Todd: Mike, you're giving tips about weight training and we've talked about upper body. Now what about lower body and legs? I actually don't want to lift weights with my legs. I just... It is OK if I just skip it?
Mike: Well, you should do your legs because you should get a full body workout because if you just do one part of your body it affects the other parts of your body as well, so you need to be balanced.
Todd: OK, so I'm convinced. I'm gonna work on my legs. What's the most basic exercise I should do?
Mike: I think you should start off squatting. That's where you put the... make sure you have a squat rack, and you put the bar behind your head on your shoulders and you just squat as if you are sitting on a bench and come back up.
Todd: Now often I see guys in the gym that do that. They have the big weight belt. Do I need to get a weight belt?
Mike: It would be good, that if you're just starting off to use the weight belt but once you get the motion I would advise you to to not use the weight belt so that it forces you to keep good posture yourself.
Todd: Now, when you do the squat, like how low should I go? Should I go until I'm almost sitting on the floor?
Mike: As if there was a bench underneath your.....
Todd: Bottom?
Mike: Bottom.
Todd: Right. Yeah, right. So basically, your legs and your knees should be about 90 degrees.
Mike: Yeah.
Todd: OK, so that's... that will work out all my legs? That's all I have to do is squats?
Mike: Yeah, that's probably the best one you can do.
Todd: OK, and that is for my calves and my hamstrings too?
Mike: Not your calves but for your hamstrings and your bottom.
Todd: OK. So what should I do for my calves?
Mike: You can do calf raises, which is... you can do it on a squat rack, and you just hold the bar in the same position as you would a squat and just raise your legs up on your toes.
Todd: OK, so in terms of how... of sets, like how many sets should I do of the squats?
Mike: I think you should start of with three sets.
Todd: Three sets.
Mike: The same as the other exercises.
Todd: And about ten reps?
Mike: And about ten reps, yes.
Todd: So do I always keep the weight constant? I don't have the weight go up or down?
Mike: Well, once you get used to the motion and the position that you're in, then you can start increasing the weights as you go.
Todd: OK, but I mean, each set should be the same weight.
Mike: Yeah, when you're starting off.
Todd: OK, yeah. And also just for the calves, just do three sets?
Mike: Yep, just do three sets?
Todd: Now sometimes I see people doing hamstring stuff, like they're curling their legs. They lie on a bench and they pull the weight up.
Mike: From the machine?
Todd: Yeah, from the machine. Should I do that?
Mike: Yeah, that's a good one. You can supplement your workout with those types of machine workouts.
Mike: Well, thanks a lot, Mike. I'm gonna get started.
Mike: Well, you should do your legs because you should get a full body workout because if you just do one part of your body it affects the other parts of your body as well, so you need to be balanced.
Todd: OK, so I'm convinced. I'm gonna work on my legs. What's the most basic exercise I should do?
Mike: I think you should start off squatting. That's where you put the... make sure you have a squat rack, and you put the bar behind your head on your shoulders and you just squat as if you are sitting on a bench and come back up.
Todd: Now often I see guys in the gym that do that. They have the big weight belt. Do I need to get a weight belt?
Mike: It would be good, that if you're just starting off to use the weight belt but once you get the motion I would advise you to to not use the weight belt so that it forces you to keep good posture yourself.
Todd: Now, when you do the squat, like how low should I go? Should I go until I'm almost sitting on the floor?
Mike: As if there was a bench underneath your.....
Todd: Bottom?
Mike: Bottom.
Todd: Right. Yeah, right. So basically, your legs and your knees should be about 90 degrees.
Mike: Yeah.
Todd: OK, so that's... that will work out all my legs? That's all I have to do is squats?
Mike: Yeah, that's probably the best one you can do.
Todd: OK, and that is for my calves and my hamstrings too?
Mike: Not your calves but for your hamstrings and your bottom.
Todd: OK. So what should I do for my calves?
Mike: You can do calf raises, which is... you can do it on a squat rack, and you just hold the bar in the same position as you would a squat and just raise your legs up on your toes.
Todd: OK, so in terms of how... of sets, like how many sets should I do of the squats?
Mike: I think you should start of with three sets.
Todd: Three sets.
Mike: The same as the other exercises.
Todd: And about ten reps?
Mike: And about ten reps, yes.
Todd: So do I always keep the weight constant? I don't have the weight go up or down?
Mike: Well, once you get used to the motion and the position that you're in, then you can start increasing the weights as you go.
Todd: OK, but I mean, each set should be the same weight.
Mike: Yeah, when you're starting off.
Todd: OK, yeah. And also just for the calves, just do three sets?
Mike: Yep, just do three sets?
Todd: Now sometimes I see people doing hamstring stuff, like they're curling their legs. They lie on a bench and they pull the weight up.
Mike: From the machine?
Todd: Yeah, from the machine. Should I do that?
Mike: Yeah, that's a good one. You can supplement your workout with those types of machine workouts.
Mike: Well, thanks a lot, Mike. I'm gonna get started.
