Topic: building leg size/strength

[Dustin Oranchuk]

High everyone, i have been weightlifting competitivly for a little under 2 years, and started out at 17 and was a very skinny although ripped 72 kg at almost 5'10", i had done alot of sprinting and some lifting for football for 3 years before starting weightlifting. (after football was over i changed to weightlifting as there is a great coach at my training center.  In the last 22 months, i have added almost 23 kg (or about 50 pounds) to 95kg and maybe 1 inch in height. because of the relatively fast gain, i have a little more fat then i want (16%). I have stopped trying to gain weight and trying to get leaner at this body weight before i go to 105 in a year or so. 

Anyway. Genetically, my lower body has always been slightly small in perportion to my upper body, although i don't usually have to much trouble standing up from my cleans.  So strength isn't so much the issue, although they could still be stronger.  The main problem right now as far as size goes, my shoulders and back are getting bigger, and my waste is also slowly getting smaller (losing fat), but my legs are not really changing in size, i know I'm losing fat, but I'm still confused as to how there not growing very much.  I train at least 5 times a week, sometimes 6 (2 a days) ect... and do some kind of squatting almost everyday and strength is going up. 

I think i eat quite well, and take creating, and a little bit of protein after my workout. i also get a professional massage a few times a month.

Any suggestions as far as exercises or anything at all would be great and much appreciated.

Thanks a ton

Dustin

[Adrian Cadmus-Dixon]

Dustin,

I wouldn't worry about the size of your legs if your strength is going up.

See you in Toronto! 

Adrian

[Dustin Oranchuk]

thanks Adrian, although my strength is going up, my squat is not quite in perportion to my pressing or pulling strength. ie, my best squat is maybe 170 or so, but i can probably bench press 125 if i focused on it for a week or 2 and my back is probably strong enough to deadlift 185 if i focused on that for a week or 2.

Are these normal strength perorations for a weightlifter????

[Paul LaDuke]

Weightlifters shouldn't really be interested in muscle size.  This isn't body building, it is weightlifting.  All the really matters is if your total is going up.  Additional muscle hypertrophy will occur over time as you squat, squat, and squat some more.  Remember though, hypertrophy occurs with moderate intensity, high volume training and weightlifters do not train that way.

[Arden Cogar Jr.]

Weightlifters shouldn't really be interested in muscle size.  This isn't body building, it is weightlifting.  All the really matters is if your total is going up.  Additional muscle hypertrophy will occur over time as you squat, squat, and squat some more.  Remember though, hypertrophy occurs with moderate intensity, high volume training and weightlifters do not train that way.

Bump to this advice.  Absolutely spot on.  Be patient. It will come with time.  Think of the goals in mind and focus on that path.  Don't stray and what you want will happen in time.

I got caught up in the "bigger is better" mentality for very many years.  It's just wrong if you want athletecism (sp) and improved performance.

This may sound a bit facitious, but I see the hypertrophy that occurs as a result of proper training and diet as a side affect.  For some, especially the young males, that's a good effect. For a happily married, middle aged, father of two, ...... it just doesn't matter.  I'm ugly and I'm proud; but my daughters' friends think I'm sorta scary.   

all the best,
 Arden

[Justin Ott]

Are you bodybuilding or weightlifting?

If you are a weightlifter, you will not care what you look like, you will care about moving your total up

[Paul LaDuke]

If you look at the many of the elite weightlifters in the 85s and 94s, they have massive legs.  A lot of that is genetics (that is why they are elite status anyway), but a lot of it has to do with the amount of work that they have conditioned their body to do after years and years of training.  Many of them have at least 10 years of focused weightlifting on their resume'.  So, keep working hard and smart, focus on what is important for you (I hope it is increasing your total in weightlifting).  As you are able to train more and more volume at high intensity, the size will probably come, but it will take time.

[QuinKroschinski]

Dustin made it clear he will be moving up to 105 in the near future so he will be wanting to put muscle on. Hes a weightlifter and has broken a few of the provincial records. i think russian squat routine but henrik likes to focus more ont echnique which in the end will pay off more. To be quite honest dustin i think ur legs are strong as hell but it could be worked on. Go to larry mather if you want to get strong hahahahah totally kidding.