Cormier highrep leg training!

[Bluto]

I read an old article about how Chris Cormier, who used to do heavy squatting after injuring himself had to rely on highrep leg training - this happend early in his career, so there's no doubt his legs grown a lot since then! We're talking 20+ reps here.

I'm coming off a little bit of injury myself to one of my knees so I will give this a shot for the next couple of months and see. I know at least initially it's pretty tough, endurance-wise!

Not a lot of people generally recommend higher reps but legs seems to be an exception.

[Jr. Yates]

lots of guys do high reps, just not every workout.  Lee does 50+ on the leg press. he did squats with 315 for 6 sets of 30.  I think you should go high reps more often then you go heavy and low for legs.

[alexxx]

I read an old article about how Chris Cormier, who used to do heavy squatting after injuring himself had to rely on highrep leg training - this happend early in his career, so there's no doubt his legs grown a lot since then! We're talking 20+ reps here.

I'm coming off a little bit of injury myself to one of my knees so I will give this a shot for the next couple of months and see. I know at least initially it's pretty tough, endurance-wise!

Not a lot of people generally recommend higher reps but legs seems to be an exception.

I read about how he trisetted leg press, hack squats and another exercises all for 4 sets of 20 reps.

Flex Wheeler also always went 20 reps for legs. I personally don't think you need much weight to make your legs grow. I am pretty sure I got my mass from high reps and going pass the pain zone.

Start with leg extensions.

[dizzleman06]

save your joints!  train high rep for your legs and live to walk another day! 

[Bluto]

"Studies have shown that sets of more than 20 reps can increase capillary density, and capillary dense muscle can eventually lead to hypertrophy when one resumes more traditional rep schemes.

One such study, performed in 1973, showed that as little as one high-rep workout was enough to double the amount of mitochondria in muscle cells.

I think this is one reason why cyclists and speed skaters have such large quadriceps – they expose the muscles to an extreme amount of time under tension, thus facilitating capillary growth and hypertrophy of lower threshold motor units.

However, from personal experience, it seems that the quads, deltoids and lats would benefit from this type of training more than other muscle groups."

[210 and growing]

i dont know if its the same everywhere, but it surprises me how few people actually train legs properly (ie. 5 or 6 exercises, 3 sets on each, atleast once a week). And im including some juice heads i know aswell. What is the point in training half your body? Sure they say, "wel im not gonna compete, so whats the point in trainng legs". But if thats the mentality, then there is no point in training at all. I could count on one hand the amount of guys at my gym who train legs properly and hard, and it aint even one of those pu ssys 'fitness club' gyms !!

[Bluto]

It's the same all over, I've been to a lot of gyms through the years and the leg press for example is rarely used compared to pretty much any other equipment or machine... 

At the most, they do a couple of sets of leg extensions.

[Knives]

In Arnold's encyclopedia, he says that Tom Platz would do up to 35 reps of 315 in his workouts.

[Monster_Everything]

I do high reps because my legs are naturally big as is and detail is what Im after.
In many ways it is more grueling due to the length of the work out and the focus on form.

[Option D]

I do high reps because my legs are naturally big as is and detail is what Im after.
In many ways it is more grueling due to the length of the work out and the focus on form.

i got forced into high reps even with squats because i have a hella funny feeling in my knees when i go past 405. So i just do like 4 sets of 13 with 315 and thats all. i throw up every time i do it and i get real light headed but i think its the safer way to go. And actually doing 13 reps if 315 is tougher than 8  reps of 405.

[Hedgehog]

One thing to consider, if you're after strength:

Type IIa fibers are 2 times as strong as Type I.

Type IIx are 8 times as strong as Type I.

And yes, conversion is possible.

Like this:  Type I<>TypeIIa<>TypeIIx

-Hedge

[Knives]

One thing to consider, if you're after strength:

Type IIa fibers are 2 times as strong as Type I.

Type IIx are 8 times as strong as Type I.

And yes, conversion is possible.

Like this:  Type I<>TypeIIa<>TypeIIx

-Hedge

So what's the best way to stimulate each type of fiber?

[Option D]

One thing to consider, if you're after strength:

Type IIa fibers are 2 times as strong as Type I.

Type IIx are 8 times as strong as Type I.

And yes, conversion is possible.

Like this:  Type I<>TypeIIa<>TypeIIx

-Hedge

Are you sure...im not doubting you. But this would mean in theory that a distance runner (shot load of slow twich with little or inactive fast twicth) could turn into a sprinter (shit load of fast twitch with little slow twitch)?

[Knives]

Are you sure...im not doubting you. But this would mean in theory that a distance runner (shot load of slow twich with little or inactive fast twicth) could turn into a sprinter (shit load of fast twitch with little slow twitch)?

well, if a distance runner started training like a sprinter, why wouldn't that be possible?  It's just that some people genetically are meant to be sprinters, and some distance runners, so most runners act on ther natural strengths.

[Option D]

well, if a distance runner started training like a sprinter, why wouldn't that be possible?  It's just that some people genetically are meant to be sprinters, and some distance runners, so most runners act on ther natural strengths.

And thats what im talking about...because if his premise is correct. We could all train like sprinters and convert fibers and all be sprinters as a result. I did hear can be slight conversion but not an significant amount.

[Hedgehog]

Are you sure...im not doubting you. But this would mean in theory that a distance runner (shot load of slow twich with little or inactive fast twicth) could turn into a sprinter (shit load of fast twitch with little slow twitch)?

Yes.

He would first have to train for conversion into the "middle group" (Type IIa).

BTW, sprinters often have lots of Type IIa fibers, weightlifters and shotputters are more explosive.

That's why you will see world class weightlifters outperforming world class sprinters on 10-25 meter dashes.

A lot can be said regarding muscle fibers, but yes you can convert. But no, I don't think you could practically turn someone with that amount of Type I fibers into a sprinter. But I may be wrong.

What I believe though, is that high-rep training (everything above 15-20 reps or so) is counter-productive in the long run.

You will no doubt see an initial growth, since the Type I fibers will be stimulated to grow to their maximum size.

But that training will also stimulate a conversion of Type IIa fibers into Type I.

-Hedge