The Ultimate Guide to Strength Training for Strong Legs

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Laura asked: "If I only did squats, like 8 sets with moderate weight 8-12 reps, would that be sufficient for leg day?"


Hi Laura,

You're right, it can be sufficient, when we are consistent about it.

Consistency is our key to any fitness journey.

But we are also mindful about muscle memory, which is our muscles' ability to adapt to repeated movements. After a while, our muscles will get used to the same routine and stop growing as quickly.

To keep our muscles challenged and growing, we need to incorporate variety into our workouts. This could mean

  • changing up the weight,
  • the number of reps,
  • the rest periods, or even
  • the type of exercise altogether.

By keeping our muscles guessing, we'll keep them stimulated and growing.

Our squats should be challenging, and we should be lifting a weight that is heavy enough to fatigue our muscles in 8-12 reps.

Here is a sample leg day workout that incorporates a variety of exercises:

Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio, followed by dynamic stretches.

Cool-down: 5 minutes of static stretches.

You might also consider alternating between different squat variations, such as

This will help to keep your muscles challenged and prevent them from adapting.

Another thing to keep in mind is that we need to gradually increase the weight or intensity of our workouts over time. This is called progressive overload, and it's essential for muscle growth.

How to do that?

A good rule of thumb is to increase your weight or intensity by 10–15% every 2–3weeks.

If we keep doing the same workout with the same weight, our muscles will eventually get used to it and stop growing.

There's a story about Noah's Ark. Noah was instructed by God to build an ark to save himself, his family, and two of every animal from a worldwide flood. Noah followed God's instructions carefully, and he built the ark exactly as God had told him.

When the flood came, the ark was the only thing that survived. Noah and his family, and the animals, were all safe.

This story teaches us that it's important to follow instructions carefully, especially when it comes to building something important. In our case, the important thing is our fitness.

So, Laura, if we want to build strong legs, we need to follow our workout plan carefully. We need to

  • lift weights that are challenging, and
  • do a variety of exercises.

If we do that, we will be well on our way to achieving our fitness goals.

Hope this helps. If it does, please

  • UPVOTE,
  • COMMENT, &
  • SHARE.

May you be blessed with the power of David and the wisdom of Solomon.

Faithfully yours,

Strength Training with Gary

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