest sets to the point of exhaustion every workout, but cannot handle the same load on their legs. Why is this happening? Forced repetitions are what will help you build up your legs quickly. And yes, this also applies to squats in the gym.
Reference. In forced repetitions, unlike negative repetitions, partner assistance in the concentric phase should be minimal. Help begins only when the athlete can no longer perform a clean repetition with the selected weight. In fact, the partner reduces the weight of the weight, thereby allowing you to extend the set. One set should contain no more than 1-2 forced repetitions, and there should be no more than 2-3 such sets per workout.
Before you pick up a barbell and start squatting, you need to warm up well.
Mandatory warm-up
We recommend warming up with an exercise bike, elliptical or intense work on a treadmill for at least 8-10 minutes.
Work at a moderate pace, enough to work up a sweat. Immediately after this, spend 10 minutes stretching. Remember: you need to stretch not only your quadriceps, but also all the muscles in your legs and lower back. To complete your warm-up, do 2-3 sets of 20, 18, 15 repetitions of leg extensions on the machine.
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You shouldn’t push yourself; on the last set of the warm-up you should be fully prepared for hard work. Check: your back is pressed tightly against the backrest, your hips are pressed against the seat. And most importantly, additionally tighten your quadriceps. If you think that this is too much for warming up, don’t worry, it’s necessary.
Now you are ready to begin leg pumping exercises.
Leg training is the most difficult and energy-intensive; it is the one that puts the maximum load on the entire body, allowing you to create the basis for building up general muscles.
By paying due attention to exercises for the lower part, you are guaranteed to avoid the most common imbalance - a developed core and thin legs. Agree, such a ridiculous picture will not add confidence, but sculpted and strong legs are what you need for the image of a strong man.
Basic training
Using the example of the following complex from a professional trainer, Dionisis Tsakalidis, we will look at the basics.
1. Squats with a barbell. Warm-up set of 15-20 repetitions with working weight. 2. Squats with a barbell. 12-15 reps. 3. Leg press. 3 sets of 10 reps. 4. Leg bending in the simulator. 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. 5. Hack squats. 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. 6. Squats with a barbell. 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Squat to pump up your legs quickly
Most people find squats difficult. This exercise only seems easy from the outside: just bend your legs, squat down, and then straighten up. But it's not that simple. Before moving on to heavy weights, start with lighter weights that provide enough resistance to get the hang of proper technique. For example, you will feel a weight of 60 kg, but at the same time it can be controlled.
Squats
Your goal isn't just to lift weights to quickly pump up your legs, it's important to focus on lifting through your hips. Once you are comfortable with the technique, you can think about scales. Correct execution is the key to muscle growth and quick pumping of the legs.
Best exercises: Hack squats and leg presses
Hack squats are another great exercise that perfectly load the outer quadriceps and quickly pump up the leg muscles to impressive sizes. If everything is done correctly, then the upper part will not be left without work.
By changing the position of your feet, you can target all parts of the hip. Make sure you push the weight with your heels and not your toes. The entire emphasis of this exercise is on leg extension, and the power comes from straightening the knees rather than pushing through the hips. You will feel the difference.
Hack squats
Throughout the entire exercise, your back and hips should be pressed tightly against the machine. If you neglect this, you can pinch the sciatic nerve, which, most likely, you will never completely heal. When working on your quads, always focus on what you're doing. At the highest point, try to press your heels into the platform. However, don't overdo it.
The leg press is also great for quickly pumping up and adding volume to your legs. But this doesn't mean you will become super strong.
The whole point is in the technique: you need to lower the weight until the moment when the pelvis begins to lift away from the seat. The pelvis should not lift off, so complete the movement to this point. When you push the weight up, try to do it with your heels, as Georg Hackenschmidt bequeathed.
When doing this, always change the position of your legs. Push through your feet and never cross your arms to help your legs. If you cannot perform the exercise correctly with the selected weight, it is better to dampen your pride and take less weight. And when you get comfortable with the technique, you will be able to work with any, even huge, weights.
Leg press
Completing the workout
We move on to the final part of the training, consisting of two more exercises. The first is raising on your toes. It is quite simple, but effective for pumping up the biceps on the legs, which is why it is done at the end of the workout.
To perform this you need to: stand on your toes and walk like this for ten minutes. You can also stand on a stand so that your heels do not reach the floor. After which you need to stand on your toes and lower yourself . Do this for three sets of 50 repetitions. It's better to do it with weights.
The last exercise for you will be swings. To perform this you need to: lie on your back with your knees bent. After this, lift one leg and straighten it so that the toe points away from you. Hold your leg in this position for ten seconds. Then lift your lower back off the floor and hold for another ten seconds. Do this for two sets of 10 repetitions.
Giving muscle definition
To make your muscles look most beautiful, you need to give them definition. To do this, you need to add running to your workout.
You will be required to jog about five kilometers before or after your workout.
To increase the mass of your legs, you will need to do sprint races , that is, short distances - 200-300 meters with a break of a minute.
And also a good exercise to increase the relief would be a jump rope . Make five runs, doing fifty jumps in each run.
We pump up our legs with lunges and extensions in the simulator
Leg straightening is a useful exercise for the legs, both in warm-up and for work during the main workout. Since this is a growth exercise, you must be extremely careful. It seems simple, but many athletes get burned by it. Straighten your entire leg from your quads to your calves.
Leg straightening in the simulator
How you do this is another important question. Extension is carried out by tensioning the quadriceps, but also try to simultaneously pull your feet up. Make sure your back is firmly pressed into the seat and your hips are not lifting off.
And of course, don’t ignore lunges if you want to quickly build up your leg muscles. You will be surprised, but many people do this exercise incorrectly. When performed correctly, a clear line is drawn not only in the quadriceps, but also in the hamstrings, and the shape of the buttocks also improves, which is especially important for girls.
Additional leg workout
Let’s summarize all our thoughts on the topic in the final complex:
- Barbell squats, 6 sets: 15, 15, 12, 10, to failure, to failure.
- Deep squats with a barbell, 3 sets: 15, 12, 10 times.
- Lunge with dumbbells forward, 3 sets: 18, 15, 12 times.
- Lunges with a barbell, 4 sets of 40-60 repetitions on each leg.
- Leg straightening in the simulator, 3 sets: 18, 15, 12 times.
Program - how to quickly pump up your legs
Squats
- 6 sets of 15, 15, 12, 10, until failure, repeat until failure
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Deep squats with a barbell
- 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Recommendation If necessary, the exercise can be replaced with the “Leg Press”
Lunge with dumbbells forward
- 3 sets of 18, 15, 12 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Dumbbells
Lunges with a barbell
- 4 sets of 40-60 reps per leg
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Leg straightening in the simulator
- 3 sets of 18, 15, 12 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise
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With these exercises and the correct technique, you can quickly pump up your leg muscles to the desired size. Work your quadriceps more than any other part of your body. How you work will determine whether you stand out from the crowd or remain like everyone else!
How quickly can you pump up your legs? Although the muscles will become toned in the first weeks, you need at least a month for noticeable results. After 3-4 weeks, change your training program to a more challenging one to increase muscle hypertrophy.
Even if it seems to you that your skinny legs cannot be worked out, we will help you find a solution. On our website you will always find workouts for any purpose that will be of interest to both bodybuilding beginners and experienced athletes.
Finally, a dose of motivation from Stanislav Lindover - his heavy leg workout with squats with a barbell weighing 210 kg. for the maximum number of repetitions.
Sports nutrition will help speed up the process of gaining muscle mass - protein, creatine, gainer, arginine, BCAA, amino acids. These supplements are specially designed for athletes and fitness-active people of different fitness levels. Such drugs are completely safe, and their effectiveness has already been proven.
Causes of thin legs
Putting emotions aside, let's look at the problem directly. There are only two reasons for thin legs:
- Genetics
- Anatomical problems
With the first, everything is simple: the ratio of adipose tissue and muscle tissue, which form the volume of the legs and thighs, as well as the thickness of the bones, are determined genetically. Look at your parents, the appearance and structure of their legs. Don't catch the similarities? Even if now their legs look quite decent, with a high degree of probability you can hear exciting stories about how “I couldn’t afford short skirts and shorts because my legs were too thin.”
Just because of hereditary characteristics, even with good physical activity, it is not always possible to noticeably increase muscle volume. Moreover, if the shape and volume of the hips are more subject to change, then the shape of the lower leg is definitely inherited.
The second reason may hide many others: from lack of adipose tissue and underdevelopment of muscles to atrophy from past diseases. In some severe cases, a rare pathology such as lipodystrophy is diagnosed. This is a metabolic disorder in which the body completely wastes fats without maintaining their reserves.
It often happens that legs lose their volume and shape with time and age. This is understandable. If such a situation occurs within a short period of time, then medical consultation is simply necessary.
So what can you do to improve your legs? Considering that our legs are 50 percent muscles, it is necessary to make these muscles work. According to the general rules for muscle mass growth, we give progressive loads to the muscles of the thighs and legs, provide the body with an excess amount of protein and healthy carbohydrates, and get a good rest at night.
Yes, genetics in some cases limits the achievement of the desired result. But the sooner you pay attention to the volume of your legs, the more realistic it is to change their shape. Ideally, before the age of 15, you can “sculpt” beautifully shaped legs, even despite poor heredity. The rest are also not recommended to stop and clearly move towards the intended goal in the literal and figurative sense. And you can start with regular walking.
