I want bigger legs and I want your advice

[xereco]

@fish3rofm3n Start mountain biking. This is the way

 

[jgross45743]

@fish3rofm3n Lots of good advice here but one thing I really wanna stress is you need to be getting enough food as well to add size. You need a surplus. I’ve made great strength gains during deficits or even maintenance but never have I ever added any kind of size without going into a surplus. I think this rule holds true the leaner you are as well, which if you look like jon Jones I assume you’re pretty lean.

 

[bubbles0023]

@fish3rofm3n You can build big legs with bodyweight.

Step-ups, pistol squats, shrimp squats, sissy, nordic curls, and hamstring curls will build mass on your legs. Use tempo and work the progression of the movements. There is a myth that you will have weak-looking legs if you train them via bodyweight, which isn't true. Running up and down hills is also an excellent way to add mass, and frog jumps are great.

Here is a great follow along video on building mass with BW

 

[jeffliss]

@fish3rofm3n Deadlifts and all their alternatives. Don’t skip calves day. EAT MORE FOOD. Carbs and protein make dump trucks

 

[dsitler]

@fish3rofm3n You want to be doing a main strengthening excercise. Do some jogging and duck walks to warm up the knees and then move on to your best progression of pistol squats 3 sets each leg, you also want to be doing a box jump at your highest possible height for around 25 total reps, then into sprinters jumping lunges 2 sets each leg until failure, if you have a set of rings that can allow you to do somesort of hip bridging hamstring curl do 2 sets of those or Nordic curls. It's pretty difficult to find something for your hamstrings but make sure to include them. Then do some duck walks, if you feel strong with these try to add weight until you reach failure, really concentrate on the muscles used here and keep strong form. Lastly make sure your fully rested and do some sprints to finish off.

This may sound like a lot but pace yourself with this and get plenty rest between sets. Make sure to sleep well and eat plenty protein.

 

[dawn16]

@fish3rofm3n do pistols with a support for balance. When you take proprioception out the equation it becomes a lot more strength based.

Aso got to go until absolute failure each time.

 

[eldalar]

@fish3rofm3n Honestly it’s all up to genetics if u do straight body weight, I’ve done wrestling before and that’s a good way to build arms and legs, for straight body weight I focus a lot on glutes as well, when we doing say a pistol squat or assisted pistol squat, do it in ur toes, this leads to an increase in balance, calf size, and focusing on the quads, hamstrings are severely underrated but very important, they are like the biceps of the leg, they don’t take up much room but they help, women will of course have an easier time with this, but I digress, unless u add any type of weight, it’s all genetics, im only 17, yet I am 5’10 165 lbs of lean muscle, and due to martial arts, calisthenics, and weight training, im very well rounded aesthetically, and functionally due to me have an “X” body shape, I wish u the best of luck, if u aren’t seein growth, don’t be discouraged, be proud ur able to do things others can’t

 

[jacobsonofjohn]

@fish3rofm3n You need higher intensity. Maybe pistol squats and lunges with dumbbells. But for serious leg mass you need squats, leg presses, leg extensions etc.

 

[flamezero112]

@fish3rofm3n The number 1 most important thing is your food intake. You can't grow unless you have a SURPLUS of calories. If you want to grow:
Step 1. Eat at least 1 more meal a day then you do now.
Step 2. Get a wheelbarrow and fill it
Step 3. Haul that heavy boi till your legs quake.

 

[jhfreeman]

@fish3rofm3n Barbells are ultimately the easiest way to add leg mass, but here's some options for bodyweight leg training which requires only a nordstick for the nordic curls. I personally build my training around shrimp squats + high jump for quads and nordic curls + sprints for hams, sometimes I add broad jump for glutes which are somewhat targeted by all of the above. And as always, eating big is a must.

I would centre anterior chain training around with shrimps and high jump as primary movements. My suggestion for squat progressions would be regular squats, bw hack squats (but keep your torso upright) -> bulgarian split squats, ATG split squats, and cossack squats -> pistol squats, int./adv. shrimp squats, natural one leg press, all of which should keep you busy for a while. Ido Portal has some youtube videos on shrimp squat progression. Quad accessories could be easier progressions w/ dumbbells, lunges, sissy squats, human knee extensions, and maybe some ATG split squats, deck squats, and dragon squats if you want to work mobility.

Posterior chain training should be built around nordic curls and sprints. You can start with single leg deadlifts and floor curls if you want, but they get easy pretty fast and are best left as accessories (still pretty easy even fatigued tbh). There isn't really progressions required to build to nordics or sprinting, just start with easier variations of the exercises themselves and build up to full nordics and good sprint times. Hill sprints are a good way to get a bit more glue focus out of sprints (and make them harder overall) and broad jumps are another great bw glute exercise, possibly even the best option for hip extension.

My (somewhat) comprehensive list of bw leg movements is:

• Tibialis: tibialis raises
• Calves: straight + bent knee calf raises, both are important
• Quads: step ups, hack squat, sissy squat, human knee extension, ATG split squat, dragon squat, deck squat, pistol squat, shrimp squat, high jumps
• Hamstrings: single leg deadlifts, floor curls, nordic curls, sprints, hill sprints
• Glutes: hip thrusts, broad jump
• Hip flexors: front leg raise
• Glute med: side leg raise
• Adductors: side split holds, horse stance