Lagging legs

[Raffaz]

Hi,
Im having some problems getting my legs to an equal size, so i thought id start doing 1 leg at a time. When i tried this i realised for something like extensions that my left leg could do about 40-50kg more than the right leg (and the same with all other exercises). Just wondering what would be the best way to get my right leg up to the same strengths, as im guessing this should get them closer to the same size aswell. Cheers

Mick

 

[Protobuilder]

What in the world? Working each leg individually has nothing to do w/ getting them up to par. Just work them together, using a decent exercise (e.g., back/front squat, even leg press), working in a decent rep range (5-15), and focus on adding weight to the bar each week. And eat. Any imbalance you may have between right & left is probably (a) normal, and (b) completely irrelevant. LoL

 

[Raffaz]

My legs are already a decent size so i think ya missing the point. The problem im having is my right is about 3inches smaller and cant lift as much. Therefore when im doing squats etc, its the left leg doing the brunt of the work, thats why im trying to get them equal again before i go back to the compound movements, unless ya have got any better ideas?

 

[Tweakle]

3 inches?

did you break it or tear a muscle?

 

[Raffaz]

3 inches?

did you break it or tear a muscle?

Ive had problems with my ankle on that leg, but cant see how that would really affect it. Im guessing my left has always been stronger and just done more of the work, i never really bother measuring, but just decided to and couldnt believe the difference, so now i just need to put it right.

Mick

 

[fortunatesun]

Unilateral work is the traditional way to correct imbalance. For legs, that would be something like press, extensions, split squat, etc. Work both legs, though, not just the lagging one. So pick a weight the right can actually do. It will end up working harder to complete each set. Don't make your whole workout like this. One or at most two exercises a session is enough. You still want your legs working as a team. You want just enough emphasis on your right without radically upsetting the balance. Steady improvement works best for the long run.

 

[Raffaz]

Unilateral work is the traditional way to correct imbalance. For legs, that would be something like press, extensions, split squat, etc. Work both legs, though, not just the lagging one. So pick a weight the right can actually do. It will end up working harder to complete each set. Don't make your whole workout like this. One or at most two exercises a session is enough. You still want your legs working as a team. You want just enough emphasis on your right without radically upsetting the balance. Steady improvement works best for the long run.

Cheers for that, its basically what ive started doing. Just wanted a few more opinions. Cheers.

Mick

 

[sparetire]

i see the one leg press movement as the latest gym craze for the past 6 months...I do see how it might work , if you are on gear , but most of these nutbars are skinny/fat , no definition, and only bring the leg press bar down about 4 inches with 1000 pounds of weight and scream "YEAAAHHHH!" I sit over there and scratch my nutsack and think, "man, if they actually brought that weight to their chest, they probably couldn't lift it off from them...And after months of what I call cheating on leg presses, their legs are still the same size! WTF..."

oh sorry, i went on a tangent..hehe. When my leg is lacking , i like to press out my normal sets of reps and go an extra 2-3 each set using my strong leg as a 'spotter' sort to speak - lightening up the weight so it makes it harder for my left one to lift.