Skinny Legs - JP Fitness Forums

HailMary · 08-03-2006, 03:33 PM

I`ve had a lot of success bulking over the past eight or so months. Most of the muscle mass that I`ve gained however has been on my upper body rather than on my legs.

I`ve been doing full body routines by Waterbury and Mejia which include a lot of deadlifts, squats, etc, but, for some reason, I am having a lot of trouble gaining any mass on my legs. I`m not quite sure what the problem is - I`m going heavy on the weights, my diet is very good..

Maybe my form is a bit off? Maybe I need to do a leg-specific workout for a month or two?

What do you guys think?

Thanks -

HM

(I`m currently doing Watebury´s high-frequency program...)

Jimbo · 08-03-2006, 04:12 PM

I have a similar situation with my arms.

My legs have grown and my chest. But my arms are still the same size.

Think it's just genetics? I've tried hitting the arms directly...yada yada...nothing has really worked. They have changed shape...but measure the same in circumference. It's like the muscle I've added is around the ends of my biceps and my arms have gotten denser. I'm not saying my biceps got longer

Just that my arms filled out but not really in circumference. There's also the fact that I had fat on my arms but not so much now...I bet your legs have changed eh?

John Izzo · 08-03-2006, 04:17 PM

How tall are you guys?

Jimbo · 08-03-2006, 04:20 PM

5'10" here. Average joe, that's me.

K-Court · 08-03-2006, 04:22 PM

Yes, O twin of mine!

And I definitely have the arms problem too ...

Jimbo · 08-03-2006, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K-Court

Yes, O twin of mine!

And I definitely have the arms problem too ...

I'm gonna get my butt kicked for highjacking this thread!

His legs! It's a question about his legs!

Hey K. Long time to chat. Hope all is well.

K-Court · 08-03-2006, 04:26 PM

Legs, schmegs. It's all about arms.

I'll PM you, Jimbo.

Sorry, HailMary - hijack over. Back to the legs thing ....

ZachL · 08-03-2006, 04:28 PM

I would try a leg-work heavy workout (for a few weeks, maybe one day per week just legs). Just be careful not to overtrain. Also, be sure to consume your carb + protein (4:1) drink just before and during your workout, and then a carb + protein drink after (3:1). Chances are you are fighting genetics, so while you can probably get some size on your lower body, its very possible you are genetically predisposed to gaining mass there more slowly.

John Izzo · 08-03-2006, 04:28 PM

It may be due to limb length. I know at only 5'6", I have the stocky build, but my arm length is around 28-29 inches (shoulder to middle finger) and my arms don't develop as fast as my back/chest. I have seen lots of clients with the same concerns as your guys, and it was alwasy due to long muscles (high insertion points). My problem with legs is I have short femur length, but long tibia length.

Jimbo · 08-03-2006, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by standAPART

It may be due to limb length. I know at only 5'6", I have the stocky build, but my arm length is around 28-29 inches and my arms don't develop as fast as my back/chest. I have seen lots of clients with the same concerns as your guys, and it was alwasy due to long muscles (high insertion points). My problem with legs is I have short femur length, but long tibia length.

Yeah...I know it's not possible...but I sware the length of my biceps is different than when I started working out. Arms are fuller..length wise.

AND I'm one of those folks who can bench as much as he can squat. I can throw up 185 for 5 reps on both squat and bench. Long legs too I guess.

Inspired · 08-03-2006, 04:42 PM

Okay I want to get in a few words of advice here..

First, Hailmary, can you tell me what your squat/bench/dead is..

Secondly, Weight/Hieght/BF

Thirdly, Male/Female/Age

What is your caloric intake on an average day?

What is your occupation (As in how much activity during the day excluding training)..

Protien intake? Any supplements?

How long have you been lifting?

Answer these, and I'll give ya a good reason.

Remember, Genetics is crap, you just have to find what works for you. Anyone that blames anything on genetics is just find an excuse for not training hard enough, and not thinking hard enough.. (Cripples not included[Sorry I referred to you as a cripple])

gobbla · 08-03-2006, 04:50 PM

do you "honest to diety of choice" lift with the same intensity on your leg day(s) as you do on your upper body? the reason I ask is because historically I haven't, almost always have had more gas in the tank even if it was a "hard" workout. You wanna do some curls\chins\OH Presses? DIE LIFTS DIE!!! You wanna squat? Better take it easy...don't want to use bad form...no no no...safety first.

Not saying to hurt yourself by lifting crappy, but don't shortchange yourself if intensity IS the problem.

Jimbo · 08-03-2006, 04:54 PM

I admit squats/deads skeer me a bit but DIE LIFT DIE on chest day.

{jimbo holds up his oath finger...uh fingers}

I promise to attack the holy crap out of those deadlifts tommorrow.

gobbla · 08-03-2006, 04:58 PM

Just be smart about it. As a rule people don't get hurt by lifting. They get hurt by doing something stupid in the middle of lifting.

Take whatever you think you should be doing and add 10lbs...that's just two little plates, but one major mental hurdle.

Inspired · 08-03-2006, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gobbla

Just be smart about it. As a rule people don't get hurt by lifting. They get hurt by doing something stupid in the middle of lifting.

Take whatever you think you should be doing and add 10lbs...that's just two little plates, but one major mental hurdle.

Lol gobbla, I dunno if I'd recommend 10lbs more then what I think I should be doing.. What if the person is inexperienced and believes he's stronger then he is, then adds 10lbs on top of the weight that he already can't do? That's when lifting pwns you.

Frank.S · 08-03-2006, 05:09 PM

genetics could have a smalla mount to do with it. But realistically anyone (male at least) could get 17 inch arms if they trained for it. Higher then that and youll really hit a genetic limit.

For me, close grip chins, close grip bench, and overloaded cheat curls got my arms bigger.

achtungbaby · 08-03-2006, 06:01 PM

Before I started lifting weights I was a pretty thin guy....skinny legs and a non-existent butt. I am still not as big as I would like but patience paid off and after 2 years I got a decent set of legs and an pretty nice butt (according to some lol) and since then I have managed to keep it that way. As most, if not all, of us here know there is no magic bullet so all you can do is work hard and in time you'll get there. Squat like hell and you'll see something. I may owe some credit to walking uphill every day.

BFG · 08-03-2006, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HailMary

I`ve had a lot of success bulking over the past eight or so months. Most of the muscle mass that I`ve gained however has been on my upper body rather than on my legs.

I`ve been doing full body routines by Waterbury and Mejia which include a lot of deadlifts, squats, etc, but, for some reason, I am having a lot of trouble gaining any mass on my legs. I`m not quite sure what the problem is - I`m going heavy on the weights, my diet is very good..

Maybe my form is a bit off? Maybe I need to do a leg-specific workout for a month or two?

What do you guys think?

Thanks -

HM

(I`m currently doing Watebury´s high-frequency program...)

Id agree throw some specific workouts in there a change in style and approach can often be the plateau buster you need.

Altho having said that no matter what I have tried my chest never grows in proportion to my lats so it always looks smaller (even tho it is actualy bigger and more defined)

Jason B · 08-03-2006, 07:05 PM

First off, check what gobbla said, make sure you're lifting legs with the same intensity as upper body. I also like Zach's idea, I always gained the most size on my legs with one massive, heavy volume workout a week and a bulking diet. May not be the best for