Leg Day At The Mecca
December 10, 2010 by Jamin Thompson
Filed under Muscle Building, Recent Posts, Training
Yesterday I hit up Gold’s Venice Beach with my buddy Ian Lauer (who also happens to be a pro fitness model and expert trainer) to train legs.
For those of you who have never been to ‘The Mecca of Bodybuilding’ it is quite the experience.
In one corner of the gym there was a magazine shoot going on.
In another corner there was world famous trainer Charles Glass giving one of his disciples some priceless advice.
I think there was a film crew out back, and just about all of the muscle heads you see in the mags were all there doing their thing.
It was pretty cool.
I guess it is sort of like the bodybuilding equivalent of being in an NFL locker room.
This gym will make any ‘gym hero’ feel super small and insignificant because when you see some of these bodybuilders up close they are absolutely massive. It’s unreal.
And of course when you’re feeling small like an ant, what better body part to train than legs!
So when you DO train legs, don’t be a PUNK…do your squats!
Squats are HANDS DOWN the best exercise to build muscle and burn fat. Most people hate to squat because it hurts, but you know what…if you want to look like a bad ass you need to train like one.
I know…squats suck (I’d give you a hug if I could), but when you squat your body uses more muscle groups than any other exercise. Plus the hormonal response is absolutely huge!
You’ll stimulate a ton more growth hormone, testosterone, etc when you do squats because not only do squats work your legs, but they work your upper body and your abs as well. You’ll get a greater overall strength and muscle gain from squatting than you will from any other exercise.
Since squats involve such a large group of muscles that require a tremendous amount of energy, you’ll get an explosion of growth hormone and testosterone in your bloodstream.
Boom!
So if you want to build muscle and burn fat, stop air squatting and load up some weight on the bar.
I did barbell squats in this workout but I also like to incorporate a variety of squats into my training program.
I like using: Overhead squats, back squats, front squats, bodyweight squats, etc so don’t think for a second that you are stuck using a barbell only when you do squats.
You can also use kettlebells, dumbbells, sandbags, or just about any sort of free weighted object. Just make sure you stay away from the machines, especially the Smith Machine. Many people use squat machines because they feel safer and because it is a bit easier, but the problem with squat machines is that they don’t allow your body to follow the correct biomechanical movement paths that nature designed for us.
In my opinion, squat machines actually can INCREASE your chance of injury NOT reduce it! Plus you’ll never get as great of results on a smith machine as you would using free weights to squat.
If you have never done a squat before I recommend starting out doing simple bodyweight squats until you get a feel and better understanding of the movement. Once your form is good, and you feel more comfortable, you can advance to barbell back squats using no weight on the bar.
If you are familiar with back squats, you can try progressing to front squats, which are a bit more difficult.
Overhead squats are probably the hardest out of the bunch so if you are really advanced and want to give these a shot try em out. It may take a few workouts or so before you are 100% comfortable with the movement, but just start out light and work your way up.
Ian burning out on the final set using 315lbs
Squats will give you the best bang for your buck and give you the best overall results from your workouts. You will see improvements in overall fat loss, athletic performance, as well as six pack abs & muscular development so incorporate them into your training plan now!
Here’s the workout Ian and I did yesterday:
Barbell Squats – 6 sets of 10, 10, 10, 8, 4, 10 (225, 225, 245, 275, 315, 225)
I like to lower my body until my thighs are parallel to the floor. This really allows me to work my quads, hamstrings, and calves much harder.
Leg Curl – 5 sets of 15, 12, 10,10, 6 (dropset on final set)
Single Leg Press – 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, 4 each leg (begin with two 45 pound plates on each side & add a 45 to each side on each set)
Leg Extensions – 4 sets of 25 (dropset on final set)
Very basic stuff, but you don’t have to get fancy to get results.
Stay strong.
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