{"id":9711,"date":"2022-10-13T09:21:16","date_gmt":"2022-10-13T09:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/12-week-plan-for-leaner-stronger-legs\/"},"modified":"2022-10-13T09:21:16","modified_gmt":"2022-10-13T09:21:16","slug":"12-week-plan-for-leaner-stronger-legs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/12-week-plan-for-leaner-stronger-legs\/","title":{"rendered":"12-Week Plan for Leaner, Stronger Legs"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness and nutrition courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you
\n >”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>sign up for Outside+.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Is your roster of go-to leg workouts getting a little stale? It\u2019s easy to fall into a rut and do the same workout week after week, but the problem is that your body adapts quickly to a repeated stimulus. Eventually, you\u2019ll find yourself atop the dreaded plateau, or worse \u2014 get sidelined with an injury because of overtraining. If that happens, your dreams of stronger legs will be in the rear view.<\/p>\n

Using periodization helps you formulate a well-rounded, progressive plan, allowing you to reach your goals within a certain time frame while also allowing for adequate rest and recovery. There are different ways to approach periodization, but in a study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research<\/em>, women who used undulating periodization \u2014 a model that changes the training variables within a relatively short time frame \u2014 saw a greater increase in lower-body strength than women who used other methods of periodization.<\/p>\n

This 12-week lean-and-mean plan starts with a month of stabilization, ramps things up with a strength phase, then launches into four weeks of undulated lower-body training designed to get you the best legs of your life. Each phase uses familiar lifts and exercises that are specifically arranged to keep your muscles stimulated. At the end of the three months, you can cycle through the program again. Just be sure to increase your weight or make the movements more challenging. If you want stronger legs, you\u2019ve gotta keep the workouts spicy.<\/p>\n

STABILITY PHASE: Weeks 1-4<\/h2>\n

This phase is the foundation of your training, working to correct muscle imbalances and prepare the joints and connective tissues for more rigorous work. You\u2019ll keep the resistance light and the reps high, but don\u2019t let the lack of heavy weights fool you \u2014 these moves will challenge your balance and fire up your quads, hamstrings, glutes and core, and each exercise quickly becomes a barnburner as you progress through the sets.<\/p>\n

Instructions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Allow 90 seconds of rest between sets for adequate recovery.<\/li>\n
  • For the step-ups and touchdowns, use a platform that is 12 inches or higher for best results.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Monday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Pistol Squat<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Stability-Ball Hamstring Curl<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Stationary Lunge<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Single-Legged Glute Bridge<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Wednesday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    BOSU Ball Squat\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Single-Legged Deadlift\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Bulgarian Split Squat
    \n(bodyweight)\u00a0<\/td>\n    		3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Lateral Step-Up<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Friday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Step-Up\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Single-Legged Touchdown\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Banded Lateral Walk\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    BOSU Ball Lunge<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n18<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    STRENGTH PHASE: Weeks 5-8<\/h2>\n

    In this phase, you\u2019ll continue to work on stabilization while adding resistance to build strength. Your moves are paired together into supersets \u2014 two moves done back-to-back with no rest in between \u2014 systematically engaging opposing muscle groups and allowing you to crank through high volume with minimal rest. Because the intensity is high and you\u2019re working with a weight that brings you close to failure, you\u2019re only doing four moves (two supersets) per workout.<\/p>\n

    Instructions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Do your moves back-to-back with no rest in between.<\/li>\n
    • Rest one minute or less between supersets.<\/li>\n
    • The last couple of reps of each set should be challenging but not impossible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Symbol Key:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      *Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height.
      #Hold the dumbbells at your sides.
      +Hold at the bottom for two counts.
      ^Hold a plate, dumbbell or medicine ball at chest height.<\/p>\n

      Monday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      Sumo Goblet Squat
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i>Barbell Good Morning<\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n12
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Weighted Wall Sit^
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i>Reverse Lunge <\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n1 60-second hold
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Wednesday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      Dumbbell Squat*
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i> Weighted Walking Lunge*<\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n12
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Bulgarian Split Squat#\u00a0
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i>\u00a0Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift<\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n12
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      Friday<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Exercise<\/td>\nSets<\/td>\nReps<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
      Barbell Pause Squat+
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i>Lateral Dumbbell Lunge*<\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n12
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Dumbbell Step-Up# \u00a0
      \u2014 superset with \u2014
      <\/i> Barbell Glute Bridge<\/td>\n      		3<\/td>\n12
      \u2014
      12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      UNDULATING PHASE: Weeks 9-12<\/h2>\n

      Here\u2019s the money round: In this phase, the movements are designed to build strength, stimulate hypertrophy (the increase in muscle size) and develop power \u2014 the ability to deliver the greatest amount of force in the shortest amount of time. The overall result is lean, defined legs that literally kick ass.<\/p>\n

      Instructions: <\/strong><\/p>\n

      Each week, you\u2019ll have one strength day, one hypertrophy day and one power day:<\/p>\n

      Monday: Hypertrophy<\/strong><\/h3>\n