Gavin Laird
New Member
Here is a leg routine for BBers / strength athletes who are keen to see large increases in both leg mass and squatting strength. This is not suitable for people who have issues with being sore / think they need "full recovery" / do 1/4 squats.
Pick 2 movements, 1 that distributes load quite evenly around the hips / quads / low back (ie back squat) and one that throws more stress on to either the posterior chain (GM, Rom DL, possibly deadlift) or the quads (BB hack, front squat) depending upon where you are weakest.
If you need more training variety (personal issue, or want more hypertrophy and less neural adaptation to the squat) then pick 2 sets of 2 movements and rotate them workout by workout eg Squat and Rom DL as "1 and 2" and then front squat and GM in another or similar as "3 and 4" in place of "1 and 2" in the next workout. More movements over time tends to bring about greater hypertrophy but less neural adaptaion to a given movement. Also in myo / neural loading weeks when frequency is very high you can consider adding extra exercises in place of your chosen ones on one day.
Also, if you are coming off a decent conditioning phase, have good GPP and are feeling "strong" with no niggles / joint pain etc then consider jumping in at week 5,6 or 7 as the first few weeks are set up to build some training tolerance, fatigue tolerance and up conditioning dramatically. Oh and to answer the question before it comes up, there is no typo, you will squat up to 4 times a week.
Here it is...
Week 1.
Workouts 1 and 2.
Movements 1 and 2.
5 x 15, 45s rests. 45% or less 1RM (18RM). Fail on latter sets due to lactate.
2 accessory movements per day, 1-3 sets 15 - 20 reps no fail just push the lactate.
Week 2.
1.
Both movements - Add load. 4 x 12. 90 seconds rest. No failure.
2.
Both movements - Same load / rest 5 x 15. Fail on last set possible.
Week 3.
1.
Both movements - Add load. (10RM). 4 x 10. Fail.
2.
Both movements - Same load / rest 5 x 15. No failure.
Week 4.
1. Both movements - Same load. (10RM) 4 x 8, no failure, 2 minutes rest.
2. Both Movements - Add load (new 15 RM) 4 x 12. No failure. 1 x 20 at end with 45-
50% 1RM.
Week 5.
1.
First Movement - Add load (8RM) 4 x 8. Fail, 3 minutes rest. 1 x 20 55% 1RM. Fail.
2nd movement - 2 x 8, 10RM. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load. (estimated 12RM) 4 x 12. 2 minutes rest. Fail.
2nd movement - 1 x 10, 12 RM. No fail.
Week 6.
1.
First Movement - Same load (8RM) 4 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load (10RM) 4 x 8. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM or less. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 4 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Week 7 Onwards.
Normal week is like week 6 - even distribution of work between rep ranges, no failure
anywhere adding load in small chunks when it is possible.
1.
First Movement - Same load (8RM) 4 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load (10RM) 4 x 8. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 4 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Stress Load / Myofibril week is like this
1.
First Movement - 5RM 5 x 5. Attempt all reps, will miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 5RM 5 x 3. No fail but tough due to fatigue from earlier sets.
2.
First Movement - 8RM) 4 x 7. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 5KG 5 x 3 - might miss latter reps.
3.
First Movement - 5RM 5 x 5. Might miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 10Kg 5 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
4.
First Movement - 8RM + 5Kg 4 x 7. May fail latter reps. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 15Kg as many triples and doubles as you can do in good style.
No fail. 3 minute rests.
Stress Sacroplasmic week.
1.
First Movement - 12RM 3 x 12. Attempt all reps, will miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 15RM 2 x 20 rest pause. Re-rack the bar if need be on the rest pause
work.
2.
First Movement - 20RM 1 x 20, 1 x 15. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 15RM 1 x 12 KG No fail.
3.
First Movement - 8RM 2 x 6-8. No fail.
2nd movement - 15RM + 2.5 Kg - 2 x 20 rest pause. Re-rack the bar if need be on the
rest pause work.
Back off week.
1.
First Movement - 8RM 2 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - 10RM 2 x 8 - 10. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 2 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Follow this pattern for loading / unloading weeks....
Week 7 - Normal.
Week 8 - Stress Sacro
Week 9 - Stress load / myofibril
Week 10 - Normal
Week 11 - Back off.
Week 12 - Stress Sacro
Week 13 - Stress load.
Week 14 - Back off.
Week 15 - sleep, drink beer, chase tail, recuperate... lol.
Cheers,
G.
Pick 2 movements, 1 that distributes load quite evenly around the hips / quads / low back (ie back squat) and one that throws more stress on to either the posterior chain (GM, Rom DL, possibly deadlift) or the quads (BB hack, front squat) depending upon where you are weakest.
If you need more training variety (personal issue, or want more hypertrophy and less neural adaptation to the squat) then pick 2 sets of 2 movements and rotate them workout by workout eg Squat and Rom DL as "1 and 2" and then front squat and GM in another or similar as "3 and 4" in place of "1 and 2" in the next workout. More movements over time tends to bring about greater hypertrophy but less neural adaptaion to a given movement. Also in myo / neural loading weeks when frequency is very high you can consider adding extra exercises in place of your chosen ones on one day.
Also, if you are coming off a decent conditioning phase, have good GPP and are feeling "strong" with no niggles / joint pain etc then consider jumping in at week 5,6 or 7 as the first few weeks are set up to build some training tolerance, fatigue tolerance and up conditioning dramatically. Oh and to answer the question before it comes up, there is no typo, you will squat up to 4 times a week.
Here it is...
Week 1.
Workouts 1 and 2.
Movements 1 and 2.
5 x 15, 45s rests. 45% or less 1RM (18RM). Fail on latter sets due to lactate.
2 accessory movements per day, 1-3 sets 15 - 20 reps no fail just push the lactate.
Week 2.
1.
Both movements - Add load. 4 x 12. 90 seconds rest. No failure.
2.
Both movements - Same load / rest 5 x 15. Fail on last set possible.
Week 3.
1.
Both movements - Add load. (10RM). 4 x 10. Fail.
2.
Both movements - Same load / rest 5 x 15. No failure.
Week 4.
1. Both movements - Same load. (10RM) 4 x 8, no failure, 2 minutes rest.
2. Both Movements - Add load (new 15 RM) 4 x 12. No failure. 1 x 20 at end with 45-
50% 1RM.
Week 5.
1.
First Movement - Add load (8RM) 4 x 8. Fail, 3 minutes rest. 1 x 20 55% 1RM. Fail.
2nd movement - 2 x 8, 10RM. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load. (estimated 12RM) 4 x 12. 2 minutes rest. Fail.
2nd movement - 1 x 10, 12 RM. No fail.
Week 6.
1.
First Movement - Same load (8RM) 4 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load (10RM) 4 x 8. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM or less. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 4 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Week 7 Onwards.
Normal week is like week 6 - even distribution of work between rep ranges, no failure
anywhere adding load in small chunks when it is possible.
1.
First Movement - Same load (8RM) 4 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - Add load (10RM) 4 x 8. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 4 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Stress Load / Myofibril week is like this
1.
First Movement - 5RM 5 x 5. Attempt all reps, will miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 5RM 5 x 3. No fail but tough due to fatigue from earlier sets.
2.
First Movement - 8RM) 4 x 7. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 5KG 5 x 3 - might miss latter reps.
3.
First Movement - 5RM 5 x 5. Might miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 10Kg 5 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
4.
First Movement - 8RM + 5Kg 4 x 7. May fail latter reps. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM + 15Kg as many triples and doubles as you can do in good style.
No fail. 3 minute rests.
Stress Sacroplasmic week.
1.
First Movement - 12RM 3 x 12. Attempt all reps, will miss latter reps. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 15RM 2 x 20 rest pause. Re-rack the bar if need be on the rest pause
work.
2.
First Movement - 20RM 1 x 20, 1 x 15. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 15RM 1 x 12 KG No fail.
3.
First Movement - 8RM 2 x 6-8. No fail.
2nd movement - 15RM + 2.5 Kg - 2 x 20 rest pause. Re-rack the bar if need be on the
rest pause work.
Back off week.
1.
First Movement - 8RM 2 x 5. No fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd Movement - 1 x 20. No fail.
2.
First Movement - 10RM 2 x 8 - 10. No Fail. 3 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 1 x 10 with 12 RM. No fail.
3.
First Movement - 7RM 2 x 5. No Fail. 4 minutes rest.
2nd movement - 5RM 3 x 3, no fail. 4 minutes rest.
Follow this pattern for loading / unloading weeks....
Week 7 - Normal.
Week 8 - Stress Sacro
Week 9 - Stress load / myofibril
Week 10 - Normal
Week 11 - Back off.
Week 12 - Stress Sacro
Week 13 - Stress load.
Week 14 - Back off.
Week 15 - sleep, drink beer, chase tail, recuperate... lol.
Cheers,
G.
