Build Big Legs - by Matt Cross

Introduction

Let’s start with me taking you through the common opening question when an athlete or client in the studio asks me a question about training legs...

“Matt, whatever I do I just can’t put any size or definition onto my legs at all, I never have been able too – it must be genetic”

To a point anyone with any knowledge of training knows that this statement from the athlete is partly true, we all know that everyone has a different genetic potential in terms of muscle growth. For example the Gastrocnemius is a particularly tough muscle to achieve hypertrophy with from a genetic perspective for most people. However the part of the statement that I take issue with is “I can’t put ANY size or definition onto my legs at all.”

Trust me if you’re the person who uses this statement….. you’re training your legs wrong. The issue isn’t your genetics, it’s your training.




The Four main reasons why your legs don’t grow


Reason 1 – you kid yourself because when you sit down and look back, you only train legs once a month.

This reason doesn’t really need any explanation. Change simply does not occur in a muscle without it being stimulated via repetitive load. If you are the kind of person that every time you get to the gym on a leg day you change your routine at the last minute to chest and biceps (even when you have probably already trained them everyday that week) and one set of half rep squats don’t be so naïve to expect your legs or any muscle for that matter to grow if it hasn’t been stimulated enough. There is a saying that if you don’t like training legs, chances are that you are the person that needs to do more training on your legs!


Reason 2 – your leg sessions have TOO MUCH volume in each individual session and your nutrition isn’t up to scratch.

I am sure that many who know a bit about training will read this and think straight away 'how come in most of the training articles I read the author tells me that because the muscles are larger in my legs I need to train them for more reps?' This is actually true and not something I disagree with (especially for quadriceps) however the disadvantages to using high volume on your legs are much bigger than the advantages, here is why.

Leg training is both metabolically and systematically challenging. The bigger "after-burn" from the stimulation of the bigger muscle groups (hamstrings, quads and glutes) means you have to eat more to cope with the increase in metabolism. And more recovery resources are needed i.e. protein and calories in general. I personally don't see the point in burning more calories just for the sake of it, especially if there is no direct size advantage from it. This is especially important as 99% of people will not think to change their dietary intake on a leg day. If you are trying to gain, then any more exercise other than the bare minimum for building muscle is not going to be productive. There is no point in over training the body into a catabolic state; this is without question the worst thing that can happen from a poorly planned training routine.


Reason 3 – you are the opposite of those I have spoke about in reason 1 (above) and you don’t give your legs enough time to recover fully before you train them again.

Training a muscle before its fully recovered is counter-productive (unless you are performing a more technical lift with a lighter weight to improve/learn movement patterns etc). A muscle may not be fully recovered even after the DOMS has gone. In my honest opinion you need at least 72 hours rest on the legs before they should be trained again.

The only way to increase muscle size and muscle strength is to allow for complete recovery time between performing exercises with the same muscle groups. Otherwise the force that your muscle can contract with will simply be lower than in previous workouts and will reduce the potential gains in your next workout in terms of the weight you can lift. This is most definitely not the most optimum or effective way to get stronger. Without adequate recovery of calcium balance, muscle protein content, and muscle energy your muscles will struggle to adapt. In addition, unless you wait until full structural recovery occurs, you will simply destroy the new muscle tissue being formed to replace the damaged tissue. And this is no way to achieve muscular gains.


Reason 4 – You neglect your hamstrings.

Even bodybuilders will sometimes neglect training hamstrings and overload on quad development. People then wonder why they can’t achieve the thickness that they want from their lower body. From a performance point of view an imbalance between quad strength and hamstring strength can leave individuals more susceptible to muscle and joint injury. The hamstring should be around 50% – 80% of the strength of the quad, although some sprinters will achieve a 1:1 ratio this is very unusual. Let's face it hamstring exercises are horrible, but that’s life, we still have to do them whatever your training background or goal.






The Programme

Below is an example leg session that I have seen great results from my clients with that follows the principles above. Throw it in to your routine once a week and see if it can shake up your legs. Two key lifts below use a short double wave load system. I won’t bore you with the benefits or negatives of this (maybe I will do that in a different article!) Just note that the 1st set of 8 must be heavier than the 2nd set of 8 and the same applies with the 1st set of 6 and the 2nd set.


The rest times are important and determine partly the intensity and metabolic nature of the session. Where you have performed 8 reps in a set you should rest for 2 minutes, where you perform 6 reps you should take 3 minutes. And finally leave appropriate rest after the session before you train legs again!

Happy lifting!

Matt Cross is currently Head of Strength and Conditioning at Bond Fitness and is based in their bespoke performance centre in Hertfordshire (www.bondfitness.co.uk). Matt works with elite athletes from many sporting disciplines that include rugby, football, golf and triathlon. He specialises in sport specific training, functional movement training and injury rehabilitation. After playing rugby to a high standard himself Matt started his journey into the fitness industry by completing his BSc in sport & exercise science from Loughborough University and followed this by completing his MSc in sport & exercise medicine and rehabilitation from Exeter University. Matt has previous experience as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for premiership side Harlequins and also as fitness and nutritional consultant to teams within the RFU national league structure and invitational sevens teams on the global playing circuit. At only 24 Matt is considered well respected within the fitness industry and can be contacted personally at crossie_2002@hotmail.com with regards to any queries, questions or training opportunities.

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