How long does it take to build muscle in legs?

The legs have the strongest muscle groups in the body, but how long does it take to build muscle in legs??  The legs are what gets us around and allows us to do the tons of activity that we get through in a day.

Therefore, it is essential that you, too, get your legs in shape. It won’t be about how fast you can run or your ability to do squats; it is also vital in preventing injuries. Additionally, when you work on building lean leg muscles, then your body responds overall to get you the desired weight.

In this article, we are going to look at how long it takes to build leg muscles. We’ll also explore some isometric muscle recommendations to get you the results you want.

Strategies To Build Leg Muscles Fast

The results you get largely depends on the individual and the types of exercises that they are undertaking. There is also the frequency and intensity to think about.

However, when you remain loyal to a leg exercises program then you’ll see the changes in about two to four weeks. You won’t have bulky legs, but you’ll notice some muscle definition and also better stamina as you move around your day.

If you want to get those dream legs, better leg strength and stamina, and definition that lets you and other people know that you do work out, then it’ll take longer. You can hope to see more defined results in about three to four months.

How fast you get there also depends on your fitness level. Someone who’s done a track at some point would have a higher advantage over someone just starting.

Something to keep in mind, even though you start seeing changes in a matter of weeks, it doesn’t mean that you ought to stop.

To get better results, keep at it. It’s also something you’ll have to maintain, so the work doesn’t stop after your legs become a lot better than they were before.

What you need is a training plan that you can work on consistently and on an incremental level as you advance.

Having a training plan

As mentioned, the legs have the most extensive and strongest muscle groups in the body. They consist of the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. To strengthen, tone, and elevate your stamina, you’ll have to focus on all these muscle groups individually.

That’s why having a professional trainer or a training app to help you do just that is vital. You don’t want to spend weeks focusing on one area only; the results you’re looking for will take longer. If you’re not sure, you can always use resources that are big on isometric and tailor it accordingly.

For you to achieve a level of success in the allocated time, you should opt for a progressive resistance training plan. It means having a plan that increases your workout intensity over the months.

That’s so you don’t strain yourself when starting or getting to plateau as well. If you’ve done weight training, you know that you focus on various muscle groups on multiple days, not all at the same time.

For example, you’d focus on the hamstrings and the glutes earlier on in the week and quadriceps and calves later on. For example, focus on the first two muscle groups on Monday, and then the other two on Thursday.

The idea is to space out the muscle group exercise by at least three days. However, during that time, you won’t be on a break. That’s the time to get int aerobic exercise for between two to five hours during the whole week.

You can space them out during the days in between accordingly. To achieve fat loss and get lean muscle too, you want to perform aerobic exercises. There’s quite a variety; get one that suits you, and you feel that you can stick to. Also, feel free to change things up. To fasten results, you can choose an aerobic exercise that works the legs.

Training program breakdown

Before you walk or run, you’ll have to crawl. There has to be a progression on the types of exercises and the intensity required as you go through your leg training. Let’s look at what that will look like.

Conditioning: For the first month, you’ll have to focus on conditioning so that you improve muscular endurance. Here, you’re essentially starting slow but still getting the training that you need.

For example, the first two weeks can constitute about 15 repetitions of each exercise. From there, for every week, add in three more sets. Remember to do the aerobic exercises too, about four to five times weekly.

Hypertrophy: The second month should have you increase the weight and reduce repetition. It involves having lesser repetitions, like 6-12, depending on your muscle failure rate.

Over time, increase the weight until you can surpass the designated repetitions. Don’t feel the need to start big; you can start with smaller weights and work your way up. You’ll also increase the duration of your aerobic exercises.

Strength and power: On the final month, you ramp everything up to improve your strength and also muscular power. That means doing two to even six repetitions of each exercise, and having three or four sets.

However, make your resting periods longer. You’ll also have to opt for high-intensity training for your aerobic workouts. Instead of hiking or jogging, opt to sprit instead. Do this for five days per week.

How do you get muscle growth?

Bodies are different, and how they react to strength-training will be different as well. With that in mind, it’s worth knowing that how your body responds is entirely out of your control.

There are a lot of factors to consider, primarily the gender, age, hormonal balance and your fast-twitch muscles (activated during endurance exercises, and slow-twitch muscles (activated when you need short but powerful bursts of energy).

If you’re starting a leg muscle building program with someone else, you shouldn’t expect the same results. There is much you cannot control; you can only do your part to build the leg muscles you want in the first place. Even when working out under the same conditions as someone else, focus on your progress as comparisons in this nature are not fair. Do everything you’re called to do, diet and sleep included, and you’ll get what you want.

Isometric exercises

One of the ways that you can build muscles in the legs is through the focus of isometric exercises. They are what help improve your stability, mobility, flexibility, and generally increase strength in your lower body.

These kinds of activities, when done right, you’ll get to feel the muscle groups that you’re working out as you increase your range of motion.

Let’s look deeper at how it works. Isometric exercises are those that exert tension on a particular muscle group without lengthening or shortening.

Therefore, when you’re performing isometric exercises, you’re neither compressing nor expanding the muscles being flexed.

In essence, there is tension getting put on the muscles, but it remains stagnant. Those who stand to benefit the most from isometric workouts is those with restricted space. That means you can do these at home, and comfortably so. Let’s look at two examples.

Wall sit

Wall-sits focus on strengthening your thighs. The muscles that get worked in the process are the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. To do it well, stand about two feet away from a wall, and then lean back against it.

After, sink your bottom down to the ground until the back of your legs forms a 90-degree angle. If you’re doing it right, you should look like you’re sitting on a chair. Hold the position for 15 seconds, and you can do that for five rounds.

Consider changing where you place the weight. If you put it on your heels, then you’re targeting the glutes, and when you push it to your toes, then you’re putting more tension on the quadriceps.

Even as you do that, ensure that you don’t place too much pressure on your knees. Work on distributing it between the heel and the two as you count down the set.

Glute bridge

The other one you can try when it comes to isometric exercises for the legs is the glute bridge. It’s mainly for those looking to change how their backside looks.

When you do this exercise, you’re focusing on the glutes and the hamstrings. To perform the exercise, lie on your back with your knees bend. Put your hands to your sides. After, elevate your hips, using the feet and the palms to hold the weight.

While in this position, clench your glutes and also drive your weight down to your heels. You will feel that your glutes and hamstrings will begin to get tired.

However, while doing this exercise, be sure that you don’t let your hips sink to the ground as it affects the outcome of the activity.

Wrap up

There are several other isometric exercises that you can look up online and on a training app. As you work through those and with cardio included, you’ll get to build the leg muscles in three to four months.