Leg day anyone?

[induced_drag]

Have not seen a lifting / pic thread in a while so I started one. (of course I have a pic to go with it ). Crappy lighting....but hey...better than nothing.

Yep....still at it? Anyone else feel free to join in! This aint unhappy marriage or divorce talk...its not a fight thread....Take some pics of the 1/2 of the body most people dont work.

[kitpapa]

Did leg day yesterday. I will have to take pics friday or post pics tomorrow when my official contest pics are posted on npc

[Karl_Hungus]

Heading to leg right now actually....squats and RDL's on the menu.

[LisaSkinnoble]

Did deads yesterday for the first time since our comp a month ago, and it wasn't stellar. Failed twice at 245. Squats scheduled for Friday and they've been just fine. Going for a 250 squat in August or die trying.

[Mark1T]

Just finished legs 2 hours ago. Back Squats, Ham Curls, Goblet Squats. I never miss.

[NorwichGrad]

Unfortunately, everyday is leg day.



My second biggest fear in life is ghosts.


And my biggest fear in life is to look like this:

[img]http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/********/000/710/729/488.jpg[/img]

[PiperBill]

Since I hate warming up on bikes or treadmill I do light squats at every workout as a warmup instead. Start with just the bar and work up to about 70kg with 1 x 12 on the last set. Not too taxing and gets the heart pumping ready for whatever workout I have that day.

[itsagoodday]

Sorry, my pic is a video My body was actually functioning well last week on leg day (lol), so I hit the dungeon room in the back of my gym and had some fun with our 65 lb squat bar. 245x3.

[induced_drag]

Nice to see some good training going on! I have not been posting much like I said. But my biggest accomplishment has really been this past year. I have been busier with life and family than I have every been. And through it all, I have managed to not miss a day in the gym and still adhere to my nutrition. While that might not seem like a lot to celebrate, it was always my biggest worry. It is easy to be dedicated to the gym when you have lots of free time. Same with food prep and sticking to a nutrition plan. But it is when you get pulled in every direction that things start slipping.

It has been a few years since I have seen a PR of any sense....but I have been slowly inching into better and better shape. No formal 'cut', just a long slow trimming down. Just trimming carbs here and there 3 days a week (non training days). I still loosely track protein. I dont track any other macros or cals. Just doing by feel. Not in a big hurry to get anywhere, but really feeling good now 7 years back training.

To all those in the early trenches, the first few years are BY FAR the hardest. Now it is actually pretty easy. But it has been a big lifestyle adjustment. I went to a cookout over the weekend, and let loose. Had 8 or 9 beers at a cookout and realized that is more beer than I drank all of last year. Just finding room for balance these days.....

[ImBunky]

Here's my left leg:

[induced_drag]

Here's my left leg:

OUCH!!! That is nuts. What happened?


Pic I took was not really good light. Definitely more defined than that pic shows. Snapped this today. Still kinda washed out but better side lighting. Pic taken 'cold'. But in better light good striations are visible up and down. Still sloooooowly leaning out. 7 months in to an extended 'cut'. Cant really call it that though. Just nudging in one general direction by feel these days.

[bodyhard]

I lost a lot of size, but this was the last pic I took of my lets a couple of months back after returning to the gym after my surgery.

[ImBunky]

OUCH!!! That is nuts. What happened?

Cancer (Multiple Myeloma), you can see in the x-ray at the top of the femur where the bone has been replaced with tumor.

With the pain getting progressively worse, and having visited my primary care physician a couple of times, he sent me to an ortho. When the ortho came back with the x-ray he wouldn't even let me leave the office without crutches and was going to get surgery scheduled within the next couple of days for the implant.

Didn't make it. The next night after going out for dinner, lying on the couch watching a movie I had a violent sneeze and my leg broke. Ouch is an understatement.

[katya422]

Sorry, my pic is a video My body was actually functioning well last week on leg day (lol), so I hit the dungeon room in the back of my gym and had some fun with our 65 lb squat bar. 245x3.

Nice work.

Cancer (Multiple Myeloma), you can see in the x-ray at the top of the femur where the bone has been replaced with tumor.

The next night after going out for dinner, lying on the couch watching a movie I had a violent sneeze and my leg broke. Ouch is an understatement.

That sucks. Hope you are all better.

Always thought I had kind of big thighs (not ALL fat :P), but not in this crowd.



I've been trying Fierce 5. Have been doing front squats/RDL on B day. Don't really like front squats though.

Gave deads a try today. Thought I could probably do 135 (never have before, just a guess) and I snuck up on 'em...95#, 115#, 135#! Now I'm wondering if I can hit body weight already, or close.

The annoying bit is that I really don't like the prone hamstring curl machine at my gym. It is this kind:



My right calf cramps like mad. I was fighting it with only 20# on each side. I know I've done bigger sets @ 70# on this type:



The other choice for hamstring curls is a seated one. That one seems to push my left knee into flexion which is no good because of an old injury.

So any ideas on how to make either of these work better? Or something else?

Because I would rather do deads.

Asking here first because I think more people have or have had to work around stuff.

[induced_drag]

So any ideas on how to make either of these work better? Or something else?

Because I would rather do deads.

Asking here first because I think more people have or have had to work around stuff.

RDL's are in my opinion the best glute/ham exercise that exists. BUT....a lot has to do with how you do them and making sure you are maximizing the hip portion of the movement and not transferring to lower back.

Although I do leg curl machines.....I dont really think they do much. I cant ever say I have gotten a good workout from one. I much prefer free weight exercises.

[Jtbny]

RDL's are in my opinion the best glute/ham exercise that exists. BUT....a lot has to do with how you do them and making sure you are maximizing the hip portion of the movement and not transferring to lower back.

Although I do leg curl machines.....I dont really think they do much. I cant ever say I have gotten a good workout from one. I much prefer free weight exercises.

RDL's can be tricky for sure. Took me a while to understand what I should be doing. I'm not sure about leg curls but ham curl machines are pretty good for me provided I'm doing them right. Easy to do those wrong too.As of late I've gotten away from strictly barbell work and do more machine stuff for legs (except for squats which I always do) but time will tell if it's a benefit or not.

[katya422]

RDL's are in my opinion the best glute/ham exercise that exists. BUT....a lot has to do with how you do them and making sure you are maximizing the hip portion of the movement and not transferring to lower back.

Although I do leg curl machines.....I dont really think they do much. I cant ever say I have gotten a good workout from one. I much prefer free weight exercises.

I don't mind RDLs or regular deads. Just not loving front squats.

As written the A day pairs back squat w/flat bench and Pendlay rows, B day is front squats w/overhead press and RDLs OR you can do it as deads, overhead press and hamstring curls.

[kimm4]

RDL's are in my opinion the best glute/ham exercise that exists.

I feel the same way and RDL's are my go to. Throw in some good mornings and glute hamm raises and that's enough for me.

No pics to post but I still have my legs.

[Tyrbolift]

Some killer legs in there. Ov 35 legs REPRESENT!!!

[JediRN]

Just thought I'd drop my new squat pr here.

[induced_drag]

RDL's can be tricky for sure. Took me a while to understand what I should be doing. I'm not sure about leg curls but ham curl machines are pretty good for me provided I'm doing them right. Easy to do those wrong too.As of late I've gotten away from strictly barbell work and do more machine stuff for legs (except for squats which I always do) but time will tell if it's a benefit or not.

I too have switched to a lot of machines. More because I am lazy lately if I am honest. I do know I have to do A LOT more and several machines and still dont come close to the stimulation you get from a good set of squats...or deads..etc. But I am sure there is some value there as well. I have been adding in uni-lateral assistance to a lot of machine work. It is something I use sparingly...but I believe there is benefit.

I don't mind RDLs or regular deads. Just not loving front squats.

As written the A day pairs back squat w/flat bench and Pendlay rows, B day is front squats w/overhead press and RDLs OR you can do it as deads, overhead press and hamstring curls.

Dont do front squats. I dont think I have ever done them. My flexibility sucks. Lots of good things to target quads if you want to focus. As bad as I hate to say it, some smith machine squats close stance with your feet out can really hit them hard. Hack squats too!

I feel the same way and RDL's are my go to. Throw in some good mornings and glute hamm raises and that's enough for me.

No pics to post but I still have my legs.

I know you have legs!!! But I'll still take a pic

Just thought I'd drop my new squat pr here.

]

Always rep a PR! Nice work

[PiperBill]

Just thought I'd drop my new squat pr here.

Repped for good work. Remember to keep your elbows tucked as you push off the floor as that will help prevent you tipping forward. Hard to think of when pushing a PR though :-)

[Plateauplower]

Front
https://imgur.com/gallery/x81il
Side

No pump. Just my fatazzwalking on them . Can't imbed images.

[LisaSkinnoble]

My squat monster. <3

[itsagoodday]

Just not loving front squats.

Front squats and I have a long history of a hate/hate relationship That having been said, I am a believer that sometimes the things you are the worst at, and that you hate the most, you may have the most to benefit from. I am notoriously quad weak, always have been, no matter how many quad-centric exercises I hit them with. After five years of frustration with how much they continued to lag, pretty much out of desperation I decided last year to upgrade front squats from an accessory status to a main lift, and started treating them like a power exercise. It wasn't an immediate change, but my quads finally started to improve. This year, my front squats have been increasing dramatically and I added 30 lbs to my max in the last 5 months (a rate I can only describe as ludicrous given the amount of time I've been lifting and that no other lift is acting like this), with no signs of stopping despite the fact that I'm dieting again.

I guess what I'm saying is, be honest with yourself about why you don't like them. If it's because they're awkward, difficult, or you have weak quads, maybe you should do them more, not less. JMHO and YMMV

[Cass40]

I did legs yesterday. Took a video:

[Cass40]

Front squats and I have a long history of a hate/hate relationship That having been said, I am a believer that sometimes the things you are the worst at, and that you hate the most, you may have the most to benefit from. I am notoriously quad weak, always have been, no matter how many quad-centric exercises I hit them with. After five years of frustration with how much they continued to lag, pretty much out of desperation I decided last year to upgrade front squats from an accessory status to a main lift, and started treating them like a power exercise. It wasn't an immediate change, but my quads finally started to improve. This year, my front squats have been increasing dramatically and I added 30 lbs to my max in the last 5 months (a rate I can only describe as ludicrous given the amount of time I've been lifting and that no other lift is acting like this), with no signs of stopping despite the fact that I'm dieting again.

I guess what I'm saying is, be honest with yourself about why you don't like them. If it's because they're awkward, difficult, or you have weak quads, maybe you should do them more, not less. JMHO and YMMV

I only do front squats now. I can't do back squats anymore because of sciatica. I don't feel them working quads, are they supposed to?

I like them now though. First I had to put padding on my shoulders because they would seriously bruise my shoulders.
Now the sciatica is so bad, can't even do them. So I'm bitter.

[itsagoodday]

I only do front squats now. I can't do back squats anymore because of sciatica. I don't feel them working quads, are they supposed to?

I like them now though. First I had to put padding on my shoulders because they would seriously bruise my shoulders.
Now the sciatica is so bad, can't even do them. So I'm bitter.

They will hit quads more than a back squat, although how much more will depend on how you back squat

Ugh about the sciatica Have you been able to work with a chiro or PT for it? Have you tried nerve flossing? It's the most simple little thing, but it has helped me out when I had some sciatic issues before. I feel like I'm recommending it to everyone lately lol.

[Cass40]

They will hit quads more than a back squat, although how much more will depend on how you back squat

Ugh about the sciatica Have you been able to work with a chiro or PT for it? Have you tried nerve flossing? It's the most simple little thing, but it has helped me out when I had some sciatic issues before. I feel like I'm recommending it to everyone lately lol.

I did finally get myself to physical therapy but it's not that encouraging. The X-Ray says narrowing of the lower discs. What is nerve flossing? I will try anything at this point. Yesterday I was able to do goblet squats and leg presses at least.

[Cass40]

I don't think the physical therapist knows a lot about lifting. He said I should do squats with no weights He says every time he says anything about not lifting heavy, I give him evil looks. He's like "there's that look again like you wanna kill me". Lol.