Do You Need To Train Legs Heavy?

As mentioned above, using heavy weight can certainly help with lower body muscle hypertrophy and strength but heavy weights are not the only thing that will help with this. Bodyweight workouts, especially those that apply the principle of progressive overload through increased reps, sets, or even duration of workout will have similar results. But ultimately, your goals will determine how heavy you need to go on these exercises. If you are just hoping to improve your lower body strength and work on functional fitness, then it is not necessary to try to set a personal record for a back squat. The focus should more so be on completing exercises with proper form and in multiple planes of motion.

Can You Get Huge Legs Without Heavy Weights?

Yes, you can. Studies have shown that bodyweight training elicits the same results in muscle thickness and strength as traditional weight lifting does ( 5 , 7 ).

Is 3 Leg Days Too Much?

Generally, most people train a specific muscle group twice a week but in some cases others can push it up to three times a week ( 8 ). If you think that you can train legs three times a week and still have enough time to rest those muscles, thus avoiding overtraining, then you can go ahead and do it. However, remember that research shows that training a muscle group multiple times a week generally doesn’t have a significant effect on the muscles as simply training it once a week – especially if the routine done on said days is the same ( 8 , 9 , 10 ).

Is It OK To Never Train Legs?

No, it’s not. Doing so only leads to muscle imbalances which can lead to an imbalanced appearance but it can also lead to impaired functionality. Don’t just train legs either. Your weekly workout routine should work all the muscles in your body from the upper body and back, to the core, glutes and other leg muscles.

Should I Do Deadlift On Leg Day?

Yes, you absolutely can deadlift on leg day. Research shows that deadlifts are just as good as squats specifically in regard to improving lower body maximal strength and jump performance ( 11 ).