Goal program

Tree Trunk Legs

Squat deep, hinge heavy, and grow legs that fill out your jeans.

4 days a week
12 weeks
Intermediate
For men
Gym

About this program

An upper/lower split with two hard leg days (a squat day and a hinge day) that gives quads about 20 hard sets a week, glutes about 15, hamstrings 13 and calves 12, while the upper body gets just enough work to hold its size. The key rule: stop compound lifts 1–2 reps short of failure, add reps until you hit the top of the range and then add weight, and take an easy week with half the sets around week 7. In 12 weeks expect a clearly stronger squat and visibly fuller thighs, with the biggest change if you have never trained legs seriously before.

Who it’s for

You already train regularly and want more volume and intensity.
Written with men in mind; anyone can follow it.
A gym with machines, cables and free weights.
4 sessions a week, about 65 minutes each.
7–10k steps a day on top of the workouts.

The week

Warm up for 5–7 minutes first. Rest is the pause between sets. A1 and A2 (B1 and B2) are supersets: do one set of each back to back, then rest. Rest days: walk and recover.

Monday Legs A: Squat Day: Quads & Glutes

Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Back SquatWarm up with 2–3 lighter sets. Squat to full depth, hips below knees if your mobility allows: the deep range works the glutes and inner thighs harder than half squats. Leave 1–2 reps in the tank. When all 4 sets reach 8 reps, add 5–10 lb (2.5–5 kg). Rusty on barbell squats? Spend the first 2–3 weeks on lighter, clean sets, or do goblet squats instead.	4 × 5–⁠8	3 min
Romanian DeadliftModerate weight today, since you just squatted. Knees soft, push your hips back until you feel a strong hamstring stretch. Back flat, bar sliding close to your legs.	3 × 8–⁠10	2.5 min
Bulgarian Split SquatRear foot on a bench, dumbbells at your sides. An upright torso and a shorter stride put more work on the quads. Start with your weaker leg, then match its reps on the other side.	3 × 8–⁠12 per leg	2 min
A1 Leg ExtensionSuperset: go straight to leg curls with no rest. Squeeze for 1 s at the top. Take the last set to failure.	3 × 12–⁠15	—
A2 Lying Leg CurlLower slowly over 2–3 s. Rest 90 s after the pair, then repeat.	3 × 10–⁠15	90 s
Standing Calf RaiseUse the standing calf machine, or hold a dumbbell and stand on a step. Sink into a full stretch and pause 2 s at the bottom of every rep, no bouncing.	4 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Tuesday Upper A: Bench & Pull

Chest, back, shoulders, arms, abs · about 70 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Barbell Bench PressThe upper body is on maintenance here, so stop 2 reps short of failure. Shoulder blades pinched, feet planted, bar to the lower chest.	4 × 6–⁠10	2.5 min
Lat PulldownPull to the upper chest, driving your elbows down and back. Let the lats fully stretch at the top.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressSit with your back against the bench pad and lower the dumbbells to ear level.	3 × 8–⁠12	2 min
Seated Cable RowChest up, pull to your belly button, and on the way back let your shoulder blades reach forward for a full stretch.	3 × 10–⁠12	2 min
A1 Overhead Cable Triceps ExtensionSuperset with curls. Face away from the cable with your arms overhead: the stretch loads the long head, the largest part of the triceps.	3 × 10–⁠15	—
A2 Dumbbell Biceps CurlNo swinging. Rest 90 s after the pair.	3 × 10–⁠15	90 s
Cable CrunchKneel with the rope by your head and curl your ribs toward your hips, keeping your hips still. Add weight when 15 reps feel easy.	3 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: Incline Treadmill Walk, 10 min. Optional easy cool-down: 8–12% incline at a pace where you can still talk.

Thursday Legs B: Hinge & Leg Press Day

Hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Romanian DeadliftThe hinge is today's main lift, so go heavier than on Monday. Lower until your hips can't move back any further, usually to mid-shin. When all 4 sets reach 10 reps, add 5–10 lb (2.5–5 kg).	4 × 6–⁠10	3 min
Leg PressFeet shoulder-width apart in the middle of the platform. Go as deep as you can while your lower back stays on the pad. A great quad builder that spares your lower back after heavy RDLs.	4 × 10–⁠15	2 min
Walking LungeDumbbells at your sides, long controlled steps, back knee almost touching the floor. Short on space? Do reverse lunges in place.	3 × 10–⁠12 per leg	2 min
A1 Lying Leg CurlSuperset: go straight to leg extensions. Take 3 s to lower.	3 × 10–⁠15	—
A2 Leg ExtensionLighter weight and more reps than Monday. Take the last set to failure. Rest 90 s after the pair.	3 × 15–⁠20	90 s
Standing Calf RaiseHigher reps today. Get a full stretch with a 2 s pause at the bottom, then squeeze hard at the top.	4 × 12–⁠20	60 s

Saturday Upper B: Incline, Rows & Delts

Upper chest, back, delts, arms, calves · about 65 min

Exercise	Sets × reps	Rest
Incline Dumbbell PressSet the bench to about 30° to target the upper chest. Lower until you feel a deep stretch across the chest.	3 × 8–⁠12	2.5 min
One-Arm Dumbbell RowHand and knee on a bench. Pull your elbow toward your hip and let the dumbbell hang low at the bottom.	3 × 8–⁠12 per arm	2 min
Face PullRope at eye level; pull toward your face with elbows high. It balances all the pressing and helps keep your shoulders healthy.	3 × 12–⁠15	75 s
A1 Rope Triceps PushdownSuperset with hammer curls: no rest between the two.	2 × 10–⁠15	—
A2 Hammer CurlThumbs up. This targets the brachialis and forearm, which make the arm look thicker. Rest 75 s after the pair.	2 × 10–⁠15	75 s
B1 Lateral RaiseLight weight; lead with your elbows and stop at shoulder height. Go straight to calf raises.	4 × 12–⁠20	—
B2 Standing Calf RaiseThird calf session of the week; calves recover quickly, so they handle the frequency well. Pause 2 s in the stretch. Rest 60 s after the pair.	4 × 10–⁠15	60 s

Cardio after: Stationary Bike, 15–20 min. Easy, steady pace for heart health. Cycling gets in the way of leg growth less than running does.

How to progress

Double progression: add reps within the range first. When every set reaches the top of the range with clean form, add a little weight (about 5–10 lb on lower-body lifts, 2.5–5 lb on upper-body lifts) and start again at the bottom.
Stop most sets 1–2 reps short of failure. Beginners stop 2–3 reps short for the first weeks.
Every 6–8 weeks, or when you feel run down, take an easier week: half the sets, same weights.

Food

Eat in a small surplus of about 200–400 kcal a day (aim to gain 0.25–0.5% of body weight per week) and get 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kg (0.7–1 g per lb) of body weight across 3–5 meals; a bigger 'dirty bulk' mostly adds fat.

Find your numbers with the free TDEE calculator, the macro calculator and the protein calculator.