Leg’s Day: A Workout Guide
Here is a brilliant leg training article from the team at JackedPack. If you don’t know, JackedPack is a membership subscription service that sends you a monthly box of the samples of the best in sports nutrition supplements.
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One of the best feelings in the world is when someone says to you, “Oh my gosh, are those Giant Sequoias or are those your legs?” We hope that all JackedPack members and non-members alike are able to experience the satisfaction and benefits of leg strength and size, and that’s why we’ve dedicated this post to giving our lower extremities the attention they deserve. We want everybody to be squatting school buses and deadlifting beached wales back into the ocean. We have included a stellar legs day workout that incorporates some awesome exercises that are sure to have people singing Sir Mix-A-Lot every time you walk in a room.
Warm Up
Legs or tree trunks?
Get a dynamic warm-up in. By dynamic we mean active, and not that static stretching non-sense that has been proven to be a no go before your workouts (save it for afterwards or when you get home). We have a few favorites that we’d encourage you to check out here: flexibility/mobility training and here: Squat jumps: 5, 5, 5, 5
- No leg program is complete without a hefty dose of squats to get the party started. We recommend scaling the weights so that you can complete the first 2 sets without struggling and save your inner rhinoceros for the
final 2. That’s not an excuse to take it easy—focus on lifting the weight as explosively as possible on all sets, even if it feels easy. Don’t hit failure on the 3rd set, but make sure you are working hard. Save
failure for your final set of 6. If you don’t look like Ed Corney at 1:30 in this video Ed Corney Squatting then you haven’t pushed hard enough! - After you rack the bar on each set, take a few steps back and bust out 5 consecutive squat jumps for maximum height.
- Throwing in this dynamic movement after a heavy set reminds your muscles to move fast. Whether or not you care about running a 4.4 40, you need to train your muscles to move fast if you want to move some big weight. Come on, let’s get serious!
Workout Combo #2
Walking lunges with DBs– 3 sets: 8/leg Superset with DB Stiff-legged deadlift – 3 sets: 8 reps
- Grab a pair of dumbbells heavy enough to challenge you for 8 reps/leg and then find a space to get your lunge on. After you’ve completed your lunges, go straight into you stiff-legged deadlifts without dropping the dumbbells (yes, your grip, traps, and lungs should be burning by now). Stop whining! Think about how legit it’s going to be having tree trunks for legs!
- Even though you’ll be exhausted after the lunges, make sure you maintain proper form on the stiff-legged deadlifts. Keep that back flat and your chest up. Push your booty back like a Flo Rida music video and feel the burn in your hammies
Workout Combo #3
Glute-ham raise – 3 sets 10 (or as many as possible if <10. Superset with Single leg leg press – 3 sets: 8 reps
- In case you can’t tell, we like to hit those hammies pretty hard. They’ll be a bit tired by now, and we aren’t going to make it any easier by throwing in these glute-ham raises. Slowly lower yourself until you are parallel to the floor and then forcefully pull yourself back up using your hamstrings. Do your best to keep your torso straight so you don’t jack your back.
- Don’t have a glute-ham machine in your gym? No problem. You can do them on a lat pulldown machine: Glute-Ham Raise performed on Lat-Pulldown Machine instead. Or just have your workout buddy help you out and do it this way Partner Glute Ham Raises.
- We like hitting the leg press 1 leg at a time to feel a little extra burn in our hammies and glutes. Hop over to the leg press and make sure you drive through your heels (never press through your toes!).
Workout Combo #4
Glute bridge/hip thrust – 3 sets: 12, 10, 8 Superset with Kettlebell goblet squats – 3 sets: 15 reps
- Remember when we told you people would be singing Sir-Mix-A-Lot every time you walk into a room? This is gonna be the game changer. Bret Contreras popularized this move and it’s flat out awesome for building stronger and meatier glutes. Having strong glutes is a no brainer if you want a strong and functional lower body, so hit these with as much intensity as your squats.
- After you’ve hip thrusted your way to a larger pant size, grab a kettlebell (a dumbbell works too) and hold it tight to your chest. Then lower yourself into a squat position. Notice how much easier it is to maintain an erect posture and the lack of stress on your lower back? It’s an awesome tool to get in some high-rep squats and work on perfecting your form when your legs are completely shot and can’t handle seriously heavy weight.
Kettlebell swings – 75 reps as fast as possible
- If your legs aren’t fully thrashed at this point then you either a) haven’t pushed yourself hard enough or b) your legs put Ronnie Coleman’s to shame.We doubt both. Time to suck it up and push through!
- Grab a KB (or dumbbell if a KB isn’t available), your puke bucket, and a stopwatch. Now bang out 75 swings as quickly as possible. We want you to move quickly so that you get a ridiculously effective cardio session in as well, but make sure you aren’t using your back or arms to make up for your exhausted posterior chain. Your glutes, hamstrings, and hips should be doing the work here. Squeeze your booty as hard as possible at the top of each rep and you’ll be in a rap video shaking your booty in no time!
He’s looking for you, Quadrasaurus Rex!
We recommend you hit this workout once a week for the next 6-8 weeks to see some serious strength and size gains. Feel free to switch up an exercise or two to keep the routine fresh and always make sure you are trying to lift a bit more weight in each session. As our dear friend Ronnie Coleman once said ,”Everybody want to be a bodybuilder, but don’t nobody wanna lift this heavy ass weight! I do it though!” We hope you do too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwJr9ZduG6YRemember, if you are ever sporting brown pants and a lumberjack mistakenly starts sizing up your quads, you are doing something right.
This article was written by the sports nutrition experts at JackedPack. For more information, visit JackedPack.com.
Tags: bodybuilding, build muscle, gain muscle, leg training, leg workout, legs, muscle gain, weight lifting, Weight Training, weightlifting
