Bodybuilding II - leg day and DOMS

Hi!

So I’m doing a second round of BBII (3-day version) and both rounds I have been getting some significant DOMS after about week 4 when the volume starts ramping up a bit. Specifically after day 2, the “leg day”; I only get some mild DOMS from other days/muscle groups, which isn’t an issue at all. Any recommendations for modifying in order to take down the DOMS a notch? Right now I’m doing low bar back squats, barbell stiff-legged deadlifts, front squats, seated leg curls, and seated calf raises for the prescribed sets and rep ranges. I have also recently been considering lowering my weight for the squats as I think I need to go lower to hit proper form, though I’m not sure that will be enough to reduce DOMS to the point were I don’t feel 50 years older when getting up from a chair.

Do you have any access to machines for some of these exercises? If so, I swapping out front squats for leg press or or a unilateral variation would be a good swap IMO.

I have access to machines as well. Though last round I did leg press instead of stiff-legged deadlifts, and split squats instead of front squats. If I remember correctly it may have been a bit better compared to now, but I distinctly remember having issues with DOMS in the legs back then as well. I’m not sure if I need to get more used to the load and movements or if I’m overdoing it somehow.

On the one hand, a bit of DOMS is fine and I don’t think we should be avoiding it completely. On the other hand, I think if someone is still having a lot of soreness after ~ 4-6 weeks, and they’re not overshooting a ton of sets, I’d probably cut the volume down a bit.

I wouldn’t think leg press would be an option for SLDL, as 3-4 quad-focused movements in a single workout may put you over the edge vs 2. The stock day 2 in the 3-day Bodybuilding II Template is:

  1. HBBS
  2. Hip thrusts
  3. Leg Press
  4. Box Step ups
  5. Calves I’d label that “medium” from a predicted stress standpoint, whereas HBBS, SLDL, F/S, Hamstring Curls, and Calf Raises would be high. A “low” stress version might be:
  6. HBBS
  7. DB RDL
  8. Leg Press
  9. Hamstring Cirls
  10. Calves

Also, the volume difference between weeks 3, 4, and 5 is not really big IMO. That makes me curious about why you’re reporting DOMS at that specific time frame.

For example,

In any case, here’s the tl;dr: 1. change movements to less novel, potentially less stressful ones
2. if DOMS persists, consider reducing volume
3. If DOMS isn’t severe, probably would just keep on truckin’

-Jordan

Thanks Jordan! I’m fine with DOMS in general but it came to the point of being a bit detrimental to my activity level. I will try switching over to a more low stress version like you have outlined. I’m not really sure either why the volume increase has become so apparent; my guess is that I underestimated RPE for the previous weeks, generally taking it easy on the weights, and then maybe taking it too far once I felt more zoned in. I also didn’t mix things up as much on the other days. Mostly just continuing the earlier lifts with previous weights, while day 2 had more novel movements.