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by Tony Gjokaj March 03, 2020 6 min read
Nothing completes a physique more than strong legs. Legs have always been one of my favorite muscle groups to train because I genetically had strong legs, to begin with.
Today, I train them about 2-3 times weekly, and I love them even more: I typically always look forward to my leg days.
In this article, I wanted to simplify the Quadriceps and Hamstrings so that you can optimize your leg workouts. After this, I believe you're going to appreciate the legs a lot more - you'll give your legs the respect they deserve on leg day.
Let's get into it!
The legs are muscles that are very similar to the structure of the arm. Think of the legs as the "arms in the opposite direction": the quads extend (“triceps”) while the hamstrings curl (“biceps”). In this section, we are going to divide the legs into the front of the thigh (Quadriceps) and the back of the thigh (Hamstrings) so that we can simplify the anatomical function of both.
The Quadriceps are the muscles that are on the front of the thigh. They consist of four major muscles: the Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Medialis, Vastus Intermedius, and rectus femoris.
These four main muscles contribute to the following functions:
The Hamstrings, similar to the Quads, consist of four main muscles: semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris short, and long head. The semimembranosus and semitendinosus are the innermost muscles of your hamstrings while the biceps femoris muscles are the outermost muscles.
The Hamstrings’ functions are of the following:
In understanding these muscular functions, you can strategize in training the hamstrings in an effective and efficient pattern.
Hamstring development is not too complicated as there are only a few ways to train them. Think of your deadlift exercises as "stretching" the hamstrings and our leg curl exercises as "flexing" the hamstrings.
Repeat your exercises of choice weekly, and do 10-16 sets weekly. You will see solid hamstring development overtime.
There you have it: a definitive guide to Leg training.
I hope this has helped you find some motivation in crushing your next leg day and even gave you that epiphany to actually put in some extra work on your legs.
If this article helped you, or if you would like to chime in, throw your thoughts in the comments below.
Until next time legion, go crush it!
Tony is the Owner of Reforged. He is a PN1 Certified Nutrition Coach and has been in the fitness space for over a decade. His goal is to help millions exercise their way out of depression and anxiety.
by Tony Gjokaj April 25, 2023 3 min read
Exercise can feel like a chore, and even if you know it’s good for your health, the motivation to get moving sometimes just isn’t there.
But it doesn’t have to be a burden - by making exercise meaningful to you, it can become something fun and rewarding!
Here are five ways to make exercise more meaningful!
by Tony Gjokaj October 07, 2022 4 min read
Men, I know what it is like to be overweight and depressed.
Not having the energy to do anything but relax and sleep.
While relaxation and sleep are incredibly important, they can make us feel like we are not making progress in our lives.
And when depression hits, it’s very difficult to push through with exercise and weight loss.
But did you know that even though it takes time and some effort, you don’t need to get obsessively crazy over it?
In fact, with just a few small adjustments, you can lose weight, fight back against depression, and take your life back.
If you're serious about shedding pounds and pushing away those depression demons, here are five tips that can help get you started.
by Tony Gjokaj September 05, 2022 4 min read
A few weeks ago, my buddy Grant and I talked about nutrition.
We talked about how he's lost over 120 pounds so far with the weight loss progress he's been making.
This is all because he has been making healthier decisions over time.
One of the newest challenges he's facing right now is he's got a new job. He's working 10 to 12 hour days with physical demanding labor.
And what's been happening for him is that he's been super exhausted, he's not motivated to meal prep, he's having trouble trying to sit down and cook foods doesn't have the energy doesn't have the time.
So what I propose is five tips that you can use to live a more on the go fast food healthy eating lifestyle.
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