# Training legs twice a week?



## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Are there any down sides to this?

My current routine is: Squats, Leg Extensions, Leg curls, Leg Press and a calf exercise

Basically I've tried 8-10 reps.. I've tried 15-20 reps.. My legs just dont grow (in contrast to the rest of my body which grows very quickly)

Just for the sake of trying something new I'm thinking of training legs twice a week, just wondering if there's any reason I shouldnt?


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

have you thought about low rep squats being the main exercise for one session and higher rep leg press as the main exercise for the next session? instead of just doing the same bsession twice?


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## Uk_mb (Feb 18, 2011)

Also have you thought about 5x5 squats eod.

Currently on a 5x5 compounds routine and my legs are growing even tho I'm only 3 weeks in.

I was the same before this. Definition was there but they never seemed to actually grow.


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## Adam K (Dec 9, 2012)

Maybe you should be hitting other muscles like your abductors and adductors. Its all good hitting your hams quads and glutes but hit up on muscles that you might be under training. Side lunges or adductor/abductor press. I found strengthening core muslces like the flexers helped me with noticable gains - one leg sqauts foward lunges.


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

Crack on man i'm training mine twice a week at the minute low reps on monday higher reps on friday. Seems to be helping slowly but its worth doing


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## MF88 (Jul 1, 2012)

I'm starting next week doing legs and traps twice a week, 2 lacking areas. My only issue will be trying to walk properly and not like I've been bummed.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2013)

I'd squat twice a week if it wasn't for patella troubles. Front squats one day and back squats the other.


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## Dan 45 (Aug 16, 2012)

Imo, if your able to train legs twice a week your not training them hard enough the first time.

When I train legs, it takes me 3 days before I can walk properly. I need the full week to recover...


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

oly style squats then front squats later in the week .


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## -dionysus- (May 29, 2011)

Yeh

I've squatted 4 times a week as heavy as possible. Can't do it for long though, overtraining has a place in any repertoire, it shocks the body to adapt.

If you want to go twice a week, go heavy for low rep sets then, dynamic about 60% of your 1 rep max and do loads of sets of 3-5 reps, the trick is to move the bar with the same force as you would if it was heavier (explode up)

Failing that 5x5 (3 times a week squats) will make your legs grow if you eat enough (**** loads lol)


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## LukeV (Jul 28, 2010)

Doing legs once a week never really did much for me, I try to hit them at least twice a week now and it works a lot better. It takes a few weeks to get used to, but I rarely get bad doms now.


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## TommyFire (Jul 18, 2010)

I train legs twice a week.

One workout i back squat and is hamstring dominant.

The other workout i front squat and is quad dominant.

I struggle massively with leg growth but this has certainly done the trick.


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## Guest (Feb 6, 2013)

L11 said:


> Are there any down sides to this?
> 
> My current routine is: Squats, Leg Extensions, Leg curls, Leg Press and a calf exercise
> 
> ...


I've got back squats at 3x6 on one day with lunges SLDL's and standing calf raises.

Then I have leg press 4x12, hack squats, hammy curls, and seated calves on the next day.

Brutal but class


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

Dan 45:3896974 said:


> Imo, if your able to train legs twice a week your not training them hard enough the first time.
> 
> When I train legs, it takes me 3 days before I can walk properly. I need the full week to recover...


Imo this is bollox. Since I've been training them twice a week I don't really get Doms, its more of a slight ache

Imo the reason people get doms in their legs is because they don't train them often enough


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

Dan 45 said:


> Imo, if your able to train legs twice a week your not training them hard enough the first time.
> 
> When I train legs, it takes me 3 days before I can walk properly. I need the full week to recover...


because your diet is sh1t .

what do you think olympic lifters do lol they train for hours a day 6 days a week mainly squatting .


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## C.Hill (Nov 21, 2010)

Breda said:


> Imo this is bollox. Since I've been training them twice a week I don't really get Doms, its more of a slight ache
> 
> Imo the reason people get doms in their legs is because they don't train them often enough


Noticed a difference in training twice a week compared to once mate?


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

C.Hill:3897385 said:


> Noticed a difference in training twice a week compared to once mate?


As far as legs are concerned I have noticed a difference mate.

I've been doing it for about 2 months now and I can safely say its workin for me once a week wasn't enough and I have no problems with recovery either.


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## Dan 45 (Aug 16, 2012)

ewen said:


> because your diet is sh1t .
> 
> what do you think olympic lifters do lol they train for hours a day 6 days a week mainly squatting .


But i'm not an olympic lifter?

I work a regular 9-5, 6 days a week job.

Admittedly my DOMS are caused by a poor diet, which is why there is a thread up on it atm looking for advice on what I could add.


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

Dan 45 said:


> But i'm not an olympic lifter?
> 
> I work a regular 9-5, 6 days a week job.
> 
> Admittedly my DOMS are caused by a poor diet, which is why there is a thread up on it atm looking for advice on what I could add.


point is if an oly lifter can lift 5-6 days a week the only thing that is different is diet and training methods , oly lifters move more weight so it has to be diet .

i`ll have a look for your thread .


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

C.Hill said:


> Noticed a difference in training twice a week compared to once mate?


yes he can now squat the bar :laugh:


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

ewen:3897450 said:


> yes he can now squat the bar :laugh:


Don't get ahead of yourself mate. I appreciate the kind words but I can now squat my body weight the bar is my next goal


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## stone14 (Mar 24, 2005)

iv noticed 3-6rep barbell back squats made a big diffrence to my leg,

and also on the flip side doing 'hindu squats' (bodyweight squats done with a spercific technique) very high rep made them swell right up, basicly aim for 100 full rom reps in as many sets are you need, once you can do them all in 2sets then up the total reps by 25reps till you reach a max of 500reps, these need to be done with as little rest as possible. the indian wrestle 'thew great gama' from 1905 could do 500reps ed in 15mins (so the net says), he was natty 230lber.

id give those a go ed-eod also ontop of weights.


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## proironaust (Oct 17, 2010)

L11 said:


> Are there any down sides to this?
> 
> My current routine is: Squats, Leg Extensions, Leg curls, Leg Press and a calf exercise
> 
> ...


My legs used to be a real weak point than I met a old timer at the gym and I asked him about hitting them 2 x a week. He made a good point ad said that 2 x a week may be a a little to much and I should do them 2 x every 8 days that way they get 3 days rest after training them.

My split is

Back and biceps

Quads and calves

Chest and triceps

Off

Shoulders and traps

Hammies and calves

Triceps and bicep

Off

Once I started this routine I got really good results with legs and the rest of my body grew as well. I said thanks to him after a few months and he made a good point and a joke at the time when I said how I have to train my body over 8 days so it puts the week out. He said how does your body know there is 7 days in a week.?

I usually go really high reps as well  I start on 50 for squats than work down to 20 reps. Farks me every time

What works for some may not work for others but its worth a shot


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## Hayesy (Aug 15, 2011)

YES - DOMS!!

Friday was leg session number two and boy friday night 1am i couldn't sleep....


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Hayesy said:


> YES - DOMS!!
> 
> Friday was leg session number two and boy friday night 1am i couldn't sleep....


I bet you after a few weeks of multiple leg sessions per week the DOMS will be significantly reduced... higher frequency training is a DOMS bitch when you first move to it from a lower frequency for sure, but one of the first adaptations higher frequency promotes is quicker recovery, provided your training volume and intensity per session isn't ridiculous of course.

I think with sensible volume you can do well training legs twice per week for a long time.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

This is working by the way.. I'm getting stronger already.. 3 days is just about long enough for my legs to recover it seems


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## monkeybiker (Jul 21, 2010)

Why are people so against training legs twice a week? When you look at some peoples routines there shoulders get trained twice and arms 2-3 times depending on what split they use.

A lot of studies show it takes 2-3 days for a full recovery for a muscle so why the need to wait a week.


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## theBEAST2002 (Oct 16, 2011)

i do legs twice a week. monday night is hamstring, glutes and calves emphesis and friday morning is quads and calves focus. how wide is your stance? a wide stance really involves a lot more muscles such as the solues (i hope i'm not getting confused here). powerful positive, squeeze on the static and slow on the negitive. i tend to go a bit higher on my isolation exercises too. hope this helps.


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## str4nger (Jul 17, 2012)

Lol

I have the opposite problem, want to make my legs smaller

Have you tried eating more on leg days?


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## harryalmighty (Nov 13, 2011)

i train them twice per week too;

day one - 5x3 back squats

leg press 2x20

sld 2x10

calfs

day two - front squats to warm up 3x10

deads 5,3,1

calfs.

legs grow a treat


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## cub (Jul 14, 2011)

I did Stronglifts which involved squatting three times a week and my legs grew faster and bigger than any other muscle!


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

session 1: Squats and RDLs

Session 2: Sumo deads and front squats.

yummy


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

simonthepieman said:


> session 1: Squats and RDLs
> 
> Session 2: Sumo deads and front squats.
> 
> yummy


I just can't get comfortable form with sumo dead's, but for anyone who can these are two great simple workouts to alternate. :thumbup1:


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2013)

dtlv said:


> I just can't get comfortable form with sumo dead's, but for anyone who can these are two great simple workouts to alternate. :thumbup1:


Same. I am using piemans routine but have regular deads in, instead of the sumo's


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Jd123 said:


> Same. I am using piemans routine but have regular deads in, instead of the sumo's


Yep, that's what I've done many times for a lower body a/b routine and keep coming back to it. Since my hams are the weak point on my legs I tend to also add in a third exercise for the hams as an ancillary on leg days too, usually GHR's, lunges, or db swings, and that does help keep my development more balanced. Calf work too obviously.


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2013)

dtlv said:


> Yep, that's what I've done many times for a lower body a/b routine and keep coming back to it. Since my hams are the weak point on my legs I tend to also add in a third exercise for the hams as an ancillary on leg days too, usually GHR's, lunges, or db swings, and that does help keep my development more balanced. Calf work too obviously.


Can't wait to give mine a good pasting tomorrow


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

dtlv said:


> Yep, that's what I've done many times for a lower body a/b routine and keep coming back to it. Since my hams are the weak point on my legs I tend to also add in a third exercise for the hams as an ancillary on leg days too, usually GHR's, lunges, or db swings, and that does help keep my development more balanced. Calf work too obviously.





Jd123 said:


> Same. I am using piemans routine but have regular deads in, instead of the sumo's


Sumo Dead works well for me as the part of my leg between my knee and ankle is pretty short proportionally.

With that template, I would always chuck in some assistance work. GHRs and Goodmornings are the best posterior chain work for me. And single leg push work ie lunges or single leg leg press are good too.


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## Gee Kay (Jul 23, 2011)

you can train them as much as you like twice a week is much better than once, it works for me anyhow because my legs are sooooo stubborn


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## Blinkey (May 14, 2012)

I was hoping that the @Mingster would come on this thread, he has been doing legs three times a week and it seems so far with no ill effects.


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## RowRow (Nov 17, 2011)

You should all try Smolov, then twice a week will seem easy.


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

The Vegetarian said:


> I was hoping that the @Mingster would come on this thread, he has been doing legs three times a week and it seems so far with no ill effects.


Yes, I've been training legs, specifically squatting 3 times a week with no ill effects, using a system not a million miles away from Smolev Jr. It is very taxing but perfectly doable, and I'm very pleased with the results I've made. I train mainly for strength, but I've still managed to add some size and shape to my quads, hams and calves using this training method.

I wouldn't recommend it for the inexperienced mind...


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