Ever wondered how to get stronger legs? We’ve got the answer.
In the fitness world, the focus often used to be placed on the upper body: chest, shoulders, back, bis, and tris. In fact, people used to make jokes about “skipping leg day to bench.” (Or maybe it was just me!?😂)
But that’s a mistake. Leg strength is incredibly important in daily life, at work, in sports, and for longevity. And, of course, many people desire toned leg muscles, including glutes aka your booty!
Regardless of why you want strong legs, we can help.
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 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 weights for their goals.
We solve ALL those problems at One Life. We squat, we do hinge movements like deadlifts and kettlebell swings, we do stepping movements like lunges and step-ups, and we do a lot of carries and sled pushes which are great for cardio, core, lower back, grip strength, and the legs.
Here are a few general tips for building strength: (if you’re a client of ours we take care of this for you)
To build strength, use 3-5 sets of 1-5 reps, with 3-5 minutes of rest between sets.
To build lean muscle (which will help increase strength), use 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps, with 2-3 minutes of rest between sets.
To improve muscular endurance (and build a bit of strength), use 2-3 sets of 12-20 reps, with about 30-60 seconds of rest between sets.
You’re also going to want to give yourself at least 48-72 hours of rest between strength sessions of the same body parts for recovery (how you actually get stronger).
This week at One Life in our Group Training we did 4-5 sets of 3-4 Front Squats on Monday and then 3-4 Sets of 5-6 Suitcase Deadlifts paired with a wall sit yesterday (Thursday). So, we had a heavy squat, one of our big, main lifts, and a heavy unilateral hinge with the suitcase deadlift with an isometric hold in the wall sit.
This year we’re doing 3-4 reps and 12-15 reps with our lifts and next year we’ll probably do 1-3 reps and 15-20 reps. We always change it up and give ourselves opportunities to get stronger and stack some wins.
The general summary: To get stronger legs, you need to train them regularly with relatively heavy loads. 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, schedule a free consultation HERE to chat.
Happy Friday,
Tim Caputo.
