Legs To Go! Different Goals For Men & Women

Legs To Go

It's interesting to hear different viewpoints about leg training and what is most effective for different goals in leg training and development.

In training legs, oftentimes women have different goals then men. Women are usually looking for sleeker legs with greater flexibility which tends to elongate the look of the legs. Men, on the other hand, are looking for power and possible explosive power through the quads and glutes.

The important aspect for any trainer working with a client is to know just what the client wants: if the client wants to add muscle, then lift heavier and create a program that powers up the big muscle groups in the legs: the quads, the glutes and the hamstrings. If the client prefers to tone and tighten, then the trainer must move up the intensity and number of repetitions and lighten the load.

Plyometric Exercises
Plyometric exercises can offer a great compromise for both. I find these quite helpful when training a husband and wife together. For example, I can give an 8lb medicine ball to the husband and a 4lb medicine ball to the wife and we can do squat thrusts up into a toss of the ball above the head.

Balancing exercises can work as well in this dual purpose regard. For example, a leg lift into a reverse lunge while balancing on the one leg can really add flexibility while also adding strength to the quads and glutes. Toning for women and muscle building for men, depending on the length of the lunge and duration of the pose.

Of course, there's always wall sits and side and front lunges to tone and define for the women. I also like to use the bosu ball frequently when training upperbody for women. Standing on the bosu ball and doing front or lateral raises for shoulders works the core, but even moreso, works the front quads and even the calves.

There is one exercise I really think is great for both men and women - just vary the weight - and that exercise is the deadlift. A necessity for men who want to build hamstring size and strength, the deadlift also attacks the cellulite portion of the female leg and brings out the muscle if form is correct.

For the men, just add basic dumbells to the front lunges to build muscle. Do squats with the dumbells overhead, or for a real power move, do clean and jerks into an overhead press.

For the women, I think the IT band, the tough fibers that run along the outside of the thigh, is overlooked far too often. I usually stretch it at the end of every session along with the hamstrings and glutes. I enjoy the runner's stretch where I lean the client back over a bent knee to elongate the front quads in a definitive stretch. Stretching is good for both men and women, but for the women who want those elongated, toned muscles, it is essential.