If you work quads one day, and hams the other...

[soleuvanathlete]

...what specific exercises do you do each day? I want to do this, but I've found, in the past, that it takes me several days to recover from my leg workouts, and I usually feel that unless I am doing isolation exercises, the compounds effect my entire leg/glute area and I feel it for days.

Here is a typical once-weekly "leg day" for me:

BB [atg] squats: 4 x 10
Walking lunges: 3 x 12 w/ pulse; 12 w/out pulse = 24
SLDL: 4 x 12
Reverse lunges: 3 x 12
Lying ham curl: 3 x 10
Standing calf raise: 3 x 12

I substitute 1-leg deads w/ med ball, split squats, kneeling ham curl, seated calf raise, etc., when I want to mix things up.

Since quads, hams & glutes come into play on most compound movements, I'm wondering how you split them up as to quad/ham days. Or do you do them both days?

Am I making any sense?

[Amanda76]

...what specific exercises do you do each day? I want to do this, but I've found, in the past, that it takes me several days to recover from my leg workouts, and I usually feel that unless I am doing isolation exercises, the compounds effect my entire leg/glute area and I feel it for days.

Here is a typical once-weekly "leg day" for me:

BB [atg] squats: 4 x 10
Walking lunges: 3 x 12 w/ pulse; 12 w/out pulse = 24
SLDL: 4 x 12
Reverse lunges: 3 x 12
Lying ham curl: 3 x 10
Standing calf raise: 3 x 12

I substitute 1-leg deads w/ med ball, split squats, kneeling ham curl, seated calf raise, etc., when I want to mix things up.

Since quads, hams & glutes come into play on most compound movements, I'm wondering how you split them up as to quad/ham days. Or do you do them both days?

Am I making any sense?

So far as compounds go, I do squats, hack squats, low narrow leg press and anything where the emphasis is more on quads on quad day and do things like reverse hacks, deadlifts and glute/ham presses (leg press with legs high on platform) on hammie day. With compounds, you won't be able to completely take one muscle group out but you can definitely minimize it's involvement.

[dkemano42]

[QUOTE=soleuvanathlete;293530631
Since quads, hams & glutes come into play on most compound movements, I'm wondering how you split them up as to quad/ham days. Or do you do them both days?

Am I making any sense? [/QUOTE]

Hey,

I always work the quads and hams the same day. These muscles need a little more time to recover, and its hard to do that when you split it up. I do:

Squats
Deadlifts
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls

Then 2 exercise for calves. I do 4 to 6 sets of each from 6 to 15 reps. Then there are 4 days before I work my legs again.

DK

[soleuvanathlete]

Hey,

I always work the quads and hams the same day. These muscles need a little more time to recover, and its hard to do that when you split it up. I do:

Squats
Deadlifts
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Leg Curls

Then 2 exercise for calves. I do 4 to 6 sets of each from 6 to 15 reps. Then there are 4 days before I work my legs again.

DK

I hear ya, DK. Thanks for your reply. However, I currently want to try splitting 'em up. My legs are ready to be "carved up" and I want to spend more time focusing on their development (so I'm going to TRY doing quads one day and hams the other).

[freebirdmac]

So far as compounds go, I do squats, hack squats, low narrow leg press and anything where the emphasis is more on quads on quad day and do things like reverse hacks, deadlifts and glute/ham presses (leg press with legs high on platform) on hammie day. With compounds, you won't be able to completely take one muscle group out but you can definitely minimize it's involvement.

This is similar to what I did. With calves coming in on ham/glute day. I actually felt that my hams and glutes did better like this as I had more energy to hit them on their own day than I did doing them right after quads. But you're right, you've got to feel your legs out to see if there is enough recovery time. If you're just hitting quads 1x a week and hams 1x a week you should be fine.

[kimm4]

I always train quads/hams on the same day. My exercises change weekly so I'm not much help sorry.

[soleuvanathlete]

Thanks, ladies, for your replies. You've helped.

Kimm, You're NEVER any help!

[sallythatgirl]

Maybe do one real heavy day low volume4-6 and then a lighter day mid volume10-12...then you wouldn't have to worry about the split so much. I mean when you think about it splitting the legs into parts is rather hard.... You could focus on a quad 'dominate' day and a glute/ham 'dominate' day though. I think you can yield good results by mixing volumes and wts. Just my .2

[beby24]

Maybe do one real heavy day low volume4-6 and then a lighter day mid volume10-12...then you wouldn't have to worry about the split so much. I mean when you think about it splitting the legs into parts is rather hard.... You could focus on a quad 'dominate' day and a glute/ham 'dominate' day though. I think you can yield good results by mixing volumes and wts. Just my .2

good idea...

[hmotb555]

I work my legs twice a week and I agree like someone else said that you could just find exercises that focus more on one group than the other or go lighter one day and heavier the next. When i really want to focus on one part of the leg I only do 1 exercise that is compound and the other 3 exercises I do will be isolation exercises

[Tiffany_P]

I have a leg & arm "push" day and a leg & arm "pull" day.

Push day = squats, lunges, calf raises, extensions
Pull day = SLDL's, hyperextensions, hamstring curls

[IronCamp]

I always work legs 2 to 3 times a week, depending on the training I am doing. If I am doing a split, I work them twice. If I am doing a full body, I work them 3 times a week.

When I work twice a week I do quads/claves 1 day and hams/glutes the other. Here's the exercises I pick from:

Hams/glutes:
SLDL
Leg Press w/Feet high on platform
Reverse Lunges
Seated Hamstring Curls
Lying Hamstring Curls
Cable Kick Backs
Butt Blaster Machine

Quads/Calves:
Oly Bar Squats
1 Legged Squats w/DBs
Split Squats w/Oly bar
Walking Lunges
Hack Squats
Standing Calf Machine

[soleuvanathlete]

sally, hmot, tiffany and Ironcamp, I truly appreciate your responses and LOVE some of the things you've suggested. I have lots of options now!