What should I add to my leg workouts?

[anjanjanja]

This is what I currently do -

1- Run 2 km Intervals

2- Lunges w dumbbells 12 x 4

3 - Sumo squat w kettlebell 12 x 4

4 - Deadlift w barbell 12 x 4

5 - Leg press – 12 x 4

6 - Hamstring bridge – 3 min

7 - The exercise where you lie on your side and have weights on your ankels and lift one leg up and down and then change sides to do the other leg - 10 x 4


I am a skinny-fat female, wanting to gain muscles and definition aka Jenna Renee.


What would you recommend that I add to my workout?
I am not able to do normal squats because of a back injury.

[rdferguson]

This is what I currently do -

1- Run 2 km Intervals

2- Lunges w dumbbells 12 x 4

3 - Sumo squat w kettlebell 12 x 4

4 - Deadlift w barbell 12 x 4

5 - Leg press – 12 x 4

6 - Hamstring bridge – 3 min

7 - The exercise where you lie on your side and have weights on your ankels and lift one leg up and down and then change sides to do the other leg - 10 x 4


I am a skinny-fat female, wanting to gain muscles and definition aka Jenna Renee.


What would you recommend that I add to my workout?
I am not able to do normal squats because of a back injury.

The running is unimportant to your stated goals. Just saying.

Barbell squats may be better for you than kettlebell squats.

Bridges are probably better when done for glutes than for hamstrings. Other than making a point of using your glutes to do the movement, trying to hyperextend your hips (not your lower back) will help to overload the exercise. They're also better done loaded and for reps than for a 3min hold. The side-lying leg raise has its use, but it's remarkably easy to fudge it so that you get nothing out of it. A better option would be to get a resistance band around your knees and push out against it while bridging.

You've got lots of work for your thighs, none for your calves. You may benefit from doing some standing calf raises.

[cumminslifter]

squat op. heavy barbell squats

[anjanjanja]

squat op. heavy barbell squats

thanks but as I was saying I have a back injury and I'm not able to do squats

[anjanjanja]

The running is unimportant to your stated goals. Just saying.

Barbell squats may be better for you than kettlebell squats.

Bridges are probably better when done for glutes than for hamstrings. Other than making a point of using your glutes to do the movement, trying to hyperextend your hips (not your lower back) will help to overload the exercise. They're also better done loaded and for reps than for a 3min hold. The side-lying leg raise has its use, but it's remarkably easy to fudge it so that you get nothing out of it. A better option would be to get a resistance band around your knees and push out against it while bridging.

You've got lots of work for your thighs, none for your calves. You may benefit from doing some standing calf raises.

thank you so much for taking the time to write this!! I'll take all of this on board and will change my workout! thanks heaps!!

[Thaedius]

thank you so much for taking the time to write this!! I'll take all of this on board and will change my workout! thanks heaps!!

Sorry to hear you are unable to enjoy (or dread) regular barbell squats! That'd really kickstart your workout.

Fortunately you still have Deadlifts and Leg press, so I'm going to assume its not your lower back. The best thing about this is that you can do more! Definitely look at reducing your reptitions in your working sets with those two, but increasing your training weight.

So for example - warm up in a given excersize by doing 40/50/60% of your 1RM for some sets, then do 3 sets of 5 for your working sets. The first set you could do something simple like 65%, then 75%, and last 85%. Really push the last set, get a few extra reps in if you can. Then take 50% of the 1RM and do 3 to 5 more sets of 10 reps. Make those two excersizes your focus, and the rest as assistance work. You really want to achieve hypertrophy here, and that is where throwing in those last sets at 50% will really top it off.

[Boostronics]

Squats, leg extentions/ leg curls, calve raises, leg press

Edit: back injuries? Can you do squats with dumbells?

[jonstosik]

Goblet Squats might be a good addition to your programme also, done right they can really help with glute strength.

[dest0]

I have a lower back injury myself, I find doing squats with swiss ball supporting my back, dumbbells in hand, quite good & challenging.

[vikasfitnesshub]

if you have injury in lower back, it will be good to strengthen the muscles in lower back first so that your lumber bones will get support by surrounding muscles in lower back, till then heavy leg press (your back is at rest) and squat with moderate weight is suggested, it will not be a good idea to quit doing squat at all. This is what i thought and did when i got this issue.

[Adept85]

seated leg curls is another exersize

[BZBantam]

I think RD gave good advice, standing and seated calf raises are good additions (work slightly diff muscles).

I think your routine looks pretty good. Another good exercise you could cycle in is step ups, you can do them with dumbbells in hand to take load off your back. The higher the step, the more glute/ham activation..the lower the step the more work you direct to the quads.

If front squats don't bother your back that could be another good add. Targets the quads and is great for the core, the position of the bar forces you to keep your back straight.

[-Lucifer]

Give 'hip belt squats' a whirl. If you can perform the front squat, this is what I suggest:

5x5 front squat
2x8 lunge or step-up
3x8 Romanian deadlift
2x8 leg curl
3x8 Db calf raise

Running won't help you gain muscle. If you are looking to get 'toned', manipulate your diet so you're eating 20% less than maintenance. See my sig for more info.