Hello!
For a leg workouts (excluding calves), if I do Squats and traditional Deadlifts, does that cover all the bases for developing legs? Is it still necessary to add leg extensions, leg curls, leg presses, hack squats, etc?
yeah,
but doing JUST squats and deadlifts ALL the time will get mighty boring pretty quick, not to mention its pretty brutal to do squats AND deadlifts in the same workout!
Sorry Tony but I have to disagree (though not entirely). Squats and traditional DLs will develop your legs. However, I believe every movement has a tendency to recruit a core group of muscle fibers, and then trickle out. For this reason, altering the stance, movement, placement of load, etc. have benefits Ultimately, theses things will all alter the core muscle fibers they recruit. Furthermore, if you’re not targeting the various regions of your muscles you put yourself at risk for imbalances and injury.
I don’t think anyone here would recommend to do medium grip flat bench alone to build chest. We’d all suggest you do various grips and angles, to strengthen ALL the muscles in the chain. So why do only squats and traditional DLs without any variation?
ND,
I totally agree with you. Squats and deadlifts are staple exercises in terms of recruiting the most motor units and stimulating fast twitch muscle fibers. Not to mention varying grips, stances, etc offer many variations for these exercises. All I was saying is that only using those 2 exercises can get somewhat boring at times and I rarely use those two exercises in the same workout, its usually one or the other.
For me, I don’t feel my hamstrings are worked that much in squats or deadlifts. So, I also do stiff-legged deadlifts.
Yes and no,
Yes that is a minimum, but no not completely maximize development. the glutes and lower back (actually the entire back) factor in as well. The glutes and low back have a high work threshold so “extra” sub max work will help beef the legs up, and plyos will help increase power too. so more is needed than just those. Also improved flexibilty helps too, both static and dynamic.
Peace,
T-Ren
I say yes. You don’t have to change exercises, or stance or whatever to recruit difference muscle fibers.
Simply change the loading parameters. That is what you’ll respond to.
Who does these exercises anyway?
You can build very impressive ‘wheels’ with not much more than full squatting and deadlifting. Maybe throw in some glute-hams or reverse hypers and you are DONE.