Legs are the most demanding body part to train, and that requires a very willing mind to push through your natural pain barrier. That’s the harsh reality. With that covered, I’ve created a six-point plan to build a set of 3-D legs.
1. MULTIPLE REP RANGES
Inducing muscle hypertrophy as quickly as possible is best achieved via multiple rep ranges (low, moderate, and high).
2. ISOMETRIC CONTRACTIONS
The pause, combined with squeezing the muscle against the resistance, ignites the involvement of high-threshold motor units, which instantly results in heightened muscle-fiber recruitment.
3. CHANGE THE ANGLE
Altering your stance on the leg press, hack squats, or regular squats is a great way to change the angle of attack on your thighs.
4. STRETCH YOUR HAMSTRINGS
This is particularly important if you sit a lot during the day, since it’s far more likely that your lower back and hip mobility will be poor.
5. BLOOD VOLUMIZATION
The fascia can be very restricting because it can suppress your muscle fiber so that it cannot expand further. Constantly flushing blood into your thighs will break down the fascia’s resistance over time and enable room for more growth. This also supports sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, which will lead to extra volume added to your thighs.
6. TENSION
Tension is the foundation of eliciting a hypertrophic response because it adds greater levels of stress on the muscle, which then leads to more high-threshold motor units becoming involved. Pay attention to eccentric (negative) phases of each rep, using a four- to five-second period on your lower rep sets, three to four seconds on your moderate rep ranges, and two to three seconds on high-rep ranges.
