If you want to learn how to get big legs, you’d usually have to jump through a wide range of obstacles and hurdles.
There is quite a lot of information you need to know if you want to learn how to grow big legs, and you could be scouring the internet for hours trying to compile together everything you need to know.
To save you time and allow you to get the results you want quicker, we have decided to put together everything you need to know to grow big legs in this article.
To give you a quick overview of how to get big legs, you need to eat a lot of protein, stay in a caloric surplus, and follow a good workout routine.
If you are new to lifting in general and are completely unfamiliar with the terms we just mentioned, don’t worry.
We are going to tell you everything you need to know about how to get big legs, covering even the smallest of details to ensure that you can get the best results.
On top of this, anyone can get big legs.
While it might take a little work, everything you need to do to get big legs is relatively straightforward.
No matter who you are or what your goals may be, getting bigger legs is more than possible.
Learn How to Eat Right
First and foremost; you need to learn how to eat the right way.
If you do not know how to eat to build muscle, any progress you make is going to be minimal.
In fact, you might not make any progress at all if you do not know how to eat correctly.
There are a couple of key things you need to look out for when looking to build muscle, and once you have got a good diet in place, results WILL come.
Eat Enough Protein
One aspect of your diet that you absolutely have to get in check if you want to get big legs is to eat enough protein.
Protein is the building block of muscle, and without it, you will not be able to repair or build muscle after doing a leg workout.
Estimates vary when it comes to the question of how much protein we need to consume to build muscle, but as a general rule of thumb, 1g of protein per pound of body weight is going to suffice.
For example, a 180lb man should aim to eat 180g of protein every day.
This isn’t exact, and in all reality, you shouldn’t worry if you do not manage to hit this target every day.
As long as you eat a relatively high amount of protein, you should be good.
Moreover, once you know what foods contain a lot of protein, meeting your protein requirements becomes a lot easier.
Here are some of the best sources of Protein:
Fish
Chicken
Meat
Beans
Protein shakes
Nuts
As long as you eat a few of these sources every day and aim to eat 1 gram of protein per body weight, you will be providing your body with all the protein it needs to build big legs.
Stay in a Calorie Surplus
Another vital component that you need to watch out for when it comes to nutrition is staying in a calorie surplus.
A calorie is simply a unit we use to measure how much energy we get from food.
To build big legs, you need to provide your body with the extra material to create new muscle.
This is why it is essential to be in a calorie surplus.
So, what is a calorie surplus, and how do we know if we are in one?
Well, it’s pretty straightforward.
First of all, you need tofind out what your maintenance calories are.
You can do this by going to an online calorie calculatorand inputting all of your details.
This will give you a rough idea of how many calories you need to eat per day to maintain your current body weight.
From here, simply increase this number by 250.
This will roughly translate to you gaining an additional 2 lbs every month, guaranteeing that your body has enough material to build new muscle.
It’s also important not to go over this 250 limit too much, as this can lead to unnecessary weight gain.
A quick tip to help you out – it may help to eat roughly the same things every day when you are first starting out.
This takes out some of the guesswork and ensures that you are meeting your nutritional goals.
Once you are in a caloric surplus and are eating enough protein, you have everything you need to start building big legs.
Follow a Solid Workout Routine
Now that you know what to do on the diet side of things, it’s time to get to the fun part.
If you want to get big legs, you need to follow a proven workout plan.
This is an area where many newcomers go wrong due to all of the misinformation that is out there on the internet.
But trust us; there are only a few exercises that you need to know about if you want to get big legs, and we are going to take you through every step of the entire process.
This includes workout frequency, rest times, exercise selection, as well as so much more.
To start with, let’s take a quick look at a few of the best leg exercises.
The Best Leg Exercises
Squat
Leg press
Deadlift
Hamstring curls
Calf raises
When put into a proper plan and with proper rest, these exercises will give you big legs.
Let’s explore each exercise more in-depth.
Squat
To put it bluntly; the squat is the best exercise to get bigger legs.
In fact, if you want to be a minimalist, squats are the only exercise you need to get big legs.
Squats hit all areas of the leg effectively, and while they may not be optimal for some areas (such as the hamstrings and calves), they will definitely give you the look you are going for.
To do a squat, simply stand up with your legs roughly shoulder-width apart.
From here, drop both your knees and your buttocks at the same time and descend down to the floor.
Once you are in the bottom position, explode upwards trying to push the ground away from you.
With a barbell, simply rest the bar across your upper back, resting it in the crevasse of your trap muscles.
For such a simple exercise, the squat is incredibly effective.
If you want to get big and strong legs, including squats in your routine is a must.
Leg Press
Next up, we have the leg press.
The leg press hits pretty much the same muscles as squats, albeit to a lesser degree.
This means that leg press and squats are interchangeable.
The main benefit of leg press is that you are more supported due to the fact that you do not have to descend with massive weight on your shoulders, making this option better for those with weak or poor joints.
To do a leg press, go to a leg press machine and sit with your feet pushing into the large panel, and then adjust the weight to something you are comfortable with.
After this, push the weight until you get to the point where you have to lock your knees, and then slowly lower the weight down again.
Deadlift
The deadlift is yet another compound exercise that can build muscle all around your body, with the legs being no exception.
While deadlifts might not target the legs as much as squats, they do hit the hamstrings better (an area which the squat struggles to engage).
This makes deadlift a good choice if you are looking to get maximal leg development, but it can also be a little tricky to fit into a routine because of the fact that it hits multiple muscle groups, both upper and lower.
To do a deadlift, start with your feet shoulder-width apart and place a barbell in front of you.
From here, you will want to squat down, almost as if you were doing a regular squat. Grab the weight with your hand and pull up using your legs and buttocks.
It is important that you do not arch your back when doing deadlifts, as this can cause serious injury.
Hamstring Curl
Next on the list is the hamstring curl.
As you may be able to tell from the name, hamstring curls target the hamstrings and the hamstrings alone.
This is why they are incredibly effective when paired up with the squat, as they both complement each other’s strengths.
To do a hamstring curl, find a hamstring curl machine and lay down with your legs underneath the arm. Pick a weight that you feel comfortable with.
Lift your legs up until you can’t go any further, then slowly lower the weight down back to the original position.
Calf raises
Last but not least, we have calf raises.
Calf raises specifically target the calf muscles, the muscles that are located at the bottom of your legs.
If you are looking at how to get bigger lower legs, then calf raises are going to be your best friend.
To do a calf raise, find a calf raise machine or look for any platform that is elevated off the ground enough for your heels not to touch the floor pushing down.
Step onto the platform or machine, leaving half of your foot hanging off the edge.
From here, push up using your calves until your heels cannot go up any further.
How To Structure a Workout Program
Now that we know how to get big legs, it’s time to put the exercises we just learnt into practice.
There is going to be a lot of information here, none of which is particularly complicated.
However, in an attempt to give you a comprehensive view of how to get bigger legs, we will take you through everything you need to know when it comes to creating a workout program.
If you are already familiar with one or more of the points we are about to talk about, feel free to skip ahead!
Sets & Reps
Sets and reps are the building blocks of all workout routines.
A rep is one repetition of an exercise.
So, for example, doing one squat would be one repetition, and doing two squats would be two repetitions – you get the gist.
Sets, on the other hand, are the number of reps you do before having a short rest.
To give an example, if a workout routine says that you should do 5 sets of 12 reps, then this means you would do 12 reps, have a short break, and then repeat another four times.
When it comes to how long you rest between sets, the ideal time is around 3 minutes.
Multiple studies have shown that 3 minutes is the ideal time for maximal muscle growth, so if you want to optimise, then this is what you should go with.
However, if you are strapped for time or just do not want to rest for 3 minutes every set, feel free to reduce this time. It won’t make that big of a difference.
Lastly, we need to talk about the optimal number of sets and reps to do for muscle growth. As a general rule of thumb, you will want to complete 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps for each muscle group per workout.
This means that you should pick a weight that you can do for 8-12 repetitions, but what happens when you get stronger and can do more than 12 reps?
Well, this is where progressive overload comes in.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is required to build muscle.
Without it, you will never get big legs.
So, what is progressive overload?
Well, it simply means increasing the amount of weight/reps you do over time.
As you begin working out, you will get stronger.
Eventually, you will be able to do over 12 reps with a weight that you once struggled to lift 8 times.
This is when it is time to up the weight.
We cannot stress how important this point is – progressive overload is the actual mechanism that will allow you to gain strength and build muscle.
So, make sure to increase the weight of all of your leg exercises when you are ready.
Workout Examples
In this section, we will put together the information about sets and reps and pair it with the best leg exercises to make an effective leg workout.
Here is our big legs workout routine:
Squats: 4 x 8
Hamstring curls: 5 x 12
Calf raises: 5 x 12
Put into a weekly schedule, it would look something like this:
Monday
Squats: 4 x 8
Hamstring curls:5 x 12
Calf raises: 5 x 12
Tuesday
Rest or upper body.
Wednesday
Squats: 4 x 8
Hamstring curls:5 x 12
Calf raises:5 x 12
Thursday
Rest or upper body.
Friday
Squats: 4 x 8
Hamstring curls: 5 x 12
Calf raises: 5 x 12
Saturday
Rest or upper body.
Sunday
Rest.
This routine may look a little simple – that’s because it is.
Despite what you may have heard, you do not have to do anything too complicated to build big legs.
With just these three exercises, you will have everything you need to develop monstrous legs.
Adequate Rest & Recovery is Vital
While working hard is all well and good, rest and recovery are just as important to muscle growth as working out and diet & nutrition.
Rest is an essential component of building muscle – it is more than possible to hinder your progress by not getting enough rest.
So how much rest should we aim for?
Well, you want to leave at least one day before working out the same muscle group again.
This means that you should only do our aforementioned workout routine every other day or less for optimal results – doing it every day will just slow your progress.
In addition to leaving one day between each workout of a select muscle group, you will also want to get around eight hours of sleep.
This might not be possible for everyone, and if it isn’t for you, just aim to get as close to this figure as you can.
Sleep is where the entire muscle-building process takes place, and if you don’t get enough of it, you will be holding yourself back.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t stay up late from time to time.
But as a general rule of thumb, eight hours should be your goal.
If you make sure you get as much sleep as you can and you leave at least one day before working out the same muscle group again, you will ensure that your legs can grow as fast as possible.
Play The Waiting Game
If you do everything we have told you in this article, you will get big legs.
However, that’s not to say results are going to come quickly.
Articles titled “4 weeks to bigger legs” or “how to get bigger legs fast” are just clickbait – there is no way to speed up your progress once you are doing everything we have spoken about today.
Working out and exercising are life-long hobbies – you shouldn’t only use them to get big legs.
If you do, you will likely give up on the endeavour before you are even satisfied with your results.
It just takes a little patience.
This is one of the main things you need to learn when it comes to how to get big legs, and if you want to achieve your goal, it’s important to have realistic expectations.
It will take at least a few months for you to notice a difference in your legs, and you will have to train for years if you want to get “big” legs.
Luckily, the satisfaction that comes from making progress will be more than enough to carry you over once you get into a routine.
The hardest part is the first few weeks so if you can stick it out past here, you will be golden.
How to Get Big Legs – FAQs
How To Grow Big Legs?
Learning how to grow big legs is simple.
You need to stay in a caloric surplus, consume around 1g of protein per body weight, and follow a good workout routine.
If you do all of these things correctly, you will get big legs with time.
Can You Get Bigger Legs in a Month?
Yes. It is perfectly possible to get bigger legs in a month.
However, in only a month, your results will not be that noticeable.
It will take a least a couple of months for you to see substantial progress in your leg development, and you could even be waiting a few years if you want your legs to be absolutely huge.
This is why it is important to enjoy the journey.
What Is the Best Exercise to Get Bigger Legs?
The best exercise to get bigger legs is the squat.
The squat develops all areas of the leg, and it has been proven to be the most effective leg-building exercise when it comes to overall mass.
How To Get Bigger Lower Legs?
The best answer to how to get bigger lower legs is to do calf raises.
Calf raises specifically target the lower leg muscles, making them much more effective than other exercises when it comes to lower leg development.
However, it is also worth noting that other leg exercises such as squats or deadlifts also target the calves. It’s just to a much lesser extent.
We hope we have been able to give you a better insight into how to build big legs.
While it might sound like a lot, getting bigger legs is relatively straightforward.
As long as you eat a lot of protein, stay in a caloric surplus, follow a solid workout routine, and get adequate rest, you will be doing everything you need to build muscle and grow your legs.
Just remember to be patient. Results will not be instant, and while it is true that you will likely have bigger legs in a month, it can be easy to get disheartened when progress seems so slow.
If you would like more advice on how to build muscle, feel free to browse through the rest of the articles we have here at MovingForwards.
From content focused on how to get big legs to articles that give tips and tricks to speed up the muscle-building process, we have everything you need to develop a well-balanced and muscular physique.
