Help these legs!

[skinny1]

I need to put some serious size on my legs and in the last year have done pretty well by sizing up my thighs by 2" and putting a little over 1/2" on my calves. I have been going really heavy on squats and that has seemed to help the most but the problem is because of bad knees I can't go any heavier and my progress has seemed to have stopped. I have been training legs 2x a week and was thinking of going to 3. Are the any other movements other than squats that will get me back growing again?

 

[Presser]

I wouldnt start doing legs 3 times a week bro thats way too much in my opinion. I do however think it would greatly benefit you since you have knee problems to split up your leg workout into two seperate days. I would concentrate on quads one day and hamstrings the other day you do legs. This should greatly reduce the stress on your knees and allow you to build your legs better and even faster this way.

As for exercises ofcourse squats are the main staple in any bodybuilders leg day however maybe try smith machine squats, or hack squats, if thats even too much then you can definatly get away with doing leg presses and still be able to build up quality leg mass.

 

[LeatherHead]

Yea, my knees are pretty jacked up, too... I've just recently started splitting my leg days up, and it's seemed to have helped.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

What workout do you guys do squats, leg press etc? Those movements can really work quads and hams depending on foot position.

 

[LeatherHead]

I do squats, lunges, leg extensions, and presses for my quads. I do leg curls, stiff legged deads, and lunges for my hams.

 

[Presser]

What workout do you guys do squats, leg press etc? Those movements can really work quads and hams depending on foot position.

I do smith machine squats now, my knnees are bad and one needs a replacement all together but recently i been able to do smith squats and only go up to 315lbs for 10 reps on my last set and its been working wonders for me

 

[Pharm_Fed]

I might split legs up and see how it goes for me. My legs are stubborn so maybe that's the thing that'll get them growing.

 

[Presser]

I might split legs up and see how it goes for me. My legs are stubborn so maybe that's the thing that'll get them growing.

if you havent done this in a while or even never done it then i can pretty much promise you your legs will grow like a weed if you stick to the split for a few months

 

[Pharm_Fed]

if you havent done this in a while or even never done it then i can pretty much promise you your legs will grow like a weed if you stick to the split for a few months

I've never split legs. Always had a 'legs' day. How far apart in the week would you recommend spacing the days you do leg stuff?

 

[saudades]

Just started doing a split myself, I'll definitely stick with it.

 

[Presser]

I've never split legs. Always had a 'legs' day. How far apart in the week would you recommend spacing the days you do leg stuff?

I did it tuesday and either thursday or friday, right now im not doing the split, but i do go back and forth and will be splitting them up soon hopefully, im still trying to over comes this knee problem and when im ready i will move back to the splits, cause when ur splitting them up its realy go time for some serious growth and serious leg workouts

 

[skinny1]

Thanks guys, I have never done the split thing just have always had a leg day. I will start this week and hopefully things will start moving foward again.

 

[nuknuk]

Thanks guys, I have never done the split thing just have always had a leg day. I will start this week and hopefully things will start moving foward again.

Get you some knee wraps and only use them on your heavist sets, say the last one or two. This will help the knee issue. Also incorparate some walking lunges with heavy dumbells, around a 20-30 step range should be good.

Are you going to the gym now or still working out at the house?

 

[LeatherHead]

When I do lunges, they are walking lunges. Those things blow my legs up!

 

[The Dude]

I use the neoprene knee sleeves and have no issues squatting near 500 for 12+ reps with a belt and no knee wraps. I also alternate the DC style where you do quads twice 1 week and once the next week with a more traditional split where I train legs once every 10 days or so. Takes lots of fish oil and glucosamine. If you haven't damaged your knees, give them a break and find something that doesn't bother them until they heal. IGF heals all of my issues.

 

[(N)shape]

Have you ever done Weighted Bulgarian Split Squats? Could be tricky with a bad knee but that is a good way to really blow up the quads. You could try without weight to asses how it feels.

 

[skinny1]

Get you some knee wraps and only use them on your heavist sets, say the last one or two. This will help the knee issue. Also incorparate some walking lunges with heavy dumbells, around a 20-30 step range should be good.

Are you going to the gym now or still working out at the house?

I'm back at the gym now. I have always used knee wraps and been using the smith machine when doing squats. I usually do about 5 sets with 350-375 for 7-8 reps and I need to go heavier because my legs are not responding much to that weight anymore but my knees just can't take it. Makes all kind of popping noises and sounds like your tearing flesh from the bone. I mainly wear the wraps to muffle the sound because it makes me sick to my stomach to hear it and pretty much does the same thing on the leg press. Walking lunges would be great but they won't allow them at the gym.

 

[nuknuk]

I'm back at the gym now. I have always used knee wraps and been using the smith machine when doing squats. I usually do about 5 sets with 350-375 for 7-8 reps and I need to go heavier because my legs are not responding much to that weight anymore but my knees just can't take it. Makes all kind of popping noises and sounds like your tearing flesh from the bone. I mainly wear the wraps to muffle the sound because it makes me sick to my stomach to hear it and pretty much does the same thing on the leg press. Walking lunges would be great but they won't allow them at the gym.

ok, get off of the smith and go to regular sqauts. Leave your ego at the door and start with 135lbs. Go ass to grass with great form. Do not jump up in weight fast. Only 20lbs at a time until your form can no longer hold. Ass to grass. Let the weight work the muscle and I promise you will start growing.

I was doing squats with 4-5 plates each side and doing half as parellel moves. It could have been better. Legs were just not responding. Then I did just what I suggested to you and my legs look better than ever.

on other excersises for the legs, do drop sets for the last set.

 

[skinny1]

ok, get off of the smith and go to regular sqauts. Leave your ego at the door and start with 135lbs. Go ass to grass with great form. Do not jump up in weight fast. Only 20lbs at a time until your form can no longer hold. Ass to grass. Let the weight work the muscle and I promise you will start growing.

I was doing squats with 4-5 plates each side and doing half as parellel moves. It could have been better. Legs were just not responding. Then I did just what I suggested to you and my legs look better than ever.

on other excersises for the legs, do drop sets for the last set.

Sounds good, I will try that tonight and see what happends. Should I train legs more than once a week or just blast the shit out of them all at once? I do calves every M, W, F and they are starting to respond pretty well, Even got a little vascularity going on in the calve region

 

[Presser]

Sounds good, I will try that tonight and see what happends. Should I train legs more than once a week or just blast the shit out of them all at once? I do calves every M, W, F and they are starting to respond pretty well, Even got a little vascularity going on in the calve region

well how was the workout bro? and No dont do legs more then once a week unless ofcourse your splitting them up as I mentioned above.