Stubborn leg muscles

[Arnold]

I've been working out for years, and maybe I'm just not doing something right. I can't get my quads and calf muscles to grow. I've done squats, calf raises, deadlifts, etc. Anyone with naturally skinny legs had any successes? If so, what did you do?

 

[The Coochie Assassin]

never seen someone's quads not grow if they 1) ate at a caloric surplus and 2) lifted heavy

then steadily increase both as time went a long.....u gotta eat to grow man....and u gotta continue to lift heavier weight to build muscle...never seen a dude get stronger on squats but not look stronger as well

now the calves

calves are a muscle that is based highly on genetics...yesterday I was at the library and looked out the window, I saw 5 white guys and they all had gigantic calves, but of course they looked like they never lifted a weight in their life

to say that, u can still add a couple inches but u gotta train them like your life depended on it...u have to go to a place u never been before to make them hoes grow....u might cry but this is what im doing right now to grow my calves and they are getting stronger so far

T NATION | The Answer for Massive Calves

 

[NSSVO]

My calves have grown probably two inches in the 9 months I've been in the gym again. Genetics like a mother fukker.

 

[unit321]

I've been working out for years, and maybe I'm just not doing something right. I can't get my quads and calf muscles to grow. I've done squats, calf raises, deadlifts, etc. Anyone with naturally skinny legs had any successes? If so, what did you do?

Depends. I am short and gains are more noticeable than a tall person who can lift the same amount.

Aside from that, what is your current leg workout/routine? Exercises performed; weight, reps and sets for each exercise; how often.

 

[Spliff]

Oly shoes have helped my quads tremendously

 

[Arnold]

Depends. I am short and gains are more noticeable than a tall person who can lift the same amount.

Aside from that, what is your current leg workout/routine? Exercises performed; weight, reps and sets for each exercise; how often.

I work out 3 to 4 times per week; I do a full body workout each time. I used to workout at the gym and do barbell squats one day and deads the next. It seems the most my knees could take would be 295 on squats (10 reps..3 sets). My deadlifts are embarrassing..never got above 185. I must have a weak core or something. I now work out at home, and have been for the past couple years, with dumbbells. I squat with two 60 pound dumbbells and do straight leg deadlifts with 20 lb DBs. When I was working out at the gym, I used to do calf raises. I have since given up on working my calves. Now that I have typed this out, I see what my problem is. Not enough weight.

 

[Formerly known as...]

My Calves are stubborn as hell. My quads grow fine, but calves!!!! Nope

 

[unit321]

I work out 3 to 4 times per week; I do a full body workout each time. I used to workout at the gym and do barbell squats one day and deads the next. It seems the most my knees could take would be 295 on squats (10 reps..3 sets). My deadlifts are embarrassing..never got above 185. I must have a weak core or something. I now work out at home, and have been for the past couple years, with dumbbells. I squat with two 60 pound dumbbells and do straight leg deadlifts with 20 lb DBs. When I was working out at the gym, I used to do calf raises. I have since given up on working my calves. Now that I have typed this out, I see what my problem is. Not enough weight.

Well, I can suggest that you either improve your home gym with a squat rack, an Olympic 45 lbs barbell, and 250 - 350 lbs. worth of plates. Or, get back into a gym.

You don't have enough weight resistance for mass growth. You can try to push it by performing slower reps.

 

[Arnold]

Well, I can suggest that you either improve your home gym with a squat rack, an Olympic 45 lbs barbell, and 250 - 350 lbs. worth of plates. Or, get back into a gym.

You don't have enough weight resistance for mass growth. You can try to push it by performing slower reps.

My DB set goes up to 90 lbs..probably still not enough weight, even doing negative reps. I might have to invest in a rack, I'm not feeling the gym. Nikkas use the rack to do variations of curls.

 

[I'm Chillin]

Breh if you were squatting 295 for 3x10 you definitely need to ditch the DB's

 

[NSSVO]

My Calves are stubborn as hell. My quads grow fine, but calves!!!! Nope

its a disease man. I do the whole stack @ the gym for calves, do pretty good free weights. It's just God way of keeping people humble I guess.

 

[unit321]

My DB set goes up to 90 lbs..probably still not enough weight, even doing negative reps. I might have to invest in a rack, I'm not feeling the gym. Nikkas use the rack to do variations of curls.

People using the rack for curls is an excuse.
You just kick them out.

 

[im12whatisthis]

I work out 3 to 4 times per week; I do a full body workout each time. I used to workout at the gym and do barbell squats one day and deads the next. It seems the most my knees could take would be 295 on squats (10 reps..3 sets). My deadlifts are embarrassing..never got above 185. I must have a weak core or something. I now work out at home, and have been for the past couple years, with dumbbells. I squat with two 60 pound dumbbells and do straight leg deadlifts with 20 lb DBs. When I was working out at the gym, I used to do calf raises. I have since given up on working my calves. Now that I have typed this out, I see what my problem is. Not enough weight.

Do some more unilateral leg work for reps. Bulgarian split squats, deficit reverse lunges, step ups, etc. You can do all that with dumbbells. This will also help with that "knees could only take" issue. Also try DB front squats.

Judging from your deadlift numbers, you have a really weak posterior chain so you probably want to bring that up as well. Glute ham raises, reverse hypers, hyperextensions, good mornings etc. I don't know if you can engineer something at home that replicates those movements.

Calves are weird, sometimes they grow with a ton of volume then stop growing, then sometimes they grow with little volume and tons of weight. It's a crap shoot you just have to change it up.

 

[Jesus]

Breh if you were squatting 295 for 3x10 you definitely need to ditch the DB's

And he was barely able to dead 185.....

 

[The ADD]

I work out 3 to 4 times per week; I do a full body workout each time. I used to workout at the gym and do barbell squats one day and deads the next. It seems the most my knees could take would be 295 on squats (10 reps..3 sets). My deadlifts are embarrassing..never got above 185. I must have a weak core or something. I now work out at home, and have been for the past couple years, with dumbbells. I squat with two 60 pound dumbbells and do straight leg deadlifts with 20 lb DBs. When I was working out at the gym, I used to do calf raises. I have since given up on working my calves. Now that I have typed this out, I see what my problem is. Not enough weight.

I didn't know this was possible