Normally, I train legs at the gym because I need - or I think I do, anyway - a leg press, leg extension, leg curl and so on. I don't have any of this equipment in my home gym. Yesterday, I was either going to train at home or not at all for various reasons.
So, I did some of what my wife's trainer (who is a woman, and has the most stupendous legs I've ever on a woman in person) has her do when they do legs in our home gym.
I did a bunch of squats, which I normally do, but did a little more of than normal. After a few warmup sets, starting with the empty bar, then 135, then 185, I got to the "work" sets:
225 x 10 (this might be considered a warmup set, at least on the way "up")
275 x 8
315 x 6
325 x 5
330 x 5
330 x 5
315 x 5
Then I switched to what my wife's trainer calls "Sumo squats", which my wife does with a dumbbell held in front of her - I did it with a barbell). These are very wide stance squats.
300 x 5
295 x 5
290 x 5
285 x 5
275 x 5
225 x 8
I followed squats with stiff leg deadlift for 4 sets:
95 x 10
115 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
The above I normally do at the gym, but not as many sets. I'll then move to leg press. At home, I next went on to "jumping lunges" with dumbbells in each hand. If I do lunges during a routine workout, I do barbell lunges. These jumping lunges go like this: step forward and into lunge position, then dip back knee down to the floor and push back up with front leg until full extension; then back down again, dipping back knee to the floor. Now, explode up with forward leg (both legs, really, but mainly the forward leg) and jump up, switching leg position so that the forward and back leg switch position. Repeat. After the above is done with the 2nd leg forward one rep is completed. I was unable to do more than 8 reps with 35 lb dumbbells in each hand. I did 3 sets of these and on the last one reached exhaustion on the 7th rep. When I jumped and switched legs for the 8th rep, I actually toppled over until the dumbbell hit the ground and stopped me!
Next up were "step ups" onto a box with 35 lb dumbbells. This is a relatively tall box, so that stepping up onto it puts my leg at about a 90° angle, thigh parallel to the floor. Step up on the box with one leg, follow with the other; then step down with the first leg and back up again so that the second leg is now doing the work. That's one rep.
I ran out of time, so I only did 1 set of these (10 reps).
I'll tell you what, I got a much better workout than I thought I would, doing these "girly" exercises! (Squats are not included in "girly" exercises).
So, I did some of what my wife's trainer (who is a woman, and has the most stupendous legs I've ever on a woman in person) has her do when they do legs in our home gym.
I did a bunch of squats, which I normally do, but did a little more of than normal. After a few warmup sets, starting with the empty bar, then 135, then 185, I got to the "work" sets:
225 x 10 (this might be considered a warmup set, at least on the way "up")
275 x 8
315 x 6
325 x 5
330 x 5
330 x 5
315 x 5
Then I switched to what my wife's trainer calls "Sumo squats", which my wife does with a dumbbell held in front of her - I did it with a barbell). These are very wide stance squats.
300 x 5
295 x 5
290 x 5
285 x 5
275 x 5
225 x 8
I followed squats with stiff leg deadlift for 4 sets:
95 x 10
115 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
The above I normally do at the gym, but not as many sets. I'll then move to leg press. At home, I next went on to "jumping lunges" with dumbbells in each hand. If I do lunges during a routine workout, I do barbell lunges. These jumping lunges go like this: step forward and into lunge position, then dip back knee down to the floor and push back up with front leg until full extension; then back down again, dipping back knee to the floor. Now, explode up with forward leg (both legs, really, but mainly the forward leg) and jump up, switching leg position so that the forward and back leg switch position. Repeat. After the above is done with the 2nd leg forward one rep is completed. I was unable to do more than 8 reps with 35 lb dumbbells in each hand. I did 3 sets of these and on the last one reached exhaustion on the 7th rep. When I jumped and switched legs for the 8th rep, I actually toppled over until the dumbbell hit the ground and stopped me!
Next up were "step ups" onto a box with 35 lb dumbbells. This is a relatively tall box, so that stepping up onto it puts my leg at about a 90° angle, thigh parallel to the floor. Step up on the box with one leg, follow with the other; then step down with the first leg and back up again so that the second leg is now doing the work. That's one rep.
I ran out of time, so I only did 1 set of these (10 reps).
I'll tell you what, I got a much better workout than I thought I would, doing these "girly" exercises! (Squats are not included in "girly" exercises).
