my leg day seems too simple

[JohnRobHolmes]

right now all i am doing on leg day is

squat 5x5
deadlift 5x5
lunges 2x8
calves until i run out of time or juice

i have been alternating which 5x5 i do first. it seems awfully simple but still takes close to an hour with stretching and warmup. should i be doing leg curls or extentions too? keep in mind im still really new to heavy leg work. im only squatting 165 at 140 BW right now. im trying to get my form good and get my ass down loooooow. deadlift was 140 today, wasn't too hard, but its only the second time ive done them and i didnt want to mess something up. i do them sumo. will just these three compound motions do me well enough? legs are hit once a week now.

 

[wnt2bBeast]

legs are simple..lol your on the right track get your form down first before you go to heavy..as you add weight 5x5 will become very hard..personally i cant squat and pull in the same day.. i would do something like this
squat 5x5
front squat 2x10
seated leg curl 3x10

deads 5x5
chins (add weght when needed) 2x8
BB rows 2x8

 

[Illuminati]

leg routines dont have to be all complex. mine is simple. here is what i do:

squats, deads or GM's (alternate these lifts only one done in a workout)
SLDL
Leg Curls
Quad Ext (i do these occassionally)
calf raises (also done occassionally)

and that's it. my stats: dead 515; squat 425; GM 335; SLDL 405 (with straps.)

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

simple. i like it! my hammies are so inflexable that i am very hesitant on trying SL deads. maybe just with the bar for a while to get used to it since im all weak still im not having trouble with squats and deads on the same day, but i dont hit them both hard the same day. legs are addictive for me, the head rush and the ability to keep going amaze me. my legs tell me that ive had enough, but they keep going all the same. i need more weight!!

 

[bignate73]

if you have really tight hams, you might want to do isometric holds in the stretched position with minimal to medium weight. similar to a real light SLDL, and it should loosen them up.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

ill give that a shot. i stretch them a lot, but i have a ton of scar tissue that needs to be broken up. i cant keep my back straight, legs locked, and bend 90 degrees at the hips at the same time. i wish i could move my shoulder instability/flexibility to my hams!

 

[eat big]

heres my routine, i know it looks like a lot, but not for me:

squat 5x5
leg press 4x12
Leg ext 4x12
seated leg curl 3x10
lying leg curl 2x12
SLDL barbell 3x10

calves, usually standing 5x12

 

[bignate73]

mine:

squat/deadlift/GM variation, either 5x5 or up to 3RM
hamstring work: either RDL's or GHR's or rev. hyper
Seated or standing calf
occasional abductor work if my knees are starting to shoot in on squats
ab work

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Typical leg routine for me:

Squats ascending singles to working sets 6x1
Leg press 1x20 or 2x5
leg curls 2x8-12
lunges 1x8-10
calf raises 2x10+

Everyone's leg needs are different. I might add in some leg curls to your routine and a set of high rep leg presses.

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

interesting stuff guys. i really appriciate all the input. i would give out some K but i dont have enough or something. can you give out too much?

 

[bignate73]

i find myself not able to give k when i want, because i give it to the same people. LOL

 

[Beachbum1546]

i want to cry like a little girl from the pain after 5 sets of squats. a leg routine should be simple.

all i do:
squats- 5 sets
leg press- 3 sets (high rep 20)
lunges/leg extentions- 3 set superset.

11 sets. done in sub 45 minutes usually.

 

[WoodyAllen]

Mine:

Squats 5x5
Seated Hamstring Curl supersetted with Lunges 2x8-10
Leg Extensions 2x8-10

Very simple. Its actually my shortest routine of the week - but its the only bodypart I do that day.

 

[Tweakle]

2 sets of squats, box squats and a set or 3 of calf raises does it for me.

why would you want more than squats & deads, do you have 30" thighs or something?

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

i wish they were that big! well, actually they would be bigger than my waist and i would look like a crazy friek that couldnt get his feet together. im gonna guess my legs are 17 inches or so, little stick legs thats all definition and no size- but that has been changing. i want to have tree trunks under me.

 

[Beachbum1546]

2 sets of squats, box squats and a set or 3 of calf raises does it for me.

why would you want more than squats & deads, do you have 30" thighs or something?

28" here. i'm getting there

 

[Tweakle]

Nice! I got an inch on you but most of that is boston Creme & glazed danish

dude.. at 17" imo you shouldn't be doing anything but squatting, probably 2-3 times a week and deadlifting once a week. and EAT

 

[JohnRobHolmes]

you know, my workouts have slowly been drifting towards more squattting. with school and tumbling i dont have time for upper body all the time. doing the rings and pushups and handstands and planches have been taking over the last two weeks. then i go to the gym for legs. they are not sore today, i should have worked em out. school sucks. paper due, gotta get it done.

 

[bignate73]

sprinting will help your legs too. if you compete all around that will help your floor exercise and vault too. just think of it that way.

 

[musclebosun]

It's not 5x5 but the leg routine i do damn near paralyses me some days. I use a pre fatigue system where by i hit each muscle with an isolation movment and then move onto a compound movment. This fatigues the muscle in question but then allows you to hit it some more with the assistance of other muscle groups. eg:

leg extensions x 3 sets [last set a drop set]
leg press x 3
laying leg curls x 3 [last seta drop set]
squats x 3
either seated or standing calf raises x 3 each set to total failure

It's different i know but it's a killer! good luck mate.