What has given you the most success in terms of mass gains?
A: 2-5 reps powerlifter type rutines with heavy weight?
B: 8-12 reps bodybuilding style with moderate to heavy weights?
C: 15-20+ reps Tom Platz style leg workouts?
What have you done to bring up lagging quads?
I've always done a mix of everything but for the most part I've done largely 8-12 reps in the squat and leg press. Initially my quads grew a lot but I don't feel they have grown much at all in the last year or so. My stregth levels have increased dramatically. Stronger legs should lead to bigger legs but thats not whats happend to me.
Another thing, I almost never, ever ache after doing squats in the 4-12 reps range. It doesn't matter how hard I train, the next day... nothing. When I squat with higher reps however my quads hurt a lot for up to 3 days after. Could it be then that my legs react better to high rep squats and presses?
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Thread: Leg training: High or Low reps?
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04-07-2008, 08:07 AM #1
Leg training: High or Low reps?
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04-07-2008, 08:14 AM #2
- Join Date: Oct 2005
- Location: New York, United States
- Posts: 24,222
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As I'm sure you already know, your muscle fiber makeup will direct you towards the optimal rep range and TUT.
I've had the best results with extended TUT and drop sets - which would bring my rep count up to the "C" type. Partials and x-reps have also been quite helpful in breaking the CNS barrier.It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.
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04-07-2008, 09:20 AM #3
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04-07-2008, 09:28 AM #4
Strength is not size.
Change up your routine drastically for a few weeks, sounds like you've fallen into a platue.
What's your rest time between each set?
Try doing a solid hypertrophy workout, 8-12 (10ish pref) moderate weight, with about a 40 second break inbetween. Hypertrophy rest time is generally 30-90, I use 40 and every few sets ill take a minute if I need it.
You don't look like you're affraid of some hard work, give it a shot and see how it works for you/old broken soldier
ACPT, NSCA
Hughumanity.org
Remembering the fallen
Stasher1 - Reps owed
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04-07-2008, 09:47 AM #5
- Join Date: Jan 2004
- Location: New York, New York, United States
- Age: 58
- Posts: 3,707
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My personal preference is 6-10 reps for mass/strength on compound exercises, then a series of 2 gradually lighter backoff sets in the 12-20 range to get my legs engorged with blood. On isolation exercises, I'll do the 6-10 rep range, but usually as a drop-set (2-3 drops), so my total rep count on those will probably be around 15.
Keep on hulkin'.
I won't quit till no shirt will fit.
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04-07-2008, 02:32 PM #6
Rest time between sets is 2-3 minutes when I go as heavy as pos for 6-10 reps. Any higher than that and I generally take 1-1.5 minutes rest. I've tried just about everything but still very little gains. Not to ring my own bell or anything but I train as hard and as intensly as anyone, but still the legs don't grow. The upper body on the other hand seems to be growing quite well now. I dont think that diet is a problem either as I'm clean bulking on around 5000 kcals per day. If there is one thing I'm not afraid of its hard work in the gym.
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04-07-2008, 02:34 PM #7
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04-07-2008, 02:38 PM #8
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04-07-2008, 02:43 PM #9
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04-07-2008, 05:49 PM #10
Rest time is too long for 6-10 reps. That rest time should be used when lifting less than 6 reps max.
6-10 reps is in the hypertrophy range, hypertrophy time is 30-90 seconds.
Try doing the 6-10 or better yet, 8-10 with 40 sec rest time. You'll have to lower your weight drastically when doing proper hypertrophy so don't get discouraged when your crapping out and lowering the weight.
Give it a shot.old broken soldier
ACPT, NSCA
Hughumanity.org
Remembering the fallen
Stasher1 - Reps owed
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04-07-2008, 06:53 PM #11
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04-07-2008, 07:05 PM #12
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04-07-2008, 07:14 PM #13
I usually work in the 13-15 rep range for legs.
barbell front squats (four sets)
leg press (three sets)
dumbell lunges (three sets)
two different machines for my hamstrings (three sets supersetted)
stiff legged dumbell dead lifts (three sets)
bodyweight squats (usually 50 then a ten second break then 20 more, three times with 10 second breaks in between).
The problem is my legs don't seem to be growing. I'm not sure why because I work them out hard and they are usually sore for around four days after.
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04-07-2008, 07:30 PM #14
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04-07-2008, 08:11 PM #15
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04-07-2008, 10:27 PM #16
- Join Date: May 2007
- Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Age: 56
- Posts: 3,523
- Rep Power: 5146
Start thinking outside the box and start listening to your body. Sounds like you have been following standard practices with good gains in strength. Start experimenting with High rep work (25 - 50 reps) & incomplete rest periods. Get out of your comfort zone. Get that huge pump & Lactic acid build up.
You will be pleasantly suprised. (Look at Hola Bola's quads. I bet he does a ton of high rep work)
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04-07-2008, 10:29 PM #17
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04-08-2008, 05:04 AM #18
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04-08-2008, 05:32 AM #19
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04-08-2008, 05:38 AM #20
Yeah, in my first year or so of doing squats I worked at around 10-12 reps on deep squats and the quads loved it, they grew and I gained a significant amount of LBM. Now, 2 years later anything less than 15 reps doesnt seem to have any effect what so ever on mass gains. When I go heavy for say 6 reps, yes it is hard as hell because I can use much more weight, same for 10 reps, but I get zero pump and the next day it feels like I havent squatted at all. Seeing as on higher reps I get an awesome pump (15+ reps) and my quads feel like they have been tortured the next day I'm gonna hazard a guess that the higher reps are having more of an effect on me.
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04-08-2008, 05:41 AM #21
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04-08-2008, 05:42 AM #22
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04-08-2008, 06:41 AM #23
I'm not a bodybuilder, but most of my squats are the form used by bbers and I've gotten good leg development from anywhere from 3-10 reps, something that could work is working up to a heavy low rep set, then start lowering the weight and do more reps, you know do a heavy five, take weight off, do an 8, take weight off, do a 10.
'Prior to the Department of Education, there was no illiteracy'
- Stizzel
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04-08-2008, 06:59 AM #24
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04-08-2008, 07:16 AM #25
- Join Date: Mar 2008
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i feel like my gains have been best so far by using a heavy day and a light day. On my heavy day i'll do squats for 4-10 reps and then on my light day I go as high as 45-50 in one set on the smith. If you wanna stun your muscles into a little bit of quick growth, i suggest the really high rep smith squats. On my light days I started doing those with 30 rep extensions and seated and lying curls and my thighs pretty much exploded.
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04-08-2008, 07:25 AM #26
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04-08-2008, 10:08 AM #27
Would you say that the smith machine targets the quads more than normal back squats? I'd say that it does as there is no forward lean/straightening in the smc. On your sith squats do you stand all the way up at the top and focus on peak contraction or stop short of standing all the way up to keep constant tension on the muscles?
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04-08-2008, 10:11 AM #28
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04-08-2008, 10:13 AM #29
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04-08-2008, 10:14 AM #30
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