Author Topic: high reps for legs?  (Read 23562 times)

dj181

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high reps for legs?
« on: December 31, 2012, 09:34:07 AM »
my new ladyfriend told me that she wants me bigger so low and behold i'm going on a mass gain program lol

anyways, i train at home with dumbbells and i've been doing db full squats and i can get nearly 20 reps with the max weight that i got

so now i have 2 options:

1. buy thinner 5 kg plates so i can load more weight on each bell

2. go to very high reps on full squats ie. 40-50 reps

i'd like to try option 2 just to see how and if it works, but i was wondering if any of you dudes got results on legs doing ultra high reps?

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2012, 09:43:21 AM »
I have never went over 20 reps apart from free weight squats after a pre-exhaust set of leg extensions which worked well. Try doing one legged squats and believe me they are brutal. stand on one leg on your bench and the other leg hanging, hold a dumbbell on the side of the working leg..or even use a plate in your hand

dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2012, 09:51:31 AM »
I have never went over 20 reps apart from free weight squats after a pre-exhaust set of leg extensions which worked well. Try doing one legged squats and believe me they are brutal. stand on one leg on your bench and the other leg hanging, hold a dumbbell on the side of the working leg..or even use a plate in your hand

yeah, 1-legged squats is a good option

and since i consider myself such an athlete i should have the balance and agility to pull them off ;D

i did lunges for awhile, but quite honestly full squats pwn the shit out of them, at least in my experience they do

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2012, 09:52:29 AM »
have also hung a dumbbell from a dips belt works good so both hands are free..

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2012, 09:55:08 AM »
yeah, 1-legged squats is a good option

and since i consider myself such an athlete i should have the balance and agility to pull them off ;D

i did lunges for awhile, but quite honestly full squats pwn the shit out of them, at least in my experience they do
well i would get more 5 kg plates or even use 10kg plates...or do a tri set of squats,lunges , step ups.

dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2012, 09:59:58 AM »
well i would get more 5 kg plates or even use 10kg plates...or do a tri set of squats,lunges , step ups.

but the 10 kg plates aren't functional, coz they are too bulky (ie. wide) and they slam into my thighs when i'm doing the reps, so fuck that!

right now i can load up one bell with bout 80 max, but if i get the thinner 5 kg plates then i can load up each bell with bout 115 pounds

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2012, 10:09:14 AM »
well i like DB squats too and there is no stress on your back, your trap area gets worked to a degree holding them. also you can do front squats bells in the clean position or behind in a type of hack lift. Have also tried squats holding bells overhead(with less weight of course). I think that one legged squats are a killer.. but you know that sure you have done them.

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2012, 10:12:53 AM »
if you can hold 115 pounds in each hand then you are strong and will have great forearms(unless you use straps) Farmers walk is also a good forgotten ex.

dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2012, 10:16:46 AM »
if you can hold 115 pounds in each hand then you are strong and will have great forearms(unless you use straps) Farmers walk is also a good forgotten ex.

holding 115 bells in each hand while performing 20 full range squat reps?

lol, i don't think i could do that, and quite honestly i use straps even for the 80 pound bells ;D

my lady said i need a rounder and fuller ass but she didn't say a thing bout getting bigger forearms ;)

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2012, 10:23:25 AM »
holding 115 bells in each hand while performing 20 full range squat reps?

lol, i don't think i could do that, and quite honestly i use straps even for the 80 pound bells ;D

my lady said i need a rounder and fuller ass but she didn't say a thing bout getting bigger forearms ;)
yeah i would never hold and squat that weight.. ;D but if you can load them up to that weight then you have all you need to turn you into superman. Squats ,lunges, stiff deads...will hit your ass.

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #10 on: December 31, 2012, 10:25:21 AM »
this is a great book

dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #11 on: December 31, 2012, 10:28:38 AM »
yeah i would never hold and squat that weight.. ;D but if you can load them up to that weight then you have all you need to turn you into superman. Squats ,lunges, stiff deads...will hit your ass.

but the strange thing is.... stiff-leg deads work my upper lats the most ??? ??? ???

Mr Nobody

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #12 on: December 31, 2012, 10:30:22 AM »
40-50 reps you will run out of oxygen before muscle failure, not to mention light weights. 10-20 is best.

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2012, 10:39:05 AM »
40-50 reps you will run out of oxygen before muscle failure, not to mention light weights. 10-20 is best.
I agree 20 reps max. Stiff Deads will hit your lower back,glutes and Hamstrings hard. Upper back area will get some work too. I find doing them "stiff" legged better for Hamstrings and lower back,glutes. Now a lot of people do a smaller range of motion with slightly bent knees and itīs "Romanian Deadlifts" which are good but i think with stiff legs for your purposes.

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2012, 10:45:20 AM »
I agree 20 reps max. Stiff Deads will hit your lower back,glutes and Hamstrings hard. Upper back area will get some work too. I find doing them "stiff" legged better for Hamstrings and lower back,glutes. Now a lot of people do a smaller range of motion with slightly bent knees and itīs "Romanian Deadlifts" which are good but i think with stiff legs for your purposes.
Agreed. Slight bent knees uses more lower back.

Your diagram on the the one leg squats very informative. I got three people I train and they have limited equipment I may have them try them.

dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #15 on: December 31, 2012, 10:46:56 AM »
so 40-50 reps is too much then?

well i guess that means that i got to buy them thinner 5 kg plates then

Donny

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #16 on: December 31, 2012, 11:01:28 AM »
so 40-50 reps is too much then?

well i guess that means that i got to buy them thinner 5 kg plates then
yeah or tri-set do some intensity principles to make the weight "Heavier".

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #17 on: December 31, 2012, 03:14:22 PM »
my main leg day looks like this:

3xSuperset:
20 Weight Vest Step Ups
20 Weight Vest Lunges
20 Weight Vest Calf Raises

3xSuperset:
20 Wide-Leg Kettlebell Grok Squats
5 Wide-Leg Grok Squat Jumps
20 Seated Calf Raises (Plates in Knees)

5xSuperset:
10-20 Narrow Barbell Squats
10-20 Barbell Calf Raises

4xSuperset:
10-20 Leg Extensions
10-20 Standing Leg Curls


i take no more than 45 seconds rest between sets and often less than 30... it's fucking intense and i can't go anywhere near as heavy as I could handle otherwise...

but i get an incredible workout and my legs both look better and are dynamically stronger than ever before

Overload

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #18 on: January 02, 2013, 08:02:15 AM »
My legs always responded best to higher reps for muscle growth.

15-20 reps always did more for my legs than lower reps. Due to knee problems i never go below 10 reps on any leg movement and my legs are just as big as they were when i squatted over 500 pounds.

Super sets work well too. My typical leg day is as follows:

Front Squats:
warm up = bar x 30 reps
warm up = bar x 30 reps
135 x 20 reps
185 x 20 reps
225 x 20 reps
275 x 20 reps
315 x 12-15 reps
345 x 12-15 reps
back squat:
135 x 30 reps really fast
bar x 30 reps really fast

Leg extensions:
half stack x 20 reps
full stack x 20 reps x 3 sets

Hamstring curls:
half stack x 20 reps
3/4 stack x 20 reps x 3 sets

Seated calves:
2 plates x 30 reps
3 plates x 30 reps
4 plates x 30 reps
5 plates 20-30 reps
3 plates x 30 reps
2 plates x 30 reps

Deadlifts:
225 x 10 reps
275 x 10 reps
315 x 10 reps

That's it, i switch it up with regular squats, hack squats and leg press every 4 weeks. Also i do this routine in reverse order some days to make it a real challenge. I always vary the way i do this routine, less rest, super sets, etc.


8)

jpm101

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #19 on: January 02, 2013, 09:51:30 AM »
Wanting to make DB squats more intense, might consider the one and one half program.

Do a full squat, than come up half way...stop....and down again to the full squat position and back all the way up to the original standing position. That's a 1 & 1/2 rep. No bouncing from that bottom position, try to make a true BB'ers full squat every rep.

Might suggest(with your DB's) the Bulgarian squat and front Step-up. Both hit the ham's & glutes very well, also. Most trainee's hold a DB in one hand, rather that both. Seems to allow more focus on the one side you are working. Would also suggest the Romanian DL, because the back is held straight throughout the entire movement.As with the SLDL's, people tend to round the back, which allows too much tension on the lower spine.

Might also suggest, if your lady friend is so concerned about your body mass and glutes, she set you up for a membership in a  real weight training gym. But than again, what's love got to do with it?  Good Luck with that.
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funk51

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #20 on: January 02, 2013, 10:07:18 AM »
when going heavy in the  squat don't forget to use  a rack and don't forget to set the pins. :( :( :(
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dj181

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #21 on: January 02, 2013, 01:15:05 PM »
thanks for the feedback fellas

so the consensus seems to be stay within the 12-20 rep range, so i'll either have to get the thinner 5 kg plates or try the one-legged squats

at the end of his life AJ recommended that all one really needs to do is chins, dips, and 1-legged squats and i think that he's right, but that topic would be for another thread

jpm101

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #22 on: January 02, 2013, 04:51:57 PM »
Arther Jones spoke words of wisdom.  Most always follow the K.I.S.S. rule, also. Good Luck
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Henda

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #23 on: January 03, 2013, 04:14:13 AM »
You could make some longer dumbells?
Get a few lengths of solid steel roundbar. Cut them to the desired length long enough to load enough weight and either and use two pairs of collars on each dumbell or weld som strong whasers to the inner sides and use heavy clamp on collars on the outside.
Should cost a fraction compared to all new plates.

WOOO

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Re: high reps for legs?
« Reply #24 on: January 03, 2013, 06:37:07 AM »
You could make some longer dumbells?
Get a few lengths of solid steel roundbar. Cut them to the desired length long enough to load enough weight and either and use two pairs of collars on each dumbell or weld som strong whasers to the inner sides and use heavy clamp on collars on the outside.
Should cost a fraction compared to all new plates.

steel cutting and welding tools are pretty costly...

not to mention the required skills which most of us don't have