I am not sure why I’ve never trained legs and back together, but I have been missing out! I have done trisets, giant sets, and circuits working both back and legs, but never done just the two bodyparts together. I really liked this Leg & Back Supersets workout!
I actually did this workout last Saturday. I definitely recommend doing this workout with a little fuel. By that, I mean eat something! I think I would have found this difficult and I wouldn’t have been able to lift as heavy if I had tried this on a weekday without any real food in my stomach. It amazes me how different I feel working out on Saturday’s when I have had breakfast prior to exercising.
Both the legs and back are big muscle groups that require a lot of energy. The plus part of that is that when you train those areas you tend to burn more calories! You’ll also need to fuel that workout, whether it is before the workout or after, with carbohydrates! Yes, carbohydrates.
I like to have some protein plus whole grains or fruit after every workout, especially after training legs, back, or after a lot of cardio. Your body uses carbs (glycogen) for energy during a workout and you need to replace that once you are done. Don’t go overboard, eating every carb in site or anything. A banana, oatmeal, English muffin, waffle, etc is a great thing to add to a meal post-workout.
In the summer, I like to throw fruit (banana, blueberries, etc) and sometimes oats into a smoothie. In the winter, I cook the oats and top it with fruit! Nom nom nom. What are your favorite post-workout foods?
Bent-Over Cable Row (this is shown with a barbell)
Back Extension (Hyperextension)
Tomorrow I have another Day in the Life: Mel’s Meals post so come back and check it out!
I’ve combined legs and back and found I don’t like it as well because it seems like my lower back gets extra fatigued and doesn’t really get the full benefit. I also superset so I wonder if it would make a difference if I try it again with actual rests in between.
Resting between sets might help… My lower back gets a little more fatigued with leg work, but I didn’t find myself struggling too much because of the leg stuff. My grip is what fails me with back work! It kills me.