Legs and Calves Workout

LEGS

Knee Bends (warm up) -

1. Set feet shoulder width with your toes pointedslightly outward. Your arms should be in the crossed and in thestrangle position (your right hand on your left pectoral and your lefthand on your right pectoral).
2. Bend your knees slightly to put tension on your quadriceps. Asyou squat, make sure that your knees go over your toes (to prevent kneeinjuries).
3. Squat down until your quadriceps are parallel to the floor, thenreturn to the starting position. Keep your knees slightly bent at thestarting point to keep constant tension on the quadriceps and toprevent hyperextending the knees.
4. Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Squats (for mass—main emphasis is on the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and lower back) –

1. Use a squat rack with an Olympic bar and setyour grip a little wider than shoulder width. Rest the bar on yourshoulders behind your head.
2. Lift the bar off of the rack by standing straight up. Carefully step back one or two steps from the rack.
3. Set your feet shoulder width with your toes pointed slightlyoutward. Bend your knees slightly to put tension on your quadriceps.This is the starting position. As you squat, make sure your knees goover your toes (to prevent knee injuries).
4. Squat down until your quadriceps are parallel to the floor, thenreturn to the starting position. Keep your knees slightly bent at thestarting point to keep constant tension on the quadriceps and toprevent hyperextending the knees.
5. Do 5 to 6 sets, increasing the weight and decreasing the numberof reps with each set. For example: 8 reps with 135 lbs., 6 reps with155 lbs., 5 reps with 175 lbs., 4 reps with 185 lbs., 3 reps with 195lbs., and 2 reps with 205 lbs.

Leg Press (for mass—main emphasis is on the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes) –

1. Sit in the leg press machine and put your feet on the platform shoulder width with your toes pointed slightly outward.
2. Unlock the sled and hold it in place with your knees slightlybent to put tension on your quadriceps. This is the starting position.
3. Start to lower the platform, making sure that your knees go over your toes.
4. As you lower the sled, your knees should come towards yourshoulders, not into your chest. Lower the sled down until you feel agood stretch on your quadriceps, then push the sled back to thestarting position.
5. Do 3 sets: one of 8 reps, one of 7 reps and one of 6 reps. Increase the weight for each set.

Leg Extension Machine (for shaping & pump—main emphasis is on the quadriceps) –

1. Sit on the leg extension machine with your legs set behind the extension pad and your toes pointed straight ahead.
2. With your lower leg, push the extension pad forward a few inchesto put tension onto your quadriceps. This is the starting point.
3. Extend your quadriceps until your leg is completely straight.
4. Once your legs are straight and your quadriceps are flexed, lowerthe extension pad back to the starting point (remember to keep constanttension on the quadriceps).
5. Do 3 sets: one of 10 reps, one of 9 reps and one of 8 reps. Increase the weight for each set.

Lying Leg Curl Machine (for shaping & pump—main emphasis is on the hamstrings) –

1. Lie on the leg curl machine with your kneesoff of the edge of the pad. The extension pad should rest at the top ofyour Achilles tendon.
2. Curl your legs a few inches to put tension onto your hamstring. This is the starting point.
3. Lift the extension pad with your hamstring by pulling your heelstowards your glutes (keep your hips against the pad you are lying on—donot let your hips go up into the air. If you feel your hips rise duringthis motion, lower the weight).
4. Lift the extension pad as far as you can and flex your hamstringsat the top of the motion. Then return the pad to the starting position(remember not to let your leg straighten completely, as this will putpressure onto your knees and take the tension off of the hamstring).
5. Do 3 sets: one of 10 reps, one of 9 reps and one of 8 reps. Increase the weight for each set.

Stiff Leg Dead Lifts (for shaping, stretching & pump—hamstrings) –

1. Set an Olympic bar on the floor. Lay a 45 lb. plate on the floor next to the bar. Stand on the 45 lb. plate with your toes pointed forward and then setyour grip on the Olympic bar a little wider than shoulder width.
2. Bend your knees slightly and lift the bar off of the floor a fewinches, arching your back slightly. This is the starting position.
3. Raise your torso. At the top of the motion, you should be leaningforward—do not stand up completely straight. Lower the bar to thestarting point.
4. As you return to the starting point, you should feel a stretch onyour hamstrings and glutes. Keep your back arched throughout the entiremovement to keep constant tension on your hamstrings and glutes. If youfind yourself hunching over and not arching your back, decrease theweight. The more you arch your back, the more of a stretch you will geton the hamstrings and glutes.
5. Do 3 sets of 10 reps, using the same weight for each set.

CALVES

Machine Standing Calf Raises (for mass—main emphasis is on the calf muscle) –

1. Place your feet shoulder width on the step ofthe machine, standing on the balls of your feet. Keep your feet pointedstraight ahead.
2. Put your shoulders underneath the pads of the machine (the padsshould be resting on your shoulders and you should be bent forwardslightly).
3. Stand straight up. Keep your torso slightly bent to take stressoff of your lower back and keep your knees slightly bent to take stressoff of your knees.
4. Lower your heels to the floor to get a good stretch (do not overstretch, as you will injure your Achilles tendon). This is the startingpoint.
5. Raise your heels as far as you can and flex your calves at the top of the motion. Then return to the starting position.
6. Do 3 sets of 8 reps. You can increase the weight with each set, but stay with reps.

Seated Calves Raises (for shaping—main emphasis is on the entire calf muscle) –

1. Place your feet shoulder width on the step ofthe machine, standing only on the balls of your feet. Keeping the ballsof your feet set in place, move your heels towards each other so thatyour feet point slightly outward.
2. Lower your heels to the floor to get a good stretch (do not overstretch, as you will injure your Achilles tendon). This is the startingpoint.
3. Raise your heels as far as you can go and flex your calves at the top of the motion. Then return to the starting point.
4. Do 3 sets of 10 reps. You can increase the weight with each set, but stay with 10 reps.