An effective leg day training plan doesn’t take a magical formula to achieve the legs you want, just a lot of hard work.
Leg days are rough because a majority of people skip them because the work is too hard, boring, or they are simply too sore the day after.
Leg Day Trains Your:
- Hamstrings
- Quads
- Calves
The great thing about training legs is you also get a lot of core and glute work in as well which will help reduce tummy size and really get your butt toned.
Machines are great to use as finishing exercises to help exhaust your muscles, but simply using machines only won’t give you the results as fast as you can get them.
Leg Day Training Plan
For this plan I am going to break down exercises in categories and I want you to pick 2 exercises from each category.
You can pick the exercises you like and stick with them for 12 weeks or you can switch between exercises as long as you log your weights and work to progress every session.
| Hamstrings | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squats | 4 | 12 |
| Stiff Leg Barbell Deadlifts | 4 | 12 |
| Single Leg Stiff Leg Barbell Deadlifts | 4 | 12 |
| Stiff Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts | 4 | 12 |
| Single Leg Stiff Leg Dumbbell Deadlifts | 4 | 12 |
| Leg Press | 5 | 8 |
| Walking Dumbbell Lunges | 2 | 20 |
| Quads | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Squats | 4 | 12 |
| Front Barbell Squats | 4 | 12 |
| Goblet Squats | 4 | 15 |
| Reverse Barbell Lunges | 2 | 20 |
| Reverse Dumbbell Lunges | 2 | 20 |
| Pistol Squats | 2 | 10 |
| Leg Press | 5 | 8 |
| Calves | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Barbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
| Single Leg Standing Barbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
| Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
| Single Leg Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
| Smith Machine Calf Raise | 3 | 20 |
| Calf Raises with Leg Press Machine | 3 | 20 |
| Hamstrings Accessories | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Curl Machine | 3 | AMAP |
| Standing Leg Curl Machine | 3 | AMAP |
| Reverse Hyperextension | 3 | 12 |
| Box Jumps | 20 | 1 |
| Bodyweight Squats | 4 | 20 |
| Quads Accessories | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Leg Extension Machine | 3 | AMAP |
| Hack Squat Machine | 3 | AMAP |
| Goblet Squats | 3 | 15 |
| Calves Accessories | ||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Calf Machine | 5 | AMAP |
| Seated Calf Raises | 5 | AMAP |
| Box Jumps | 20 | 1 |
Workout Tips
You will notice that a few of the exercises I’ve listed fall into different categories and it’s no typo.
* AMAP – As many as possible. I don’t advocate training to absolute failure on big compound exercises because that’s asking to get injured. These final exercises are here to completely finish off the muscle, give you better muscle endurance, increase your conditioning, and help burn calories.
* Box Jumps – There is a reason I put 20 sets of 1 rep each; box jumps are supposed to be a power move. This means that this exercise is supposed to train your explosiveness and improve your instantaneous power. Compare this to a long-distance runner to a sprinter.
* Don’t Pick Duplicate Exercises – I know it’s not fair I put squats in a lot of categories, they should go into every category and I would highly recommend implementing them into your program. They don’t call it a squat booty for nothing. Be sure to have a total of 12 different exercises to do for your leg day.
* Pick The Right Weight – Doing AMAP sets is hard to pick how much weight you should use. My general rule of thumb is be able to get about 12-15 reps if you were to do that exercise fresh. That may mean you only can complete 6 reps on your last set and that is okay.
* Rest Times – Doing the main leg training exercises such as squats and leg presses will require more rest time between each set than a seated calf raise. I want you to push yourself and keep the rest times as short as possible. This will keep your heart rate elevated and help increase your conditioning. A general rule of thumb is 90 seconds for main lifts and 45 seconds between accessory lifts.
* Progression – Progressively overloading is the most important aspect of training you need to concentrate on. The reason your body burns fat, builds muscle, and makes you stronger is because your body is adapting to the stress you are putting on it. If you do the same weights each time you go to the gym, you won’t get the results. Aim to add 5 pounds to each exercise each time you go, or adding at least one more rep.
* Muscle Soreness – Jumping into a real leg routine will cause some discomfort in your legs, to say the least. The muscle soreness is normal while beginning; your connective tissue isn’t used to it. Don’t worry, this is only somewhat temporary and the soreness becomes less incapacitating and becomes slightly uncomfortable.
Conclusion
I hate to say this, but I am quite irritated with some of the websites I run across giving bogus advice.
I’m here to show you what it really takes to achieve the body you want and I’m not looking to just “cash in” like most websites.
Share this on your social media and more importantly let me know what you think. I am writing for my readers, don’t be afraid to ask questions or leave a comment!
