workout for leg day

Ask someone if they enjoyed leg day and you will get a strong answer. Some will actually crave it while most despise it because of how difficult it is to train. Leg day is one of the most hated workout day in the gym, people go far to skip it all together, because leg training is so hard and demanding, many bodybuilders find leg development lagging, they look at themselves in the mirror and are disappointed with the way their legs look.

If you do not exercise your legs, you are missing out on some of the best exercises and gains. The leg muscles are very large and most powerful in the entire body. Leg training releases growth hormones and testosterone throughout the body in addition to the rapid growth of other muscles around the body.

Before we discuss how to build massive tree trunks, let’s look at the anatomy of the legs.

Anatomy of the legs

The muscles of the upper leg contain the quadriceps, muscles and glutes.

Quadriceps

The quadriceps are the muscles of the anterior thigh that serve as an extensor of the legs.

Hamstrings

The aim of these muscles, which are located behind the thighs, is to flex the leg back. The flexible ligaments of the thigh behind the legs are known as the biceps femoris (muscles).

Glutes

The glutes (gluteus maximus and minimus) are one of the strongest muscle groups in the body and they are activated in almost every leg exercise.

Calves

Calves consist of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Calves are considered to be the stubborn muscle group in the body to grow, calves respond to training like any other muscle, just that they must be trained in a variety of ways.

Let’s go over the workout for leg day to use to get big massive legs.

Always remember to warm up properly, starting with low body mobility movement and stretching.

Compound workout first

Front squat

Start with compound exercises first when training the legs. Front squats are a good exercise to start with. If you want to build bigger legs and increase quad growth, the front squat is essential.

The front squat places more emphasis on the quadriceps muscles compared to any squat variation and when done with proper form builds mass and strength to the thighs.

How to do the front squat

Load the barbell with weights, step inside the squat rack bringing your arms under the bar.
Let the bar rest slightly across the front of the shoulder muscles.
To control the bar, cross your arms and grab it with both hands, keeping your elbows high Lift the bar off the rack, step back away from the rack and separate your legs shoulder width apart to balance.
As you raise your head, slowly bend your knees while keeping your back straight and abs tight.
Reduce your body weight until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Return to the starting position by pushing yourself up. Slowly and firmly perform this exercise, keeping your back straight.

Leg presses

This is a machine-based exercise that allows you to build lower body strength besides the squats, and emphasizes the quadriceps muscles and can allow for the use of heavier weights. Use a closer stance position on the leg press machine to target the outer quads while a wider stance works best for the inner quads.

How to do the leg press

Using a leg machine, load the desired weight on the machine.
Sit on the seat and place your feet together on the footplate.
Disengage the safety bars. Push the platform all the way up , straighten the knees without locking the knees.
Return the platform to its original position by bending the knees slowly and lowering the weight steadily as much as possible.

Hit the hamstring

Straight-leg deadlift

Deadlifts are also good for leg development but a straight leg deadlift is best when it comes to working the hamstrings the rear part of the leg and also develops the glutes and the lower back.

How to do the straight-leg deadlift

Grab the barbell using an overhand grip, get to a standing position with your feet shoulder apart.
Maintain a straight back while locking your legs and bending forward from the waist. Raise your chest and push your hips back.
Slowly lower your hip until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground.
After a brief pause, return to the starting position.

Leg curls

The goal of this exercise is to strengthen the hamstrings by isolating them even more and allowing them to move freely.

How to do the leg curls

After setting your desired weight on the leg curl machine, lie face down hooking your ankles under the roller pad.
Hold unto the handles or the bench for stability.
Curl your ankles all the way up until your legs are completely contracted.
Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position after pausing at the top.

Carve the calves

Standing calf raises

This exercise develops the overall mass of the calves especially the larger outermost muscles that is responsible for the calf’s shape and size.

How to do the standing calf raise

Stand with your toes on the step with your heels hanging over the edge.
To lift the weight, position your shoulders under the pads and raise your legs.
Pause for a moment before lowering your heels as far as you can while keeping your knees slightly leaning throughout the movement to activate the lower and upper calf muscles.

Seated calf raise

Training the calf from different angles when performing the calf raise is effective, the seated calf raise isolates the muscles of the calves.

How to the seated calf raise

Position your toes on the foot platform with your heels hanging over the edge of a calf raise machine while sitting upright.
Slowly lower your heels as far as possible to the ground.
Then gradually lift your heels up onto your toes as high as possible until your calves are fully contracted.

Finish off with the lunges

Lunges

The lunge is an amazing exercise, it is one of the potent exercises you can do if your goal is to get a wheel of steel, it should be included in your weight training arsenal.

This exercise is great for building muscle and strength in one leg at a time. Lunges are used to strengthen the front of the thighs and glutes.

How to do the lunges

Holding a pair of dumbbells or a weight plate on each side.
Keep your head up, back straight, and chest out as you stand upright with your feet together.
Move forward on one leg, significantly reducing your hips until both knees are bent 90 degrees.
Pull your feet together and push yourself up to your initial position.

Ultimate Leg Workout To Build Big Wheels – Final Thoughts

As always, muscle growth requires progression; if you do not get stronger, you will not get bigger. Your legs will grow if you work on building strength on these exercises by gradually increasing the amount of weight you can move and eating a well-balanced diet. There are no more excuses now that you have a regular leg day workout. Get down to business