# Leg Day, How many different exercises, sets and reps????



## ANTWISH (Oct 3, 2015)

Best way to train legs. I'm defiantly going to incorporate squats and dead lifts. But how many sets and how many reps per set???

I also want to know what other exercises and how many different exercises todo per leg day session. So an example of what I mean is, five exercises, four sets of eight.

I want to avoid the quad curl machine and the hampsteing curl machine I am not a fan of either. I do not know if that's the proper name for each machine but I am sure you know what machines I am referring to.

Thanks.


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## Dute (May 22, 2015)

ANTWISH said:


> Best way to train legs. I'm defiantly going to incorporate squats and dead lifts. But how many sets and how many reps per set???
> 
> I also want to know what other exercises and how many different exercises todo per leg day session. So an example of what I mean is, five exercises, four sets of eight.
> 
> ...


So many possibilities mate, it really does depend how far u are already, if uve never done anything you will probably grow on say 3sets squats (power) 3sets lunges (volume) for a fair while. All things being good...diet, sleep etc


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## Kyle Redfern (Sep 28, 2015)

Depends on how your body reacts.

I personally have 2 leg days. Day one I put focus on quads & calves. 2nd Leg day I put focus on hamstrings & calves. Such a big muscle group, I'm usually too fatigued to do both hams and quads in one session. Splitting them up lets me bring them up more personally. Have had good gains with this


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## andyboro (Oct 1, 2006)

Kyle Redfern said:


> Depends on how your body reacts.


^ this is very true.

for me 9 sets are sufficient for legs:

squats 3x10

sldl 3x10

calf raise 3x12-15

Dead lifts are on a separate day but of course provide some additional secondary work.

just have a go and see what works.

Im trying something different myself at the moment.. just give it 12 weeks or so.


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## bigjons (Oct 6, 2015)

3/4 excercises of 5 sets


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## JohhnyC (Mar 16, 2015)

ANTWISH said:


> Best way to train legs. I'm defiantly going to incorporate squats and dead lifts. But how many sets and how many reps per set???
> 
> I also want to know what other exercises and how many different exercises todo per leg day session. So an example of what I mean is, five exercises, four sets of eight.
> 
> ...


Understand avoiding quad extensions if you are not keen as squats and others will hit them, but hamstrings should be included in my view. Only real way to hit them is via a machine


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## andyboro (Oct 1, 2006)

JohhnyC said:


> Understand avoiding quad extensions if you are not keen as squats and others will hit them, but hamstrings should be included in my view. Only real way to hit them is via a machine


or stiff leg deads...


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

Squats 5 sets 4-6 rep range

Stiff leg dealifts 5 sets 8-10 rep range

These have always been the sort of staple in my routine throwing in the odd front squats, extension machines etc

And people double check my legs, thats just my ten pence but its worked for me


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

There is not one 'best' routine.

By saying you will incorporate squatting I presume you're new to it? If so there will be plenty of slack to be taken up with this alone. Start with 5x5 squats and 3x8 SLDL and that should be more than enough to ruin you.


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## JohhnyC (Mar 16, 2015)

andyboro said:


> or stiff leg deads...


You can really drain them on a machine but easy to cramp up, its a "stringy" type of muscle . I think a lot of guys favour quads too much over hams.


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## 19072 (Aug 11, 2010)

Kyle Redfern said:


> Depends on how your body reacts.
> 
> I personally have 2 leg days. Day one I put focus on quads & calves. 2nd Leg day I put focus on hamstrings & calves. Such a big muscle group, I'm usually too fatigued to do both hams and quads in one session. Splitting them up lets me bring them up more personally. Have had good gains with this


Above!

i split mine also.

quads/calves: squats / leg press / hack squat / leg ext / seated calves / toe press

hams/calves: ghr / sldl / lying curls / lunges / standing calves / donkies


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## Kyle Redfern (Sep 28, 2015)

herc said:


> Above!
> 
> i split mine also.
> 
> ...


Lunges for hams? Do you just lunge deeper? (Hits glutes like a b1tch too)


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## PaulB (Jun 6, 2010)

At the moment

minimum 6 sets squats 10-12 reps (That's not including warm up sets)

leg press 4 sets x 12 - 15 and 1 triple drop set or a rest pause set for 30 - 40 reps

5 sets leg extension, last set double drop set

5 sets leg curls, last set double drop set

3 x 10-12 SLDLs

Calves are done on separate day. 100 reps done in as little sets as possible.


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## 19072 (Aug 11, 2010)

Kyle Redfern said:


> Lunges for hams? Do you just lunge deeper? (Hits glutes like a b1tch too)


I find it hits my glutes a lot which i what i aim for when working hamstrings. Plus i am pretty taxed after quad day and love lunges so decided to throw them in with ham day.


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## Kyle Redfern (Sep 28, 2015)

herc said:


> I find it hits my glutes a lot which i what i aim for when working hamstrings. Plus i am pretty taxed after quad day and love lunges so decided to throw them in with ham day.


Makes sense. Good shout


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## 19072 (Aug 11, 2010)

Kyle Redfern said:


> Makes sense. Good shout


walking lunges after heavy squats always gets my back in some pain. Give it a shot.


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## nitrogen (Oct 25, 2007)

There is no best way to train legs. Hit them hard, eat well and let them grow.

I'd train legs twice a week. First session conpound movements and some leg extensions.

The second session hamstrings (curls, stiff led dead.) and lunges.


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## Jamieson (Jul 11, 2014)

1 set of squats 10-14 reps each rep 3 second positive 6 second negative

1 set of Leg Press - same protocol as squats

1 set calf raises or Toe Press on the leg press, 3 send positive, 1 second squeeze at the top, 6 second negative

I set seated hamstring curls, same method as for calf raises

That's it.


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## superdrol (Aug 9, 2012)

Weighted step ups are good if you have a dodgy back and also rock for both quads and hamstrings, I've got a bulging disc and the weight with squats started to wreck form over 110kg... My leg day is now German volume based, weighted step ups (with thigh going parallel to the floor, higher favours flutes and hams more, lower favours quads more) I do 10x10 with 5x10 each leg, then leg raises 10x10 and 10x10 hammy curls, so I'm the polar opposite of what you want but it falls into line with my back 

my pont is if you want something different to work quads and or hamstrings, weighted step ups are a good choice and fairly good cardio by the way I get out of puff when doing the last sets of you do 10x10  All the above are with 30 seconds rest between sets bar the step ups where I do 2x10 then have 60 seconds rest...

have a look in FelonE's journal for a lesson on how to hammer legs!


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## essexboy (Sep 7, 2008)

One set of squats.Once or twice a week.To total failure, preferably with assistance when leverage disadvantages become an issue.Perfect form.5 seconds Positive,5 seconds negative.No bouncing,jerking, and a slow smooth turnaround at top and bottom without rest.Select a weight that you can do 20 reps with, with gun to head intensity.If you can breath, talk or move in a controlled manner afterwards your not training hard enough.


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## Jamieson (Jul 11, 2014)

essexboy said:


> One set of squats.Once or twice a week.To total failure, preferably with assistance when leverage disadvantages become an issue.Perfect form.5 seconds Positive,5 seconds negative.No bouncing,jerking, and a slow smooth turnaround at top and bottom without rest.Select a weight that you can do 20 reps with, with gun to head intensity.If you can breath, talk or move in a controlled manner afterwards your not training hard enough.


Couldn't agree more. If I do a 20 repper on Squats I drop the leg press altogether as 1 brutally hard set done this way gets the job done for sure. In fact you can't do anymore even if you wanted to as you're totally effed after a set like that, especially as you finish on a real slow negative, at least you try and make it slow and then end up having to sit down for a few minutes to recover from it.

Best way to gain though IMO, I love training like this.


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## TELBOR (Feb 20, 2012)

I used to squat 2 times a week in my first year of lifting, then slowly stopped due to injuries etc and have started them again 3 times a week..... Then got injured again FFS 










They'll do.


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## ANTWISH (Oct 3, 2015)

> Depends on how your body reacts.
> 
> I personally have 2 leg days. Day one I put focus on quads & calves. 2nd Leg day I put focus on hamstrings & calves. Such a big muscle group, I'm usually too fatigued to do both hams and quads in one session. Splitting them up lets me bring them up more personally. Have had good gains with this


I was actually thinking about doing that. I went to do legs day yesterday and I done 4 sets of 8 squats and 4 sets of 8 dead lift, then I went on to do the seated leg press and only got two sets of 8 out and could not bring myself to do more. I had a headache as soon as I woke up so I am sure thats why. But I was thinking of just incorporating legs in to my other body parts training days. So i do not have to hammer my legs in one day.


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## Kyle Redfern (Sep 28, 2015)

ANTWISH said:


> I was actually thinking about doing that. I went to do legs day yesterday and I done 4 sets of 8 squats and 4 sets of 8 dead lift, then I went on to do the seated leg press and only got two sets of 8 out and could not bring myself to do more. I had a headache as soon as I woke up so I am sure thats why. But I was thinking of just incorporating legs in to my other body parts training days. So i do not have to hammer my legs in one day.


I personally don't do heavy deadlifts & squats same day. Purely because of how taxing it is.

Quad days are something like this:

Leg extensions (to warm up) // Squat (Couple warm up sets) - 4 x 8 (Do some heavy singles, doubles too) // Leg Press - 4 x 8 // Leg extensions - 3 x 12 // Single leg extension - 3 x 12

Hams: Wide stance squat - 4 x 8 reps // Leg press (feet high and wide) - 4 x 8 // Straight leg deadlifts - 4 x 8 // Seated leg curls - 4 x 8 (My gym Isn't great for leg days/hamstrings)


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## Fletch68 (Mar 17, 2013)

Five sets of squats(12,12,10,8,8) followed by five sets of barbell lunges followed by four/five sets on leg press followed by hamstring curls followed by calf raises


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