Hi Guys. First post here.. wasn't sure where to put it so apologies if there's a more appropriate section for it.
Basically I've been training for about 6 months now and I just can't get into my leg workouts. I can pump myself up for them but when I'm actually working out my motivation is awful in comparison to when I work my upper body.
About a month ago I realised that I simply wasn't doing enough for my legs and I needed to stop avoiding exercises like squats if I wanted to make some proper gains. So I've been hitting legs twice a week now for about 4 weeks and I'm still not enjoying my workouts at all like I do with all my other workouts.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to stop working legs. I know it has to be done and I refuse to be one of those guys with chicken legs. Guess I just wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences but reached a stage where working legs actually became something they looked forward to. Would be nice to know that there will come a point when leg days stop being a chore.
Cheers in advance for any replies
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11-09-2012, 12:03 PM #1
How long before you started enjoying leg workouts?
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11-09-2012, 12:06 PM #2
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Many love leg or squat training from day one, some learn to love it, some hate it forever. It's like training in general, a lot of people love it and others hate going to the gym completely. What motivates people also differs greatly.
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11-09-2012, 12:09 PM #3
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11-09-2012, 12:46 PM #4
This. I loved "leg days" from the first day that I had a real one - I think it had a lot to do with the attitudes of the people that got me into lifting. It always mattered to them more to be able to squat 405 below parallel, or pick up 600 from the floor than it did to have a certain size chest or bi's. It also helps if you have purpose in your leg training. As a rugby player, I know going in that the top five most important things I can do in the gym are squat, deadlift, clean & jerk, sprints, and sled drag/tire flip/prowler push (or any weighted conditioning). All legs/lower back focused. I get excited for legs day because I know it's where the results come from that get me to my goals. And because it's something I'm typically better at than everyone around me.
I don't think I know anyone who has a big squat or dead that doesn't get excited to work their lower body. Whether those people are just the only ones that make progress, or whether making progress gets you excited, I'm not sure. You decide.
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11-09-2012, 01:47 PM #5
Yeah I played a lot of rugby at school a couple of years ago (played since I was 10). Used to have to do loads of leg training but I never enjoyed it and never really hit them that hard. I guess as Im taking my training a lot more seriously than I did then, when I start to see some real gains I might start to enjoy it more.
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11-09-2012, 03:20 PM #6
I started enjoying them the very moment I dropped the "ego lifting", lowered the weight to a wimpy level I could handle with good form, and started making progress. Not implying that's you at all.
I'll admit, there are lifts I'd rather do than most leg excercises, but knowing that I'm making progress and looking better with every set fuels my leg workouts.
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11-09-2012, 03:58 PM #7
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they're still grueling
can't really say i enjoy them, mostly just remind myself that if i give up i'm screwed and if i push on i'll feel accomplished and be one step closer to my goal
would be nice if its fun like pressing but the hardest thing i do is squatThe muscles i value most are the ones directly surrounding the spine, the hips, the scapula, the femur and the tibia... in that order.
Basically the whole body minus chest and biceps... pretty much the opposite of what your local gym looks like on a typical Monday.
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11-09-2012, 04:45 PM #8
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11-09-2012, 05:20 PM #9
I go through stages of liking different exercises - a bit like liking different breakfast cereals. To keep your mind engaged, you want to give yourself variety, so it might just be you need to refresh your leg day program.
It also might be the way you're framing leg work in your mind. For example, if you think of squats as the stuff that "has to be done" then it's hardly very motivating. I'd focus instead on the fact that there's a real art to perfecting technique on squats. Its an Olympic lift. And good form on front and back squats is the hallmark of someone who is serious about the gym - that makes it far more motivating.
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11-09-2012, 05:27 PM #10
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11-09-2012, 05:27 PM #11
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11-09-2012, 05:38 PM #12
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11-09-2012, 07:02 PM #13
10 weeks in and I'm starting to like squats more, but it has been the biggest struggle for me. Dead lifts on the other hand are my favorite lift.
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11-09-2012, 07:33 PM #14
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11-09-2012, 09:13 PM #15
Squatting 2X or 3X a week (heavy) requires some mental fortitude. Not sure of my body but my mind loves em for this very reason!
Another reason I love squats is that when you rep some heavy weight on the squats it's a signal to the other lifters around that this guy knows what he is doing. That way minimal chit chat or advice from jokers who think they've the right to go around correcting other people* Skinny to non skinny transformation crew * - I am gonna effin nail this
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11-09-2012, 09:23 PM #16
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11-10-2012, 07:35 AM #17
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11-10-2012, 08:44 AM #18
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11-10-2012, 08:54 AM #19
Not sure if "enjoy" is the right word, but I anticipated the benefits of leg training from my very first day.
The 'discomfort' experienced during an effective leg workout is simply a means to an end, and isn't something in and of itself to focus on. Concentrate instead on what you'll get back--you'll eventually have a set of wheels that you can be proud to have built, something that only a minority of trainees can claim.No brain, no gain.
"The fitness and nutrition world is a breeding ground for obsessive-compulsive behavior. The irony is that many of the things people worry about have no impact on results either way, and therefore aren't worth an ounce of concern."--Alan Aragon
Where the mind goes, the body follows.
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11-10-2012, 09:05 AM #20
I have always loved them. From the first day I attempted them, they were my favorite exercise. I was in high school, and I attended the football team's offseason workout program from time to time. After they have been lifting for months on end, they could only put 185 on the bar for a set of squats - I did 185 for my first lift and went up in weight easily on the next set.
I guess the fact that squats were naturally easy to me compared to others motivated me to want to do them more. Now, I look forward to squatting every week more than I do to benching like most people.
Once you start setting a specific squat weight goal for yourself, I think they become about five times mor enjoyable - being able to crush PRs.
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11-10-2012, 09:14 AM #21
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11-10-2012, 09:57 AM #22
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