How to increase leg strength? Ever wanted to increase leg strength? Keep reading and we tell you how to get stronger legs.
In the fitness world, the focus often used to be placed on the upper body. People would say “Monday is for the upper body”. And they would train focusing only on what they can see in the mirror.
Legs Feed the Wolf
Skipping leg training is a huge mistake. Leg strength is incredibly important in daily life, at work and in sports. And, of course, many people desire toned leg muscles, including glutes, for the aesthetic value. Regardless of why you want strong legs, we can help you earn them.
Strong legs
First, to get stronger legs you need to train them properly. That means you can’t skip leg day. When left on their own, many people don’t have a precise plan. So they end up missing training days, training some parts too often and others too little, lifting with poor technique, and doing the wrong exercises, sets and reps with the wrong loads for their goals.
We solve all those problems by telling you exactly what to do to accomplish your personal goals. We give you a precise plan, and we coach you to perform movements properly so you optimize your results.
For example, a 50 year old man might want to start with goblet box squats to start improving his leg strength. Someone who wants to look better in short shorts might do 3-4 glute-specific exercises. In both examples the clients need a specific plan.
Suggestions for on your own
If you’re on your own, you’ll need to determine the right movements, sets, reps, loads and rest intervals for your goals. That can be complicated, but we’ll give you a few general tips:
- To build raw strength, use 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps squatting to a box. Rest 3-5 minutes between sets.
- To add muscle (which will help increase strength), use 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps, with 60-90 seconds of rest between sets.
- To improve muscular endurance (and build a bit of strength), use 2-3 sets of 12-20 reps, with about 30 seconds of rest between sets.
- Train your low back and hips. Lots of people will skip the low back training and fail to reach their goals. We utilize a Reverse Hyper and an ATP to ensure we are not forgetting our hips and our backs.
- Train legs at least 2x a week with 48-72 hours between leg workouts. Best is 72 hours.
As for exercises, you have a huge variety available to you and you can select according to your goals, your preferences, and the equipment available to you.
Heavier weights are needed
Here’s a quick tip many people need: To build leg strength, heavier loads are required. As you can see above, you build muscular endurance with sets of about 20 reps and you’ll have to use lighter loads. You’ll build a little strength with that formula, too, but it’s best for improving endurance.
To focus more on strength, perform fewer reps with loads that challenge you. In some cases, that might require equipment you don’t have. For example, a strong person might require a barbell and 200 lbs. of weight or more for optimal strength training. And you’d definitely want to make sure you’re lifting with great form. We have all the equipment and expertise to help with that.
Get results!
The general summary: To get stronger legs, you need to train them regularly with relatively heavy loads. Adding in lower back and hip training as accessories helps ensure you don’t get injured. The exact plan will vary according to your goals and fitness level.
If you have any questions about exactly how to build leg strength or want to talk about how a coach can help you become stronger fast, contact us here.
OC has been operating in Bend, Oregon since May, 2009. OC is the premier CrossFit, Personal Training and Sports Performance gym in central Oregon.
