My legs finally caught up with the rest of my body!

[CaptFinnBad]

Been training for like 20 years. Upper body has always responded well. Genetically my shoulders and back are my strongest body parts.

Legs have been very difficult to progress over the years. Calves I've found near on impossible to put size on.

My father has skinny legs compared to a fairly muscular upper body as did my grandfather.

Last 6 months I've practically abandoned leg training. This is the longest I've gone without squatting for a couple of decades!


I have my own business working with dogs it's really picked up over the last 6 months.

So constantly walking over all types of terrain and inclines a few hours a day 5 days a week.

It's really taken its toll on my legs many times it felt like they were over worked and the muscles torn up.

My legs have finally adapted and are no longer feeling constantly fatigued with the workload.

I still haven't got back to training legs in the gym yet.

It was a bit cold today first time in a long time. So I wore my usual chinos (haven't put them on since winter).

Stupidly right around my ass, quads and calves. Haven't really payed much attention to my leg astetics until today.

Had a good look today as my tight chino incedent. My legs are looking the best they have ever looked, despite abandoning all leg workouts in the gym.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Been training for like 20 years. Upper body has always responded well. Genetically my shoulders and back are my strongest body parts.

Legs have been very difficult to progress over the years. Calves I've found near on impossible to put size on.

My father has skinny legs compared to a fairly muscular upper body as did my grandfather.

Last 6 months I've practically abandoned leg training. This is the longest I've gone without squatting for a couple of decades!


I have my own business working with dogs it's really picked up over the last 6 months.

So constantly walking over all types of terrain and inclines a few hours a day 5 days a week.

It's really taken its toll on my legs many times it felt like they were over worked and the muscles torn up.

My legs have finally adapted and are no longer feeling constantly fatigued with the workload.

I still haven't got back to training legs in the gym yet.

It was a bit cold today first time in a long time. So I wore my usual chinos (haven't put them on since winter).

Stupidly right around my ass, quads and calves. Haven't really payed much attention to my leg astetics until today.

Had a good look today as my tight chino incedent. My legs are looking the best they have ever looked, despite abandoning all leg workouts in the gym.

This makes no sense. You didn't gain muscle from walking dogs. Either your leg workouts were very poorly designed or you have very low ability to gain muscle in your lower body and all extra walking did was strip some fat off or you weren't eating properly to support muscle growth.

I'd say it's probably a combination of all of them from my experiences with people who claim they can't get bigger legs.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

This makes no sense. You didn't gain muscle from walking dogs. Either your leg workouts were very poorly designed or you have very low ability to gain muscle in your lower body and all extra walking did was strip some fat off or you weren't eating properly to support muscle growth.

I'd say it's probably a combination of all of them from my experiences with people who claim they can't get bigger legs.

Don't believe all the articles you read on the internet, real world experience trumps it for sure.

100% my legs gained a lot more muscle mass from walking. It literally happened. Go figure.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Don't believe all the articles you read on the internet, real world experience trumps it for sure.

100% my legs gained a lot more muscle mass from walking. It literally happened. Go figure.

Sorry bro, that isn't how the body works. Chalk that one up to overactive imagination and misremembering from years ago.

 

[BillyPilgrim]

This makes no sense. You didn't gain muscle from walking dogs. Either your leg workouts were very poorly designed or you have very low ability to gain muscle in your lower body and all extra walking did was strip some fat off or you weren't eating properly to support muscle growth.

I'd say it's probably a combination of all of them from my experiences with people who claim they can't get bigger legs.

These are other people's dogs, not his so I can see an unfamiliarity factor stressing his legs.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

These are other people's dogs, not his so I can see an unfamiliarity factor stressing his legs.

No...there is physiologically ZERO chance that walking with any dogs are going to cause muscle growth more than doing squats.

That's ridiculous to even talk about.

 

[B80]

Been training for like 20 years. Upper body has always responded well. Genetically my shoulders and back are my strongest body parts.

Legs have been very difficult to progress over the years. Calves I've found near on impossible to put size on.

My father has skinny legs compared to a fairly muscular upper body as did my grandfather.

Last 6 months I've practically abandoned leg training. This is the longest I've gone without squatting for a couple of decades!


I have my own business working with dogs it's really picked up over the last 6 months.

So constantly walking over all types of terrain and inclines a few hours a day 5 days a week.

It's really taken its toll on my legs many times it felt like they were over worked and the muscles torn up.

My legs have finally adapted and are no longer feeling constantly fatigued with the workload.

I still haven't got back to training legs in the gym yet.

It was a bit cold today first time in a long time. So I wore my usual chinos (haven't put them on since winter).

Stupidly right around my ass, quads and calves. Haven't really payed much attention to my leg astetics until today.

Had a good look today as my tight chino incedent. My legs are looking the best they have ever looked, despite abandoning all leg workouts in the gym.

Definitely an argument for assessing your leg training (or any part...) if you haven;t seen decent growth over years of training them whats usually considered the optimum way. ie variations of squads, dl's, lunge, leg press and ham curls.

I'm 6"2 and naturally tall and slender. Dont get me wrong, my legs aren't total untrained sticks, but they do look thinish, albeit shape to them of course from the training despite doing all the key lifts with intensity for years. Typically ran upper lower, push pull legs, so they would get worked every 4 or 5 days. My calf insertion points are really high, when they are tensed you can see sinues, definitation, but if wearing shorts to my knees, legs, calves look thing basically and no mdoubt some will say looks like he doesn;lt train legs like his upper body, depsite training everything equally for over 20 years... never skipped a leg day because it was leg day.

Recall reading someone like Brett Contreras (glute guy lol...) opinion on it and he said squats, dl's aren't always the golden ticket many make them out to be, in terms of growth, for certain body types. He said some from his extensive experience of specializing in lower body development sometimes are better off moving to more isolation excercises for better results, despite dogma out there...

Can't recall intricacies but certainly stuck with me and a little bit relevant to your point, as no doubt some will wade in saying you just need to squat/dl etc.

Also, my brother enters natural body building shows, which I attend to support him. And when you start getting lean, its rare to see well 'stacked' legs on nattys. Lean for sure, and defined (helped by fake tan and lightening in shows...) but if you were wearing trousers, certain shorts, particularly without the fake tan stuff, your legs would probably described as thin by many, depending on muscle insertion points.

Are you sure you haven't put on a little more weight (fat?). I've never 'filled out' my trousers over the years despite all the training, dedication, intensity - apart from when I 'bulked' around 15 years back and put on fat. Apart from my glutes, as I'm somewhat blessed (I guess lol) with having a perky arse

 

[CaptFinnBad]

No...there is physiologically ZERO chance that walking with any dogs are going to cause muscle growth more than doing squats.

That's ridiculous to even talk about.

It's literally happened, you're basically arguing against fact.

What real world experience do you have in training and how long?

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Definitely an argument for assessing your leg training (or any part...) if you haven;t seen decent growth over years of training them whats usually considered the optimum way. ie variations of squads, dl's, lunge, leg press and ham curls.

I'm 6"2 and naturally tall and slender. Dont get me wrong, my legs aren't total untrained sticks, but they do look thinish, albeit shape to them of course from the training despite doing all the key lifts with intensity for years. Typically ran upper lower, push pull legs, so they would get worked every 4 or 5 days. My calf insertion points are really high, when they are tensed you can see sinues, definitation, but if wearing shorts to my knees, legs, calves look thing basically and no mdoubt some will say looks like he doesn;lt train legs like his upper body, depsite training everything equally for over 20 years... never skipped a leg day because it was leg day.

Recall reading someone like Brett Contreras (glute guy lol...) opinion on it and he said squats, dl's aren't always the golden ticket many make them out to be, in terms of growth, for certain body types. He said some from his extensive experience of specializing in lower body development sometimes are better off moving to more isolation excercises for better results, despite dogma out there...

Can't recall intricacies but certainly stuck with me and a little bit relevant to your point, as no doubt some will wade in saying you just need to squat/dl etc.

Also, my brother enters natural body building shows, which I attend to support him. And when you start getting lean, its rare to see well 'stacked' legs on nattys. Lean for sure, and defined (helped by fake tan and lightening in shows...) but if you were wearing trousers, certain shorts, particularly without the fake tan stuff, your legs would probably described as thin by many, depending on muscle insertion points.

Are you sure you haven't put on a little more weight (fat?). I've never 'filled out' my trousers over the years despite all the training, dedication, intensity - apart from when I 'bulked' around 15 years back and put on fat. Apart from my glutes, as I'm somewhat blessed (I guess lol) with having a perky arse

No not put on fat. The terrain I walk on is super hilly, uneven muddy terrain, plus the weight of whatever I'm carrying.

I haven't got the best leg genetics. Apparently they responded to walking up steep inclines and declines for 3 hours a day 5 days a week.

It's gotta be the volume of constant work that they are responding too, which makes perfect sense.

Obviously they are not going to become huge from this but it's packed on quite a bit of muscle mass.

It certainly doesn't replace strength training, but it is a blantant indicator they my legs respond better to massive volume rather than going balls to the wall on heavy sets lower rep ranges of squats.


I agree with what your saying especially regarding how bodies respond differently and their isn't a cookie cutter approach.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Recall reading someone like Brett Contreras (glute guy lol...) opinion on it and he said squats, dl's aren't always the golden ticket many make them out to be, in terms of growth, for certain body types. He said some from his extensive experience of specializing in lower body development sometimes are better off moving to more isolation excercises for better results, despite dogma out there...

Can't recall intricacies but certainly stuck with me and a little bit relevant to your point, as no doubt some will wade in saying you just need to squat/dl etc.

I'll have to check this out. I got onto training probably around 20 years ago too. I originally trained on a military base with old school powerlifters.

So it's always been heavy and on the lower rep ranges, squats deads, presses e.t.c.

My upper body absolutely loves this legs not so much. Although I can add strength, leg size has always been the issue.

My guess the heavy sets isn't putting in enough volume for my genetics. Which I think relates to what you're regarding regarding Brett Contreras saying squats and deads are not the golden ticket and some people will get better results using isolation exercises.

My take it is you can put in more volume and stress isolated areas to the max before fatigue sets in, more so than before big compound exercises.

For some with difficult to grow areas such as legs (for some) , and especially calves I think this could be key.


I suppose you just have to look at all the fat people walking around with cannon ball muscles in their calves (which they haven't trained a day in their life), the muscle development has to come somewhere (carrying their fat ass around all day).

 

[B80]

I'll have to check this out. I got onto training probably around 20 years ago too. I originally trained on a military base with old school powerlifters.

So it's always been heavy and on the lower rep ranges, squats deads, presses e.t.c.

My upper body absolutely loves this legs not so much. Although I can add strength, leg size has always been the issue.

My guess the heavy sets isn't putting in enough volume for my genetics. Which I think relates to what you're regarding regarding Brett Contreras saying squats and deads are not the golden ticket and some people will get better results using isolation exercises.

My take it is you can put in more volume and stress isolated areas to the max before fatigue sets in, more so than before big compound exercises.

For some with difficult to grow areas such as legs (for some) , and especially calves I think this could be key.


I suppose you just have to look at all the fat people walking around with cannon ball muscles in their calves (which they haven't trained a day in their life), the muscle development has to come somewhere (carrying their fat ass around all day).

Exactly that. I've done popular 5x5 routines too... not for a long time as personally dont like additional risk versus say 7-9 reps or so for compunds. I also now start leg workout with leg curls, whereas was previously always believer in main lifts first. Particularly as I train 1st thing within 30-1 hour of waking up usually.

Also the risk with 5 by 5 and lower ranges is chasing weight for weights sake. Taking longer rest periods to ensure you hit that weight or prgress each week as some popular 5x5 demand. Maybe its different where others train, but in my 20 + years of training in various commercial gyms in UK, vast majority of people squatting over 100kg or more have awful range of motion and/or poor form, lower back doing to much of the lifting. Very rare to see someone go beyond parallel (hell, even parallel seems to be rare) at all, even more so with decent form. Even when being trained by PT's. Maybe UK is full of pussies, as when I read US centric weightlifting sites, in seemed every natty was claiming to squat ATG at 150kg+ for 8 reps .

Its not a case of some competitive jealousy either, as when I see someone genuinely strong, good form, good physique have a lot of respect and think fair play to them. They are very, very small minority though ime.

Anyway, point is, lower rep high weight routines can encoruage lifting more weight at all costs, and depending on how tall you are, limb to torso ratio, you can end up with glutes/lower back doing more of the work than quads.

I was going to mention fat people with big calves when typing my earlier post .

If natty its rare to see someone probably built and ripped. As in anything over 13 stone or so... peoples definition of ripped clearly varies ime. So people look solid in clothes, but not defined at all with no top on, or even with bit of a gut. Plenty of natty competing bodybulders barely look like they lift if wearing 'normal' fitting shirts, suits a they get into single digit bodyfat. But see them in a smaller, fitted tshirt or no top, it turns peoples heads.

A lot of it is an illusion and about insertion points. I have weak (slender) calves, legs, forearms but biceps pop in no small part due to insertion points, strong v back, but not great thickness etc. They're not even particularly big on objective scale if measuring, but due to leaness, peak/'pop' etc if I wear slim fit t shirt, they get mentioned a lot, women touching/grabbing on nights out. But like I say, they're nothing big, just genetics and training them normally (only 3 sets of curls or so a week past 20 years), but plenty of weighted chins/pullups, rows etc.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

It's literally happened, you're basically arguing against fact.

What real world experience do you have in training and how long?

No, I am saying you are telling a fictional story.

25+ years and at a high enough level that all of my lifts were considered elite for my weight class and I could have competed in powerlifting competitions.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

Exactly that. I've done popular 5x5 routines too... not for a long time as personally dont like additional risk versus say 7-9 reps or so for compunds. I also now start leg workout with leg curls, whereas was previously always believer in main lifts first. Particularly as I train 1st thing within 30-1 hour of waking up usually.

Also the risk with 5 by 5 and lower ranges is chasing weight for weights sake. Taking longer rest periods to ensure you hit that weight or prgress each week as some popular 5x5 demand. Maybe its different where others train, but in my 20 + years of training in various commercial gyms in UK, vast majority of people squatting over 100kg or more have awful range of motion and/or poor form, lower back doing to much of the lifting. Very rare to see someone go beyond parallel (hell, even parallel seems to be rare) at all, even more so with decent form. Even when being trained by PT's. Maybe UK is full of pussies, as when I read US centric weightlifting sites, in seemed every natty was claiming to squat ATG at 150kg+ for 8 reps .

Its not a case of some competitive jealousy either, as when I see someone genuinely strong, good form, good physique have a lot of respect and think fair play to them. They are very, very small minority though ime.

Anyway, point is, lower rep high weight routines can encoruage lifting more weight at all costs, and depending on how tall you are, limb to torso ratio, you can end up with glutes/lower back doing more of the work than quads.

I was going to mention fat people with big calves when typing my earlier post .

If natty its rare to see someone probably built and ripped. As in anything over 13 stone or so... peoples definition of ripped clearly varies ime. So people look solid in clothes, but not defined at all with no top on, or even with bit of a gut. Plenty of natty competing bodybulders barely look like they lift if wearing 'normal' fitting shirts, suits a they get into single digit bodyfat. But see them in a smaller, fitted tshirt or no top, it turns peoples heads.

A lot of it is an illusion and about insertion points. I have weak (slender) calves, legs, forearms but biceps pop in no small part due to insertion points, strong v back, but not great thickness etc. They're not even particularly big on objective scale if measuring, but due to leaness, peak/'pop' etc if I wear slim fit t shirt, they get mentioned a lot, women touching/grabbing on nights out. But like I say, they're nothing big, just genetics and training them normally (only 3 sets of curls or so a week past 20 years), but plenty of weighted chins/pullups, rows etc.

I'm in the UK too. Lol I don't know what the yanks are putting in the water over there but it seems like they are trashing the average gym goer in comparison.

The strongest guy I know personally is my old training partner, trained on camp with him for like 7 years.

His stats are
215kg squat, 160 KG bench and 275kg dead

105kg weight class, those are his results from.a comp it's super rare to ever witness guys getting anywhere near that in gyms over here (that's my experience anyways).

Regardless... 5x5 it's alright starting out. Not sustainable long term due to the lineal progression in my opinion.

My pet hate is guys on the internet regarding training advise, it's this type of training or nothing. It seems pretty narrow minded and nieve to me.


I'm going to start mixing up my training soon. Always loved to 5,3,1 , or just pyrimid, upper body still loves this but Was thinking the other day benching that the weight is getting a bit much for my age. It's a comfortable weight, but was asking myself do I really need to be moving this much??? Like what's the point?

How much if it us ego lifting....

So seriously considering dropping the weight on everything and just exploring very high reps .


I'm getting older , physique and strength wise I'm happy where I'm at right now, so mabye it's time to sit back and just do maintenance work. Explore a bit.

 

[CaptFinnBad]

No, I am saying you are telling a fictional story.

25+ years and at a high enough level that all of my lifts were considered elite for my weight class and I could have competed in powerlifting competitions.

Don't believe me then. It really makes no difference.Congrats on your elite power lifting lifts

 

[RazorRambo24]

Yep constant walking, especially on inclines and all types of terrains will affect your legs way differently than just doing a buncha leg workouts within 45 minutes and then going home and sitting the rest of the day or w.e or not utilizing your legs as much.

Tension over time /elongated periods can help with exactly what you said-- you not feeling as worked/fatigued in your leg muscles since starting walking on all terrains for lengthy periods. Walking definitely will strengthen leg muscles, but it won't put on as much lean muscle mass, like @BackInTheGame78 is alluding to.

I Don't think it's fair to discount your experience, but perhaps the terrain you are walking on was like mountainous/hills/varying degrees of incline. If you gained muscle mass in your legs and from what it sounds like, glutes, that's pretty nice.

 

[TheEveningChronograph]

After years and years of doing squats and deadlifts primarily, and dumbbell lunges when I was a younger...I decided to experiment with progressive overload using barbell lunges. That is a crucial movement I should have used much earlier than 32...F.u.c.k. They get you toasty and sore, but damn have they ripped up my quads like I've always desired. They aren't as limiting as holding a dumbbell which always got my forearms burning in overdrive, but hey they built me some character after all...

But like I said, I started them at 32 for just under two months and I let my ego take control and I ramped this movement up to 220 lbs./100 kg's because of my preexisting leg strength from squatting and deadlifting. I definitely wound up getting hurt and just in time for the sham lockdowns of 2020 so I could recover all my sh1t. I've been hitting these hard with the other two bigass compound leg lifts this summer. Currently taking a full week off between adding too much weight/volume the week before and climbing a difficult ass mountain I've been dying to re-climb. Life is good tho, I'm sitting here drinking some Floridian craft beers.

 

[jnMissouri]

After years and years of doing squats and deadlifts primarily, and dumbbell lunges when I was a younger...I decided to experiment with progressive overload using barbell lunges. That is a crucial movement I should have used much earlier than 32...F.u.c.k. They get you toasty and sore, but damn have they ripped up my quads like I've always desired. They aren't as limiting as holding a dumbbell which always got my forearms burning in overdrive, but hey they built me some character after all...

But like I said, I started them at 32 for just under two months and I let my ego take control and I ramped this movement up to 220 lbs./100 kg's because of my preexisting leg strength from squatting and deadlifting. I definitely wound up getting hurt and just in time for the sham lockdowns of 2020 so I could recover all my sh1t. I've been hitting these hard with the other two bigass compound leg lifts this summer. Currently taking a full week off between adding too much weight/volume the week before and climbing a difficult ass mountain I've been dying to re-climb. Life is good tho, I'm sitting here drinking some Floridian craft beers.

How long did it take you to build up your legs. My upper body is jacked, just shredded. But my legs are skinny. I've been doing dumbell lunges with 100 lbs, and calf raises with the same. Sore AF, but legs stay skinny. I even do squats with 500 lbs at the gym. Sets of them, not one and done. But legs are skinny despite being strong.

 

[TheEveningChronograph]

How long did it take you to build up your legs. My upper body is jacked, just shredded. But my legs are skinny. I've been doing dumbell lunges with 100 lbs, and calf raises with the same. Sore AF, but legs stay skinny. I even do squats with 500 lbs at the gym. Sets of them, not one and done. But legs are skinny despite being strong.

Too long, as mentioned. Within the past year. But I'm looking to change tactics altogether, too many health issues going on with my bones, joints, tendons, nerves down below. In before I get gaslighted by some fagg0t morons on those issues...they are registered health problems and I do go to see prosthetics/orthotics medical professionals for it all.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

How long did it take you to build up your legs. My upper body is jacked, just shredded. But my legs are skinny. I've been doing dumbell lunges with 100 lbs, and calf raises with the same. Sore AF, but legs stay skinny. I even do squats with 500 lbs at the gym. Sets of them, not one and done. But legs are skinny despite being strong.

You need to eat more. Specifically quality carbs. Working out is only part of the equation. The body requires energy to build muscle and you likely are not eating enough to support this.

The difference between lean and muscular is the amount of food being eaten in many cases.

I am lucky in that my legs have always been strong and I inherited great genes from my Dad. Calves are 18-18.5", which pale in comparison to his still, but legs grow like weeds for me, so even relatively light weight causes them to grow. When I started lifting heavy my legs literally exploded to the point they started ripping my pants and I had to start buying pants 2 sizes too big or the first time I squatted or bent down that was it for them.

 

[typical]

The strongest guy I know personally is my old training partner, trained on camp with him for like 7 years.

His stats are
215kg squat, 160 KG bench and 275kg dead

105kg weight class, those are his results from.a comp it's super rare to ever witness guys getting anywhere near that in gyms over here (that's my experience anyways).

Regardless... 5x5 it's alright starting out. Not sustainable long term due to the lineal progression in my opinion.

Those are weak numbers my man !!!

My younger borther played football (Soccer) in Highschool and University, a very lean 85kg 6'1" tall lad, hes torn both ACL's and both MCL's. Hes 31 yerars old today and he can easily squat 240kg bench 140kg and his deads are at 360kg.

He's only been doing Rippetoe's begginers strength routine for maybe 9 months. BUT he's eating like an elephant and now weighs over 110kgs. He's also gained some fat but he looks massive now

Far too many people haven't a clue about training for strength and training for size. No way would walking dogs give you the same size as actually doing half of Rippetoe's beginners routine ....... most people give up after 4 months.

If you're not eating at least 4000+ cals a day you're not eating enough and will never gain any size. My breakfast alone before going sailing is about 2500 cals !!!

TLDR - most people haven't a clue what Size and Strength are !!!