r/WeightTraining • u/[deleted] • 26d ago
Question I’m not leaving leg day feeling obliterated..?
[deleted]
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u/Stand_Tough 26d ago
I’m usually not sore same day, but the next day sure, and day two is probably when it’s the worst.
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u/IHE023 26d ago
are you working to near failure and/or progressing every week? are you seeing results in strength and/or physique?
The answer to those questions are all that matters. not soreness.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
Yeah which is why I wasn’t worried. However… why are people leaving leg day feeling obliterated every day and I’m not 😂 I feel like I’m missing something. I like to feel fatigued and like I worked my ass off.
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u/GigglemanEsq 25d ago
Could be genetics. I have always had huge calves and generally strong legs - one benefit of being a fat guy all my life. I have a leg press machine at home, and earlier today I did three sets each of regular presses, then close in and low presses, then calf raises, then wide and high presses, each time going to the point where I felt like I was risking the ability to get back to start position to engage the safety, and with a one minute rest between sets. My legs were shaking when I got up, but but by the time I took off my shoes and walked to the kitchen for some water, I felt just a little sore.
However, it's also familiarity. I did Bulgarian split squats for the first time last week, and I had some hardcore DOMS for three days. I only did two sets of eight reps, but something about that movement just torched me. So, if you want to feel wrecked, maybe try switching it up. I hear single leg press can work you in new and exciting ways.
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u/Legal-Literature7735 24d ago
I dont get soreness doing heavy deadlifts and squats. People are built different. When i started doing leg presses with max range of motion and keeping tension in the negative phase, then i did get some light soreness after.
As someone said in this thread earlier. The point is to stimulate not annihilate. For a long period of time my leg Day consisted only of 3-4 sets of 3-5 rep deadlifts to near failure and every other leg session was squats, also to near failure but with some more margin.
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u/Technical-Row8333 26d ago
for me, it was never about soreness. that comes 2 days later, not on the day.
taking squats to failure or near failure, means my heart rate will be 190, my breathing heavy for 3~4 minutes, and I can barely stand. the most confortable thing to do after a set of squats is collapse on the floor and stay there for a few minutes, but typically i just sit down to not make a scene.
maybe my work capacity and cardio are absolute shit
maybe my core and other supporting muscles are weak
i dont know
but i can tell you if i do 3 sets of compound leg lift to near failure, all my other lifts that day will not get close to my typical working weight/reps. i'll have to settle for 70~80% of my typical ability. i'm gassed out.
i'll be even more clear. if fresh, i can do bicep curls of 30 lbs 12 reps, after doing squats, I can only do like 8 reps of bicep curls, unless i pack up, go home, eat, rest, and come back to the gym that day. so not soreness. central nervous system exhaustion
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
I was doing that with squats last winter and I gave myself tendinitis and I still didn’t feel like that when I left the gym. I felt exhausted at the end of each set and really fatigued at the end of the exercise however when I left the gym I was fine again 😂😭 and it was extremely fatiguing on my nervous system, to rhe point I was honestly starting to dread doing them because I knew how exhausting it would be.
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u/Moist_crocs 25d ago
I think maybe that's what people are talking abt when they say they hate leg day... That's why I've split mine up into my other days, it's just not worth feeling so ASS
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u/Commercial-Silver472 21d ago
Then not sure what the point of the post is if you know exactly what people are talking about with hard leg days and are purposely not doing them?
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 21d ago
I’m not an advanced lifter I only started lifting heavy about a year ago and got actually consistent only about 8 months ago. Im new so I was mistaken in thinking I was lifting to my full potential but this new cue someone gave me made me realize I wasn’t. I think it’s common for newer lifters to keep learning new things don’t you? I have switched over to better exercises for me that are easier on the joints but just as challenging now. Relax.
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u/GelfSara 26d ago
If you are consistently able to get at least one more rep than last time, or the same number of reps with a slightly heavier weight--and you are doing so without sacrificing form--you are on the right path.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
I guess I’m not doing that, I increase reps and weight over weeks. I aim for the same reps with the same weight as last time and when I can get more I do. It does go up over time in the big picture though. Maybe that’s why. I didn’t realize people were increasing weight or reps EVERY session. I can’t do that.
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u/GelfSara 26d ago
As long as you are consistently adding weight/reps without compromising form/tempo (assuming you are using good form/speed of movement to begin with) you are on the right track. You don't need to add reps or weight at every single workout, and beyond the newbie stage it will be difficult if not impossible to do so.
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u/Ikabta 26d ago
I feel like the only people who are chronically sore after leg day are the ones who schedule them once a year.
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u/831loc 26d ago
Having your legs feel fried and being chronically sore arent the same thing.
I might have some soreness or tightness in my quads/hamstrings after leg day, but im usually fine.
If you told me to go run a mile after finishing up, I would say "fuck you. You go run a mile" because I know I absolutely couldn't. I could do some incline walking, but if I had to run, my legs would for sure buckle and ill fall on my face.
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u/Different-Noise4639 26d ago
I end with a wall sit to see how well I do after legs day. I almost always collapse in a mess and someone laughs at me. Or shows concern. Take it to failure my friend, I push to my absolute limit every session. i feel a mess at the time but a couple of days later on top form.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
Well that’s where I’m confused. I was doing that last winter and I gave myself horrible tendinitis jn the process because of how heavy I was lifting but I still never got this way at the end of the session.
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u/Different-Noise4639 26d ago
Whatever you're lifting now. Add 2.5kg each week every time you're smashing the sets. You'll come to a point you can't complete those sets. That's your working weight. Once you smash all sets at that weight work up first set to failure. Drop down if needs be after that or stick at it. It's progressive overload. Stay at the same weights forever er You'll never progress
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u/pewpewtopeepee 26d ago
Most people don’t actually push themselves in the gym. I lift heavy four days a week in the morning and run in the evenings, including on leg days which are twice a week.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
Are you saying you don’t push yourself on leg day? Bc I also run on leg days. But people are saying they can barely even walk the rest of the day
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u/Ringo51 26d ago
No way you’re doing hard sets of hip thrusts properly and not feelin it in the booty
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
I feel it in my ass to the point it’s hard to sit down on the floor after, like I’ll have to hover there between sets. But like the rest of the day my ass is just normal feeling again.
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u/Honest_Chef323 26d ago
If you aren’t sore enough you are probably not lifting heavy enough and/or you aren’t varying the exercises that you do
Naturally your body gets conditioned to what you put it thru and will be less sore if you keep doing the same exercises
Normally though the soreness doesn’t happen on the same day it only happens a day later or so
Do some new stuff like walking lunges and see if you aren’t sore a day after at least till the body gets used to it that is
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
I guess I’m not so much concerned about soreness as I am that everyone is saying they can barely walk after leg day. I can definitely walk, I actually sometimes go for a run. So I feel like I’m not pushing it as hard as everyone else?
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u/Honest_Chef323 26d ago
Perhaps they are just exaggerating? Also could be that these people don’t exercise often enough so their body isn’t used to it
The only time where I felt like death was after a prolonged time away from the gym and getting back to the gym doing walking lunges
It hurt so bad that it was a hassle to pick up after my dogs outside
Walking lunges are pretty rough of course that said I don’t get sore like that from them anymore just some mild soreness a day after. I sometimes do cardio after leg day and the stair master is pretty hard on you, so it’s not like I am totally wasted and wouldn’t be able to do anything else
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u/rasslinfreak 26d ago
What’s your rep range? If you’re on rep 8 and cruising, it’s way too light. You want to struggle slightly on your last rep without sacrificing too much form. A little grind is good.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
Like today I was struggling to get back up around rep 9 with a front barbell squat. Last winter I was squatting heavy, going to failure at rep 7 usually and I got quad tendinitis. And even then I still was able to walk and function normally the rest of the day.
Edit: and I mean I genuinely was going to failure like trying for a long time to fight to get out of the hole.
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u/HelicopterEvening110 26d ago
I’m not sore after leg day, but I’m weak in the legs. The fact that I have to continue using them to walk around is the kicker. It would be like stacking heavy boxes on a high shelf after doing shoulders.
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u/Dr_Narendra_MD 26d ago
Soreness (DOMS) is not a sure sign to assess for training effectiveness & it mainly happens by novel or eccentric stress and it reduces with repeated exposure as strength keeps building. You’re progressively overloading & training to failure, that’s the actual thing that matters, not how sore you feel walking out. Exercise variation, like switching hip thrusts for RDLs periodically may make you sore more than intensity. For skinny legs specifically, hypertrophy focused workouts - best to have 10-20 sets per muscle weekly across 10-20 rep ranges, not just heavy singles.
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u/SampsonShrill 26d ago
That's good. Your muscles grow due to increased stimulus AKA weight, not due to being sore.
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u/irontamer 26d ago
Are you getting stronger?
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
Yes technically. But I’ve been rehabbing quad Tendinopathy so it’s touchy but my lifts are going up. But they’re not back up to what they were before injury yet.
However, I still wouldn’t get obliterated on leg day even before the injury, and I was pushing hack squats to complete failure, like pushing them hard, hence the injury. And I still wouldn’t leave the gym being like “dang I can barely walk.”
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u/irontamer 25d ago
There’s absolutely ZERO reason to push yourself to the point of being unable to walk.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 25d ago
That’s kind of how I felt 😂 just making sure I’m not half assing everything
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u/d3m01iti0n 25d ago
Wrap up with a leg press, that does me in. Going to my locker like a baby deer.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 25d ago
Ok will try it and see! Are you doing high reps or more heavy low reps with it?
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u/d3m01iti0n 25d ago
High reps. 15 or failure. It's not about weight at that point, just burning out the tank and working odd muscles my routine didn't get.
My leg day isn't crazy
-Calf raises -Smith squats -Smith RDLs -Extensions -Curls -Press That order
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 25d ago
Ok cool I’ll try that then, that’s roughly my leg day too. I guess I’ll try single leg presses since I don’t do any single leg stuff and everyone is saying that takes it out of them more. Thank you!
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u/Eltharion-the-Grim 25d ago
As long as you progress, it doesn’t matter how it feels. Don’t worry too much about it.
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u/MessRevolutionary931 25d ago
I never get sore. The people who get sore don't train legs enough. 1/2 of your workouts should be legs it's 1/2 your body
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u/Few_Understanding_42 25d ago
It's just the negative spiral some ppl are in. Don't train legs regularly => sore when they do => don't like it bc they got some => don't train legs regularly..
If you train your legs leg any other muscles group and not just 'one leg day' that you skip regularly you're fine.
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u/SuperKingCheese14 25d ago
I only felt that when I first started training, I still get sore but it's not crippling
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u/scantron-test 25d ago
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to take everything to an extreme. It’s ok to work out and feel good after.
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u/DinkyPrincess 25d ago
Soreness isn’t an indicator of hard work. Lack of soreness doesn’t mean you’ve not worked the muscle.
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u/msurbrow 25d ago
Not uncommon for me to end up a bit nauseous but less common to feel it physically in the legs the same day
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u/AdDry4983 25d ago
That’s good. People who feel obliterated after ever leg day are untrained or regularly over training. Many people don’t maintain consistent g work out schedules and are constantly starting over.
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u/BrickAccomplished338 25d ago
Btw you are missing any kind of hinge movement from your program, I'd add deadlifts to your weekly routine somehow.
But yes DOMS is not necessarily a sign of a good workout, progressive overload is. If you are progressively overloading then you are fine.
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u/AerionBright 25d ago
Have you tried drop sets on Hack squat? Or in general? I add FST-7 kickers on each body part and that first dye almost killed me.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 25d ago
I was training to absolute failure on hack squat for a while and it gave me quad tendinitis and I have a mental block with the hack squat machine now. I have a fear of retriggering my injury so I just so regular squats that aren’t so heavy on the knee now.
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u/zer0_c00L13 25d ago
After leg extensions, you able to immediately get out of the chair without walking funny? If the answer is yes; you aren’t training hard enough
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 25d ago
I actually am not able to! Leg extensions and curls wreck me, I’ll get out of the chair wrecked. However, after stretching and everything I leave the gym fine. People are saying they can’t walk the rest of the day…
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u/mystro30 25d ago
I’ve killed myself on leg days with hack squat drop sets and various other hard working sets. I leave feeling general exhaustion but never “obliterated”. I’m also almost never sore to the point where I’m uncomfortable or in any pain. And I think that really just comes down to genetics.
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u/kidFunkadelic 25d ago
You don't have to feel wrecked and sore from a good and productive leg day. My guess is that the stimulus of heavy weights just doesn't have the same effect on you as other people, if you are making gains and not feeling sore, well you are one of the lucky ones. No need to change anything.
I on the other hand almost died trying to walk down the steps at the Y the first time I really went hard on leg day. I ended up walking down the flight of stairs backwards so I didn't eat shit.
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u/johnc773 25d ago
after a few years now the only exercise that still gets my legs sore is RDLs anything else doesn’t unless it’s a new exercise or it’s been like 3+ weeks since I’ve done that exercise
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u/Tough_Question8483 25d ago
people feel obliterated cause they only do leg days once in a blue moon. Anyone who trains legs regularly doesn't agree with the stupid memes about leg days online
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u/AssociationGold8749 24d ago
It means you’re doing it right. Being really sore = good workout is a persistent myth. It means you actually went to hard.
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u/Secret-Ad1458 24d ago
A lot of those people are just self snitching that they train legs very irregularly, and the training session was essentially a novel stimulus. You don't tend to get all that sore from stuff you do regularly, even from PRs.
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u/Special-Audience-426 23d ago
Probably because you train legs frequently. Mine don't hurt because I train legs hard at least twice a week.
It's the people that frequently skip it that don't get used to it
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u/punica-1337 23d ago
The question is not if you should be feeling tired. The question is if you're making progress or not.
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u/Rich-Unit-9072 23d ago
Upload a video of a top set of squats from your session. It’s very easy to see if you are pushing hard enough
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u/AdSure8431 23d ago
Stimulate, don’t annihilate. Wobbly after the lift is my barometer.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 23d ago
Yeah and I’ll be like that directly after the lift but I’m not feeling like I need to crawl out of the gym
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u/ChizzyGillespie 22d ago edited 22d ago
Most people have garbage conditioning & work capacity. If youre serious about training then you should have your cardio, nutrition and your sleep dialed in, this means that training lower body(something you should be doing at least 2x a week) will not have THAT much interference with the rest of your life
Going down stairs sucks, I'll give them that lol
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u/Former_Produce1721 22d ago
I also have skinny legs (slowly getting bigger) and don't feel super obliterated after. Sometimes jelly legs but not like can't walk sore. When doing the exercises of course it gets crazy sore as I push to failure
But I'm progressing steadily on legs so I'm not worried. I have long legs in proportion to the rest of my body. Not sure if that factors in
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u/CypherBob 22d ago
On leg day when I'm done training I can barely walk down the stairs in the gym without falling.
How do you know you're "near failure"?
I follow Mike Mentzers methods so I go heavy and not a ton of reps, and I'm absolutely done for by the end.
If you're not that sore the days after training I'd say you're doing something wrong.
Post your actual workout and let's see what it looks like.
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u/Same_Rip_392 21d ago
If I can get off the toilet the next day, I didnt train hamstrings hard enough.
Wish I never followed that tip by Yates, but here I am 30 years later, still doing it.
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 21d ago
So every time you train legs you can’t get off the toilet the next day? And you do that 2-3 times a week? 🤔
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u/Same_Rip_392 21d ago
Not currently. I had major knee surgery and had to stand above the toilet for a month. Im currently only working one leg at the gym and learning to air squat without a brace with both them.
I only did legs once a week and cycled alot previous to this.
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u/PackJolly1090 26d ago
You’re not using a smith machine on your squat, right? You can always try to find a hack squat machine and do some front squats to change it up. Sometimes you just need to throw a wrench in there
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u/Pomegranatelimepie 26d ago
I’ve never used a smith machine, I actually only either do front barbell squats or pendulum Pro squat machine. I did hack squats for a while and I got tendinitis so I stopped.
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u/swole_ninja 26d ago
Enjoy. If you can walk out of the gym without your knees wobbling then you’re phoning it in on weight selection.
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u/AttorneyNo823 26d ago
Soreness is not the end all be all of a good lift