Come train with the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger - Training & Foot Tips

There are many unique training principles you can use to build bigger, stronger quadriceps. I should know because I've tried just about everything during my competitive career to get my legs to match my chest, back, and arms. Since I was willing to try anything, I was able to develop a pair of quadriceps that helped me win seven Mr. Olympia titles. Here are four of my favorite leg training principles.

Use more reps

A universal rule of thumb for gaining mass is a rep range between 8-12. With leg training, I've always found - and the research backs me up - that more reps produce bigger gains. I've had great results with squats, lunges, leg presses and overhead presses when I do sets of 15-20 reps. That doesn't mean you should use light weights on your legs, though; I always loaded up as much as I could, even at higher rep ranges.

Go deep

Of all the factors that prevent people from gaining decent leg volume, I think range of motion is one of the most crucial. So many exercisers get about halfway down on squats, leg presses and hacken squats at most, sometimes even less. You'll never get your quadriceps to their max if you do half squats. On each repetition, you should reach a point where your thighs are parallel to the floor or parallel to the machine platform on leg presses and hacken squats. And I'm a big fan of occasionally going below parallel - almost so deep that my butt touches my ankles - even if it means going a little lower with the weight.

Practice lunges on the multipress

Lunges are a great exercise for building quadriceps, but free-weight exercisers often don't realize their full potential. Lunges with a large axle limit balance, and many gym-goers have to use smaller weights as a result. With single-arm weights, you run the risk of exercising your arms and forearms significantly more than your legs, which means you won't always fully fatigue your legs.

The solution is lunges on a fixed multipress, where 1) the machine helps with balance and 2) you don't have to hold the weights in your hands, but on your back.

Practice supersets

Supersets are great for quadriceps mass. Be aware, however, that safety is always an issue with the legs, and machine exercises tend to be safer than free weight exercises in this regard. Your legs will be very tired during a superset, and you won't want to risk losing your balance with weights on your back.

Below I'll show you a great quadriceps workout that uses all of the principles mentioned above. Try it the next time you do a leg workout, and see what a difference it can make to your leg development.

Note: For each repetition of squats, lunges, and hack squats, use a range of motion where, at the bottom, your thighs are at least parallel to the floor or platform of the machine.

Source: www.flexonline.com
Author: Ar nold Schwarzenegger
Translated by Jaromír Uhlíř (Cha Cha)
Original Article Title: Arnold Schwarzenegger: Get a Leg Up