I have thick legs and after a year or so of working out with a personal trainer the only way to really give them a decent workout is to put 700+ lbs on the leg press machine (it uses barbell style weight plates) and do lots and lots of reps. I work out three times a week at his personal facility but I do not have a gym membership. Even at the local gyms the highest the self adjusted stacked plate leg press machines go is 400 lbs.
Are there leg strengthening exercises that will give legs a real burning workout without having to use a gym or doing stupid things that will screw up my 55 year old back or my joints? I do enough cardio so I’m really looking for strength exercises.
I am on the eastern shore of MD which is flat as a pool table so there are no hills to bicycle up.
Do one leg at a time. Are there any free weights? Do squats.
Ride intervals on the bike switching between low and high gears. Be careful with this, do no more than 10-12 pedal strokes(each leg with a long recovery) as there is potential for knee trouble.
It’s the first time in my life I’ve ever really worked out for a really extended period (over a year now) so I really don’t know. My body is getting more fit than it’s ever been before strength wise. My legs are the size of tree trunks and are beginning to show real muscular definition for the first time ever.
I’m really not getting a post workout burn or post workout muscle soreness anymore no matter how hard I work out even though some of the exercises exhaust me. I’m too old to want to do something stupid that will screw up my joints, but I would like to keep progressing especially with the leg definition. I’ve never had defined legs and if I can get to 245 - 235 or so (which would be a relatively lean weight for me) and keep up the workout I think it’s within reach.
I like the leg press because it’s a single motion with my ass firmly planted in the seat. If I can’t get that weight in self adjusting gym machine which max (so far ) at 400 lbs I’d like to stress my legs with outdoor exercise. Something that will really make them burn with effort.
Honest (and sensible, IMHO) answer.
As for an ‘outdoor exercise’ that would be comparable, I honestly can’t think of anything that wouldn’t also be more stressful on your joints/rest of your body.
Yeah I’m kind of coming to that conclusion. Anything other than a sit down leg press is going to involve the back. I’ll just keep walking on the off days.
The human back is not as fragile as most sedentary people think it is. As long as you’re not using more weight than you can handle and focusing on good form, squats and deadlifts are both reasonably safe.
My back is fine and I want it to stay that way. One screwup with a big weight and lots of issues could ensue.
I don’t disagree with you re form, but the whole point of the leg thing (for me) is to stress my legs to the max without involving my back too much. It appears the leg press machine is the only way to achieve that.
When I was a younger blob, I used to have fun pushing my truck around an empty parking lot. A few minutes of this can be surprisingly effective, and yields the added bonus of involving the calf muscles pretty intensely. When you get bored, you can tie a heavy rope to the bumper, and start pulling. Turning around and walking backwards - again while pulling - can really light a fire in those old quadriceps. When this gets too easy, simply buy a bigger truck, as many times as necessary, or seek work in a rail yard.
This is not recommended practice near hilly terrain or in canyon country, of course.
Running up and down stairs would also be a good one. You do have a significant body mass to be moving against gravity and the down is an eccentric exercise that has huge impact, especially on that “burn” you are looking for. Try doing every other step some sets. A weighted vest would always be an option, or carrying dumbbells. For your purposes short intense sets would be best. Just make sure your cardio capacity is up to it.
Having strong legs without strong hips, back, shoulders, grip, etc. is pointless. Strength imbalances can lead to injury. One of these days you’ll go to pick up something heavy and those huge powerful legs you’re so proud of will be just fine, but something else won’t be.
Want to protect your back? Learn how to lift heavy shit without fucking yourself up.
Squats (not on a Smith machine or hack squat machine–real honest-to-god actual squats). They’ll really work your hams and glutes, which are probably weak in comparison to your quads (since you’ve only been leg pressing).
I’m of German stock so my legs are like tree trunks, too. FWIW, they were the most defined when I did step aerobics with 2 risers 3x per week. I used no weight at all, just my body weight and gravity. In fact, I stopped doing step because my legs were getting thicker and I wanted them to be leaner.
I don’t think your issue is with your muscles. I mean, obviously it isn’t if you work out all the time and can press 700 pounds. I think you’re probably correct that the issue is your weight. Just like doing ab workouts til the cows come home won’t give you a turtle shell stomach unless you go below a certain body mass, the same may be true for your legs. Simply put, fat is in the way of muscle definition.
If diet doesn’t work, hell, just wear longer shorts. You’re healthy and strong and feeling great and that’s all that really matters. No one wants to see a man in short shorts anyway.
I haven’t been only leg pressing, I do lots of calf raises and there’s another machine which works the hamstrings. But I only get about a limited time on each machine and he only lets me have the leg press once a week on leg workout day. When I asked for more time on the leg press he said my legs were big enough and getting and keeping my heart rate up during the workout was more of a priority for overall fitness which is why we kept hopping from machine to machine without a break.
But you and others raise reasonable points. Squats are probably the way to go for real development, and I have to decide if I can get over myself re my fears about tearing up my back or getting a hernia or whatever.
