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Massive Legs

How to Build Massive Legs In The Shortest Period Of Time

Massive growth www.weightgainsecrets.com 2001-2004 RobMarabyThe Fastest Way To Build legs of steel! All rights reserved. Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited

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Massive Legs


By Massive Growth Technologies

Published By Rob Maraby Publishing58 Corning Road

North York, OntarioM2J 2M1 Canada

Legal Notices

The training and nutritional advice presented in this book are based on the training,personal experience, and research of the author. Because everyone is physically different,

the author and the publisher urge you to consult a health physician or professional beforeyou embark or use any suggestions contained in this book.

Not all exercises or diets are suitable for everyone. The publisher does not advocate theuse of any particular diet and exercise program, but firmly believes that the information

presented in this book works.

Because of the inherent risks involved in undertaking any physical or nutritionalprogram, the author and the publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects orconsequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations, ortechniques taught or suggested in this book. Please do not use this book if you areunwilling to assume this risk.

If for any reason you should feel any discomfort or pain when you exercise, please do notcontinue. The instructions and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute formedical counseling.

Consult your physician before you embark on the program. It is a sign of true wisdomand not cowardice, to seek a second or third opinionThis publication should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.

2001-2004 by Rob MarabyFor mail orders, write Rob Maraby Publishing, 58 Corning Road, North York, OntarioM2J 2M1, CanadaAll rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not bereproduced in any manner whatsoever without written consent from the publisher.


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Publishers Note:

There may be typos in these manual and other errors of a grammatical nature.When I write, I write as I speak and in a straightforward, non-technical way. I am oftenvery excited as I write, but I dont have a degree in English, so I ask you to bear with my

literary style. You might find it unconventional and maybe annoying. But if it is realisticand cutting edge information you are looking for, this manual will give it to you.

Disclaimer:

The training and nutritional advice presented in this book are based on the training,personal experience, and research of the author. Because each individual and theirsituations are different, the author and the publisher urge you to consult a physician orhealth professional before you embark or use any suggestions contained in this book.

Not all exercises or diets are suitable for everyone. The publisher does not advocate the

use of any particular diet and/or exercise program, but firmly believes that theinformation presented in this book works and should be presented to the public.

Because of the inherent risks involved in undertaking any physical or nutritionalprogram, the author and the publisher are not responsible for any adverse effects orconsequences resulting from the use of any of the suggestions, preparations, ortechniques taught or suggested in this book. Please do not use this book if you areunwilling to assume this risk.

If for any reason you feel any discomfort or pain when you exercise, please do notcontinue. The instructions and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute formedical counseling.

Consult your physician before you embark on the program. It is a sign of true wisdomand not cowardice to seek a second or third opinion.


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Would you like to add 1-2 inches on your legs in just 4-8 weeks? I bet you would. And Iknow deep inside you are skeptical and frustrated. I know the feeling because I was therenot so long ago. I mean how many times have we read the headline on a magazine thatwent Get Huge Legs in just one day only to be disappointed with the results. But todayyou are going to learn a tried and tested method that can truly deliver on its promise, asure shot way to get yourLegs muscles to sizzle with new muscle growth. And, just toadd to the fantastic promise of this revolutionary manual, this course will also develop

the rest of the body. That is right! When you use this system exactly as specified you willdevelop a fully developed muscular body-without exception!

To get your legs to grow fast you need specific reoccurring training stimuli. The legs areused every time you move your body. They carry you all they long without complaint. Soto get them to grow you are going to need to attach a permanent stress on them. Applyingtraining shocks as recommended by other programs is not the answer to permanentmuscle growth in the legs. You can attest to this fact yourself, with your personalexperience with all the other get big legs programs you may have tried in the past tolittle or no effect.

It is time to uncap the true growth potential that lies dormant within your body, it is justwaiting there ready to be released once you us the right keys

The legs are used to support us everyday. Using them all day is like performing 1000s oflow intensity repetitions. That is why some people say that high reps for the legs are awaste of time. This is untrue to say the least, the major difference between the two is thefact that one is low weight and low intensity; the other is high intensity and highoverload.

Remember that if you want to get huge (as a whole) you have to build a solid foundationin your legs first, having a huge upper body(without proportionally developed legs) isnot only funny looking It limits further development of the upper body.

Your bodybuilding success is directly tied into your leg development. In fact the speed atwhich you add mass is directly related to the speed in which you train and build your

legs. So if you want big Legs, train legs with a fury, it is that simple.

Legwork is hard indeed that is why most people tend to ignore training it all together.But the person who can learn how to love to train legs will be miles ahead of the personwho chooses to train it on a whim. So what is the magic answer to phenomenal leggrowth?

It is permanent Stress-which we deliver through a proprietary new training technology

I call PERMANENCE TRAINING.

Let me explain what permanent stress is with a story. I remember the first time Istumbled across this theory, back when I was too young and foolish to grasp what it was,

but it was right under my very nose. I lived for years in a poor West African country and


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there used to be water rationing. The water supply was turned on for just 2 hours a dayand at 2 am in the morning. To get your supply of water, you would have to get up at 2am and walk down 4 flights of stairs and then back up again. So each day without fail Iwould get up stroll down a steep flight of stairs, carry two 80lb buckets upstairs andrepeat it for 15 to 20 times. After a month of doing this, my body begun to change. In factin the first 3 weeks alone, I had put on 1.5 inches on my biceps and another 2 inches onmy legs. With no other form of exercise included in the equation, I noticed that my biceps

literally built a tennis ball peak, even though I only carried the heavy buckets.

Recalling back now I realize that I always lifted the buckets with my palms facingforward (as a biceps curl) and that although I never curled the weight as with a bicepscurl, the stress was sufficient enough and recurring enough for long periods of time tocause an abnormal increase in muscle mass.Can you see what caused my abnormal growth? Here are just a few points I observedabout the whole thing:

Points I discovered

1. Heavy weights were used2.Long duration of holding the weight (20 minutes)

3. Did it on a daily basis4. Ample rest periods allowed for recovery to take place5. Cycling of intensities and training stress

Back then I did not realize it, but that awful experience held some very importantbodybuilding theories that would literally change my life and my body at an acceleratedpace . The experience inspired me to get into bodybuilding and when I got home it begunwith a life long obsession with the iron. My first few years of training were everything

but productive. The moment I begun using those routines I found in the magazines thefaster I drowned myself in a sea of overtraining.

It was only 15 years later that I rediscovered the secrets of rapid Leg growth. I called thetheory,PERMANENCE TRAININGand as you will soon see, it represents a

breakthrough in the development of massive leg and overall body size and strength.

What is permanence training? It is applying a high intensity overload to a

muscle during a sufficient length of time and with sufficient volume to

threaten the bodys survival mechanism, which in turn leads to a sudden

and expected transformation in muscle size and strength.

This sort of training etches deep into the central nervous system of the body, the veryfoundation of muscle growth; It also taps deep into muscle fibers that would haveremained untapped with conventional training methods. It also uses holistic training tostimulate maximally all parts of a muscle size , allowing for 70-90% more growth in yourlegs than a conventional routine could ever hope to deliver!


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The massive legs program also makes use of partial repetitions which allow maximumoverload while reducing the build up of lactic acid, thus allowing super fast musclerecovery and then fast muscle growth.

Permanence training has been verified by many independent scientists. Many of them ,like Dr Sola et al. (38) in 1973. who attached a heavy weight to a chickens wing, and a

day later found a 16% increase in size, discovered it unknowingly. Granted that thesubject of his research was hyperplasia but in the process he stumbled across what I callPermanence Training which is the abnormal adaptation of muscles under specificconditions.

*Sola, O. M., D. L. Christensen, and A. W. Martin. Hypertrophy and hyperplasia of adult chicken anterior latissimus dorsi musclesfollowing stretch with and without denervation. Exp. Neurol. 41: 76-100, 1973

The system has also been tested by regular folks like you , guys who want to get legs thatspeak their own language and you can see testimony of this at the back of this book or onthe massive legs site. It is now your turn. I want you to take a before photo before you

begin this system and then in 18 weeks send me the after photo. If I use it, I will rewardyou-there is more information at the end of this book! So you have nothing to lose andeverything to gain. So lets begin.

Overtraining The Legs?

First I want to debunk a myth about overtraining and the legs. I will make a boldstatement: There is no such thing as overtraining only under eating and undertraining.What we term as overtraining is a poor excuse not to work hard and performall the workouts needed to get the results. Chronic overtraining is another phenomenonthat usually occurs when you perform too many sets / workouts without any rest periodsfor recovery. Under eating is the major cause of chronic overtraining.

Too many bodybuilders think that they eat enough to warrant enough muscle and sizeincreases. They fail to understand that by stimulating the body with high intensity

workouts, you are asking the body to change and grow large, and in order for the body todo this, it requires the use of raw materials needed for that construction to take place. Justas you would not expect contractors to build a skyscraper using material meant for a 2-story bungalow, you should not expect your body to get large if you are consuming a tiny500 calories above your basal metabolic rate.*(BMR-defined in the nutritional section

below).

To make exceptional gains you should be consuming at least twice your BMR. For most,this is a daunting task, especially when you are consuming clean sources of protein andcarbohydrates. That is why in this course I recommend the use of supplements, mostspecifically MCT oils to help you consume the massive calories needed for fast musclegrowth.


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Understand that without massive calories you will not get big legs. It just will not happen(certainly not if you wish to get huge legs). In general you need to gain 10lbs of musclefor every inch of lean muscle you wish to gain. This means you are going to have to builda massive body as well. The good news about leg development is that it tends to have anindirect muscle building effect on the rest of the body! This means if you did nothing butthis leg program, you could expect 10-30 lbs of muscle proportionately and strategically

placed all over your body!

So look at this course as a total bodybuilding program with special emphasis on the

legs.

The Reason Why The Massive Leg System Works

The reason why the massive leg system works is that you are inevitablyputting the legsthrough an unaccustomed stress and furthermore you are maintaining that stress for

prolonged periods of time. Add to this the fact that the muscle is worked in its full rangeof motion as well as its strongest range of motion, which leads to maximum stimulationof all available muscle fibers, as well as the direct stimulation of the Central Nervous

System (which incidentally is the system purported to give the green light to awesomegrowth). Most programs fail to stimulate the CNS and that is why they have poor trackrecords!

Here is a story that will clarify it further. You may have heard of Milos of Crotona andhis calf. Milos would carry his calf to town every day like clock work and as the calfgrew into a full blown 600 pound cow, so did Milos. There are many principles involvedhere. The first is the progressive overload principle which means that Miloss bodyadapts as the load increases ever so slightly. The other principle is high intensityoverload where the weight of the cow alone ensured that the intensity was brutally high.But the often-overlooked reason for Milos growth I believe is permanent and

recurring stress. Milos carried his cow every day and for relatively long periods of time(45-2 hours) walking to town and back! This you would expect would be overtraining-but

it isnt in fact it is far from it!

In fact this is the only way to train-why? Well when we do this-carry the cow on a daily

basis- we are building functional strength and muscle mass. We are telling the body

this stress is going to be here for a long time, so you better adapt (survive) or die a

conventional program, does not do this. The sporadic overload given to the body in a

conventional workout system, gets a yawn of a response from the body, the body has

no reason to develop to hulking proportions! The only people who will get hulking

huge are those genetic freaks-guys who would grow regardless of the stress applied.

Let me explain. We all have lifted heavy weights and still have not seen any impressivegains. We have used high intensity training and failed. We have all tried high volume


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training and still failed But we have not done what Milos did: carry the cow for aprolonged period of time on a frequent basis!

Here is the paradox about PERMANENCE TRAININGIt violates the laws of overtraining-which essentially states that the human body can only

be subjected to stress so much before it loses size and strength and falls into anovertrained state. Here is what I mean, if I asked you to train 2-3 hours a day, 6-7 days a

week, you would likely over train and make very little gains but if I told you to train 10minutes a workout 14 workouts a day, you would not over train-in fact that is a broadoverview ofPERMANENCE training

Why does this happen?

It is because the body during a workout elevates testosterone levels and this elevate

testosterone can only be sustained for a period of 30 minutes, after which it

plummets and leads to catabolism and sooner or later over training. With

PERMANENCE training, you stimulate testosterone levels to sky high levels and

stop working out when it is at its highest peak-then you rest a few hours and repeat

the process-this essentially keeps testosterone elevated through out the day-

eliminating overtraining and allowing maximum anabolism in your body-which

leads top fast muscle growth.

Let me ask you a simple question. If I told you to carry a 400lbs barbell over a 4 flightsof stairs, do you have any doubts in your mind that your thighs and body would beanything but ordinary? Granted most people cannot carry 400lbs over thousands of stepsbut if you couldwhat would the results look like? Huge to say the least. And howabout if you did this 2-6 times a day? 7 days a week? Do you think you will have smalllegs? Not likely! The legs would have to super adapt to cope with that kind of stress-after all it is a day-to-day stress that cannot be ignored!

Similarly if I asked you to wear a 200lbs suit the whole day do you think your body willchange? Absolutely. In all cases the weight is heavy enough to create an adaptationresponse. But at the same time the fact that you are carrying the weight for a long period

of time sends the body into an alarm stage where the body produces abnormal growth tocounteract the abnormal stress.

And for the fourth principle I can also safely assume that Milos was a big eater and thathis diet served his massive mass and strength growth needs as well.In summary we have:

Progressive overload High intensity training Permanent and recurring stress Massive calories Cycling of intensity Adequate rest between workouts


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In Permanent Stress Training(PST) the body is faced with an immediate objectivewhich is to SURVIVE. Everything else is secondary. When permanent training is

performed two things can happen.

1. The body adapts to the stress immediately2. If nutrition is not sufficient, the body can selfdestruct or become weak thereby

preventing any load from being placed on it. The stress is thus eliminated.

In this manual I am going to show you how to get the first choice all the time andeliminate the second, because as you may verify, it is extremely easy to get stuck in atraining plateau, and we are not going to allow this to happen, not on my watch..Having said that here is the core of the massive legs program.

1. Permanence Training

2. Holistic Training

3. High Calorie Intake

4. Varying Intensity, Volume And Density.

5. Periodization

6. Use Of Compound Exercises.7. Maximize Recovery

Abnormal levels of muscle growth are indeed possible within a relatively short period oftime and dont believe for a second the publicized notion that you cannot gain 10lbs in

just 3 weeks or you cannot gain an inch in 2-3 weeks. Remember if you believe it is notpossible, you will make that statement a reality.

In fact, if you do things the right way you should see a progressive increase in size andstrength with each and every workout. Such a progression should be the norm. Stagnantgrowth and the dreaded plateau occur because training time and recovery cycles are notfactored into the training plan before hand. You dont have to worry about that in this

program , it has all been factored in for you.

What Makes Muscles Grow

The ATP deficiency theory:-Following high intensity sets there is depletion of ATP, aswell the protein content of the worked muscles is often exhausted. As the body /musclesrecover between workouts, the protein levels will exceed the initial level, which willresult in the expansion and increase in the size of muscle fibers. That is why a proteinrich diet is essential for the bodybuilder.

This means that to get the muscles to grow we need to tax the ATP/CP supplies in ourmuscles for maximum size and strength increases. Low reps with maximum loads in therep range of 1-7 allow sufficient rest between sets to negate the depletion of ATP/CP


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stores. The long rest periods between sets with maximum loads (85-90% of 1MR) willincrease strength and power but not necessarily size.

Such conditions ensure that the depletion of ATP/CP stores and protein content of themuscles is too small to stimulate protein metabolism, which results in musclehypertrophy.

Maximum loads and low reps will result in the stimulation of the nervous systemadaptation and increase capacity to use and recruit the fats twitch fibers, this is nervoussystem training, power training and using maximum loads with partial repetitions affectthe CNS and improve strength gains.The point is , for maximum growth stimulation you need to tax all aspects of a musclecell and the 3 energy systems of the body!

The Principles Behind The Massive Growth Leg Building System

Density

Workout Density: Defined as performing the same or greater workload at a shorter periodof time, or using heavier weights in a shorter period of time. This is done for you alreadyin the program, as sets increase as rest decreases. If you can perform 2 sets in 2 minutesin one workout and on the next workout you perform 3 sets in 2 minutes with the sameweights you have increased your workout density and intensity.

Intensity

Intensity is defined as generating the most amount of stress on a body part or muscle inthe shortest period of time. It is essential that you take all sets you perform to full positivefailure. Lets use this simple analogy to explain. If I told you to take a broomstick and

perform just 10 reps, 19 times a day 2 sets each, would you gain any muscle mass toshow off? No! You would not!

But if asked you to lift 90% of your maximum weight and take all sets to failure, 19 timesa day, 2 sets a workout, do you have any doubt that you would grow? Absolutely youwould grow!

Yet, despite this obvious fact, there are many experts out there who propagate the donttrain to failure myth. The reason why these programs may work in the short run is

because of the placebo effect, which states that your body will respond to any stimulus ifthat stimulus is an unaccustomed one. It essentially means that the intensity is highenough to threaten the survival mechanism of the body. But after it gets used to it, gainswill come to an abrupt halt.

Intensity can be increased by:


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Increasing weights used during a workout. Increasing the number of sets (this, of course, is bound by conditions.) Performing more reps with the same weight than the previous week. Giving it all youve got mentally. Lowering rest between sets. Lowering rest between reps.

Going past the pain zone. Taking all sets to full positive failure (which is 100 percent intensity.)

Intensity needs to be cycled to prevent chronic overtraining and you will soon findout how we cycle our intensity. Think of it as a dial. We crank the dial until we reachour bodys threshold. Then, before any damage such as chronic overtraining ormuscle atrophy occurs we suddenly reduce the intensity of our workouts. By reducingthe intensity, we keep the body in a constant anabolic state. Many other programs willtell you to hit the anabolic state without any active rest periods. These same

programs have no concept or idea of how to pull back on intensity and volume, andtherefore they invariably lead to an overtrained state. The problem with theovertrained state is that once you fall into it, you cant get out of it unless you take anextended layoff.

Therefore, the key is taking the intensity to the limit and pulling back just before wehit overtraining. It is very important to emphasize this again and again, so you dontover train and lose valuable training time in the future. The area just before chronicovertraining is known as the Super Adaptation Zone(SAZ), where frequency and

permanence of stress is high.

Volume

Volume can be defined as the actual amount of work performed and it is derived from thefollowing components:

The time taken to perform the set

The total amount of weights lifted The total amount of exercises used

The total number of sets, reps and weights usedProlonging the length of a workout.Increasing the number of workouts in a day.Extending the range of motion.

More sets and reps are not necessarily good for your mass gains. If you get gains from 5sets you will not necessarily get more gains with 6 or 10 sets. The volume you performhas to be gradually increased with the intensity and fortunately for you, this is done foryou in this manual-so there is no guesswork involved here. There is another immutable(unbreakable) law and that is; the higher the volume, the lower the intensity. You maywant to challenge this law, but you would be foolish to do so, because on a subconscious


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level, the survival mechanism of the body ensures that you hold back on the intensitywhen it knows you are going to be performing a long voluminous workout. Rememberintensity and not volume is what is responsible for fast muscle adaptation responses.

Sets should never exceed 5 per exercise and the number of exercises performed for aspecific body part should not exceed 2 for optimal gains to occur. Training this way wekeep our workouts short and within the testosterone and GH boosting range of 45

minutes.

Volume training.

Why is volume training essential? Volume training is essential because the goal of yourworkouts is to exhaust your leg muscles and recruit the maximum amount of musclefibers necessary for super adaptation to occur. The depletion of glycogen and ATP/CPstores stimulates protein syntheses and muscle adaptation as well as GH and testosteronerelease

With each failing and exhausted muscle fiber, there is an additional muscle fiber tosupport the load. This means we should try to perform the greatest amount of reps /sets

possible with the chosen weights and take all sets to full momentary muscular failure.

Only volume training can make this happen.

The other reason we need volume training is that the key to complete and fast musculardevelopment, requires the stimulation of all components of a cell. Obviously one set cantdo that, but at the same time, perform to many sets and you run into an overtrained state.So there is a definite balance to be achieved

What Is A Microcycle?

A microcycle is defined as a weekly training session, made up of 7 days of the week. Notall the sessions in a micro cycle are the same; a micro cycle will contain varying

intensity, volume and density training sessions. The microcycle will also have low,medium and high intensity sessions which will allow for maximum strength and sizeincreases while eliminating the chances of a plateau or overtraining. Intensity in amicrocycle usually starts at the low end and builds up to maximum intensity and thenslowly falls down in intensity again to allow for regeneration , optimal muscle recoveryand growth. The low intensity training days allows for maximum active recovery(explained below). A microcycle will always have an uploading day which is a full dayof rest, allowing the trained muscles a chance to undergo full recovery and regeneration

before the next training session arises.

There should always be a low intensity day after every high intensity day. If a highintensity set is followed by a medium intensity set, the cumulative fatigue generated fromthe high intensity workout makes the medium intensity day a high intensity day.


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Fortunately this is done for you in this program so all you have to do is follow the step-

by-step routine that you will find in later chapters.

What Is A Microcycle?

A microcycle is defined as a weekly training session, made up of 7 days of the week. Notall the sessions in a micro cycle are the same; a micro cycle will contain varyingintensity, volume and density training sessions. The microcycle will also have low,medium and high intensity sessions which will allow for maximum strength and sizeincreases while eliminating the chances of a plateau or overtraining. Intensity in amicrocycle usually starts at the low end and builds up to maximum intensity and thenslowly falls down in intensity again to allow for regeneration , optimal muscle recoveryand growth. The low intensity training days allows for maximum active recovery(explained below). A microcycle will always have an uploading day which is a full dayof rest, allowing the trained muscles a chance to undergo full recovery and regeneration

before the next training session arises.

There should always be a low intensity day after every high intensity day. If a highintensity set is followed by a medium intensity set, the cumulative fatigue generated fromthe high intensity workout makes the medium intensity day a high intensity day.

Fortunately this is done for you in this program so all you have to do is follow the step-by-step routine that you will find in later chapters.

What Is A Macrocycle?

A macrocycle on the other hand is a set of micro-cycles that usually runs between 3-6weeks. Each macrocycle is thus a collection of microcycle each of which varies inintensity, volume, workout density and overload. Macrocycles also have low intensity,medium intensity and high intensity phases and they usually follow a step up approach tointensity. In other words intensity climbs up from a low intensity macrocycle, to amedium intensity macrocycle followed by a high intensity macrocycle.

Specificity (Said)

Scientists have repeatedly confirmed that all physiological outcomes and benefits oftraining are specific to the activity performed. In other words, the body respondsaccording to the specific demands placed on it. You cannot perform low reps withheavy weights, and expect to stimulate the aerobic system of the body, and youcannot perform high repetitions and light weights and expect to build up the power


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generating system of the muscles.

Training in the 8-12 rep range tends to affect only the anaerobic energy system ofthe body whereas training for endurance with reps in the 20-30 rep range affects therecruitment of only the slow twitch fibers and the aerobic energy system. Trainingfor strength and size develops both the slow twitch and fast twitch fibers whileincreasing the ability of the muscle to apply strength.

Exercise selection also works with the specificity principle. It is imperative to use multi-joint exercises, like the bench press and squats, and avoid the isolation single jointexercises because these exercises affect stabilizer muscles. Referring to the principle ofspecificity, we also see it is essential to train the muscles in the same metabolic mannerfor which they were designed.

To summarize, the principle of specificity involves metabolic and training plans ofattack. You must understand that the principle of specificity basically says you get whatyou pay for. If you use a specific rep range and exercise, you will get a specific outcomerelated to the muscle trained and the energy system used. Simple, isnt it?

The following example is a good way of remembering how specificity works. If you

lifted a baby calf every day, as the cow grows, so will you. It doesnt matter that the cowwill weigh 600 pounds in the end. All that matters is that you are carrying the cow (whichis a form of specific overload). This specific exercise and overload leads to specificresults: a massive body.

Specificity-a summary

You get what you ask for. If you want size train for size, if you want endurance, trainfor endurance, if you want both strength and endurance train for strength and endurance.The body adapts according to the specific stress imposed. This is known as SAID, whichmeans the Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands theory. If you want a big frontthighs and huge hamstrings , do what is necessary to achieve those ends. The great part ofthis law is that it is multi task, in that you can train for both strength and size increases if

you know what you are doing. Specificity requires that we use very distinct rep rangesand rep speeds, so that we can stimulate each component of a muscle cell for maximumgrowth to occur.

Understand that if all you did was low reps one month and high reps the other months,you would get mediocre results at best ,and this is because all parts of a muscle cell haveto be stressed on a permanent and recurring basis and that is why they are trained aminimum of every 3 days in this course.


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If you stop shy of failure, you will not have stimulated muscle hypertrophy and that is

because the first few reps do not cause enough muscle fiber recruitment and fatigue tocause muscle stimulation. This cumulative exhaustion of each set taken to failurecauses the stimulation of anabolic chemicals and protein synthesis which ultimately

leads to enlargement of the muscle.

CNS Training(Central Nervous System) Training

Strength gains are the results of applying maximum tension to the muscles and this isthus related to the type of training used by the bodybuilder. To activate the CNS, loads inthe 110%-140% rep range are needed. The CNS acts as the stimulus for strength gainsand in fact it is purported by science to give the green light to muscle growth. Undernormal day activities and when we use loads in the 30-70% range the CNS tends toinhibit the activation of the motor units needed for muscle contraction and thus maximumgrowth stimulation.

When we use loads that exceed our 1MR (or are close to 100% of our 1MR)the inhibitionof the CNS is removed albeit temporarily and all the motor units needed for maximummuscle contraction and then stimulation are used . This inhibition effect of the CNS also

occurs when we are put in an emergency life or death situation e.g. thats how motherscan lift a turnover car with her kids in it-hidden strength becomes evident. With theremoval of the inhibition of the CNS.

This elimination of the reduction of the CNS allows abnormal increases in strength andallows abnormal increases in strength and size stimulation.

The CNS has been purported to give the green light to muscle hypertrophy to occur andthis signal for maximum hypertrophy only occurs if the muscles full contractile potentialis challenged.

Anything less than this maximum load and the CNS fails into a inhibition state andprevents the growth of more and new muscle mass. Thus CNS training can be viewed as

the strength and size foundation building tool. By building and stimulating the CNS weallow easier muscle growth stimulation of the other methodsYour rate of growth in your Legs and your body as a whole is directly related to yourstrength levels and your strength levels is directly tied the strength of your ligaments,tendons, joints and central nervous systemThe question is how do we go about training these small but important parts?

We strengthen the support system of the leg muscles by using weights that are above ourmaximum (1MR) using partial repetitions. This exercise directly targets the CNS, theligaments, tendons and joint system. Look at it this way, you would not think of buildinga skyscraper without a foundation that is solid and built on 5-6 stories of concrete andsteel, similarly you should not try to build big Legs if you do not have the necessaryfoundation via a strong CNS system , ligament and tendons. CNS training is achieved


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through the use of partial repetitions and training at the strongest range of motion of anexerciseThis training routine below includes CNS training sessions that will activate andstimulate your CNS so that you can build the necessary neuromuscular pathways for themore intense training that will follow. It will also help prevent injury, as well you will

begin to grow at previously unheard off rates.

Summary

CNS Sessions required 1-3 times a weekWeight requirement 140-150% of youth IMR

The Law Of Repetition And What It Says About Training Frequency

In a typical leg building workout, lifters often train their legs 1-2 times a week at the mostand the training doctrine of less is more is preached with fury. This indeed tends towork for a few genetically gifted athletes and especially those individuals who are notaccustomed to any form of intense training (I.e. beginners). However, such infrequent

leg training is not likely to deliver the stimulus needed for massive leg growth- certainlynot on a long term basis!

And here is why

The reason why this infrequent training system falls short of delivering maximum andconsistent muscle stimulation is because it ignores the law of repetition, which states thata muscle will get bigger and stronger in direct proportion to how often and how intenselyit is trained.Please note that: this law parallels my law of PERMANENCE training.

The more training sessions you can get in without overtraining, the better and bigger theresults. The law of repetition ties in with the workings of homeostasis, supercompensation and adaptation in the muscles.

We can better understand the workings of the law of repetition by recalling the definitionof the microcycle. I pointed out earlier that a microcycle is defined as a training programwith alternating levels of low, medium and high intensity training sessions.

In order to get a noticeable training effect and in order to stimulate the musclesadequately, frequent and adequate leg training sessions need to be administered.

Repetition ofmultiple leg training workoutis needed to develop both the bimotorabilities and the neuromuscular pathways of the muscles of the legs. Without thedevelopment of these two components the legs cannot function at a maximum trainingcapacity. In other words you will not be able to deliver the necessary overload/intensitystimulus needed to allow maximum growth and adaptation to occur.


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The best size, strength, endurance, power and muscularity gains are made when the legsare trained every other day. In fact even better gains can be made if they are trained on adaily basis provided intensity is alternated between low, medium and high intensitysessions. As such, training the legs a minimum of three times a week is ideal providedeach training day targets a different energy system and muscle fiber type.

For instance training the legs in the 1-4 rep range on Monday uses the lactic acid

/anaerobic system. So if we trained the legs again on a Wednesday and used reps in the30-40 rep range, we would be working the aerobic/ oxygen system, thus allowing fullrecovery to take place in the muscle fibers and energy system stimulated by the lowrepetition training session. Thus there needs to be a proper cycling of intensity and use ofenergy systems.

Regeneration days classified as low intensity days and uploading days (days of passiverest) are needed in between or at the end of high intensity training sessions. Also byalternating between antagonistic and agonistic body parts we can improve recoverysignificantly. So by training front thighs one day and hamstrings the next, we can speedup recovery of the legs and accelerate muscle growth.

A trained and recovering muscle like the front thighs will recover faster and gain full

functional ability faster if the hamstring muscles are trained the following day.In otherwords, by training another body part with a low intensity training session, we reduce thetime taken for full recovery of the trained muscle to occur.

This can be explained by the compensatory effect that physical exercise has on thefatigued centers of the CNS. Focusing on another center enhances the recovery of

previously excited nervous center (caused by the Legs training). Aerobics can also beused as a form of active recovery provided it is of a low intensity and of 10-20 minuteduration.

Small infrequent workouts that dont exceed 30 minutes done on a daily basis are

enough to stimulate mass without overtaxing the recovery system and thus putting thelegs into an overtrained state. But the cumulative effects of frequent workouts are

sufficient enough to deplete ATP/CP stores allowing for overcompensation andadaptation to occur.


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You Got To Train Holistically If You Ever Hope To Get Massive Legs

Holistic training

In one microcycle you will be training all components of a muscle cell . This meansvarious repetition speeds and ranges will be used. You will also vary intensity, density

and volume of workouts in an attempt to stimulate all aspects of a muscle cell, allowingus to build the endurance, size, strength and vascularity of the legs we seek. This is oneimportant factor that other programs do not factor in and that is why they producemediocre results. Varying workouts and rep ranges is termed holistic training and it has

been factored in the program for you already.

Adaptation to any form of training occurs with the systematic application and repetitionof exercise. This adaptation is a direct result of the specific demand placed on the body

by the specific training stimuli given or exercises performed.

Furthermore this specific exercise applied stimulus and activity is dependent on thevolume, intensity, density and frequency of training.

Adaptation to exercise will only occur when the training forces the body to adapt to astress it is not accustomed too. If the stress applied is not sufficient to challenge the body

beyond what it experienced in the past training session, no adaptation or variable changewill occur.

On the other hand, if the stress is too high or is applied with too much force and durationthen injury and over training is likely to result, this essentially means that frequent andintense training sessions are beneficial and conducive to the growth of musclemass(hypertrophy) as opposed to long , intense workouts

The time needed for rapid muscle and systematic adaptation depends on the difficulty ofthe movement. In bodybuilding and especially in leg building workouts, there are only agiven number of exercises one can perform for muscle mass and strength stimulation.

This essentially means that less training is needed for neuromuscular and functionaladaptation to occur (which means you can recover faster with more frequent trainingsessions).

Bodybuilding using high intensity workouts results in adaptation and an increase in thecross sectional area of the leg muscles (hypertrophy)

Scientist have also discovered that we can alter and convert one type of fiber to anotherwith the right holistic training approach. This essentially means we can take muscle fiberslike the fast twitch fibers (which are conductive to endurance training but have lesscapacity to enlarge) and convert them into slow twitch fibers (which have a greatertendency to enlarge) if we apply the necessary training stimulus.


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The leg muscles will adapt in direct proportion to the kind and type of training stimulusattached to the muscles.

High volume work with lower intensity does not produce adaptation in muscles becauseit does not threaten the muscles threshold capacity necessary for adaptation.On the other hand high volume work with the right frequency and high intensity if usedfor a prolonged period of time without cycling low and medium intensity workouts will

result in an overtrained state, muscle atrophy and regression.

The stress applied to the muscles and, more specifically, to the legs, has to be periodicallyand progressively increased to encourage continued and progressive adaptation. If theirtraining stress is not reduced periodically then the body will hit a stagnation state and ifthis stress is continually applied, it will eventually lead to muscle atrophy and decrease in

performance and functional ability.If a low intensity form of training is used for longer than 4-6 days, muscle detraining islikely to occur and the body is likely to lose all the gains it made using the high intensity

phases. Rest days without training will also lead to detraining effect if the length ofabsence from training exceeds 67 days.

The conversion of muscle overcompensation refers to the direct relationship between

training stress and adaptation.

How a Muscle Adapts

A high intensity training stress disrupts the homeostatic state of the body by disruptingand using muscle glycogen supplies. This depletion of the energy source translates intomuscle and systematic fatigue which results in the production of waste products likelactic acid which, in turn, temporarily reduces the training and functional ability of themuscles to contract.

After training, there is energy glycogen replenishment and the body moves slowly andprogressively above its former homeostatic stage allowing the muscles to have enough

reserves to meet the same stress should it be repeated in the near future.

If the time between training sessions is too long, this adaptation and overcompensation ofenergy sources will erode, leading to a phase of low gains and muscle atrophy whereeventually all the gains made in the training session will taper off and move into thehomeostatic state that prevailed before training begun.

Overcompensation results from the increase in energy storage, which leads to an increasein the size of the muscles together with an increase in the functional ability of themuscles.This essentially means that, to make maximum gains, a greater stress via high intensityoverload needs to be applied at the optimal time (during the overcompensation stage). A


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loss of muscle size and functional ability will occur. So frequent training sessions arenecessary for progressive and continued muscle growth.

The recovery period needed for regeneration, recovery and overcompensation is usally 24hours; this time varies depending on the type of energy source and system used. Forinstance, if we use reps in the 40-60 reps range and have a 45 second rest between sets,

we are using the lactic acid system and then the aerobic energy system, and with thissystem use we need only a 6-7 hour recovery period for full recovery andovercompensation (provided high intensity is applied and high calories are consumed tofoster recuperation).

On the other hand if we use the anaerobic system as in strength and power training,recovery and overcompensation could take as much as 36 hours.

The rate of growth and adaptation increases when the bodybuilder is exposed to frequentbodybuilding sessions, provided the session is short and adequate nutrition and rest areallowed to facilitate complete recovery. Long intervals between training sessions willlead to stagnation and an erosion of muscle size, and functional and workload capacity inthe long run.

This however does not mean that we can use a high intensity training stress repeatedlywith every workout, without cycling it with low intensity workouts. Performing highintensity workouts without low intensity workouts will lead to chronic overtraining andsystematic and muscular fatigue.

To facilitate constant size and strength increases, intensity has to be increased but only ifthese high intensity training sessions are alternated with low intensity and mediumintensity workouts.

Put another way, in other words high intensity workouts have to be alternated with lowintensity workouts. This alternation between low and high intensity workouts leads to a

persistent and progressive increase is muscle size and strength and also eliminates the

possibility of over training. This also means that a greater training stimulus has to beattached with every high intensity workout during the overcompensation cycle

As such, for growth to be continuous and consistent after each and every workout, agreater load and intensity level needs to be applied on the trained muscles while it isundergoing an overcompensation phase and not after, as too long a wait before

performing another workout will lead to muscle atrophy

The Power Of Progressive Overload

The principle of progressive overload has its roots in ancient Greek mythology. Milos ofCrotona, a wrestling champion, decided to develop his strength and size by lifting and


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carrying a baby calf over a given distance each day. As the calf grew so did Milos.Thanks to the principle of progressive overload Milos ruled supreme as the strongest manon the planet.Using present day examples, I noticed that even Ronnie Coleman does something similarwith a barbell on his back. He does lunges across a parking lot and nobody has betterglutes and legs than Coleman. That is a form of permanence training.

Improvements in leg size are a direct result of the amount and intensity of the overloadapplied. Intensity and overload have to be progressively applied if growth is to take place.This is an immutable law that governs muscle growth, provided of course that sufficienthigh calories are taken in to support the growth process.

Other training programs for the legs tend to follow a static progression in overload, wherethe same overload is used day in day out. And where occasionally and randomlyintensity is applied via shock principles using high intensity training principles likenegatives and forced reps.

Static progression training methodology will lead to an initial gain in mass and strengthbut will be followed by a quick deterioration of muscle mass gains. The body builder willthen hit a plateau and this gives way to muscle atrophy.

A constant progressive increase in overload and intensity is needed for abnormal levels ofmuscle growth to occur. This however does not mean that no low intensity training iscycled with the high intensity training sets.

The overload principle can be defined broadly as follows :

Muscle size and strength will only increase if the muscles and the CNS work atmaximum effort with greater overloads that are above the previously applied overloadand intensity.

To allow maximum growth via the overload principal, we need:1. Maximum muscle contractions via high intensity training where all sets are taken

to failure.2. The muscle has to be taken to temporary exhaustion even on light days.3. Every high overload/high intensity phase should be followed by low to medium

intensity sets4. Direct size and strength gains are a result of permanent and recurring stress

(overload) and intensity.5. Training intensity and overload must increase in direct proportion to the amount

of size and strength you desire, and it must also increase in line with the naturalrecovery ability of your body!

This essentially means that muscle size gains are not linear or ever increasing. In theorythey should be, but in reality they are limited by the bodies recovery and metabolic


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threshold, which does not get bigger or better with more training.

Thus a gradual increase of intensity, volume and density followed by a period of activerest and inactive rest is needed for maximum growth to occur.

Active Rest And The Unloading Phase

Here is a complete 1-2 days of rest that follows a brutally intense training session. This iswhat I term as uploading. It is a time used to allow the body to regenerate and allow allthe gains made during the previous macro cycle to manifest itself . This is achievedthrough a complete halt in workouts. There is at least one unloading day in every microcycle (week) and in some 3-4.

Active rest on the other hand, allows uploading as well, but it is accomplished by areduction in intensity, volume and density and frequency of training. The need for thisactive rest and uploading phase comes about due to the fact that the CNS system can take9 times more time to recover from a high intensity training session than the skeletalmuscles themselves.

The uploading period should not as a general rule exceed four days. Three is the optimalamount of time. The uploading phase begins a week prior to the layoff period of 2-3 daysand in this week training intensity, volume and density are reduced. High intensitytraining days should never exceed 2 days as a rule during a week and should also be

placed at the middle of the weekThis active rest period allows the growth stimulated in prior accumulative workouts tomanifest itself. This allows the body to adapt to the new training intensity, density andvolume and to adapt and get bigger and stronger to be able to handle that level of stressshould it occur again.

Think of the process of gaining mass like a sonic boom. If a F16 fighter pane flying fasterthan the speed of sound were to pass you by you may see it in the sky, but you would

hear no sound (the stress and the overload is the F16) and the uploading effect is thesonic boom that follows soon after. The sonic boom is where the gains you havestimulated in past workouts actually come into being. Most other programs do not

provide the necessary time for uploading to begin.

If there is no active rest or uploading time allowed, the body will eventually shut downand use a reverse tactic of actually getting weaker, forcing muscle atrophy and asignificant strength decrease.


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0

200

400

600

800

DENSITY/

VOLUME/

INTENSITY

1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29

MICROCYCLE

INTENSITY CYCLE

Series1

NOTE how in week 1 intensity, volume and density are at their lowest, in week 2, theyincrease, week 3-4 they increase even further, week 5 it peaks, drops down in week 6(active rest), in between each week there are uploading days (1-3 days of rest) and on

week 8 it begins at a much higher level of intensity, density and volume level.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis is defined as a state of equilibrium. The body whether trained or untrained is

in a constant state of equilibrium at any given time, irrespective of whether adaptationand regeneration take place or not. This is what we call homeostasis.

Here is how it works: before you actually begin any program, your body is in a state ofstableness, also known as homeostasis. When an unaccustomed stress is applied to the

body, glycogen supplies and ATP/CP stores are exhausted and a general stage of fatigueis created in the muscle group trained. This temporary situation causes the body to losestrength albeit temporarily and to the ordinary bodybuilder this is interpreted as a badthing. The unknowing bodybuilder at this stage usually interprets this as overtraining andso he backs down...continuous training and abundant nutrition will diminish this state andsend gains soaring. In order for the gains to completely manifest and to maximize gains,an active and inactive rest period needs to follow the high intensity stress training period.This also allows full recovery and allows the necessary rest period to ensure full muscular

adaptation.

For continuous growth to occur without overtraining Your workouts must continuallychallenge your present level of adaptation and you should not allow more than a 96 hour

period of inactive rest period to elapse between workouts

The 3 Energy Systems Of The Body

All physical activity requires the use of energy and energy is primarily defined andderived from the foods we consume. This energy from food is converted to ATP(Adenosine Triphosphate) which is stored in muscle cells.


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The energy needed for bodybuilders and high intensity muscle contractions is obtainedfrom the conversion of ATP to ADP + P (Adenosine Diphosphate +phosphate). Sincethere is a limited supply of ATP its stores have to be replenished constantly.

The ATP supplies can be replenished by the 3 major energy systems of the body1. The ATP-CP system2. The Aerobic System or oxygen system

3. The lactic acid system

The ATP-CP system and the lactic acid system can replenish ATP stores without thepresence of OXYGEN and are thus anaerobic systems.

The ATP/ CP System

Since there is a limited amount of ATP in muscle cells the depletion of this energy sourceoccurs at a rapid rate when the muscles carry heavy loads. When this happens, creatine

phosphate (CP) in the muscle cells is broken down to its components, creatine (C) andphosphate (P).

This process releases a burst of energy which is used to rebuild ADP+P into ATP, whichis again transformed into ADP+P, which causes the massive release of energy used andneeded for muscle contraction. This transformation of CP into C+P is not the primereleaser of energy; rather this energy is used to rebuild ADP+P into ATP.

Due to the limited supply of CP, the energy created by this system is limited to the first10-12 seconds of an exercise movement. Which means that exercises that use a heavy/high intensity overload and in which sets are short will make use of this energy system.

Once exercise is halted, restoration and replenishment occurs. Scientists have establishedthat in 30 seconds the muscles can recover 70-75% of their stores and in 120-180 secondsenergy supplies are usually fully restored.

The Lactic Acid Energy System

For intense exercises that take longer than 45 seconds to perform, energy is againprovided by ATP/CP stores but after the 20-second limit, it begins to use lactic acid as anenergy system.

The lactic acid system works by breaking down glycogen stores in muscle cells as well asin the liver, which releases energy to resynthesize new ATP from ADP+P. Since theenergy generating process is performed in the absence of oxygen, a by product calledlactic acid is produced. An interesting fact to note about this energy system is that lacticacid build up causes muscle fatigue, which stops muscle contraction.


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Once exercise is halted, restoration and replenishment occurs. Scientists have establishedthat it takes 2-3 hours to replenish 40-50% of glucose stores, and it takes 24 hours for afull restoration. Again to reduce lactic acid build up, a light aerobic session performedafter a workout will cause you to sweat which gets rid of the lactic acid build up in the

blood and accelerates up muscle recovery.

Aerobic System

The aerobic system also produces the energy need to resynthesis ATP from ADP+P but itusually takes 60-80 seconds to begin that process. Other conditions needed for thisenergy system to begin resysnthesis is that the heart rate has to be increased sufficientlyto allow oxygen to be transported to the muscle cells where it is used as an element thatallows the breakdown of glycogen. Because of the presence of oxygen, there is no lacticacid build up and thus the exercise can be performed for a considerable length of time.

The aerobic system usually comes into play after 2-3 minutes of continuous activity.Anything longer than 2 hours and the body will begin to break down muscle protein for

use as an energy source.

The Mechanics Of Muscle Growth Reversal Or Under training The Muscles

Because of homeostasis the body will atrophy its abnormal size if similar or greaterstress is not applied to the body on a recurring and permanent basis and that is why activerest is essential..

The routines given in this manual follow a micro and macrocycle, where intensity,density and volume are gradually increased and then decreased. This is done to preventstagnation and a plateau.

Adhere to the program as is, because, as you get stronger and bigger, the body adapts tothe level of intensity applied. Thus using the same intensity, volume and workout densitywill have the body give you a yawn of a reaction and your body will hit a stagnation

period.

Following the18 week macro cycle to the T will ensure massive gains, as each microcycle builds on top of the other, piling on the gains in the legs like a dump truck dumpinga load of concrete.

Under Training The Legs


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Muscle mass gains will only accumulate if an adequate and progressive load is appliedon a consistent basis. When training is stopped, there is a huge disturbance in the

biological homeostatic state of the muscle cells and vital body organs. This results in adecrease in the athletes physiological workload and overall performance.

In this time, depending on the length of lack of training, there will be strength loss andmuscle degradation will begin to occur. This usually occurs after 48 hours.

Due to homeostasis when the muscles are not being used, the body stops building proteinand this leads to muscle breakdown and muscle atrophy., Thus some of the gains madeduring your previous training sessions are nullified and there is protein and muscledegradation in the existing muscle fibers.

Testosterone levels are also known to plummet during this period ,which degrades theanabolic environment needed to allow muscle adaptation and growth.This process of muscle loss will usually occur between 2-3 weeks of cessation oftraining. However the good news is that the loss of muscle mass size, testosterone andstrength can be easily reversed when training resumes, in fact it has been proven thatmuscle takes twice as fast to rebuild when training resumes.

Understanding Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness usually occurs when a bodybuilder uses a heavy load and trainsintensely for a long period of time without allowing adequate time for recovery. Musclesoreness also occurs when a beginner (or indeed advanced bodybuilder after a longlayoff) is exposed to high intensity training/overload training without complete recoveryand adaptation taking place between training sessions.

Whenever muscle soreness takes place you want to change the intensity of the nexttraining session to a low intensity workout. For instance if you train the legs with a highintensity/overload workouts and you experience soreness, you might want to switch to a

low intensity workout or active rest training session.

Muscle soreness can be caused by direct heavy loads placed on the muscle. This occursespecially with negative training. Negative training places greater tension / force on themuscle than positive repetitions.

The damage is related to the damage of muscle fibers that have been transmitted by thetraining session. This is a temporary effect and the muscles usually return to normal. Ifthe same stress is applied, further trauma will occur making the soreness worse. Sorenesscan be recognized as an aching pain. A certain amount of stiffness is usually experienced.

Soreness occurs as a result of the degradation of protein components of the muscle.Soreness does not mean that you should halt training. It means you should switch to a


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lower intensity set. Fortunately active rest periods are in place for you in the manual soyou need not worry.

Soreness can be reduced or prevented by applying various techniques

Apply varying levels of intensity/ density/volume and overload.

Take vitamin C and Calcium with every meal.

Take aspirin before and after a workout to thin the blood and allow for fastercirculation.* Please consult your doctor first.

Consume high calories to provide all the nutrients needed for fast musclegrowth.

Use all the recuperation techniques discussed in this manual.

Use a 10-15 minute aerobic session after a workout as an active recoverymeasure.

Change Exercises After Every Microcycle

Another important principle to bear in mind is this; every time you repeat the sameexercise or routine, the body becomes more and more accustomed to that specific stressand thus workouts will become more unproductive if the same exercises are used. That iswhy we recommend that you change exercises every 1 or 2 micro cycles.

What Happens Once I Get The Body I Want ? Will I Have To Train Forever?

If you wish to maintain mass without the use of daily workouts please have a look at theFast Muscles program, at http://www.fastmuscles.com , it shows you how to workout justonce every 2 weeks for super gains or just to maintain the mass you already have withoutthe long daily workouts..

The Principle Of Training Variety

Because the legs training routines below can be very demanding and requires lots of workand because volume, intensity, workout density and overload are progressively increasingand the same exercises are used, training variety has to be imposed. Otherwise the legsare likely to hit a physical plateau and if that persists you are likely to over train.

Thus, to prevent this stagnation, we cycle our workouts and change exercises on amicrocycle basis, preferably every two weeks. Variety in training can improve strengthgains and muscle adaptation responses.

Varity in training can be created by:


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Varying negative training with positive training and CNS training

Varying the overload, from light to medium to heavy

Varying the speed of repetitions and the rep ranges

Varying sets, reps and rest between sets

Using different exercises every microcycle.

Training To The Verge Of Overtraining?

You will note in the routines below, that we are really just taking the legs close to anovertrained state, and this is because tests have revealed that the best results can beobtained close to an overtrained state. That is why before week 4 of the program, we willgradually increase intensity and decrease rest periods between sets and exercises.Maximizing the intensity at week 4 and then slowly dropping the intensity, density andvolume to a period of active rest, allows for fast and abnormal growth to take place.

And to allow uninterrupted muscle growth we have to add variety into the program,constantly changing exercises, varying intensity, and volume and workout density.

Nutrition has to be kept high as well, to provide for the loss in expended energy.

To Get Big Legs You Need To Develop The Core Of The Body

You may wonder why in an leg specialization program we have you training chest andback . This is because you cannot get big legs without building up the rest of your body.For instance if you did nothing but legs you may gain .5 to 1 inch on your legs but afterthat your gains in the legs department will stagnate. To gain an inch on your legs youneed to gain approximately 10lbs of muscle and to do that you need to build the larger

body parts, namely the chest. legs and the back. Doing so, induces an indirect effect,

where hormones and natural chemicals in the body saturate the whole body including thechest with androgens which get the chest growing at an accelerated pace. The survivalmechanism of the body will not allow you to have soccer-player type legs, where onlyyour legs are huge without a corresponding huge body. So squat hard, train the back likethere is no tomorrow and your legs will grow and mushroom in size- and that is aguarantee in itself!

Some Key Principles To Massive Leg Development

The Number Of Reps And The Speed Of Repetitions


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In general the higher the load, the lower the number of repetitions and the slower thespeed of executing those repetitions. For the development of strength the number ofrepetitions should be in the 8-12 rep range. The percentage range (of your 1MR) of theserepetitions is 85-140%.For power development the number of repetitions is between 1-4, and reps are performedexplosively.

For endurance development the number of repetitions requires repetitions in the 30-40reps range and the percentage level of 1MR is 30-50%.

Also, the rep ranges between endurance of a short duration (15-20) and long duration(30-40) needs to be exaggerated if proper effects are to be observed. So long durationendurance should be in the 40-60 reps range, lower endurance training should be in the 5-20 rep range.

For maximum training effects, the speed of a rep has to be considered. For the reps in the1-10 rep ranges speed has to be performed explosively , even though the motion mayappear slow. In reality maximum force and speed are used to perform these rep rangeseffectively, but an onlooker would term your movement slow. This is the only way ofrecruiting all the motor units necessary to lift the resistance. Fast twitch fibers are

activated only when the load is heavy and the rep speed is fast. Slow twitch fibers on theother hand require rhythmic repetitions, where the reps are performed in a slowcontrolled manner with little or no rest between repetitions. To the onlooker your repsshould appear controlled and at a medium speed.

Training for Speed Speed appears to be

Muscle hypertrophy Explosively Slow

Max strength Explosively Slow

Power Explosively Fast

Endurance Rhythmic Medium speed

Number Of Sets To Be Performed

A setcan be defined as the total number of repetitions performed followed by a restperiod. The number of sets performed is ultimately determined by the number ofexercises performed.

In general as the number of exercises increases the number of sets has to decrease. Why?Because we have limited energy reserves. Fact is, due to the limited energy we have, wedont have the energy and work potential to perform many exercises and repetitions withhigh number of sets.

If such a scenario occurs, the strength training session is turned into endurance /aerobicsession as intensity plummets with every additional set added.


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The number of sets is also determined by the purpose of the strength training session.Endurance trainings sessions depend less on sets than the number of repetitions, where as

power/ strength sets (reps in the 1-12 rep ranges) require more sets for maximum trainingeffect and growth stimulation.

The number of sets also depends on the:1. Experience of the bodybuilder

2. The number of body parts trained per session3. The phase of training

The more experienced the athlete the more intensity and stress his body can adapt to, sothe more intensity and stress he can tolerate.The less the amount of exercises, the more sets you can perform per body part.Lastly the phase of training is important for example if you are new to bodybuilding. The

beginning effects of training are termed the anatomical adaptation stage, in which moreexercises are needed to properly stress efficiently all the muscles. The number of sets perexercise is less.

However, as we shift phases to more advanced levels the more we specialize and thus thefewer exercises we use and the more set we use.

Rest Between Sets

Energy stores in the muscle/body are key components when it comes to building musclemass and strength levels. In any given energy system depending on the intensity/ loadand the length of the training session, strength training tends to tax ATP/CP stores and /ordeplete such states, both leading to specific but different training effects. The length ofthe rest interval between sets depends on a multiple of factors.

The type of strength trying to be developed The load used The speed of the rep

The number of muscles involved The experience of the bodybuilder The weight and strength of the bodybuilder

Starting from the sixth point, more rest between sets is need for the heavier bodybuilders.Since they carry more muscle mass they tend to take a longer time to recover thanthinner and less heavy bodybuilders.


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Chart Of Rest Interval

Load of 1 MR Speed of reps Rest betweensets

Goal

Negative reps 120-140% Slow controlled 120-180 sec Stimulates maxstrength

Strengthbuilding

65-80% Explosively 120-150 sec Improvestrength andsize

Power building 80-100% Explosively 60-90 sec Improve power

Endurancetraining

30-50% Rhythmic 30-60 sec Improveendurance

Rest between sets allows the replenishment of ATP/CP stores. The right rest between setsalso minimizes the accumulation of lactic acid build up, as the shorter the rest interval,the faster the lactic acid build up and the greater the muscles fatigue.

A 30 -45 seconds rest interval between sets allows for 50-60% of ATP/ CPreplenishment.A 60-90 seconds rest interval between sets is not sufficient to allow for complete ATP/CPrestoration especially when reps are high.A 120-180 seconds rest interval between sets allows for complete ATP/CP restorationand is ideal for strength / power training, when maximum loads are used.

After the performance of multiple sets and the temporary exhaustion of the muscles areaccomplished, a 120- 180 rest interval between sets is not sufficient to replenish theATP/CP and glycogen stores. The required time for complete ATP/CP and glycogenrestoration in this multiple set scenario is 24-48 hours.

Rest Between Sessions-Frequency Of Training

Rest between training sessions is dependent on:

1. The recovery ability of the bodybuilder2. The energy sources used by the training phase

The more advanced or conditioned the bodybuilder the faster his or her recovery systemwill be as a general rule.

Next, the energy source used during a training session is crucial. If a bodybuilder is usingthe same energy source (say glycogen) and system on a consistent and daily basis thenthere should be a 48 hour break between training sessions of the same body part to allow

for complete muscle glycogen restoration. If, on the other hand, different energy systems


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are being used, one after the other, there need only be a 24 hour break between trainingsessions, and that is sufficient for full glycogen restoration and energy system recovery.

A diet high in calories and in quality protein and carbohydrates tends to speed up thisenergy system recovery process and is essential for muscle overcompensation to occur.

Optimal Rep Ranges (ORR)

The amazing Optimal Rep Ranges (ORR) repetition technology gives you up to 50%more gains from every rep you perform and here is why:

The number of repetitions is important because all sets are taken to full positive failure.Repetition ranges affect the androgens our bodies produce as well as the type andcomponents of muscle cells. They can be divided in four categories:

8 to 12 reps build muscle size and strength gain and are performed explosively.4 to 8 reps build power. Reps in this range are performed explosively as well.15-20 reps build muscle (short) endurance. These are performed rhythmically.

30-40 reps build muscle (long) endurance. These are performed rhythmically.40-50 reps done as partials with heavy weights stimulate the CNS and maximum

and are at a slow continuous tension speed with no rest.Negative reps will elongate the muscle and build strength in all aspects of a

repetition.

The Importance Of Good Form

Good form is very important in developing big legs, because it ensures that the trainedmuscle group is stimulated sufficiently to enable muscle growth to take place. It alignsthe muscle contractile curves at the right line of pull, which increases the effectiveness ofthe exercise. Full range of motion is also important here especially when we train withinyour maximum repetition range. Good form allows maximum motor activation; full range

of motion allows flexibility and elongates your leg muscles, allowing you to pack onmore mass on your legs in the long run. This however does not mean that you will not

benefit from partial repetitions.

Types Of Reps To Perform

Each rep range affects a different component of a muscle cell. Below you will find theexact details.

Explosive reps: With the explosive rep, the speed should be slow and controlled. Youllwant the rep to be slow enough to eliminate momentum and to ensure proper form yetexplosive enough to allow you to use maximum weights. Heres how you can perform it

by using the bench press :


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Take the bar of the rack of a squat rack and place it high on your neck . now with goodform slowly lower the weight, once you get to within 2-3 inches of your butt touchingyour heels you use enough force to explode or drive the weights up make sure this forceabsolutely excludes momentum.Lower the weight and return again to the start positionExplode up again, ensuring your form is perfect, and there should be no momentum.

Focus on exploding the weights upward like a rocket from a launch pad. Think of therocket whenever you are performing fast reps. It will help give you a visualinterpretation. This is an example of explosive training.

Firing as many motor fibers as possible is your goal, and to do this, you need to trainexplosively. This means you must accelerate the weights without breaking form or usingmomentum. This form of training, especially when done with heavy weights, recruits thehighest amount of cell myofibrilization.

Rhythmic reps: With rhythmic reps, youll use 60-75 percent of your IMR. Lets use thebicep curl as an example. You wont rest at the top or at the bottom of the movement.Instead, repetitions are performed with rhythm but not explosively. Movement iscontrolled and tension is continuous whereas with explosive training, tension goes off at

the beginning of the reps (just before launch) without momentum.

Continuous Reps: Continuous reps are similar to rhythmic reps except they areperformed at a much slower pace. As with the rhythmic repetitions, no bouncing or jerksare allowed. Repetitions should be continuous, and there should be no rest at the top or

bottom of the movement.

The Importance Of Training To Failure

In building muscle mass and allowing maximum muscle hypertrophy the level ofhypertrophy is directly related to the amount of tension applied to a muscle. Tension isdefined as the force /output generated or the intensity generated. High intensity training

or training to failure is what stimulates muscle growth and not the number of sets or thenumber of exercise used.

Over 90% of all bodybuilders stop a set shy of failure (maximum intensity) and some willtry to compensate for this lack of intensity by performing more sets. However this is notsufficient to stimulate muscle mass. More sets are not the answer. Intensity is best andessential to stimulating muscle growth.

Understand that the higher the intensity, the greater the tension placed on the muscle andthe greater the muscle stimulation and growth.

Adding additional sets will lengthen the recovery process without stimulating newmuscle mass. So for those of you who like to train long but not hard be advised that such


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a training methodology will lead to no increase in muscle mass and strength. Having saidthat, muscle mass increases can take place in two ways:

3. A increase in muscle size that is the direct result of increased fluid within themuscles.

4. An enlargement of the contractile elements within the body.

The two may occur simultaneously and indeed one may occur rather than the other. Ifthe first occurs, then the enlargement is due to a shift in body /muscle fluid whichallows strength gains that dont normally come with an enlargement of

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