Definition comes from size and low body fat. It also comes from making sure that you are hitting the muscles in a variet
The aim is muscle definition, or separation, very sharp.
Current state: size of legs is fine, there is alredy some separation/definition, but i want it very sharp. My body-fat is low, so that's not an issue.
Training: I run (easy) 3x a week: 30 mins, 40 mins, and 60-90 mins.
I do gym 3 days, but only one leg workout due to the 3 runs. (I started gym in mid May, ~ two months back).
Gym: Mon-Wed-Fri
Run: Tue-Thu-Sat
Rest: Sunday
(Legs on Monday).
Leg exercises I do : barbell squat (behind the neck, not front), leg presses, hack squat (sometimes), dumbbell walking lunges.
I don't do leg extensions since i have heard they are not good for knees. I don't do hamstring curls, should I ?
Queries:
Given that I run 3x, is one leg workout the maximum I should do, or can I do a second one?
Which of these exercises would maximize muscle separation/cuts/definition ? Is there any other exercise I am missing that i could do instead of one of these ?
I have a simple basic gym, I have a hack squat machine, but no Smith or other machines. I use the leg press machine to do calf presses, no specific calf machines.
Should i be doing low reps or high reps for definition ?
Should I be doing hopping or impact exercises: rope skipping, box jumps, sprints, one-legged hops ?
I have gone through many videos, one i saw just yesterday was :
OK, I have going to give you my current routine, all exercises. Now, I need you to understand that this makes up no more 30% of what your physique will look like, 70% is nutrition. Even then, I am giving the training a big number, it can easily be 80% nutrition and 20% training. Also understand that I have been training a very long time, I have very dense muscle maturity, so this is routine that I current use that helps me build muscle, and stay lean and hard. My training is a five day double split, and I carb cycle with this, when I want to extra extra shredded, and by that I mean drop to insanely low levels 5% and lower, I tighten up my diet even further, and add in the extra two days. I purposely leave those two day free everyweek, because I don't want my body to get used to it, it is my way to shock it. So, here it is.
Monday - Workout One - Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes
Walking barbell weight lunges - I do four working sets, the first two target the quadriceps, the lunges are more shallow, the final two target the hamstrings and glutes, the lunges are more deeper. I go very heavy with the weight, and I find this particular movement has helped me develop very powerful glute-hamstring tie ins, all the separation between the hamstrings, the tensor fascia latae, the vastus lateralis which makes up the outer sweep of the quadriceps. Never let your knee go over your foot placement, it puts more stress on your patella than it does on your rectus formoris, and vastus medialis, which is the tear drop shaped muscle that connects your quadricep to your knee.
Jefferson squats - This is a fantastic exercise to provide very good glute and inner leg develop, it tightens the abbuctor muscles in your glutes, and increases stress in your adductor muscles, including the adductor magnus which provides the thickens many people lack in leg development. Four working sets. Make sure your legs are at 90 degrees, and don't let the weight touch the floor.
Superset adductor and abductor machine - four working sets, 20 reps each. I don't hold the grip when I perform this exercise, I normally cross my arms over my collarbone and tighten my abdominals also. The key is not to go fast and use momentum, you need to go extra slow and really allow the tendons to stretch.
Stiff legged deadlifts - Six working sets, there are times when I am lifting a lot of weight, since my hamstrings have developed a lot of strength of the years through me targeting them with exclusive hamstring only workouts. In this case, I normally stand on a slightly high platform and perform the exercise, allowing the stretch to go down beyond parallel, pause and bring back to the top. Excellent move to add more thickeness, your hamstrings will get a good pump, because of the all work already done from the preceeding exercises.
Smith machine single legged split squat - This targets the hamstrings with great intensity, I have never needed to put a lot of weight on for this movement. So stand under the smith machine bar, rest on your shoulders, lift one leg up and point to foot backwards, now squat straight down. All the stress is hamstring related.
Seat leg curls for hamstrings superset with seated leg extension for quadriceps - This superset begins the post-exhaustion for the hamstrings and the pre-exhaustion for the quadriceps. I do seven working sets, shifting the blood into the quads.
Front squats - five sets of 20 reps - I never go less than 20 reps, even if I have to lower the weight to do it. And I always go deep and low every time, the pelvis and hip flexion must be beyond 90 degrees. Sometimes I do it barefoot, sometimes with trainers, sometimes I rest my heels on some weight. When I rest my heels on a some weighted plates, I can hit my lower quadriceps a lot more.
Back squats - four sets, each to failure - This is the time that I bring it all together. My muscles are going to be brutally taxed at this point, making the squats feel like hell.
That is my current leg routine.
Workout 2 - Cardio training - 20 sprint training using HIIT principles on treadmill on slight incline. I follow this up immediately with 15-20 on step machine.
I will post my other body parts soon.
