My leg day, let's hear yours

I have been prioritizing my hamstrings on legdays lately to bring them up to balance with the quadriceps.

A.Straight leg deadlifts 4 x 8-15
seated hammerstrength leg curls 4 x cluster sets of 4-4-4-4 10 seconds between cluster reps 16 total i up the weight when I reach 16.

B.Barbell squats 4-5 x 8-12
leg extensions 4 x 12-15

C.Feet up high and forward hack squats 3 x 12-15

I do my calves on different days.
 
When you guy do stiff leg DL do you use a lot of weight? Or even try to progress weight?
They are in my new routine, never did them before but I've found I don't need much weight for the stretch.
I've just been working with 135.
 
When you guy do stiff leg DL do you use a lot of weight? Or even try to progress weight?
They are in my new routine, never did them before but I've found I don't need much weight for the stretch.
I've just been working with 135.


I try and progress everything, after a point they're would be no point in lifting that if you weren't making strength/size gains... I would just be careful and take it easy if you're just starting to do them as you can f*** your back pretty easy with bad form
 
When you guy do stiff leg DL do you use a lot of weight? Or even try to progress weight?
They are in my new routine, never did them before but I've found I don't need much weight for the stretch.
I've just been working with 135.[/QUOTE/]

I rarely increase weight with SLDL.... Reps increase but not weight, it's a stretch move so like u said a lot of weight is not needed... Too much you could pull something... Do them slow, don't try to go too fast.. Of course if they become too easy then increase the weight.... I do reps of 15-25 with 60 or 90 second rest periods...
 
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When you guy do stiff leg DL do you use a lot of weight? Or even try to progress weight?
They are in my new routine, never did them before but I've found I don't need much weight for the stretch.
I've just been working with 135.

So some ppl take SLDL to mean different things, in my eyes there are two approaches: 1) performing the lift on a platform with the back rounded in the same manner that one might reach down and touch there toes, or 2) with a straight back in a manner more similar to an RDL (can be on or off a platform depending on how flexible you are). I am dismissing the single leg variations cus I think theyre irrelevant at this moment.

Anyhoo, if you're performing them more like an RDL (with the back straight) then I would say you can safely progress in weight down to about a 6 rep range, and there's plenty of OLY lifting programs that would call for this as evidence that it is an accepted/safe practice. I would not personally work this lift with any weights that allowed only sub-6 reps. And, if you're primarily concerned with the stretch aspect, performing the lift this way gives more of a significant stretch to the actual "belly" of the hamstring (as opposed to stretching more towards the insertion point of the hammy when you use a rounded back).

If you round your back, then yeah, stick with higher reps.

My preference is the straight back. Orrrr, just do RDL's cus they're the shit![:o)]
 
For my legs i only use Squats and the different versions of Deadlifts.Regular D.L.,Rom D.L. and the Stiff-legged-D.L. which should be called the Bent-legged D.L. because you should not do this movement with your knees not slightly bent.I do not use any kind of a machine.leg extensions,Leg Press and for that matter i dont even do leg curls.I just love when i see a leg routine in the muscle mags. which they are doing squats,leg press,leg extension and so on.I feel that the sets that you suse on the others should be used on squats and the Rom deadlift for the quads and hamstrings.I'm old school baby and them bodybuilders from the 50's and 60's like John Grimek,Reg Park,Bill Pearl,they blow away these cartoonish looking bodybuilders mthat what we have today. Back then a competitor on contest day was able to lift almost what they were doing in training and today' bodybuilders on contest day are as weak as hundred year old women.
 
Another leg day : Still pouring rain here so I drove into the local collage gym and did 8 sets total Hack Squat machine getting up to 410lbs and 6 sets leg press getting up to 525lbs , 10 reps on each . plus calves 5 sets ; a nice break from regular squats . Next legger will be heavy squats ATG . :D
 
Another leg day : Still pouring rain here so I drove into the local collage gym and did 8 sets total Hack Squat machine getting up to 410lbs and 6 sets leg press getting up to 525lbs , 10 reps on each . plus calves 5 sets ; a nice break from regular squats . Next legger will be heavy squats ATG . :D

How do you like the hack squat machine? Zack Kahn blew his knees out on one of those so I'll never use one...
 
How do you like the hack squat machine? Zack Kahn blew his knees out on one of those so I'll never use one...

I love the Hammer-Strength hack squat , truly . When my rotator cuff or bicep hurts from BB squats I take a break and do hacks .
You've got to remember the carrage weighs 45lbs , so add 45lbs to the total . I do 2 sets no weights then add 2-45"s ,3-45"s .4-45"s , so on .
I never go for maxes , just a good workout .
You can blow your knees out on anything . I think the Smith machine is more dangerous than the Hack Squat , but thats me....:D
 
^^^ I see J.Ballz likes the hack squat too , cool . I'm not a big machine guy , but the hack squat is invaluable to me .
The first couple times I used one I couldnt walk right for days , and it was all in my quads , instead of my glutes . That sold me .
I've been using the HammerStrength hack for a solid year now and wish I had the bucks to buy one , I would. :rolleyes:
 
^^^ I see J.Ballz likes the hack squat too , cool . I'm not a big machine guy , but the hack squat is invaluable to me .
The first couple times I used one I couldnt walk right for days , and it was all in my quads , instead of my glutes . That sold me .
I've been using the HammerStrength hack for a solid year now and wish I had the bucks to buy one , I would. :rolleyes:

I'm with you there bro. Hack Squat all the way for me.
 
^^^ I see J.Ballz likes the hack squat too , cool . I'm not a big machine guy , but the hack squat is invaluable to me .

The first couple times I used one I couldnt walk right for days , and it was all in my quads , instead of my glutes . That sold me .

I've been using the HammerStrength hack for a solid year now and wish I had the bucks to buy one , I would. :rolleyes:


Ha! I was more so agreeing with no maxes, smith's are dangerous, and you can blow your knees out on anything..

I do like the hack for variation but definitively not over the real free weight squat.. ;) :D
 
Yeah guys have blown there knees out doing regular back squats as well.. I saw a few videos of guys doing it I'll try to find em... I remember Zack Khan saying he liked that machine but he wished he'd never used it and doesn't recommend it to anyone for fear of injury. He seems to think the risk of injury is greater on that machine than back squatting... I dont know if it's the same machine your talking about though, I'll try to find a picture of it.
 
I had similar experience with hack squat machines. I can't figure out why it puts so much pressure on my knees for me.

I have training partners that swears by them. Back squats don't put much pressure on my knees, just make sure your knees don't pass your feet.
 
I had similar experience with hack squat machines. I can't figure out why it puts so much pressure on my knees for me.

I have training partners that swears by them. Back squats don't put much pressure on my knees, just make sure your knees don't pass your feet.

You know in all my years of weightlifting (3 decades) I've yet to hurt my knees . I have injured every other part of my body , but knees , nope (knock on wood)
Maybe its my short stature (5'5") I have different legs than alot of guys , short thighs with long calves .
I think body geometry has something to do with injuries , leverage and such.....:confused:
 
Right now, training legs in waves trying to push up my 1RM as much as possible. Got this program from a real solid bro, and its working great. Starting my 3rd cycle this week. One squat day per week.

Wk 1: 60% max x 10 sets of 2 speed squats with pause in hole. I keep the bar on my back for first 5 sets and basically rest/pause. Rack after set 5, take 30-45 secs and then finish. It's brutal.
Wk 2: 70% max 3 x 5
Wk 3: 80% x 5 x 3

Bump %'s to 65%, 75%, 85%, run again, then retest max and adjust.

Accessory work (all 5 sets of 10):
Glute Bridges, SLDL, Front Squat

Calf work 2x per week.
 
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