Leg workout questions

[ALD4168]

Two questions:
1) I've been doing stiff-legged deadlifts for awhile and I always thought they worked the hamstrings. I was reading something and I saw them listed as a lower back exercise. I've never felt them in my lower back and actually the person who taught me to do them told me that you're doing them wrong if you feel them in your lower back. So, where should I be feeling them? And are they lower back or not?

2) My quads are HUGE and it's not all fat. Granted I still have to lose some weight so some of it's fat, but I remember when I was in great shape from playing soccer, my quads were still huge in comparison to the rest of my body. What can I do to keep them from getting much bigger, but still keep the muscle? The trainer I'm working with (I'm not thoroughly convinced he's an expert) has me doing leg extensions, squats using 15-20 pound dumbells, plie squats with the same weight as the regular squats, walking and stationary lunges using 10-15 lb dumbells. I can see that the muscle is still there, but I think that I'm losing some of it. I want to keep what I've got without gaining too much more, at least until I have lost the fat that I need to an can evaluate a little better. I've been avoiding the leg press because my legs got massive when I used it before (I had random men coming up to me asking what I did to get my legs that size), but I feel like I'm losing some of my muscle. Should I add it back in? Help me!

[maddie02anna]

I do deadlifts for my lower back. To the best of my knowledge, stiff legged dead lifts(sldl) are for your legs, but if you bend your knees and then sorta arch your back when you come up, it's for lower back. I only do them for my lower back, I've never done SLDL. Hope my explanation helps. I don't know if arch is the proper word I want, maybe someone else can help out too.

[Bex]

Yep, SLDLs are for the legs and regular deads are for the lower back. See the difference in the
exercise tab above.

[sta63bmx]

You will usually feel SLDL some in the lower back. I have a post in my sig explaining my approach to SLDL form. It was literally a breakthrough for me, and something that allowed me to target hamstrings much better and make life easier on my lower back. Feel free to make fun of the haiku...

[Debbie9999]

I LOVE doing SLDLs for my legs. In fact, I have a barbell but I don't have much weight for it and I use all of it for SLDLs. Regular deadlifts would require more weights that I do not have. So, SLDLs are the only type of deadlifts that I can do right now.

Also, this is going to sound weird, but I sort of do regular deadlifts using a low cable pulley. Its the same form but instead of holding a BB, I hold a rope. (This is how much I want to do deadlifts without the right equipment).

[soccerchick]

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ALD4168 said:

2) My quads are HUGE and it's not all fat. Granted I still have to lose some weight so some of it's fat, but I remember when I was in great shape from playing soccer, my quads were still huge in comparison to the rest of my body. What can I do to keep them from getting much bigger, but still keep the muscle? The trainer I'm working with (I'm not thoroughly convinced he's an expert) has me doing leg extensions, squats using 15-20 pound dumbells, plie squats with the same weight as the regular squats, walking and stationary lunges using 10-15 lb dumbells. I can see that the muscle is still there, but I think that I'm losing some of it. I want to keep what I've got without gaining too much more, at least until I have lost the fat that I need to an can evaluate a little better. I've been avoiding the leg press because my legs got massive when I used it before (I had random men coming up to me asking what I did to get my legs that size), but I feel like I'm losing some of my muscle. Should I add it back in? Help me!


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i can completely relate. i have recently started to just work my legs in the higher rep range (12-15 to failure) hoping to not gain any more size on them! its still too early to see any changes, but its what i decided to try.

[Tuf]

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ALD4168 said:
2) My quads are HUGE and it's not all fat. Granted I still have to lose some weight so some of it's fat, but I remember when I was in great shape from playing soccer, my quads were still huge in comparison to the rest of my body. What can I do to keep them from getting much bigger, but still keep the muscle? The trainer I'm working with (I'm not thoroughly convinced he's an expert) has me doing leg extensions, squats using 15-20 pound dumbells, plie squats with the same weight as the regular squats, walking and stationary lunges using 10-15 lb dumbells. I can see that the muscle is still there, but I think that I'm losing some of it. I want to keep what I've got without gaining too much more, at least until I have lost the fat that I need to an can evaluate a little better. I've been avoiding the leg press because my legs got massive when I used it before (I had random men coming up to me asking what I did to get my legs that size), but I feel like I'm losing some of my muscle. Should I add it back in? Help me!

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I used to want to train my legs for maintenance so I asked about it and I received this advice:

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Venom said:
I would still do compound movements, i.e. squats, and leg press. But go lightweight, and work on form. 20,15,12 rep range is good. You'll hit some 1a/11a fibers.

I would work on tie-ins as well; the most beneficial exercise for this is the lunge. Any variation of them. Again, go high rep and focus on getting an optimal stretch, and exploding of your heal at the bottom. This will develop the gloat hamstring tie in, and particularly condition the teardrop on your quads. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Excellent exercise.

Other isolation exercises are leg extensions, sissy squats, dumbbell hamstring curls, and bootstrapers. And you'll find a plethora of weapons to utilize in the exercise section.

Overall, work on conditioning and symmetry. Cardio will be beneficial as well. I would also check out the 13-week diet for some more tips on the conditioning a muscle. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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FYI: he meant the 13 week workout program rather than the diet. Also, if you are not familiar with them, here is a description of boot strappers (these hurt [img]/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]):

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Venom said:
Boot Strappers

This exercise works the entire lower body, and many regard it as superior to any other bodyweight lower body exercise ever invented. Believe me, your legs will be on fire using this. I prefer using these as a finisher in a superset. For example, squats supersetted with boot strappers.

Implementation: ( A )The starting position is usually the most difficult for people to visualize. They either have their hands too close to their feet (or fingers under their toes!), too far away to maintain balance or their arms are inside their legs creating potential elbow damage. The starting position is crucial to performing Boot-Strappers correctly, so learn to set yourself up right the first time and keep it up every time! ( B ) Start by squatting down and balancing yourself, momentarily, on your toes and get into position by slowly leaning forward and putting your hands on the ground just forward of your shoulders. Make sure to keep the toes pointed forward with heels off the ground, and that your knees are together. Relax your body and maintain a 60-40% weight distribution between ( C )From the starting position all you have to do is try to straighten your legs and stop when your heels touch the ground. From there bring your Glutes back down until they touch your heels and you've completed 1 repetition (or half a repetition if you're doing these in 4-count fashion).

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