Don’t miss out on the gains you could be making with these leg exercises!
Ok, so training legs are seldom on anyone’s list of favorite things to do… but let’s face it, you don’t have a choice. Training legs heavy and hard is necessary for size and strength but the problem is people do the same exercises over and over again without giving the legs a different type of stimulus.
Now, it’s really important to include single-leg, as well as multi-directional exercises for maximum muscular stimulation of the often neglected adductor and abductor’s muscles. Remember, variety in movements is key to progressing with your training.
You surely don’t want to miss out on your full growth potential!
Typical leg exercises you see most people doing at your local gym are Squats, Leg Press, Deadlifts, Lunges… yeah, yeah, yeah; where is the variety in your workouts?
Try these 4 mass builders and watch your legs grow!
1. Bulgarian Split Squat
This is seriously an amazing exercise because the ability to train each leg at a time is where it shines in its effectiveness.
All you need is a bench a pair of dumbbells or a barbell (Or you can use your own body weight). Bulgarian Split Squats are great because of the deep stretch they provide for the quads and they effectively isolate each leg which is always a good way to train for maximum results.
Single leg training is good for balance, isolation, and stability, along with building some impressive wheels. The awesome thing about Bulgarian Split Squats is you can add as much weight as your heart desires.
But be warned… you might build massive legs as a result!
Performing the Bulgarian Split Squat:
- Rest the top of your non-lunging foot on a bench and put the lunging leg out in front of you.
- Perform your lunges with your desired weight or you can use your own bodyweight.
- Switch legs and repeat.
You always want to make sure your knees are safe by never moving them forward past your heels or foot. Always press with your heels and maintain proper form regardless of how much weight you use to perform the movement.
All you’re doing basically doing is performing standard lunges with your non-lunging leg resting on a bench. No need to over complicate the exercise!
2. One-Legged Squats
One of the best things we can do for our muscles and joints is to perform bodyweight exercises because we move through a completely natural range of motion. One-legged Squats (Or Pistol Squats) are a true test of balance. But since you’ll use more stabilizer muscles to balance and squat at the same time, you’ll not only build muscle and strength but coordination as well.
Using your “Bodyweight” may sound like a sissy way to exercise to some meatheads but just try it and see if you still feel the same way (It takes a lot of strength and balance to do a one-legged squat).
Don’t worry though, you’ll build a lot of muscles and if you can balance yourself well enough, you might even be able to hold dumbbells while you perform the movement. If you need to hold onto to something to help you balance then feel free to do so.
It doesn’t mean you’re cheating!
3. Platz Hack Squats
Why wouldn’t you want to emulate an exercise named after “Quadfather” himself? The Tom Platz Hack Squat will probably burn like hell but it might just be what you need to take your leg development to the next level.
You’ll no doubt get results but this may not be an exercise for everyone. If you’d like to try it out, here is how it is done…
- Keep your back flat against the pad at all times.
- Position your feet in a “V” shape (Platz calls it a duck position) with heels touching.
- Squat all the way down while shifting from your heels to your tippy toes.
- Push with your tippy toes while shifting back to your heels, until you get back to the starting position.
There you have the Tom Platz Hack Squat! It’s different but it’s effective. Be careful with your knees and stop if you feel any discomfort. Hack squats have been around forever but this variation is a great way to target the outer “teardrop” on the quads.
4. Multi-Directional Lunges
Performing leg exercises along a single plane of movement will limit your mass building potential, plain and simple!
This is where multi-directional lunges come in because we have muscles we may not even know are there. These muscles need attention so don’t make them feel lonely because they are just as special. Adductor and Abductor muscles are used in multi-directional movements which have the potential for a lot of additional growth.
Performing multi-directional lunges is simple and you’ll definitely be sore the next day.
Follow these steps to perform them effectively:
- Perform a standard lunge.
- Then perform a lateral lunge.
- Finally, pivot (180-degree turn) with your non-lunging foot and perform a lunge in the opposite direction of a standard lunge.
For the multi-directional lunge, you’ll use the same leg for three lunge movements. Then you’ll switch to the other leg and perform the same three movements.
You should practice these lunges to experience more soreness and growth as a result of hitting different muscles than you would with your standard leg exercises.
These are unique yet very effective and should be incorporated in every leg routine!
Are you ready to make more gains?
