Great Leg Workout to Add Size to Your Thighs

 

I tore my right pec a couple of months ago, May of 2006, and have just recently gotten back into the gym. At the writing of this article I am still recovering from my surgery but will write a detailed article later on my experience with a pec tear (for those of you that are interested in learning more about pec tears). To make a long story short, I am now at the recovery stage where I can workout in the gym but my Dr. has advised me to avoid any back, chest or shoulder exercises for the time being. In a nut shell I can basically train my legs, arms and traps.

So when life gives you lemons it is time to make lemonade. Although the pec injury sucks, it is a great opportunity to get my legs back into shape. I use to sport 30 inch legs on a 5 foot 8 inch frame, but in the past few years have lost focus on my leg workouts and inevitably lost some size. Although my legs are still pretty decent in size, they are nowhere close to the size that they should be. So in my recovery I have rekindled my love affair with leg workouts and in a short four to five week period I have already regained over an inch on my legs. Now I know that muscle memory is to my advantage but my leg growth has been stale for sometime now and without a doubt my diet and new workout routine are contributing to my success.

So, what exactly have I been doing to get my legs growing again? Before we jump into an example of my leg workout, there are a few key points that we should cover.

1. Don't worry about the weight your lifting as much as your form. Improper form leads to injury which will keep you out of the gym (no the pec tear was not from bad form - I will discuss at a later date).
2. Keep a journal of your workouts. You need to know where you have been in order to have a good understanding of where you are going. Always track your exercises, weight and reps so that you can push yourself from week to week
3. You are what you eat so if you eat garbage you are going to look like garbage. (learn more about my diet at www.increase-metabolism.power-of-knowledge.com)
4. If what you are doing is not working then change it! Do not be afraid to try different workout routines and philosophies to find the one that works best for you.
5. If I can do 10 reps with a specific weight, I will move up in weight on the next set. However don't just stop at 10 reps, if you picked a weight you can do 14 reps with then do your 14 reps and move up in weight on the next set. Don't shortchange yourself by only doing 10 reps and then moving up.

Key: The first number represents the set, the second number represents the weight used and the last number represents the reps. Set x Weight x Rep - for example 1x50x20 would mean that I did 1 set with 20 reps for 50 pounds in weight.

Note:  Don't worry about the weights I use.  This is just an example of my workout so adjust your weights (higher or lower) accordingly.

Quads
Leg extensions (5 sets)
1 x 90 x 20
1 x 210 x 10
1 x 215 x 9
1 x 215 x 8
1 x 215 x 8

Machine Squats (I can't do regular squats yet because of my pec injury)
1 x 10 plates (pl) x 10 - (plate = 45 pounds)
1 x 12 pl x 8
1 x 12 pl x 8

Horizontal Leg press (machine leg press for now)
1 x 12 pl x 12
1 x 14 pl x 10
1 x 16 pl x 8
1 x 16 pl x 8

Hams
Laying leg curl
1 x 90 x 12
1 x 110 x 8
1 x 110 x 8
1 x 110 x 7

Stiff-leg dead lifts
1 x 2 pl x 10
1 x 2.5 pl x 8
1 x 2.5 pl x 8

Calves
45 degree angle calf raises (increase weight at 20 reps)
1 x 190 x 22
1 x 230 x 20
1 x 250 x 13
1 x 250 x 13

If your legs feel good when you walk out of the gym then you did not push yourself hard enough. Your leg should be exhausted after your workout and over the next few days should get pretty soar. I have been lifting weights for about 20 years now and to this date still get very soar after my workouts.   Also mix up the exercises from week to week.  Substitute different exercises to keep your body guessing during your workouts.

Also I would like to point out that right now I am working out my legs twice a week since I am limited on the workouts I can do.  Twice a week is a good shock for a few weeks but over the long run I prefer to train my legs every 5 to 7 days.  Use the workout above as an example for your routines and go out and build some massive quads.