How Heavy for Lower Body

[JenniferAnn]

I've done PS Legs twice so far and I did LL for the first time today. For upper body, I can work to total fatigue but it's hard to know how heavy to go for lower body. I've been using a 25# barbell for PS and my barbell weighed 20# for LL today. The regular squats and lunges weren't a problem with the 20#. In fact, I felt like I should use heavier weights. But then of course those low ends killed me. If I'm going as heavy as I possibly can for lower body, how should I feel afterwards? I know with PS upper body, I feel as if I could not use that particular muscle for anything once the set is over.

 

[getnfit@38]

It is really hard for some of us to "truly" exhaust our legs with the usual at-home equipment. It's like Cathe says in one of the videos, "getting more than 50 or 60# over your head and on to your shoulders is difficult," but for slower paced workouts like PS Series and MIS, I load to 60# for my legs, and for faster paced (endurance) workouts like LL and PowerHour, I usually only load to 45#. But as far as feeling that, "I can't get out 1 more rep" feeling, it may be difficult for you to feel that with just your at-home barbells and dumbbells, unless you do something to pre-exhaust your legs first. I usually do one of Cathe's cardios prior to a leg workout to help exhaust them a little. You could also try pausing the tape/DVD between sets and do your own pre-exhaust exercise, like front lunges, back lunges, etc. Also, there was a thread about weighted vest that seemed to work as an alternative to loading more weight on the barbell. The weighted vest adds weight to your upper body, thus increasing your load.

But short of gym style machines/equipment, once you reach the maximum weight you can safely get over your head, you're pretty done for increasing the load at home.

Donna

p.s. Also, legs are funny, depending on the workout, sometimes I don't feel the "work" until the next day! If you go heavy enough with LL, you'll feel that burn immediately, but PS, S&H, and MIS can sometimes turn around and smack you the next day!

 

[naughtoj]

Hi JenniferAnn..

I do think your legs should feel as fatigued as your upper body. The "burn" should feel the same, if not greater because of the increased muscle mass in your legs.

When I do LL, my quads feel like they are going to pop right out of my legs and the burn is very intense. I think that as long as you feel like you MIGHT die during your workout, that you have the right intensity as far as weight goes.



Just my humble opinion. The burn is everything!!!

Janice

 

[naughtoj]

Oh yeah..

and I always know when I have completely fried my legs, because when I go up the stairs right after my workout at work, my legs are giving out after the 1st half flight!!! Try going up stairs afterwards. It should be hard!!