Let's start with the largest muscle group in humans - the muscles of the lower extremities. In this material I will try to briefly, but in sufficient detail, analyze all the questions regarding the structure and anatomy of the leg muscles. I will also give you the best exercises for their development.
No one argues that reading such topics is very tedious. It’s much more interesting to look at publications from the series “How to enlarge your butt” or “How to pump up your abs to a six-pack.” But it is impossible to grow big buttocks without pumping up your legs, without clearly understanding which muscle works in a particular movement.
So get ready to read carefully. At the end, a pleasant bonus awaits you - a selection of the best exercises for developing the muscles of the legs and buttocks.
Buttocks[edit | edit code]
Gluteus maximus[edit | edit code]
Gluteus maximus muscle, m. Gluteus maximus occupies almost the entire volume of the buttocks, so their shape largely depends on it. Beginning: gluteal surface of the ilium, dorsal surfaces of the sacrum and coccyx; insertion: gluteal tuberosity of the femur, iliotibial tract.
Main function:
ensure the movement of the hip joint, that is, straighten the torso, move the leg back.
Gluteus medius and minimus muscles
overlap the first and are located slightly above it. They are responsible for raising the leg to the side and also provide lifting of the buttocks.
Basic leg workout
Using the example of the following complex from a professional trainer, Dionisis Tsakalidis, we will look at the basics.
- Squats. Warm-up set of 15-20 repetitions with working weight.
- Squats. 12-15 reps.
- Leg press. 3 sets of 10 reps.
- Leg bending in the simulator. 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
- Hack squats. 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
- Squats. 2 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
Squat to pump up your legs quickly
Most people find squats difficult. This exercise only seems easy from the outside: just bend your legs, squat down, and then straighten up. But it's not that simple.
Before moving on to heavy weights, start with lighter weights that provide enough resistance to get the hang of proper technique. For example, you will feel a weight of 60 kg, but at the same time it can be controlled.
Squats
Your goal isn't just to lift weights to quickly pump up your legs, it's important to focus on lifting through your hips. Once you are comfortable with the technique, you can think about scales. Correct execution is the key to muscle growth and quick pumping of the legs.
Best exercises: Hack squats and leg presses
Hack squats are another great exercise that perfectly load the outer quadriceps and quickly pump up the leg muscles to impressive sizes. If everything is done correctly, then the upper part will not be left without work.
By changing the position of your feet, you can target all parts of the hip. Make sure you push the weight with your heels and not your toes. The entire emphasis of this exercise is on leg extension, and the power comes from straightening the knees rather than pushing through the hips. You will feel the difference.
Hack squats
Throughout the entire exercise, your back and hips should be pressed tightly against the machine. If you neglect this, you can pinch the sciatic nerve, which, most likely, you will never completely heal. When working on your quads, always focus on what you're doing. At the highest point, try to press your heels into the platform. However, don't overdo it.
The leg press is also great for quickly pumping up and adding volume to your legs. But this doesn't mean you will become super strong.
The whole point is in the technique: you need to lower the weight until the moment when the pelvis begins to lift away from the seat. The pelvis should not lift off, so complete the movement to this point. When you push the weight up, try to do it with your heels, as Georg Hackenschmidt bequeathed.
When doing this, always change the position of your legs. Push through your feet and never cross your arms to help your legs. If you cannot perform the exercise correctly with the selected weight, it is better to dampen your pride and take less weight. And when you get comfortable with the technique, you will be able to work with any, even huge, weights.
Leg press
Muscles of the anterior thigh[edit | edit code]
Muscles of the anterior thigh and lower leg
Quadriceps (quadriceps)[edit | edit code]
Quadriceps femoris muscle, m. guadriceps femoris, the most powerful muscle in the human body. It occupies the entire front surface of the thigh. In front it is crossed obliquely by the sartorius muscle
.
Muscles of the anterior thigh
The muscle consists of four heads: rectus femoris, vastus internus, vastus externus and vastus medialis.
. Having different starting points far apart from each other, all the heads converge in the lower part of the thigh and form a common tendon.
Rectus femoris muscle
, m. rectus femoris, bipennate muscle, the longest of the four heads of the quadriceps muscle; located on the front surface of the thigh. The muscle begins as a tendon from the iliac spine and at the acetabulum. Heading down, the muscle expands and reaches the middle of the thigh, and then, gradually narrowing, turns into a powerful tendon. The latter fuses with the base of the patella and, passing along its anterior surface, reaches the tubercle of the tibia, where it ends.
Vastus internus muscle
, m. vastus medialis is a flat, wide, thick muscle. Located on the anteromedial surface of the thigh. Its anterior edge is somewhat covered by the rectus femoris muscle; inside it borders with the medial group of thigh muscles. The vastus internus muscle is partially covered by the oblique sartorius muscle. The muscle bundles, enveloping the anteromedial surface of the femur, are directed obliquely downward and forward. In the lower part of the thigh, the muscle part passes into the tendon part, which joins the rectus tendon.
Vastus externus muscle
, m. vastus lateralis is a flat, wide, thick muscle lying on the anterior outer surface of the thigh. Its lateral surface is partially covered by the tensor fasciae lata muscle; the anterior edge is covered by the rectus femoris muscle. The muscle starts from the trochanter of the femur. The muscle bundles, directed obliquely downward and forward, cover the anterolateral surface of the femur and in the lower part of the thigh pass into the tendon, intertwined with the tendon of the rectus muscle.
Vastus medialis
, m. vastus intermedius - the weakest of the four heads of the quadriceps femoris muscle; has the appearance of a flat, wide, relatively thin muscle. The muscle is located on the front surface of the femur, covered in front by the rectus femoris muscle. The muscle starts from the intertrochanteric line and the anterior surface of the femur within the upper three-quarters. Its bundles are directed vertically downwards and pass into a flat tendon. In the lower thigh, the tendon attaches to the rectus femoris tendon.
Main function:
the quadriceps femoris muscle extends the leg at the knee; in addition, m. The rectus femoris, being a biarticular muscle, takes part in hip flexion and forward tilt of the pelvis.
Want to pump up your legs quickly? Train to failure
And now we’ll figure out how you can quickly pump up a man’s legs (and of course a girl too!) in the gym, and what bodybuilding methods are best to use for this.
We are all different. Some people have genetically large hips and can exercise at partial strength and still have large legs. And someone will have to sweat, pumping up their legs. After doing squats, you will feel like you were run over by a train. But often, despite all efforts, there is no significant growth. So what's the deal?
Forced reps
Many people perform shoulder or chest sets to the point of exhaustion every workout, but cannot handle the same load on their legs. Why is this happening? Forced repetitions are what will help you build up your legs quickly. And yes, this also applies to squats in the gym.
Reference . In forced repetitions, unlike negative repetitions, partner assistance in the concentric phase should be minimal. Help begins only when the athlete can no longer perform a clean repetition with the selected weight. In fact, the partner reduces the weight of the weight, thereby allowing you to extend the set. One set should contain no more than 1-2 forced repetitions, and there should be no more than 2-3 such sets per workout.
Before you pick up a barbell and start squatting, you need to warm up well.
Mandatory warm-up
We recommend warming up with an exercise bike, elliptical or intense work on a treadmill for at least 8-10 minutes.
Work at a moderate pace, enough to work up a sweat. Immediately after this, spend 10 minutes stretching. Remember: you need to stretch not only your quadriceps, but also all the muscles in your legs and lower back. To complete your warm-up, do 2-3 sets of 20, 18, 15 repetitions of leg extensions on the machine.
You shouldn’t push yourself; on the last set of the warm-up you should be fully prepared for hard work. Check: your back is pressed tightly against the backrest, your hips are pressed against the seat. And most importantly, additionally tighten your quadriceps. If you think that this is too much for warming up, don’t worry, it’s necessary.
Now you are ready to begin leg pumping exercises.
Leg training is the most difficult and energy-intensive; it is the one that puts the maximum load on the entire body, allowing you to create the basis for building up general muscles.
By paying due attention to exercises for the lower part, you are guaranteed to avoid the most common imbalance - a developed core and thin legs.
Agree, such a ridiculous picture will not add confidence, but sculpted and strong legs are what you need for the image of a strong man.
Hamstring muscles[edit | edit code]
Muscles of the back of the thigh and lower leg
Biceps femoris[edit | edit code]
Muscles of the back of the thigh
Biceps femoris, m. biceps femoris, placed closer to the anterior edge of the thigh. The muscle consists of two heads. Long, begins on the ischial tuberosity; short head, originating from the middle third of the lateral lip. Both heads, joined together, are attached to the head of the fibula.
Main function:
bending the knees and extending the torso together with the gluteus maximus muscle.
see also
: Hamstring muscles
We pump up our legs with lunges and extensions in the simulator
Leg straightening is a useful exercise for the legs, both in warm-up and for work during the main workout. Since this is a growth exercise, you must be extremely careful. It seems simple, but many athletes get burned by it. Straighten your entire leg from your quads to your calves.
Leg straightening in the simulator
How you do this is another important question. Extension is carried out by tensioning the quadriceps, but also try to simultaneously pull your feet up. Make sure your back is firmly pressed into the seat and your hips are not lifting off.
And of course, don’t ignore lunges if you want to quickly build up your leg muscles. You will be surprised, but many people do this exercise incorrectly.
When performed correctly, a clear line is drawn not only in the quadriceps, but also in the hamstrings, and the shape of the buttocks also improves, which is especially important for girls.
Additional leg workout
Let’s summarize all our thoughts on the topic in the final complex:
- Barbell squats, 6 sets: 15, 15, 12, 10, to failure, to failure.
- Deep squats with a barbell, 3 sets: 15, 12, 10 times.
- Lunge with dumbbells forward, 3 sets: 18, 15, 12 times.
- Lunges with a barbell, 4 sets of 40-60 repetitions on each leg.
- Leg straightening in the simulator 3 approaches: 18, 15, 12 times.
Calf muscles[edit | edit code]
Triceps surae[edit | edit code]
Triceps surae muscle
m. triceps surae, forms the main mass of the roe elevation. It consists of two muscles - m. gastrocnemius, located superficially, and m. soleus, lying under it; both muscles below have one common tendon.
Calf muscle
m. gastrocnemius, starts from the femur behind both condyles with two heads that pass into the tendon, and continues into the massive Achilles tendon, which attaches to the posterior surface of the tubercle of the calcaneus.
Soleus muscle
, m. soleus, thick and fleshy. It lies under the calf muscle, occupying a large area on the bones of the lower leg. The line of its origin is located on the head and on the upper third of the posterior surface of the fibula and descends along the tibia almost to the border of the middle third of the tibia with the lower one. Fuses with the Achilles tendon. Posterior muscle group of the lower leg.
Plantaris muscle
, m. plantaris, originates above the lateral condyle of the femur and from the capsule of the knee joint, soon becomes a very long and thin tendon and inserts at the calcaneal tubercle. This muscle may be absent.
Main function:
produces flexion at the ankle joint both with the free leg and with support on the end of the foot. Since the line of pull of the muscle passes medially to the axis of the subtalar joint, it also causes adduction of the foot and supination. When standing, the triceps surae (especially the m. soleus) prevents the body from tipping forward at the ankle joint. The muscle has to work primarily when burdened by the weight of the whole body, and therefore it is strong and has a large physiological diameter; m. gastrocnemius, as a biarticular muscle, can also flex the knee when the lower leg and foot are strengthened.
The main muscles of the lower extremities and pelvis[edit | edit code]
| Name | Joints involved | Start | Place of attachment | Action | |
| Calf muscle | Ankle and knee | Condyles at the base of the femur | Posterior surface of the calcaneus | Ankle - plantar flexion of the foot (strong); Knee joint - shin flexion (weak) | |
| Soleus muscle | Ankle | Upper 2/3 of the posterior surface of the tibia and fibula. bones | Posterior surface of the calcaneus | Ankle - plantar flexion of the foot | |
| Quadriceps: Rectus femoris muscle | Hip and knee | Inferior anterior iliac spine of the pelvis | Patella and patellar ligament, attaches to the tibial tuberosity | Hip joint - hip flexion Knee joint - tibia extension | |
| Quadriceps: Vastus lateralis, intermedius, medial | Knee | Lateral, anterior and medial surfaces of the femur | Edge of the patella | Knee joint - tibia extension | |
| Hamstring muscle group: Short and long heads of the biceps femoris (lateral part); Semitendinosus and semimembranosus (medial part) (usually act as one muscle) | Hip and knee | The biceps femoris muscle - short head - on the back of the femur, the lower part of the line aspera and the intermuscular septum. The remaining heads begin from the ischial tuberosity of the pelvic bone | The biceps femoris muscle attaches to the head of the fibula and to the lateral condyle of the tibia. The semitendinosus/semimembranosus muscles attach to the medial condyle of the tibia | Hip joint - hip extension; Knee joint - flexion of the tibia; Biceps femoris ext. outward rotation of the thigh and lower leg (supination). The semitendinosus/semimembranosus muscles rotate the femur and tibia inward (pronation) | |
| Adductor muscle group: Pectineus muscle, short. drive unit. muscle, length drive, muscle, pain drive, muscle, gracilis (act as one muscle) | Hip (gracilis femoris muscle also crosses the knee joint) | Pubic and ischial bones of the pelvis | Int. over, thighs bones, to the lesser trochanter of the femurs. bones, to the rough line on the back of the thighs. bones; and a large drive, m. to the medial epicondyle of the femurs. bones; Thin m. thigh to tibia. bones | Main function: hip adduction | |
| Tensor fascia lata | Hip | Superior anterior iliac spine | Weaves into the iliotibial tract | Abduction, hip flexion and participation in hip internal rotation | |
| Gluteus maximus muscle | Hip | Rear over the iliac crest, sacrum and fascia of the back in the region. explanatory vertebrae | Partially passes into the iliotibial tract into the fascia lata | Extension, external rotation of the hip | |
| Gluteus medius and minimus muscles | Hip | Outer surface of the ilium | Greater trochanter of the femur | Hip abduction, involved in turning the hip outward and inward | |
| Iliopsoas muscle | Hip | Int. over, ilium, bases, sacrum; side. on top, ate breast and waist. vertebrae | Lesser trochanter of the femur | Hip flexion | |
| Deep rotator muscles: Piriformis, Gemini (superior and inferior), Obturator (external and internal), Quadratus femoris (located under the gluteus maximus) | Hip | Anterior surface of the sacrum, posterior surface of the ischial tuberosity and edges of the obturator foramina | Apex and trochanteric fossa of the greater trochanter of the femur | Hip abduction and external rotation |
Anatomy of the skeletal bones of the lower limb (leg, pelvis)
Before we start looking at the leg muscles, we'll talk a little about the bones they are attached to. We won’t go too deep, since this is the topic of a completely different article. Below in the picture we can see the skeleton of our lower part.
As you can see, it all starts from the pelvis. Which consists of two iliac bones. The muscles of the pelvis and thigh are attached to their edges, namely the iliac crest. There is also a sacrum, which is attached to the spine. It allows us to keep our body upright. And already at its end, there is a coccyx. Below are two pubic bones. The edges of which serve as the attachment point for the adductor muscles and the back of the thigh. Now let's move on to the leg bones. The largest of them are the femoral ones. At their ends there are two so-called heads, which are attached to the ilium. Next to these heads, there are two protrusions, these are the greater and lesser trochanters. At the lower ends of the femur, there are two epicondyles. Medial (internal) and lateral (external). Also, there are two bones in our lower leg. Tibial and fibular. At the top of the tibia, located are two condyles. Medial and lateral. They serve as places for muscles to attach to them. All the bones of the leg connect to form the knee. There is a small bone there called the kneecap. Better known to everyone as the kneecap. And of course, don’t forget about the bones of the foot. Where are the phalanges of all our fingers located? And the large calcaneus.
This information will be enough to give you an idea. And it will be easier for you to perceive further information.
Muscles around the toe joints[edit | edit code]
Foot muscles
- Extensor hallucis brevis
- Extensor hallucis longus
- Extensor toes brevis
- Extensor toe longus
- Flexor hallucis brevis
- Flexor hallucis longus
- Flexor toe brevis
- Flexor toe longus
- Quadratus plantaris muscle
- Flexor of the little toe brevis
- Dorsal interosseous muscles of the foot
- Abductor hallux muscle
- Abductor of the little toe muscle
- Adductor hallucis muscle
- Plantar interosseous muscles
- Vermiform muscles of the foot
Program - how to quickly pump up your legs
Squats
- 6 sets of 15, 15, 12, 10, until failure, repeat until failure
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Deep squats with a barbell
- 3 sets of 15, 12, 10 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Recommendation If necessary, the exercise can be replaced with the “Leg Press”
Lunge with dumbbells forward
- 3 sets of 18, 15, 12 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Dumbbells
Lunges with a barbell
- 4 sets of 40-60 reps per leg
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Barbell
Leg straightening in the simulator
- 3 sets of 18, 15, 12 repetitions
- Body part: Quadriceps Equipment: Exercise
Add to Calendar * Add to My Workouts * Print Workout
* — The service is in beta testing
With these exercises and the correct technique, you can quickly pump up your leg muscles to the desired size. Work your quadriceps more than any other part of your body. How you work will determine whether you stand out from the crowd or remain like everyone else!
How quickly can you pump up your legs? Although the muscles will become toned in the first weeks, you need at least a month for noticeable results. After 3-4 weeks, change your training program to a more challenging one to increase muscle hypertrophy.
Even if it seems to you that your skinny legs cannot be worked out, we will help you find a solution. On our website you will always find workouts for any purpose that will be of interest to both bodybuilding beginners and experienced athletes.
Finally, a dose of motivation from Stanislav Lindover - his heavy leg workout with squats with a barbell weighing 210 kg. for the maximum number of repetitions.
Sports nutrition will help speed up the process of gaining muscle mass - protein, creatine, gainer, arginine, BCAA, amino acids. These supplements are specially designed for athletes and fitness-active people of different fitness levels. Such drugs are completely safe, and their effectiveness has already been proven.
3. Symptoms and diagnosis
The clinical picture of quadriceps atrophy is characterized by a practically asymptomatic onset and slow progression, sometimes over many years - until motor impairment forces the patient to seek help. The exception is when a person tries to get up abruptly (relying on his usual level of physical activity) after a long period of bed rest: such a situation is fraught with uncontrolled falls, dislocations, fractures and other serious consequences, therefore, in a hospital setting, preparation for a change in regime always begins in advance.
As a rule, symptoms increase gradually, sooner or later manifesting themselves as a visible decrease in muscle volume, weakness in the legs, and changes (“uncertainty”) in gait. Over time, the severity of atrophic changes increases, further aggravating the functional failure of the lower extremities.
The most informative method for diagnosing muscular atrophy of the quadriceps femoris, especially valuable in the early stages, is electromyography. The study of neuromuscular response allows us to identify pathology even at its asymptomatic stage. Studying the history and dynamics of the disorders that have arisen is also of great diagnostic importance.
About our clinic Chistye Prudy metro station Medintercom page!