How to Build Bigger, Stronger Legs
Building bigger, stronger leg muscles is a goal for many athletic and fitness-minded people. The best way to achieve larger, stronger muscles is by combining a basic but intense workout routine with dietary modification.
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Instructions
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Do heavy squats. Squats are the best leg exercise for building leg muscles. No other leg exercise recruits as many leg muscle fibers or taxes them as much as squats. Heavy squatting also stimulates the body to release large amounts of growth hormone, which aids overall muscle growth. Do a heavy squat routine once or twice per week, using a weight with which you can do only six to eight reps.
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Do leg extensions. Leg extensions isolate the quadriceps and are great for adding definition to the front of the legs. Perform leg extension exercises once or twice per week, alternating the weight and the number of reps.
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Do leg curls. Leg curls isolate the hamstring muscles on the rear of the legs and are great for building leg muscle strength and size. Strong hamstring muscles also help to reduce back pain. Perform leg curl workouts once or twice per week, alternating the weight and the number of reps.
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Increase your caloric intake. A surplus of dietary calories must be consumed to provide the necessary nutrition to fuel extra muscle growth. More muscle mass also means burning more calories. Aim for an increase of about 300 to 500 calories daily, mostly from lean protein sources and/or nonfat/low-fat dairy products.
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Tips & Warnings
Gradually increase weight amounts to keep muscles stimulated
Mix up workout routines: Do high-weight/low-rep workouts one day and low-weight/high-rep workouts the next. Always give specific muscles at least three or fours days of rest between workouts to allow them to heal.
Never lift more weight than can safely be handled
Always give legs adequate time to heal after an intense weight workout (3-4) days
References
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