Bodybuilding Equipment

There are countless < font color=red>Leg workouts in magazines and books
that promise big results. Many are good workouts, but the secret
to continued progress is to keep your muscles from adapting,
while building on what you have already done. What I mean by
this is that mixing and matching great workouts just doesn’t
work very well. You do need to change your workouts frequently
to keep your muscles growing, but if you don’t plan properly,
you could be wasting time.

When you plan your workouts properly, each workout builds on
what you accomplished the workout before, so that you keep
moving forward, instead of taking steps back each time you
change workouts. A good example of this is how many Powerlifters
have trained for decades. They begin a training cycle by using
lighter weights for higher reps. The first week or two they
might do 3 sets of 8 repetitions. The next couple of weeks might
be 5 sets of 5 reps. Then they add weight and drop their reps
each week until they are ready to test themselves for a single
maximum repetition. This is usually done in a contest, with
judges and strict rules. This works well if your goal is to lift
as much as possible in one lift for one repetition.

In bodybuilding, the weight you use does not need to be as
heavy. It is more important to use muscle tension and volume of
training to stimulate the muscle to grow. A Bodybuilder might
choose 4 different exercises for a muscle group and do 4 to 6
sets of 8 to 12 repetitions for each exercise. You won’t build
as much strength training like this, as you will training like a
Powerlifter, but you should increase your muscle mass and
improve your muscle shape and definition more.

A Triathlete has fantastic endurance, especially in their legs.
They can swim, run and ride their bikes for hours on end, with
great intensity! They do not have much muscle size, and most
cannot lift much weight. They train so that they can move their
bodies as fast and as far as possible, so great strength is not
necessary, and size is counterproductive.

All of these sports have something in common. They train with a
very specific goal in mind. To achieve the best possible results
in these sports, they have to. This is even more obvious in the
case of the Triathlete, than it is for Bodybuilding and
Powerlifting. I believe that Bodybuilders and Powerlifters
should cross train once in a while to break through their
plateaus.

I have competed in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, Strongman, and
Highland Games, not to mention several mainstream sports. I
trained differently for each of them, except for the Highland
Games, which I just did for fun while I was training for Powerlifting. Out of all of those sports, I
have been most successful at Strongman. One of the things I like
the most about it, is that you have to be well rounded. Without
enough strength, you don’t stand a chance. If you are too small,
you won’t be able to move some of the implements. If you can
lift a weight, but get tired too soon, you will be left in the
dust. You also have to have unbelievable mental toughness and
desire to be successful. I mean, let’s face it, Strongman events
hurt.

The point I am making is that, as a Strongman competitor, I
need Size, Strength and Endurance. That is truer for the legs
than for any other part of the body. This is also true for other
sports that involve both quickness and power. Football,
Baseball, Rugby, Soccer, and Sprinting all come to mind. To do
that, I can’t afford to focus on Strength only, like a
Powerlifter. I can’t spend my time building size for the sake of
size either. I certainly can’t spend hours running, swimming and
biking if I want to have the power and size that I need. I
believe that I have come across a good leg workout that helps me
build Size, Strength and relative Endurance for my sport. I
still do specific event training, but that is mostly for
technique.

This workout involves doing just Squats for your legs, and doing
it once a week only. The first two weeks you perform 10 sets of
10 repetitions with only one to two minutes rest between each
set. The 10 sets of 10 routine is more commonly known as German
Volume Training and it is BRUTAL. I only do this for two weeks,
because I want strength as well. This training is excellent for
improving your endurance and it will stimulate muscle growth as
well. Be aware, that you will be very SORE for a few days after
the first week. The second week, you should be able to add some
weight to the bar and you won’t be as sore. I won’t go into
details about nutrition here, but if you want to take
advantage of the muscle growth potential of this workout, you
had better eat enough protein and good quality food.

The following two weeks you squat for 8 sets of 8 repetitions.
This is great for muscle growth because it is lower in both sets
and reps than the first two weeks, so you can use more weight,
but it is still a high volume of work to stimulate muscle mass
increases. Just like the first two weeks, you should be able to
add some weight to the second week of 8 sets of 8 reps.

Weeks 5 and 6 will be about going heavier and making the
transition from training for size, to training for strength. The
workout will be 5 sets of 5 reps of Squats. Now that we are
going heavier, it is especially important to pay attention to
proper form. Make sure to maintain an arch in your back and sit
back and down into the squat rather than allow your knees to go
out in front of your toes. I explain proper form for the Squat
in more detail on my Powerlifting Squat page. You will want to
do a couple of warm-up sets before you get to the first of your
5 heavy sets. If you haven’t been wearing a lifting belt, it is
time to start when you get to this part of the program. Just as
in the other sections, you should be able to add at least a
little weight on the second week (week 6) of this part.

The 7th and 8th week are true power training. The workout will
be 3 heavy sets of 3 reps. Warm up and then get to it. Think
pure power and get psyched up for each set. After these two
weeks, you will have completed your 8-week cycle to increase the
Size, Strength, and Endurance of your Legs. If you have done
this in preparing for a Powerlifting contest, take another week
to do 3 sets of 1 repetition, and then rest for at least 10 days
before contest day. If you are not trying to peak for a strength
contest, start over with the 10 sets of 10 and do it all over
again. You should be stronger the second time through, and well
on your way toward dramatic improvements in Size, Strength, and
Endurance.

Good luck with your training, and make sure to save some money
for some new pants with bigger legs!

Aaron Anderton No Limits Physique www.nlpbodybuilding.com

About the author:
For those who are not familiar with my name, I am a National
Level Strongman competitor in the United States. I lift stones
that weigh just under 400 pounds, flip a 900+ pound tire
routinely, and lift logs overhead. I eat regular food and drink
a protien powder, that’s it. My strength comes from my training,
and that is why you can benefit from my programs.