Bodybuilding-Evolution: Legs

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 If you want to gain a great overall physique, then there's no 
other way than to also focus on training the legs. How better to achieve
 that than to use the king of leg exercises - squats. In order to 
accomplish your goals, use any of the following methods. 
Want Big Quads? Then Go For Squats. 
If
 you've been reading good resources on the subject, you've probably 
already figured out that to achieve a muscular, powerful, and lean 
physique, you have to train your legs! Training them hard and with 
consistency is the name of the game here. Without that, you'll never 
gain the physique of your dreams that you, and everyone else will 
admire. 
Fortunately, there are ways to train the legs in such a 
manner that it will aid your strength gain, size and the muscularity 
that you've already seen regularly on this website, and no doubt on many
 others. There's one exercise above all others that will help you to 
gain success. 
The Squat 
The squat is, with all 
intents and purposes, the ultimate exercise for the lower body. So, if 
you are looking for those massive, powerful quads, then the squat is a 
must-do exercise within your workout program. 
There's no question 
that it's a tough exercise, and if you really push hard, then it may 
result in DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), but it will prove to be 
worth it in the mid- to longer term. 
How do You Perform The Squat? 
Although
 this exercise may appear to be pretty basic, it's still extremely 
important that it's performed correctly. It's best carried out within a 
squat rack for safety reasons. To start, place the bar upon a rack at 
just below the level of your shoulders. Load up the bar and step under 
it. Get the back of your shoulders, just below the lower part of your 
neck, across the bar. 
Grab hold of the bar, with both arms 
stretching out towards each side, and lift up by pushing with your legs 
and straightening up the torso. Now, step away from the rack and 
position your feet at shoulder-width apart, and toes pointing slightly 
outwards. 
Maintain a straight back and keep your head up throughout the move. 
Now,
 bend the knees while keeping a straight posture and head still up. 
Inhale, and then move downwards while continuing to inhale, until the 
angle between the calves and upper legs is at a little less than 
90-degrees. At this point, the front of the knees should be in line with
 the front of your toes, in the perpendicular. 
Should your knees 
be past your toes then an undue amount of stress will be placed on the 
knees, which is also a sign that the exercise has not been performed 
correctly. 
Begin to exhale as you raise the bar by pushing the 
heels of your feet into the floor in order to straighten up the legs and
 return to the starting position. Simply repeat this process for the 
desired amount of repetitions. 
Added Tips 
It's not 
entirely necessary to maintain your feet at a medium width position. 
This really depends on your own comfort and you may wish to place your 
feet either a little closer or wider apart. The important thing is that 
your knees do not go past a perpendicular line with your toes as you 
move downwards. 
If you are intent on going heavy, then it's wise 
to protect your knees by wearing knee wraps, as well as a lifting belt 
in order to afford a level of protection for your back. 
You may 
also do bench squats, box squats, use dumbbells, or utilize a Smith 
Machine, although in this article we explore only the basic barbell 
squat. 
What's more, make sure you use the full range of motion. If
 you want to achieve all the benefits of this exercise, then it's 
essential to go all the way down so that the quadriceps are being 
thoroughly worked. If you only go a third of the way down, then you are 
simply enhancing the chances for a nasty injury. 
Squatting In The Gym 
If
 you are looking to gain the best shape possible by building leg 
strength and laying a solid foundation for a great physique, then the 
following routines will help you to achieve exactly that. 
German Volume Training Routines: 
Top
 level, as well as recreational athletes, use the classic 10 sets of 10 
reps in order to gain leg power. Pick a weight you feel comfortable with
 and set to it, with a rest period of 90 seconds to two minutes between 
sets. 
If you fail to achieve your goal, then just try again the 
next time with the same level of weight. However, if you gain success, 
then simply add a little more weight for your next workout and continue 
progressing that way. 
Advanced German Volume Training: 
Let's
 imagine that you have not managed to increase the number of reps or the
 weight and you are completing 12 reps of 100 pounds. Then here's a 
sample routine that should help you to overcome that sticking point: 
Workout 1: 10 sets of 6 reps, at 110 lbs 
Workout 2: 10 sets of 5 reps, at 115 lbs 
Workout 3: 10 sets of 4 reps, at 120 lbs 
Workout 4: 10 sets of 6 reps, at 115 lbs 
Workout 5: 10 sets of 5 reps, at 120 lbs 
Workout 6: 10 sets of 4 reps, at 125 lbs 
Workout 7: Test Day 
By
 workout 7 you should be squatting 10 sets of 125 pounds, which means 
that within a mere six workouts, you've added 10% strength to the bottom
 line on your squat. No mean achievement! 
54321: 
The 54321 routine is another relatively simple routine and it will aid you in achieving the next level of thigh strength. 
Choose
 what for you is a challenging weight and opt to do five reps. Then, go 
for four reps but with a heavier weight. Repeat this until you reach the
 final set and perform one single rep with the heaviest weight you can 
manage. Rest for two minutes between each set. You can of course change 
the routine around and work the other way from a single heavy rep right 
up to five reps on a lighter weight. 
5 Sets Of 5: 
Taking
 a different version of the above exercise, in this case you perform 
five sets each with five reps. It's like a mini GVT, and is effective 
because you are opting for a maximum of five reps instead of 10, with a 
heavier weight selection. 
High Intensity Training (HIT): 
The
 master of HIIT is Dorian Yates, and using HIIT and squats is a good 
combination. Perform a warm-up set using a light to medium weight, then 
rest for a minute. Add more weight and do a second set which should not 
be overly difficult. The final stage should involve a single set of six 
to eight reps but it's all-out, hard going. 
You may be wondering about the one set of 6-8 reps? 
The
 idea is to go as heavy as you can and aim for failure. And the idea is 
also to reach a point where you need some help in going back up, so make
 sure you have someone beside you for this particular set. HIIT is 
really good for those who are looking to add strength and size because 
you can go in hard and fast, and then rest. 
Squat: 2 warm up sets of 10-12 reps, 1 working set of 6-8 reps, 1-minute rest 
Leg Movement 2: 2 warm up sets of 10-12 reps. 1 work set of 6-8 reps, 1 minute rest 
Leg Movement 3: 2 warm up sets of 10-12 reps. 1 work set of 6-8 reps, 1 minute rest 
In Conclusion 
The
 squat is what makes the great actually great, and what also separates 
those who maintain a gym-rat frame of mind in comparison to those who 
are the hardcore elite. If you are looking to get big thighs, as well as
 a large and strong physique, then squats is the name of the game. If 
you haven't already learned to love the squat, then it's time that you 
did. 
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Squat Exercise for beginners

If you want to gain a great overall physique, then there's no other way than to also focus on training the legs. How better ...

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Building stronger legs is the foundation of success, yet something that far too many people overlook entirely. Rather than putting the time and energy they need into working their legs, they start to focus more on 'aesthetic muscle groups' such as the chest, shoulders, and back since this is where many people tend to focus.</div>
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But, if you want to build a strong foundation that will help you execute all those upper body exercises you're going to perform, doing a solid leg workout is a must.</div>
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Let's walk you through the main points to know about developing a proper leg workout program. Abs are a great muscle to train with the legs, so we'll be adding some core workout in the mix as well.</div>
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Focus On Big Two</div>
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First and foremost, you must be focusing on doing squats and deadlifts in your program. These are easily the most important movements for any leg workout as they will it so many muscle groups at once.</div>
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Squats and deadlifts are great for building power, boosting testosterone levels, and increasing your lean mass development. Yes. They boost testosterone levels. If you're doing these, the benefits will show while you're performing that bench press exercise you love so much.</div>
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Vary Your Rep Ranges</div>
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Second, don't think that you need to stick with all low rep ranges when doing your leg workouts. Taking the rep range slightly higher can also be beneficial and help to enhance your overall muscular endurance as well.</div>
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A combination is good - use lower rep ranges on the two primary exercises mentioned above and a higher rep range on the additional exercises you'll perform.</div>
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Don't Neglect Calves</div>
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Calves very often go neglected in a leg workout program and this must be avoided as well. While the calves may never grow to the same degree as say your quads or hamstrings will, you still do need to be paying attention to them. The nice thing about working out your calves is, they do not require much working out! They are also very easy to isolate.</div>
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Seated and standing calf raise are both a must for success.</div>
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Add A Variety Of Core Moves</div>
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Finally, no muscle is as fast to adapt as your core, so including a wide variety of core exercise is also going to be a must. If you feel that your workout is getting boring, that's because it is. Change it up.</div>
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Make sure to perform core exercises that challenge the muscles from all angles as well as that help to create instability in the body. These are the ones that will best stimulate muscles deep within the core, getting them to sit up and start contracting.</div>
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Legs Workout for beginners

Building stronger legs is the foundation of success, yet something that far too many people overlook entirely. Rather than putting th...