If you want to find a bodybuilding or powerlifting article on how to train for power and strength, you haven’t come to the right place. By now you should know that heavy squats, leg presses, stiff-legged deadlifts, and calf raises are the core movements you should be utilizing to add beef to your legs. Four to five sets of each in the 8 to 10 repetition range, coupled with a pile of food and sleep, and you’re going to have some legs ready for growth.

Now, that being said, such a heavy workout isn’t always what you’re looking for. If you’re a perma-bulker who spends his lifetime padded at 20% body fat, this should work fine. However, there are going to be times when this sort of brutal training routine isn’t going to be right for you. Maybe you have the muscle you desire, and you just want to bring out definition in your legs while growing your upper body. Or, perhaps you’re in a pre-contest phase and you know that your joints lack the fat and water to support you during heavy squats. If you have some long-term soreness or even tendonitis setting in, then you will benefit tremendously by avoiding the heavy stuff. Here is such a workout, designed to give your legs a pump without placing too much strain upon the knees.

Leg Extensions
Keep it fast and simple. Knock out 3 to 4 sets of medium-speed repetitions with less than 60 seconds between sets. Go for the burn!

Low repetition hack squats
This will be the only heavy movement for front thighs, but it will be quite the effective one. Fur sets of 8 to 10 reps using this safe and guided movement will activate those fast-twitch muscle fibers to ensure every muscle group in the legs is doing its share of the work!

High repetition leg press
Jump to the leg press machine and nail down 3 to 4 quick sets with about 90 seconds’ worth of rest in between.

High repetition barbell lunges
Finish off your thighs with some very light weight, slow speed barbell lunges. Your repetition range should be 15 to 25. You’ll notice your hamstrings and glutes will receive quite a workout from this movement as well!

Stiff-legged deadlifts
Tackle the hamstrings with some moderate-weight, midrange repetition deadlifts. Three to five sets will suffice.

Seated leg curl machine
Finish off your leg day with some high speed, light weight leg curls using the seated leg curl machine, if your gym has one. Traditional lying leg curls will suffice if your equipment is limited.

You may notice this routine does not challenge the bodybuilder to train with squats. Today’s workout is dedicated to finding the best possible pump and drawing the greatest available amount of blood to the legs, not scorching the knees or pushing for massive numbers. At this point in your training year, you aren’t concerned with adding pure unadulterated mass, as is the use for squats. This routine will help to set your legs on fire so that veins and etching can emerge. Now get to work!

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