What's your lower body workout?

[cburns17]

What's everyone doing? Sprints/Q and A on days that I don't lift. Some type of long distance/cardio on days that I do. I need to get into a different routine, just looking for some good ideas.

 

[shaun]

20 min cardio stepper, Squats 4x10, Leg Press 4x10, Single leg leg press(weighted lunge more or less) 4x8 ea, Leg extensions 4x15, Single leg curls 4x15 ea, Leg curls 4x15. Seated calf raises, Donkey Calf Raises, standing calfs toes in toes out all calfs are 4x15 ea. Than another 20-30 on tmill to work out the acid in legs

 

[squeekieslayer]

20 min cardio stepper, Squats 4x10, Leg Press 4x10, Single leg leg press(weighted lunge more or less) 4x8 ea, Leg extensions 4x15, Single leg curls 4x15 ea, Leg curls 4x15. Seated calf raises, Donkey Calf Raises, standing calfs toes in toes out all calfs are 4x15 ea. Than another 20-30 on tmill to work out the acid in legs

I would need to park a wheelchair next to the treadmill to get to the car. hahaha Looks good though

I am not sure how much it has been discussed, but I started crossfitting at the beginning of last summer and truly felt like I was WAY WAY better in the mountains this year. I know it is not for everyone, but I can honestly say that it is the best I have felt since I got done with college wresting 7 years ago. I will probably never be in that type of shape again though.... and if I have to do college wrestling to get in that type of shape, I will just get used to being more tired, never doing that again.

Joe

 

[shaun]

I would need to park a wheelchair next to the treadmill to get to the car. hahaha Looks good though

I am not sure how much it has been discussed, but I started crossfitting at the beginning of last summer and truly felt like I was WAY WAY better in the mountains this year. I know it is not for everyone, but I can honestly say that it is the best I have felt since I got done with college wresting 7 years ago. I will probably never be in that type of shape again though.... and if I have to do college wrestling to get in that type of shape, I will just get used to being more tired, never doing that again.



Joe

Yes I also do a cross fit style class at the gym tuesdays and thursdays it is actually called a HIIT class at my gym tho

 

[Jager]

Apart from cycling, running and walking, squats and deadlifts.

 

[Ridge Runner]

HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training I believe.

 

[shaun]

HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training I believe.

That is exactly what that stands for

 

[Ridge Runner]

Boot camp 2X per week. Instructor is a big fan of air squats. Don't sound too bad until you do about 100 of them. Lift 2X per week mostly upper body 1 set of each lift until failure shoot for 25 reps/lift, 20 air squats and push ups between lifts for a total of 60 finish up with 20 minutes of stair stepper. Cardio 2x per week 45+ minutes each session. My legs feel hashed most of the week.

 

[jmez]

Squats, box step ups holding dumbbells, deep lunges holding dumbbells, straight legged dead lifts, toe raises. I vary throughout the year with sets and reps. Sometimes it is heavy ladders, lower rates and high reps, and circuit training.

I do various things for cadio, mixing in sprints, swimming, cross fit routines, hiking with a weighted pack and biking.

 

[justinspicher]

I try to run a couple days a week and ruck a couple days a week. I also crossfit on the mornings I run and swim each day after work. Hike or snowshoe on the weekends.

 

[tstowater]

I look at lower body workout as accomplishing two things: strength for distance and ascending/descending and buidling lung capacity. I use cycling, treadmill and other machines this time of year in addition to the weights. When weather is better, will also go outside for distance and hills. Will generally use pack and boots when outside. People around here look at you funny with a pack and boots when you are wearing shorts. I take a lot of classes at the gym for variety so I don't get into a rut. My body gets used to doing the same thing quickly and I don't get as much value from it as I do when I mix things up all the time. I don't get really good at anything, but good at a lot of things. My primary goal is to get into as good of condition as possible and still protect my body. I'm feeling the last three days in the abs and knees as I type this--changed what was going on and can tell the difference.

 

[ohhiitznik]

What are you looking for? Do you want a strength/muscle building routine designed for power? Do you want endurance with a little bit of strength that will help you for long distance treks with 50-150 lbs of pack weight on your back?

It really depends on what your goal is. Every form of squat is going to help with leg strength/endurance/power.
Overhead Squat
Front Squat
Squat
1 legged squat
Air squat

If you want to build endurance, don't do any sets with less than 20 reps. Even doing these 20 reps will increase your strength even if you are doing a very light amount of weight. You will not gain muscle mass/size like you would if you did them in low reps. But trust me if your goal is to be more mobile in the mountains without getting gassed stay away from bodybuilding lifts/splits/routines. I've been there and done that and what good is having the ability to squat 650 deadlift 800 and bench 500 going to do for you in the mountains? It will only help you if you need to move your downed elk around for processing. Or lifting up logs. Or throwing boulders.....

Also do deadlifts
Romanian (also known as the straight leg)
Barbell
Dumbell

Stay away from leg curls/extensions/leg press if you want true applicable strength. These machines will only increase muscle size, they do not help you in a functional way. Most people will argue with leg press on this one, but what good is being able to press 1000 lbs with your legs if you have no core to support it? Anybody can hop into a controlled environment and shove a bunch of weight with their quads on the leg press machine. Ask that same person to go onto a squat rack and do 30% of what they can do on the leg press and watch them collapse. The real world doesn't allow you to hop into a perfect flat back leg press machine with total core support so you can push with your legs. So why train like it?


Plyo-metrics of all types will help with endurance
Box jumps, Jumping frog squat, Jumping squat, Jumping high knees etc etc... there are many different ways to do these.

Hiking with a weighted pack, as stated before will increase all of these things in one stroke. It is probably your best exercise for the backcountry. Supplement with the others, but focus on weighted pack hiking. Nothing prepares you better for what you are planning on doing than doing what you are going to do..... It's a mouthful but its true.

 

[KMT]

Plyo and p90x legs/back routine and 2 days of downhill skiing per week during the winter. Mountain biking when it isn't ski season.

 

[RyanC]

+1 ohhiitznik!
I'm here to tell you, Overhead squats are probably the best of all the squats to work on and become efficient because they demand so much core strength! I also like doing walking overhead lunges, again a great way to incorporate your core. But incorporating all of the strength training lifts in your regiment will keep you well rounded and strong. For a quick plyometric leg workout try this.....Its called the Leg Blaster......20 Air Squats, 20 Lunges, 20 Jumping Lunges, 10 Jumping Squats. Do 3-4 rounds of that and your legs will be feeling it!! You cut all reps in half for an even quicker workout called Mini Leg Blaster. Give it a shot.

Ryan

 

[bandit1]

Crossfit 24/7. You are good to go, that's why it exists, to do "anything"

 

[Trout bum]

Running, wall squats and the incline here in colorado springs. We are very fortunate to have the incline in our backyard (2000 vertical feet in 1 mile up the old incline railway route).

 

[Snipershirt]

20 min cardio stepper, Squats 4x10, Leg Press 4x10, Single leg leg press(weighted lunge more or less) 4x8 ea, Leg extensions 4x15, Single leg curls 4x15 ea, Leg curls 4x15. Seated calf raises, Donkey Calf Raises, standing calfs toes in toes out all calfs are 4x15 ea. Than another 20-30 on tmill to work out the acid in legs

What are the benefits of doing 4 sets of single leg curls and another 4 sets of leg curls for a total of 8 sets of 15 reps? Got some stubborn legs and do a similiar w/o to include deadlifts. Thought maybe I could understand and change my w/o up a bit. Thanks!

 

[Muledeernv]

I do the single leg curls,extensions,& squats to make each leg work instead of just balancing each other out. Just my thoughts

 

[Larry Bartlett]

From November to March I skate ski 3-4 times a week, working every muscle i can feel on a variety of hills and straights. Focus on each muscle group instead of ski form...very important. Start doing distances that are comfortable (6-8 miles) then work up to 15-20 miles by mid winter. I ski every other day once I'm comfortable with 10 miles regularly...rest between ski days is important for muscle recovery.

From March/april to August I run 6-12 miles every other day.

Push ups and situps daily 365 days a year. As many as you can do until your muscles shake and burn.

Eat a balanced nutritional diet 365 days a year. I'm over 40 y/o now, so less protein and more veggies and whole wheat. drink more red wine than i did in my 30s.

Keep a tight body weight index, don't allow myself to go over 2 lbs from my ideal weight on any given week.

Maintain a 6-9 % body fat index, and stretch...also wear sunscreen

Trust me on the sunscreen!

larry
http://wwwpristineventures.com

 

[flyinsquirel]

Forgive my ignorance, but since I don't know I'm going to ask. What is the benefit of this? Helps reduce soreness??