# Leg workouts that don't involve putting a bar on your shoulders? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-workouts-that-dont-involve-putting-a-bar-on-your-shoulders/540502 "2010-05-23T21:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-workouts-that-dont-involve-putting-a-bar-on-your-shoulders/540502/21 "2010-05-25T05:23:14Z")
> [@The\_Great\_Philosopher](#): > > I do a lot of running and I will probably do some plyometrics, but as people have pointed out, these exercises aren’t really what I’m looking for. I’m looking for gym-based exercises that use heavy weights to build muscle mass and strength.. All I do is walk (and climb stairs) and my legs look like they are carved out of solid oak. I mean, I get whistles from the ladies when I don my shorts, and I am over 50 and heavy set. That being said, I do both a lot, walking 6 miles over hills (with a small pack) almost every Sat & Sun, and 3-4 20-30 minute walks every day during the work-week. And, there’s the 2 looong flights up to my apartment, etc. And I have doing both for a couple of decades. My legs have plenty of _muscle mass and strength_. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-workouts-that-dont-involve-putting-a-bar-on-your-shoulders/540502/22 "2010-05-25T14:14:04Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Thanks. That was enough for me to focus on lower body higher weights tonight, including squats. (Although I fear my form is crap, despite having watched the clips. I have a home gym set-up - free weights, rack, barbell and dumbbells, dip bar - and make do the best I can) Pick up a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe if you can. He goes into great detail about squat form in that book - an entire 50-page chapter. > [@DSeid](#): > > Also, how do you balance and periodize your weight training and your various endurance work-outs, or do you emphasize interval work even for half-Ironman distances and above? I haven’t competed in a triathlon in about 4 years, after my daughter was born I didn’t have the time to do all the training. I’m just a distance runner now (primary focus is 10k to 1/2 marathon distance), because I can always find time to run. When I did tri’s, I lifted with an upper/lower body split, and arranged my schedule so that lower body fell on swim days and upper on bike or run days. I also didn’t lift as heavy as I do now, as I considered lifting to be supplimentary to everything else. Nowadays, I schedule so that weights are followed either by a rest day or an easy day of running. I also try to separate the running and the weightlifting on the same day as much as possible, preferably running in the morning and lifting in the evening if I can manage it. > [@DSeid](#): > > Hmmm. With that explanation as a start I did a little bit of literature searching. The explanation makes sense but often that which makes sense turns out to not be true. In this case it seems like it may not be. Or at least not completely true. Yeah, I should’ve mentioned that studies have been mixed, the research is still out on the subject. > [@DSeid](#): > > Another question: is there any recommendation of what kind of ratio is preferred for bench RM-1 to squat RM-1? Here’s a [page of weightlifting performance standards](http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/StrengthStandards.htm) that breaks down typical performance by gender, body weight, and experience. Also, it’s often said that a good goal to shoot for is to be able to overhead press 75% of your body weight, bench your body weight, squat 1.5x body weight, and deadlift twice your body weight. Although, those are just averages and real individuals vary depending on their physiology and will hit some numbers easier than others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leg-workouts-that-dont-involve-putting-a-bar-on-your-shoulders/540502.md?page=1)