Legs, DNA, and Routines

[markp]

My legs suck!!!!. I know what your thinking, another whiner who's too lazy to work out correctly and put in the effort. How wrong you are. I've been working my legs consistently for three years. At lease once a week. I've tried every possible routine, normal volume, extreme volume, low volume. Here are some example routines over the past 3 years (every set always to failure):

ex routine 1:
- squats 6 sets 8-12 reps
- Presses 5 sets 8-12 reps
- extenstions 4 sets 8 - 12 reps
- curls 4 sets 8 - 12 reps
- inner thigh 3 sets
- outer thigh 3 sets

ex routine 2:
- squats 4 sets
- presses 4 sets
- extensions 4 sets
- curls 4 sets

ex routine 3 (desperately insane rouine):
- free squats 6 sets
- smith squats 6 sets
- hack squat 1 set 20 rep burn out after squats
- extensions 3 sets
- curls 3 sets

non squat routine (a couple of times a year when back hurts)
- 5 sets presses
- 5 sets hack squats
- 4 sets curls
- 4 sets extensions
- 3 sets inner thigh
- 3 sets outer thigh

I've tried many other routines, and I give each routine at least a month. I always go to failure. I even tried two times a week for 3 months (one heavy day and one light day). In three years I've only gained ONE INCH on my legs.
My upper body has made great progress. I work out really hard and with good form for every muscle group. People constantly ask me what my routine is for verious body parts because they are impressed with the gains I've made (they never ask about leg routines of course) To answer any questions about diet: As you can imagine, over the past 3 years I've gone through bulking periods and cutting periods.

Can anybody out there help or am I screwed with bad leg genetics? I'm have a mesomorph build.

 

[Belial]

Had you ever considered LOWERING volume?

 

[kjwise]

Some ideas:

Try to train once per 10 days, even two weeks. Train
heavy and get some deep tissue massage on your legs.

Also, you could try to prioritize your legs, make your leg workout the first workout after the day or days you rest between splits.

Try to do some easy workout day the day after, don't go benching or hitting the rows hard the day after a leg day.

Because frankly, I think your leg problem is about recovery.

 

[markp]

belial, If you look at routine 2, I think thats pretty low volume for hams and quads.

kjwise, I have always trained legs on sunday after taking friday and saturday off. Its my first training day.

 

[SSAlexSS]

My legs suck!!!!. I know what your thinking, another whiner who's too lazy to work out correctly and put in the effort. How wrong you are. I've been working my legs consistently for three years. At lease once a week. I've tried every possible routine, normal volume, extreme volume, low volume. Here are some example routines over the past 3 years (every set always to failure):

ex routine 1:
- squats 6 sets 8-12 reps
- Presses 5 sets 8-12 reps
- extenstions 4 sets 8 - 12 reps
- curls 4 sets 8 - 12 reps
- inner thigh 3 sets
- outer thigh 3 sets

ex routine 2:
- squats 4 sets
- presses 4 sets
- extensions 4 sets
- curls 4 sets

ex routine 3 (desperately insane rouine):
- free squats 6 sets
- smith squats 6 sets
- hack squat 1 set 20 rep burn out after squats
- extensions 3 sets
- curls 3 sets

non squat routine (a couple of times a year when back hurts)
- 5 sets presses
- 5 sets hack squats
- 4 sets curls
- 4 sets extensions
- 3 sets inner thigh
- 3 sets outer thigh

I've tried many other routines, and I give each routine at least a month. I always go to failure. I even tried two times a week for 3 months (one heavy day and one light day). In three years I've only gained ONE INCH on my legs.
My upper body has made great progress. I work out really hard and with good form for every muscle group. People constantly ask me what my routine is for verious body parts because they are impressed with the gains I've made (they never ask about leg routines of course) To answer any questions about diet: As you can imagine, over the past 3 years I've gone through bulking periods and cutting periods.

Can anybody out there help or am I screwed with bad leg genetics? I'm have a mesomorph build.

how big are your legs?

TRy to do squats for your legs. ONLY! Other exercises are crap because they shape and not build muscle! try 20 rep breathing squats! Have you been training for 3 years? Or you made good prgress in the begining, and just last 3 years been tough?

I don't know about you, but in couple month my legs went from 19 inches to 23/24 inches. 4/4.5 inches in short time increase, is that good? Maybe your legs grew very fast in the begining, like mine?

 

[markp]

what are breathing squats?

 

[The mann]

he's right,stay with squats because if anything is going to put size on them quads it will squats!!i still say low rep6-8,and i mean 6 with a struggle to get 2 more.you shouldn't be able to do legs twice if you do the job right the first time.also i have noticed with myself,if i don't get down to super deep i won't even feel it in my legs!hope maybe helped a little..........

 

[Valdez]

IMHO your volume for all those routines IS too high especially if you have not made good progress.

try this out:
1st set squats 35 rep ATF breathing squats.
2nd set squats 12 rep
3rd set 6-8 rep
leg press OR hack squat 2 sets
SLDL 2 sets
leg curls 3 sets

all to failure, then go home.

 

[Belial]

Routine 2 is still 16 sets. For me, that's FAR from low volume.