Mark B. from Ridgefield, New Jersey, sent us his leg workout to critique. See his original, below, followed by our edit.
Exercise
Sets
Rep
Leg Extension
4
12-15
Squat
4
10
Leg Press
4
12-15
Dumbbell Lunge
2
15
Leg Curl
5
10-15
Standing Calf Raise
3
20
Seated Calf Raise
3
20
M&F Rating: B+
Mark’s New Workout
Exercise
Sets
Rep
Barbell Squat
5
10
Walking DB Lunge
3
15
Leg Curl
5
10-15
Standing Calf Raise
3
20
Seated Calf Raise
3
20
Our Advice:
Your routine has plenty of variety, but this is too much work for nearly anyone but an elite bodybuilder to recover from. Let’s turn the volume down by removing the leg extension—probably the least effective move on your list. The leg press works the quads in much the same way as the squat, so that’s redundant too. You can compensate for this by adding another set to the squat and lunge, and then go home, eat, and sleep. In this particular case, doing a little bit less will add up to some big-time gains.
