Minimum Effective Leg Workout?

bell1986

bell1986

Well-known member
What would be a routine thats enough to cause hypertrophy but is done in around 30-40 minutes?

I aint keen at all on leg day but i do it.. Dont want to have the classic chicken legs. My legs are in great shape though.

I just dont like training legs.. Worst of my weekly split.

Is 5 sets of Squats 5 Sets of lunges and 4 leg extensions enough to keep them growing? I only train at home.. I would enjoy it far more if i had proper leg press machines etc.

Thanks ?
 
I don’t care for long leg workouts, so I hit them 6 days A week. Alternate push(quads) pull(hamstring) etc. Try to up your intensity and lower your volume.
 
most of my leg workouts involve heavy front squat singles and doubles but sometimes I like to take a week or two off from heavy weights and focus on volume and hypertrophy. one of my main go to's with leg hypertrophy is supersets with front squats and leg extensions. I like to start my first set with leg extensions and go until failure then immediately jump to front squats and do a set of 10 reps...take a break...then repeat it all again, by the time you do 5 sets of each movement your legs will be on fire and it doesn't take all that long to do. for hamstrings I do the same exact thing only the two exercises I use are Romanian deadlifts and lying leg curls. another thing to look into would be hip belt squats. idk if you have a hip belt to do them but they have worked wonders for me.
 
bell1986 said:
What would be a routine thats enough to cause hypertrophy but is done in around 30-40 minutes?

I aint keen at all on leg day but i do it.. Dont want to have the classic chicken legs. My legs are in great shape though.

I just dont like training legs.. Worst of my weekly split.

Is 5 sets of Squats 5 Sets of lunges and 4 leg extensions enough to keep them growing? I only train at home.. I would enjoy it far more if i had proper leg press machines etc.

Thanks ?
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If you want hypertrophy for the legs, you should look into Smolov Jr. Decent strength gains as well. My legs were the biggest back when I spammed Smolov Jr 4 times in a row. One week deload between the programs.

What does your home gym consists of, exactly?

EDIT: If you ever decide to run Smolov Jr, you have to eat like a maniac to reap the benefits. I consumed 4,000 calories a day when I did it. I really wish I didn't delete the photos of how my legs looked like back then. They were unnaturally huge and muscular. I'm serious.
 
I do not like full leg day workouts because I usually go all out on my first lift then the rest of them suck. Which is another reason as to why I’ve done a push pull routine lately. Squatting twice a week with push days is nice.
 
R1balla said:
I do not like full leg day workouts because I usually go all out on my first lift then the rest of them suck. Which is another reason as to why I’ve done a push pull routine lately. Squatting twice a week with push days is nice.
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This is the same as me.. I dont have the same *buzz* training legs but i aint gonna have a decent upper half and then a lagging lower half. I have been incorporating legs twice a week and just doing a basic routine. Enough to stimulate growth i hope. I just do 4 sets of squats. 4 sets of lunges ' 4 sets of sumo squats and 4 sets of leg extensions and if im not doing a pull routine the ay before or after i love deadlifts so i can add 4 sets of them in but only if i havent hit my back the day before or after. This should stimulate growth? I am sore the next day. I cycle ALOT also i know it doesn't cause hypertrophy but i believe cycling keeps mass on your legs. Im sure since i started cycling i have seen some nice changes.

My legs are actually my better bodypart. My upper half has caught up though.. I skateboard'd for years and my calves are incredible. My full leg development is good but my quads just would look better with more mass.
 
bell1986 said:
What would be a routine thats enough to cause hypertrophy but is done in around 30-40 minutes?

I aint keen at all on leg day but i do it.. Dont want to have the classic chicken legs. My legs are in great shape though.

I just dont like training legs.. Worst of my weekly split.

Is 5 sets of Squats 5 Sets of lunges and 4 leg extensions enough to keep them growing? I only train at home.. I would enjoy it far more if i had proper leg press machines etc.

Thanks 
Click to expand...

I find that almost anything I do on a machine seems to be short lived. I get a pump at the moment and need a wheelchair to get out of the gym if I get enough reps, but it doesn't have the same effect on me as more barbell/dumbbell movements do.

Instead of machines, I'd be apt to throw in front squats, RDL's, barbell lunges, and dumbbell squats.

You could add wallballs and burpees to further blow up your legs and conditioning at the same time. If you have the tools available, I like to do an EMOTM with the movements I hate. 10 minutes of every minute on the minute of X amount of X. like 10 wall balls every minute, etc.

I also find that burpees and push jerks work the quads like crazy in a surprising way.
 
Dustin07 said:
I find that almost anything I do on a machine seems to be short lived. I get a pump at the moment and need a wheelchair to get out of the gym if I get enough reps, but it doesn't have the same effect on me as more barbell/dumbbell movements do.

Instead of machines, I'd be apt to throw in front squats, RDL's, barbell lunges, and dumbbell squats.

You could add wallballs and burpees to further blow up your legs and conditioning at the same time. If you have the tools available, I like to do an EMOTM with the movements I hate. 10 minutes of every minute on the minute of X amount of X. like 10 wall balls every minute, etc.

I also find that burpees and push jerks work the quads like crazy in a surprising way.
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Thanks.

I trained legs earlier on.. Quick warm up's then..

4 sets of squats.
3 sets of deadlifts
5 sets of lunges
5 sets of leg extensions.

Then cycled about 8 mile different inclines thier after..
I can feel them tonight so am happy with the amount i got in.

Just trying to make sure i keep in a surplus at the moment to try maximise growth.. Bit hard when you add in cycling as it burns a ton of calories. I don't want to eat everything in site which i easily could i want fat gain at a minimum this time.

I will try add those extra exercises in too switch things up.. I genuinely dont enjoy leg day so some new stuff might help. I want them to keep developing with the upper half so needs must!

Thanks
 
bell1986 said:
Thanks.

I trained legs earlier on.. Quick warm up's then..

4 sets of squats.
3 sets of deadlifts
5 sets of lunges
5 sets of leg extensions.

Then cycled about 8 mile different inclines thier after..
I can feel them tonight so am happy with the amount i got in.

Just trying to make sure i keep in a surplus at the moment to try maximise growth.. Bit hard when you add in cycling as it burns a ton of calories. I don't want to eat everything in site which i easily could i want fat gain at a minimum this time.

I will try add those extra exercises in too switch things up.. I genuinely dont enjoy leg day so some new stuff might help. I want them to keep developing with the upper half so needs must!

Thanks
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Yes, I had a good friend who cycled a lot and really had a difficult time keeping his weight up at all because he was burning 4,000+ calories on long rides.

Anytime you can turn your routine into a circuit of some sort you can make it a little more interesting/fun.

last week a buddy of mine asked me to work legs and abs for him, so I wrote him a little screw off wod. He threw up and collapsed by the time he was done. it was:

5 rounds of
10 x dumbbell cleans
30 x walking lunges with the same dumbbells
30 x 20lb med ball russian twists
8 x toes to bar.
It took around 25 minutes to complete and it did the job!


I think the 3-5 rep routine for squats is great for building strength and if strength is my only goal I leave well enough alone at that point. but if I'm trying to build mass or cut, then I do something completely different. I aim for the 8-12 rep sets worked into a cycle. a couple times a week I'll include a heavy but low rep movement to boost a different type of response and get the T surging.

so with that above workout I might instead add 3 back squats or 3 cleans at the beginning of the workout and swap the movements around a bit so maybe:

3 cleans
8 toes to bar
10 dumbbell squats
30 dumbbell walking lunges
30 russian twists
for x amount of rounds.
 
My legs struggle to grow. It sucks and my calves are the same. But I’m making good progress. My current leg day looks like this

4 sets Bulgarian split squat 5-12 reps
4 sets goblet squat 5-12 reps 2-1-2 tempo
4 sets (unilateral)leg press 5-12 reps first 2 sets unilateral 2-1-2 tempo on sets 1 and 3
4 sets lying leg curl 5-12 reps
4 sets natural glute ham raise 5-12 reps (3 second negative)
Seated calf raise 3 sets 5-12 reps
Single leg standing calf raise 3 sets 5-12 reps
DB front squats 2 sets 10-20 reps
Extra body weight work and optional negative training/finishers. Failure on last set of each exercise only
 
BlockBuilder said:
My legs struggle to grow. It sucks and my calves are the same. But I’m making good progress. My current leg day looks like this

4 sets Bulgarian split squat 5-12 reps
4 sets goblet squat 5-12 reps 2-1-2 tempo
4 sets (unilateral)leg press 5-12 reps first 2 sets unilateral 2-1-2 tempo on sets 1 and 3
4 sets lying leg curl 5-12 reps
4 sets natural glute ham raise 5-12 reps (3 second negative)
Seated calf raise 3 sets 5-12 reps
Single leg standing calf raise 3 sets 5-12 reps
DB front squats 2 sets 10-20 reps
Extra body weight work and optional negative training/finishers. Failure on last set of each exercise only
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You getting enough nutrition to fuel growth? Your legs should be growing with that routine
 
bell1986 said:
You getting enough nutrition to fuel growth? Your legs should be growing with that routine
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Yea I’m making good progress. Genetically my legs have just always been a weak point so I really have to pound them super hard. Believe me it’s not fun it’s just something I have to do. Im more self conscious about my calves than anything else
 
John Smeton said:
just hit hams and quads in 40 minutes if thats what you want. do whatever exercises work best for you
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Thats what i done lastnight

Was in and back out in 35 minutes.. 5 sets of squats.. 4 sets of dead's 5 sets of leg extensions... I cycle ALOT.. Near enough everyday so i reckon i will still mange growth with a minimum leg routine. I still incorporate a leg routine though.
 
bell1986 said:
Thats what i done lastnight

Was in and back out in 35 minutes.. 5 sets of squats.. 4 sets of dead's 5 sets of leg extensions... I cycle ALOT.. Near enough everyday so i reckon i will still mange growth with a minimum leg routine. I still incorporate a leg routine though.
Click to expand...



id throw some more direct hamstring exercises in there and take out some quad exercises from time to time. You want to close to balance quad and hamstring exercises.
 
I follow 5/3/1 so my last squat day with leg assistance looked like below.
Back squat
140x5, 176x5, 211x3, 229x5, 264x5, 299x6, 316x5, 229x5 for 3 sets
Front squat
85 lbs by 10 for 3 sets
Romanian DL
160x10 for 3
BB split squat
Empty bar 10 reps 3 sets

GHRs 10 reps 3 sets
Standing calf raise bb 225 x 10 for 6 sets

Was done in just over an hour. Total tonnage moved was around 20,000 lbs not counting calves...

I’m not a big fan of training legs either. It’s not fun. But one thing that makes it fun is using some strength based principles and training the big lift like a power lifter for the one heavy set. I have a goal going in and I want to hit it. That makes it more fun. The other assistance stuff I’m really trying manage the tension in muscle I’m targeting.

My 2 cents
 
Maximum muscle contraction and intensity will yield better results that just doing volume. Try training your legs both better AND harder.
 
I just recently changed my PP routine to back/chest and legs/arms for 4 days total hitting everything twice a week but legs are getting a full day twice. So far I’m loving the change.
 
Im a bit weird in that i actually like training legs, for sure its hard but i like the fact i always know its been a proper session (i can half a55 upper body sometimes, cant do that with legs).

Variety is key and there are so many ways to train legs its so easy to keep that. I like the wod style high rep stuff, love squatting (i mix up low rep with a belt and high rep no belt), single leg stuff (split squats with light weight are a great finisher), sled work/sprints, plyo stuff, isometrics (often over looked), anderson squats.

My last couple of sessions I've just been grabbing a 70lb bell and goblet squatting 5 sets of 20 as fast as possible as a finisher.

Sooooo many options bro
 
To the OP. Just experiment. It's a subjective matter and some can gain very well on abbreviated routines. You know how to measure progress so just see where it takes you.

Here's an article you may be interested in regarding volume and training frequency.
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Basically in a nutshell it suggests less is less but not much less. I've found this to be true myself. You do progress a little slower when the volume is not optimal but it's not substantial. You can get away with abbreviated routines and still make solid gains.
 
My legs were the biggest when I switched from heavy to higher volume squatting.

I found that my quads improved significantly, all things left equal, when I switched from say working up to heavy set or two of 5 with 455 to doing 5 sets of 20 with 225. Threw up between the 4th and 5th sets the first time I did it, but the pumps were insane.

I left the rest of my leg routine alone. Something like:
Pre-exhaust hamstrings by pyramiding up to a hard set of hamstrings curls (Tip from John Meadows)
5x20 Rep Back Squats at 50% of my 1RM
3x15 Bulgarian Split Squat w/ dumbbell
4x20 Leg Press
3x10 Banded RDL
Walking Lunges to failure

Keeping training density consistent, or increasing it, was also super useful. I was pretty strict with 60s rest between sets, so this whole workout would usually only take about 45 minutes once I'd warmed up.

If you wanted to cut that down to your target of 30-40 mins, you could either cut some volume or cut the rest intervals/weight so that you could manage it. My 2¢.
 
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