Outer quad soreness

I've always been one of those guys blessed (or cursed) with a decent upper body and long thin legs. I always found squats very difficult (I believe because of the length of my femur but I don't want to get sidetracked here). In any event, I discovered the leg press (45% sled) and I was built for it (or it for me). In no time I ran out of places to put weights. In my gym the max the press will hold is 1260. Once I found something I could do, I did it a lot. I noticed that my outer quads were constantly sore (apparently, I never let them fully recover).

Now that I figured out how to work my legs on something I've gone back to trying squats and deadlifts again. With a fairly wide stance, I can go just below parallel. Still, I can't squat much if I go parallel (8X225 or 4x315). I haven't been able to move beyond that (which is sad because I bench more than that).

In any event, I took off a week but my outer quads are still sore, almost like a tendonitis but not quite. Is anyone out there familiar with this feeling? How often can I work my legs?

I used to know more about this stuff but I got old (49) and the rules for my body seemed to change without giving me adequate notice.

Bob

How often are you working your legs right now? You mentioned taking a week off- A lot of us here work every muscle group just once a week anyway, and get amazing results- And of course, it's always a good idea to take time off once in a while. How's your form with your squats? Also, how's your diet?
So the rules for your body changed without adequate notice- Hell, I'm not even thirty yet, and that seems to happen every year already. At least you're in a much better place than most people your age, right?

I can't complain. I once rode professional rodeo and I've broken just about everything once. I lifted regularly until about 2 years ago then an old back injury flared up because I kept trying to do squats the way everyone told me to - fee shoulder width apart. The problem with that is that then when I try to go parallel, everything gets thrown out of wack and my back took to much strain. With the wider stance I'm really starting to like squats. I just wish I could increase the weight above my bench.

I have read many postings here, though I'm obviously new, and I have noticed that a week off between leg workouts is pretty common. I think I may go to that. The problem is that I just love lifting weights with ZZ Top's LeGrange or the Doobie Brothers on full blast in my ipod. Not as good as sex but the next best thing.

I recently pulled some little muscle that runs up the inside of your thigh. You know, an adductor or an abductor or some stupid muscle that I should have been stretching but was too lazy. It just tweaked on day on the leg press.

Each time I go back in the gym since it happened I try a squat with just 135 to see if I still feel it. When it's gone I will slowly work back up. In the meantime I do upper body and calves - and got my wife to show me how to stretch it, the muscle I mean.

So is a week between leg workouts your schedule. The problem with that is that I've been doing a three day split for so long I'm not sure how to accomodate that leg schedule. I do chest, triceps, front and lateral delts one day then legs, then back, biceps and rear delts. Then I take a day off and start over. I do cardio about three times a week when I go to the gym with my wife in the evening (I work out in the morning).

Anyway, thanks for the input. Good to know this forum is active.

Bob

Oh, I almost forgot. My form with squats is good but very wide stance and 5s under my heels. I use the same stance with deadlifts, I think they call it the sumo stance these days. With that stance, I can keep my back in proper form and really feel my quads and glutes.

Bob

I know what you mean about loving to lift- It was a shock to me and my system when I switched to working everything just once a week, mostly because I just plain love hitting the weights. But, I held back, and instead of hitting everything until it couldn't move as often as possible, I started hitting one muscle group a day and have never looked back. Give it a try- You'll still be in the gym every day, and you can focus all that energy on just that one muscle group. The difference in gains, both strength and sizewise, might surprise you- And it'll definitely give your body enough time to recuperate properly.

ORIGINAL: ocbizlaw

Oh, I almost forgot. My form with squats is good but very wide stance and 5s under my heels. I use the same stance with deadlifts, I think they call it the sumo stance these days. With that stance, I can keep my back in proper form and really feel my quads and glutes.

Bob

Well Bob, as someone who's 6'3" I can relate on squats but...... ditch the 5 pound plates under your heels, it puts the emphasis on the weight load on the balls of your feet (not a good thing) and has a tendency to have you lean forward slightly while driving the weight up (again not a good thing). Keep your feet flat on the floor while pushing up and drive up from your heels. A wide stance is definately a necessity if you are going all the way down to the bottom but not necessarily a requirement if you are just going to parallel.

As to sumo stance, I use that on deadlifts myself, too damn far to move the weight otherwise

Paul

A friend helps you move, a true friend helps you move bodies.

This all makes sense (except that my whole life I've been told you can work a muscle every day - but those were the same guys who told you not to drink water during practice).

If you work a muscle once a week, what does the split look like? Do you do many more sets per body part? Maybe you can just direct me to a post that is already here.

As soon as my legs stop hurting I'm going to lighten up on the squats and try it with no plates under my heels.

By the way, I read somewhere that the reason tall guys find it easier to take a wider stance is that the wider stance has the effect (somehow) of shortening the femur relative to the lower leg. I haven't figured out how though.

By the way, this is a very friendly forum so far. I've seen others where all people do is bash each other for their different opinions. This is great. Thanks again.

Bob

Monday -Off
Tuesday -Shoulders
Wednesday - Arms
Thursday -Off
Friday -Legs
Saturday - Back
Sunday -Chest

That is what I'm doing now. 1 body part per week.

I find a wider stance easier. More glutes involved. I would think a taller person would like a wider stance as they don't have to go as low.

Muscle takes time to repair.

Here's something you can try for a week. Start on Monday and go to Sunday. Do bench every day. Adding weight and trying to beat your last workout. Really push each workout. 100%. Post your results each day.

I doubt by Sunday you will have a new max bench.

And then that will tell you immediately why working out a muscle every day won't work.

You simply cannot recover in time. By Friday, the freaking bar will probably be enough.

(except that my whole life I've been told you can work a muscle every day - but those were the same guys who told you not to drink water during practice).

LOL! Isn't that the truth.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I posted my current schedule on another thread but you guys seem more helpful. Here is where I am now. Can one of you help me convert to one body part per week:

I'm 49, 6-1 240 lbs 25% body fat (don't laugh - I' down from 33% 4 months ago - I now live on Met-rx). Two years ago I let a back injury give me an excuse to sit on my butt and get fat. I went from 190 to 250 lbs and from 12% fat to 33% as of September 2004.

When I returned to the gym, I immediately went back to my old three day split. I recovered my strengh quickly. In fact, my 1 RM on bench went to 350 from 300 two years ago. Unfortunatly, my 1 RM for deadlift and squats are the same as my bench press.

I've begun to feel I'm overtraining. My legs are always sore (espeically outer quads), a little elbow tendonitis returned (now gone) along with some lower end biceps tendonitis (also now gone). Finally, I had a slight pull of whatever that little muscle that goes up the inside of your leg to the groin area.

If anyone can help me rework my workout to one body part per week I would sure be greatful. Here's what I'm doing now (I'm no bodybuilder so don't laugh at me):

Day 1, Chest, lateral delts, triceps

flat bench Set 1 135X15
set 2 1 X225
set 3 1X285
set 4 1x315
set 5 4x285
set 6 8x225
set 7 1x325
set 8 8x225

Incline bench

2 sets 8x135

Sometimes decline bench 2 sets 8x225
pec dec

2 sets of 12 reps as much weight as I can and complete my 12 reps

Tricpes (by now my triceps are pretty tired)
set 1 8 bar dips
set 2 8 bar dips
3 sets push downs 25 reps each with as much weight as I can complete all 25 reps with.
one more set of 6 dips
2 sets pushdowns with the rope handle

lateral delts

3 sets lateral machine raises max weight on machine
set 1 10 reps
set 2 8
set 3 6

I can't do dumbell lateral raises because of my elbows. I can't do heavy barebell shoulder press because of a shoulder problem (most of these happened because I broke pretty much every bone in my body as a rodeo cowboy in a past life).

Day 2
Legs

squats
set 1 10x135 I go just past below parallel with a wide stance
set 2 1x225
set 3 1x315
set 4 8x225
set 4 8x225

leg press 45% sled
set 1 10x720
set 2 8x810
set 3 6x900
set 4 8x720

Straight leg deadlift
2 sets of 8 with 225

calves (very skinny)
seated calf raises
sets 1-2 10X180
standing calf raises
sets 1-2 10x300
2 sets on some other machine where you sit with your knees bent and push your toes against a foot pad.

day 3

back, rear delts and biceps

cable low row

set 1 12X150
set 2 4x250
set 3 10x200

close grip pull downs on independent arms machine with regular plates
(each arm independent of the other with equal weight on each)

3 sets with 135 on each sides (total 270)

close grip low rows on an similar machine pulling upward while seated
3 sets 135 each arm (270)

T-bar (kind of T-bar, it's a machine)

2 sets max weigh on machine

lat pulldowns wide grip
3 sets of 10 weight 165, 150 and 150 per set

dealifts from floor

set 1 6x225
set 2 3x315
set 3 8x225

rear delts

3 sets of 8 with 250 (max) on kind of a seated rear pec dec.

biceps

3 by 8 on easy curl bar with 65, 85 and 65 (by the time I finish back, there isn't much left for biceps).

Cardio on eliptical machine with moving arm handles 20 minutes for 300 calories.

Looks like a lot when I write it all down.

Anyway, how do I switch to a once per week per body part workout from where I am now?

Again, thanks for any advice.

Bob