Body-weight Leg Training For Functionality And Mass
Preface
This is primarily aimed at those who are, or are close to the upper echelons of calisthenics leg training but if you are not one of these two I appreciate you reading through this anyway. I’ll have some stuff for you near the end.
Having stronger/bigger legs is an important part of any physique, especially for those who love bodyweight exercises. You can focus on handstand push-ups, planche push-ups, muscle-ups, and one-arm pull-ups up all day long but this will limit your potential. Also, one runs the risk of being called chicken legs in the comments of their youtube video.
Will focusing more on leg development make it harder to reach your upper body movement goals? Will the extra weight on your legs make it harder to perform such movements? Absolutely. I would argue that this is the point. A body that has legs in proportion to the upper body that can perform 10 Handstand push-ups will be stronger than one with smaller legs performing the same amount. The added mass from your lower body will aid you in achieving higher amounts of mass in your upper body and vice versa. The mass you gain acts as a cheap weight vest. Using just Pistol Squats, Handstand Push-ups, and Pull-ups I was able to get pretty big; over 15 pounds heavier than I am now in fact.
But I had to focus on both the upper and lower.
However, mass isn’t the only thing there’s also functionality. How does one’s body move through space and time? Can it leap over high walls and carry close to its body weight for miles on end? Can the connective tissues withstand the brunt of such a lifestyle? This is where I feel Bodyweight leg training has its advantage. Not only will it give you a decent set of legs but you’ll have the tendon strength and mobility to keep you running around late into life. But what are the best leg movements or exercises to achieve this?
Pistol Squats
These are the main movement I’ve kept up with consistently for the past few years. I’ve never tested my max but most of my rep ranges for the first few years were in the mid to high 20s. I’ve never tried to go higher but have chosen how to modify how I perform my reps from time to time.
No Lockouts
One of the ways in which I choose to do this is the, “No Lockout” meaning that I try not to lock out when I reach the top of the movement and that I keep a small bend in my knee joint. This helps to maintain tension which is great for muscle building. The maintaining of tension helps make the set a great deal quicker but is also painful.
By locking out at the top you are conserving energy which will turn your pistol squat workout into something more endurance based.
Shorties
A version of a rep I believe is a step up from the no-lockout is the shortie rep. It’s essentially a partial rep performed in the more stretched portion of the range of motion which will facilitate more growth in both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic. I got the idea from watching dudes on youtube to develop impressive upper bodies from shortie push-ups and thought, “What if we did that for the legs?” I’ve only employed this from time to time but nothing consistent. I have other goals which I’m working towards in the meantime but if you feel you have strong knees and a good bill of health knock yourself out.
Alternate Tempo
Knowing that the stretched portion of the range of motion is where all the magic happens this rep protocol calls for one to slow down their motion in the bottom half of the rep. You get into position and drop going at a normal speed and soon as your thigh reaches parallel you slow it down. Now how much you slow down is up to you. And then come back up with the same tortoise-level breakneck speed and once your thigh passes parallel speed it up to the top and repeat.
These tactics can be applied to any bodyweight movement but they are crucial for lower-body training as our legs can adapt real quick.
Sissy Squats
A movement that is not only great for the quads but knee tendons as well. Place one of your hands lightly on a nearby object as this affords you the ability to perform rep after rep without worrying about balance. My max number of reps in a workout was around the 15/16 mark as I usually did these after pistol squats and my legs were already toast.
Rep Protocols
I’ve performed No-lockouts and Alternate Tempos with these although I feel shorties for these are overkill as your quads in this position will receive the greatest stretch out of any other bodyweight squatting movement.
Straight Bridges
The back of the legs needs some attention too. Pistol squats will affect your hamstrings and glutes somewhat but there is still the possibility of creating a muscle imbalance through just one-legged squats. There are several bridging exercises that will target the backs or your legs but I’ve found the one-legged straight bridge to be the most enjoyable. Reps and sets for workouts I keep it at around two sets per 20 reps max. After this, I’d play around with some different rep protocols.
Elevated Surface
I’ve found that putting the heel of the working leg on a higher surface, even one that is just a few inches off the ground is beneficial. This is due to the fact that you will be creating a greater load and stretch for the muscles as well as the tendons.
Hill Sprints
Hill sprints are a must. Sprinting on the hill can provide a greater stimulus for growth and the improvement of your cardiovascular system. If the hill terrain around you is not desirable then I’d recommend throwing on a weight vest to signal a better reaction to the workout.
Calf Raises?
I’ve done calf raises in the past with 30 and 40-rep sets getting a full stretch out of the calf muscle. However, If you have a consistent diet of pistol squats and sprints(preferably hill sprints) your claves will not be…
Adding A Weight Vest
A weight vest is a nice addition to any bodyweight workout and I typically use it for hill sprints but should it be added to pistol squats?
I’d say sure as long as you are not new to pistol squats or any other advanced bodyweight leg movement. I never added it cause I wanted to play around with rep protocols and dial up the intensity that way. Start getting the feel for things gaining in stamina and tendon strength and after a few years throw on the vest.
How To Get There
There are many paths to these exercises but I believe the most simple is utilizing partial ranges of motion at the top half of the movements. Set a block or box beneath and descend lightly touching it and coming back up. Over time find something smaller and smaller until you have the full range of motion. This will only need to be for the squats in my opinion as most can jump into various bridging exercises.
But if you want to get a full range of motion with less intensity then I recommend the deep lunge off of a box keeping the tension on one leg throughout the set then switch to the other. You will want to descend till the hamstring of the working leg touches your calf then come back up.
If your goal is strength then I’d practice the partial ranges of motion and extending those over time. If you want to train mobility and build mass (slowly) over time then start off with the lunges and go into the deep lunges over a period of a few months.
Wrap Up
A healthy and capable pair of legs can be created outside the gym. You won’t be winning any Mr Olympias but you can still be turning heads. Just use the right approach. Slow and steady wins the race.
Thank you for making it to the end and comments are below.
Until next time…