Legs

The following details my primary leg workout from last Wednesday night at Kirkland Gold’s Gym.  It was based on a John Meadows program and was done the night before Christina and I left for London, OH and the Elitefts Underground Strength Session.  Here is the workout...

Seated Leg Curls

I used a unilateral seated leg curl machine, therefore the weight listed is per each leg.  I performed a few warm-ups before beginning the working sets - FYI.

Set 1 x 10 reps + 20 second isohold with 80lbs

Set 2 x 10 reps + 20 second isohold with 80lbs

Set 3 x 10 reps + 20 second isohold with 80lbs

Set 4 x 10 reps + 20 second isohold with 80lbs

*Select a moderately heavy weight where you can just barely get 10 reps.  After the 10th rep, hold the weight in the mid-rep position flexing your hamstrings as hard as possible for 20 seconds.  This is brutal by the 4th set.

Banded Stiff Legged Deadlifts

Here is the band I used: https://www.elitefts.com/pro-mini-resistance-band.html.

Set 1 x 8 reps with 95lbs + bands

Set 2 x 8 reps with 95lbs + bands

Set 3 x 8 reps with 95lbs + bands

Set 4 x 8 reps with 95lbs + bands

*Changing things up a bit today by programming a hamstring stretch exercise second in the exercise sequencing today.  The bands provide constant tension and unload the weight a bit at the bottom which helps with my lower back issues.  Knock out 4 sets of 8 reps and keep a rep in the tank on all sets.

Here is a video from a previous workout:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_15e9NZ3kek]

Banded Leg Press

I added three different bands to the leg press today as follows:

Band #1: https://www.elitefts.com/pro-light-resistance-band.html

Band #2:  https://www.elitefts.com/pro-monster-mini-restistance-band.html

Band #3:  https://www.elitefts.com/pro-mini-resistance-band.html

Set 1 x 10 reps with 1 plate/side + 3 bands

Set 2 x 10 reps with 2 plates/side + 3 bands

Set 3 x 10 reps with 3 plates/side + 3 bands

Set 4 x 10 reps with 4 plates/side + 3 bands

Set 5 x 10 reps with 5 plates/side + 3 bands

Set 6 x 10 reps with 6 plates/side + 3 bands

*A ton of tension with all three bands today, so be sure to control the descent/eccentric.  Work your way up in weight until you can barely get 10 reps.

Here is a video:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wwSH5MyIbU]

Hack Squats

Set 1 x 25 reps with 1 plate/side

Set 2 x 25 reps with 1 plate/side

Set 3 x 25 reps with 1 plate/side

*My knees were not feeling well after the leg presses so I went rather light and slowed down the rep tempo.  This actually blew up my quads which shows it’s not always about the weight you train with if you really concentrate on the target muscle group.

Leg Extensions

Set 1 x 6 reps with 230lbs

Set 2 x 6 reps with 230lbs

Set 3 x 6 reps with 230lbs -> immediately do walking lunges for 20 paces

*The key here is to hold the contraction for a 3 second count at the top on each rep.  Stretch each quad for 20 seconds between sets and finish the third set with 20 paces of walking lunges.

That concluded this primary leg workout.

Train hard!

Mark