Mass-building has a set of guidelines. In order to achieve this, you should begin your workout with the most difficult exercises and heavy weights, attack the thighs from several directions, maintain a high volume (number of total sets and reps), and train until muscle failure.

You can slightly change how the leg press engages the leg muscles by adjusting where your feet are placed. Increasing the height of your feet on the platfom causes more hip flexion/extension, which moves part of the emphasis away from the quadriceps and into the hams and glutes. Additionally, avoid going too heavy because this reduces the depth of your knee bend, which should reach 90 degrees, and inhibits the activation of your hamstrings and glutes. Save the single-joint exercises until last, unless you're performing them as part of a pre-exhaust regimen.

This exercise program uses a reverse-pyramid approach, allowing you to complete more total sets until you reach muscle failure. Make sure to reduce the weight proportionately as the rep target increases. The exercises concentrate on the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. You could cut out the calves, hamstrings, or both exercises to make the workout shorter; in that case, focus on the calves and hamstrings on a different training day.

Notes

Perform as many warm-up repetitions as necessary, but never go all the way to muscle failure.

Pick a weight that enables you to complete the specified number of reps before experiencing muscle failure.

Do a few forced reps on your 1-2 strongest sets of each exercise if you have a spotter.

THE WORKOUT:

1. Barbell Squat

4 sets, 6-8, 6-8, 8-10, 8-10 reps (Lighten the weight after your first 2 sets.)

2. Leg Press

4 sets, 8-10, 8-10, 10-12, 10-12 reps (Alternate 2 different foot positions.)

3. Dumbbell Walking Lunge

3 sets, 10, 12, 14 steps per side

4. Leg Extensions

3 sets, 10 reps (Do a single dropset on each set.)

5. Romanian Deadlift

3 sets, 8, 10, 12 reps

6. Lying Leg Curls

3 sets, 8, 10, 12 reps

7. Standing Calf Raises

4 sets, 12, 12, 20, 20 reps