I want bigger legs and I want your advice

[kimikoo]

@dawn16 Yes it depends on muscle mass. Obese people are recommended to use length instead of body weight as a guideline. Fat can be used for fuel, but iirc is not very effective at building muscle, which is why a solid protein intake is recommended for all weight classes. Protein is also not that calorie dense.

 

[petercoh]

@fish3rofm3n You want big legs?

You want BIG legs? Insanely large legs?

Take up speed skating. Look up the lower halves and of those guys and compare them to anyone else.

 

[theadmiral]

@petercoh Their muscle mass is to help them skate, not because they skate. The below suggests that speed skaters lift weights, no one is squatting 2.5x bodyweight without training for it

https://barbend.com/olympic-speed-skaters-workout/

https://insideoutstudio.ca/strong-speed-skaters-actually-insight-olympians-training-program/

It seems that the secret to big legs is to lift heavy weights

 

[dawn16]

@theadmiral This. Same thing with the whole “sprinters vs endurance runners” meme. There are a lot of skinny sprinters, but a lot of them lift weights whereas a lot of marathon runners avoid strength.

Lifting weights will get you big legs. Though for some people (like me) it takes a moderate amount of weight for high reps. My legs were giant when I did tons of walking barbell lunges, sled pushes and farmers walks up stairs. Squats never really built my legs and I don’t respond well to high weight for low reps.

 

[petercoh]

@theadmiral I don't think anyone is going to argue against lifting heavy weights.

But I argue your 1st point. The muscle mass is both to help them skate and because they skate. Where are the pencil legged speed skaters?

 

[theadmiral]

@petercoh They'll build some muscle by skating, but without a way to increase the resistance their strength and size would plateau fairly rapidly

Where are the pencil legged speed skaters?

Nowhere, because they squat heavy, it's just not possible to achieve a 2.5x bodyweight squat without spending a fair amount of time training

 

[openyourbibles]

@theadmiral Big is relative but I see a ton of inline skaters on my local trail and they all have the best shaped legs. not necessarily massive, but big and perfectly shaped.

I'd imagine that speed skating would have a similar effect.

 

[theadmiral]

@openyourbibles Fair point, it does depend what you'd define as big

 

[roflololol]

@petercoh Also cycling, check the thighs & calf’s on a pro cyclist!

If you can’t speed skate for lack of ice, rollerblade is similar workout, skating uphill is particularly good.

Uphill sprints have been mentioned, also include bounding and stair climbs if you can. Not sure if these all come under body weight fitness but I’d guess they answer the original question in conjunction with other answers here…

 

[petercoh]

@roflololol Yeah, i've met more pencil legged guys at a weights gym then i've seen on a bike.

Speed skaters just have the biggest thighs of anyone i've ever seen. Massive.

 

[roflololol]

@petercoh Yeah, rollerbladers have similar sized ones, dependent on type of skating, rugby forwards, sprinters.. all big thighs, big calfs and pretty great definition!
I started that way and now am lucky enough to have tyre flipping as part of my job!
Like you say though, never seen a skater with small legs!

 

[steadfastfaith79]

@roflololol I don’t know about cycling. I think your body gains more endurance than hypertrophy, unless you push your resistance/gear up the highest possible every time. But if you do that, you aren’t cycling efficiently. I’ve been cycling for years and have very skinny legs. After about 6 months of shrimp squats my cycling has improved significantly, I think proving that cycling alone will not provide the strength training you need.

 

[roflololol]

@steadfastfaith79 Probably true enough, perhaps the endurance from cycling enables the quality & quantity of squats..?

 

[lynxo]

@roflololol Track cyclists specifically!

 

[roflololol]

@lynxo I remember somebody saying Sir Chris Hoy’s thigh circumference was bigger than the average head size… reportedly he had 27” thighs!

 

[juls88]

@roflololol Yeah but he got them from squatting (240kg I think was his best) bit from riding. Track sprinters with big legs spend more time lifting than they do riding

 

[roflololol]

@juls88 True, though he does also say he did a lot of work with squats lunges etc, including split ones where non weight bearing leg is elevated behind or in other way excluded from exercise..

 

[jgross45743]

@petercoh That’s like telling someone who wants to look like Michael Phelps to take up swimming. Bad advice

 

[petercoh]

@jgross45743 Very helpful comment here.

Fill me in with your "good advice" please.

 

[jgross45743]

@petercoh If you want to add size you need to eat more and lift more it’s a simple as that.