Todays Leg Workout

So it’s been a little while since i posted anything about my current training split, recently i’ve been slowly reverse dieting my way out of a cut and bringing my calories back up to maintenance. I’ve been feeling and looker fuller and its translating into my workouts. That being said, today was a leg session that went fairly well, its structured in a way that i focus on heavy, strength based compound movements to begin with and the latter half of the workout focuses on Hypertrophy and Isolation accessory work.

 

Back Squats 

I warmed up with a few sets using the bar, then 60 KG to get moving and warm, i then went into my working sets.

100 KG 5 sets of 5

120 KG 5 sets of 3

140 KG 5 single reps

Goblet Squats

These are really useful for helping with your form in conventional squatting as well as mobility and taking out your posterior chain, meaning you will feel it more in your quads and hamstrings.

40 KG Dumbbell 3 Sets of 12

Leg Press

Bog standard here, every gym has one and they are a great heavy mover, drop set the last set to a weight that you can move comfortably but slow the movement right down and go to failure.

190 KG 4 Sets of 10 into 100 KG Drop Set

Leg Curl

As with before, on these isolation movements i really like to include a drop set at the end. After the final set drop the weight down again and rep out some slow and controlled reps really feeling the squeeze and slowing the eccentric portion of the exercise.

65 KG 3 Sets of 10 into 30 KG Drop Set

Leg Extension

65 KG 3 Sets of 10 into 40 KG Drop Set

Calf Raises

Its important not to neglect your calfs, i use the leg press machine to target mine hanging my heels off the bottom of the pad, pushing with the balls of your feet. I also add calf raises into my arm workouts at the end just to hit them a little more frequently as they are a tricky muscle to grow.

190 KG 4 Sets of 15 into 100 KG Drop Set

With calf raises, sometimes i’ll perform 3 one minute cluster sets in which you set a weight thats about 60%-70% of what you working sets would be, time one minute and rep out until the minute is done without rest, take a break then repeat for 3 sets.

 

And thats how my leg workout looks at the moment, the days after aren’t too much fun and stairs are the mortal enemy but it is definitely effective for me! If you give the workout a go let me know how you get on or let me know how you chose to work your legs! Happy grinding

 

BTF.

 

5 Day Split vs 3 Day Splits

When people are approaching their workout routine for the week, picking a structure is often complicated, but making sure you get it right can be crucial as its imperative you stick with any program to get the most out of it, chopping and changing too often will hinder your progress. That being said lets take a look of the pro’s and con’s of some different splits you can run.

 

5 Day Split

Obviously if you have the time to be in the gym for 5 days in the week then thats good, its always important to incorporate rest. On a 5 day split your routine may look something like this

Monday : Chest + Abs

Tuesday : Back

Wednesday : Legs + Abs

Thursday : Rest

Friday : Shoulders

Saturday : Arms + Abs

Sunday : Rest

The pro’s of using a five day split are that you can put everything into working each muscle group and really get the volume in, you also have a good recovery period before you directly work that muscle group again which is extremely important. If you have the time to be in the gym five times a week then this sort of structure can be really effective. A lot of people ask the question is it better to hit your muscle groups once or twice a week and that all depends on the individual. Having used splits before that work all muscle groups twice every 7 or 8 days i can say from my experience that the volume tended to be lower so that i was able to get through hitting all groups twice a week. Working the muscle groups directly once a week can, as previously mentioned allow you to really go heavy with some volume and break down the muscle, then have adequate time to repair. On a 5 day split however some people have been known to burn out a little bit and not recover quite as well as someone that is always working out after a rest day. Even though your hitting specific muscle groups, there will always be a degree of overlap but recovery for each individual is different depending on factors such as nutrition, supplementation, sleep patterns and genetics.

 

3 Day Split

A 3 day split can be effective for someone that either doesn’t enjoy going to the gym as regularly or simply doesn’t have the time to be in the gym 5 or 6 times a week, a 3 day split may traditionally look like

 

Monday : Chest + Tris OR Full Body Workout

Tuesday : Rest

Wednesday : Back + Bi’s OR Full Body Workout

Thursday : Rest

Friday : Legs + Shoulders OR Full Body Workout

Weekend : Rest

 

Some people will approach programs with specific muscle splits or, particularly in the case of beginners, full body workouts that focus on heavy compound movements to build strength (Deadlifts, Squats, Bench Press, Overhead Press). A three day split can also be effective, it’s important to remember that the amount of time you spend in the gym is not always directly related to the progress you make, it’s how you spend that time and how you focus on your recovery / nutrition alongside your training. A 3 day split can be perfect for somebody that has a busy work schedule and can’t commit the time to workout out more than 3 times a week. The program you adopt depends only on you and your circumstance.

 

Things to consider when picking a split

When your trying to approach a new routine, you are the only person that can decide what will work for you and your schedule, whilst you can take inspiration and direction from a lot of routines available you need to find what works for you. If you enjoy using the gym regularly and have the time, go for a 5 day split! If your busy a lot of the time then take a 3 day split. You can make great progress on either program its just what works for you, but you always need to remember that whatever program you choose, you stick at it for at least a month to see if you make any progress, if you do then stick with it. No point changing something thats working!

 

Hopefully this will clear up any questions people have about programming that i’ve been asked lately, it all depends on what your preferences are. Beginners may benefit from hitting full body workout programs such as

 

Starting Strength

 

Where as a more advanced lifter will probably benefit from hitting individual muscle groups, with the amount of time they spend in the gym depending entirely upon their individual circumstances.

 

BTF.