Do you ever feel like sometimes a change of pace is in order? Need ideas for new movement patterns? Or maybe you just need to work around aches and pains? This training footage of John Meadows and Evan Centopani is a great learning tool. The discussions and exercise mechanics taking place are enlightening. The Bulgarian Squat variation and Spider Bar Squats were especially noteworthy and showed to be surprisingly effective. Highlights of the routine can be found below.

  1. Leg Curl: John talks about having a preference for starting leg training with leg curl variations. Here, they build up in weight with straight sets, followed by a drop set, then tacked on partial reps and finished with isotension.
  2. Bulgarian Squat Variation: The squat rack was used for balance in order to keep the focus on muscle stimulation. This helped both John and Evan concentrate on form, reps, and generating intensity. They used straight sets to build up to the heaviest weight, then finished off with drop sets of 10, and used a 10 second isohold at the end of each set. Evan talked about how this exercise is far more brutal than it looks and that it helped him reach deep muscular failure. If you go on to watch this video, Evan was not kidding; the exercise was very tough.
  3. Spider Bar Squats: The bar as explained in the video is like a combination between a cambered bar and a safety squat bar. This allows the lifter to maintain an upright position and focus on balance. They had a rep number in mind, did straight sets and kept moving up in weight until form deteriorated.
  4. Hack Squats: Like the previous exercise, they had a rep number in mind, did straight sets and kept moving up in weight until form deteriorated.
  5. Leg Extensions: Only one set was performed. John talked about how a dorsiflexed foot increases tension on the upper thigh and how a plantarflexed foot increases tension on the lower thigh.
  6. Glute Ham Raises: Three sets were done. The reps were not high because this exercise is difficult.