BODYBUILDING: LEG WORKOUT ROUTINES TO ADD TO YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM

Let's face it - no one likes chicken legs!

The goal is to have a nice thick pair of quadriceps to compliment your upper body, right?

BODYBUILDING: LEG WORKOUT ROUTINES FOR YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM

In the 3 workouts I'm going to give you, there's a combination of low reps and high reps, with some tri-sets too.

As you know, I don't take stabs in the dark; everything I tell you is based off the available science.

BODYBUILDING: REP RANGES IN YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM LEG WORKOUT

Research shows that in the context of muscle growth (and in this case leg training) the number of reps might not be all that important (1).

This research found that whether subjects performed a leg workout at 30% of their 1 rep max to failure (high reps) or 90% of their 1 rep max to failure (low reps) - the muscle growth was the same.

Let's hear from the researchers:

"A lower load lifted to failure resulted in similar hypertrophy as a heavy load lifted to failure."

Now ofcourse low reps (using heavy weights) have been found to bring substantial muscle growth (2-4), but evidence suggests that high rep training might be just as good.

ARE HIGH REPS OR LOW REPS BETTER?

There is no simple or straight answer to this.

The amount of type 1 or type 2 fibres you have is genetically determined, with your training playing a role as well (5).

Why is the amount of type 1 or type 2 fibres we have important for muscle growth?

Because with this in mind, we need to think about HOW to train each fibre type to ensure maximal muscle hypertrophy!

BODYBUILDING: HOW TO TARGET THE DIFFERENT FIBRE TYPES IN YOUR LEG WORKOUT ROUTINE

Henneman's size principle of recruitment declares that motor units are recruited in a deliberate order based on their size.

So, small motor units are called upon during low force conditions and large motor units recruited when force requirements rise (6).

Put simply, the more weight you have on the bar, the more muscle mass will be required to move it.

Essentially, more motor units will be used to start with in comparison to you lifting a light weight. 

So you'd just do low reps forever right, given MORE muscle mass is required to move it?

Well, no!

Fatigue is thought to produce muscle growth, as it's onset can command motor unit recruitment (7).

How?

When you do high reps whilst lifting lighter weight, motor unit recruitment is LESS to begin with, than if you started with something heavy.

But then...fatigue rears it's head... and it's THEN that you begin to call upon your FAST motor units (type 2 fibers) as the workability of your type 1 fibers drop (8).

So during high reps you begin using type 1 fibers as opposed to type 2 fibers initially - but you end up recruiting the type 2 fibers at the end anyway.

However, you must remember that muscle failure is important during training with high reps, as you need to make sure you're doing a good job of recruiting those type 2 fibres in the end.

A relaxed job won't really cut it. 

I say this in realtion to the first citation I spoke about (1), whereby type 1 fibers grew during 30% of the subjects 1RM - which is training in the high rep range.

So as you can see - you should be trying to train across BOTH rep ranges, to ensure you target both muscle types for OPTIMAL muscle growth!

BODYBUILDING: THE LEG WORKOUT ROUTINES TO ADD TO YOUR FITNESS PROGRAM

So with all this in mind, here's three testing leg workout routines to help you build muscle fast - in comparison to walking into the gym unsure of what you're doing at all!

1. HIGH REPS!

3 x leg extension - 15 reps (start with 2 warm up sets)

3 x leg press - (20 reps)

3 x squats (15 reps, 20 reps, 25 reps).

2 x bodyweight lunges (until you can't do anymore and fall over!)

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

REFERENCES 

(1) Mitchell, C. J. et al. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. J Appl Physiol 113, 71-77 (2012).

(2) Fry, A. C. The role of resistance exercise intensity on muscle fibre adaptations. Sports Med 34, 663-679 (2004).

(3) Schuenke, M. D. et al. Early-phase muscular adaptations in response to slow-speed versus traditional resistance-training regimens. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 3585-3595 (2012).

(4) Campos, G. E. R. et al. Muscular adaptations in response to three different resistance-training regimens: specificity of repetition maximum training zones. Eur J Appl Physiol 88, 50-60 (2002).

(5) Simoneau, J. A. & Bouchard, C. Genetic determinism of fiber type proportion in human skeletal muscle. FASEB J 9, 1091-1095 (1995)

(6) Henneman, E., Somjen, G. & Carpenter, D. O. Excitability and inhibitability of motoneurons of different sizes. J. Neurophysiol. 28, 599-620 (1965).

(7) Schoenfeld, B. J. Potential Mechanisms for a Role of Metabolic Stress in Hypertrophic Adaptations to Resistance Training. Sports Med (2013). doi:10.1007/s40279-013-0017-1

(8) Adam, A. & De Luca, C. J. Recruitment order of motor units in human vastus lateralis muscle is maintained during fatiguing contractions. J. Neurophysiol. 90, 2919-2927 (2003).