Hey I am scottish and was bought a kilt for my 21st. I still have not wore this as my legs are so puney and I am soon to be turning 23.
I am looking for advice on how to bulk up my legs mainly and then my upper body.
Advice such as what lifts and excercises to do, how often and how many reps how many times a week etc. Also looking for info on supplements and how much to eat a day and stuff.
Any books that you could recommend would be much appreciated to.
Many thanks
Gav
Heavy, ass to grass, squats. Legs like variety so you have to change it up from time to time. That’s one good way to show off my wheels, get me a kilt.
take what you are doing now to develop your thighs, and do it with progressively more weight.
What are you doing now?
Are you a beginner/intermediate/veteran?
Beginner: 5x5 would be a good place to start.
Intermediate: Try breathing squats.
Advanced: Ian King’s Suicide by Squats and Smolov are good choices.
What worked for me was Back Squats, 3 times a week, 4 sets of 15 reps. Each session I increased weight on the last 2 sets.
Example:
Session 1: 80kg x 15
80kg x 15
80kg x 15
80kg x 15
Session 2: 80kg x 15
80kg x 15
85kg x 15
85kg x 15
If I couldn’t hit 15 reps with the new weight I’d just do as many as I could and try for 15 again next session
I had to stop doing back squats recently because of a shoulder problem, but when I was doing them like this my thighs thickened up considerably and I had to start buying new jeans.
I also added on calf exercises (5x10 hack calf raise, 5x15 seated calf raise) on the end of each squat workout
What worked for me was going as deep as possible on Squats.
Now i do this: power squats 4-6 sets, Smith Squats 5x5, Front Squats 3 sets and Good Mornings 3 sets - then 6 sets of calves.
It is a good routine and the reps vary from 1 rep right up to 20.
Joe
Squat two times a week.
As for the ass to grass type… every person is different. Some people can do them, others can’t. If your knees begin to hurt, you should not do them. Going parallel is the key. By that, I mean your thighs should be parallel to the ground when you’re at your lowest.
Sumo dead lift two times a week.
Perform heavy calf exercises every day you go to the gym.
EAT!!! If you don’t eat, you will not grow.
Good luck.
Hungarian Leg Oak
Squats are a no brainer for sure, but let me stress that doing high rep (20 or so) leg presses as a finisher greatly adds to thigh hypertrophy.
Add don’t forget to work those calves!
Based on the fact that you’ve just joined the site and you’re asking a question like this, I’m assuming you’re new to lifting:
Heavy squats. They will get the job done. Deadlifts will help. Work the whole body. EAT. I feel odd saying this in the BB forum, but look up programs like Bill Starr 5x5 or rippetoe’s starting strength.
I am an intermediate - if you’ve been lifting for a while, the guys that posted above me will have excellent advice, more suited for you. If not, the basics will work like magic.
Erm
Everyone forgot the other part of it
EAT MORE FOOD !!!
Squats + Milk + Food + Squats + Milk + Food = Legs
[quote]derek wrote:
I had a reply to this thread about the 5x5 and the 20 rep squat program and now it’s gone.
WTF?
It was the first reply to the OP.[/quote]
You didn’t post it on this thread, lol, the OP made two very similar threads.
the other one:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2149835
[quote]derek wrote:
I had a reply to this thread about the 5x5 and the 20 rep squat program and now it’s gone.
WTF?
It was the first reply to the OP.[/quote]
Yeah you did!
10x10 back squats
a long time ago Heang Koing (oly lifting thread) had me do these:
4x15 front squats
nothing got my legs bigger, gave me a bigger appetite, and prepared me for heavier lifting than that.
spinal erectors, abs, legs, and hips went through the roof.
Deadlifts
Do not use mixed grip - rather a hook grip. Let form dictate load.
Front Squats
Front squats should be performed to full rage - ass to the ground. If you can not go this deep then address these issues now before they become an issue.
Supplemental lifts
Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
Single Leg Squats
If new to lifting then you should be looking at full body training 3 times per week starting with 2-3 sets of 9 for the first month.
Up you food intake - mostly meat & veges. Focus on as much natural food as possible - avoid grains and dairy.
Everyone has their own ideas when it comes to supplements, but start with the basics.
Fish oil - up to 10g per day
Probiotics
Greens - been promoted here lately but been around for decades - I use a combo but you could just go for one of the standard off the shelf products.
These are just the basics. There are more but you can read up more around here.
Read more info from this site to start - but take everything with a grain of salt.
Just remember to get the diet right first - the diet needs to be able to support the training.