The following details my primary leg workout from this past Saturday morning at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. The workout was designed by my coach, John Meadows, with some of my own personal modifications. Here is the workout…
Lying Leg Curls
Perform a few warm-up sets before beginning your working sets.
Set 1 x 15 reps with 100lbs
Set 2 x 14 reps with 100lbs
Set 3 x 12 reps with 100lbs
Set 4 x 9 reps with 100lbs
Set 5 x 6 reps with 100lbs
*The key here today is to select a weight in which you can get 15 reps with perfect form on your first set. Rest breaks thereafter only last 45 seconds and you go to failure on every set. Maintain perfect form, even as you hit failure. Perform 5 working sets.
Leg Press
Set 1 x 10 reps with 2 plates/side
Set 2 x 10 reps with 3 plates/side
Set 3 x 10 reps with 4 plates/side
Set 4 x 10 reps with 5 plates/side
Set 5 x 10 reps with 6 plates/side
Set 6 x 10 reps with 7 plates/side
Set 7 x 10 reps with 8 plates/side
Set 8 x 10 reps with 9 plates/side
*The key here is to perform sets of 10 reps, but with a 3 second eccentric. Lower the weight slow and then drive the weight out of the bottom stopping at ¾ lock-out and coming right back down. Work up in weight until you can barely get 10 reps. I counted this as 3 working sets.
Cambered Bar Squats
I used a bar similar to this: https://www.elitefts.com/shop/bars-weights/specialty-bars/rackable-cambered-squat-bar.html.
Set 1 x 20 reps with 135lbs
Set 2 x 20 reps with 135lbs
Set 3 x 20 reps with 135lbs
Set 4 x 20 reps with 135lbs
*You can discount my weight because of my bad lower back, but the key here is to endure some healthy quad pain and to generate a massive pump via non-stop 20 reps. I very recently began squatting with lighter weight utilizing the cambered bar because I am able to stay more upright and remove the stress to my lower back. It’s amazing how difficult 20 reps were by the 4th set when using perfect, controlled form. Get 4 working sets of 20 reps.
Leg Extensions
Set 1 x 8 reps with 210lbs
Set 2 x 8 reps with 210lbs
Set 3 x 8 reps with 210lbs
*The key here is to hold the contraction at the top for a full 3 second count on each rep. Flex hard in the lockout position!
Walking Lunges
Set 1 x 60 yards with bodyweight
*This wasn’t part of John’s program, but I went across the gym and back again taking long strides and pausing at the bottom of each rep. The stretch when doing this with massively pumped quads is awesome!
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Deadlifts
Set 1 x 12 reps with 55lbs
Set 2 x 12 reps with 55lbs
Set 3 x 12 reps with 55lbs
*Once again I don’t go heavy on these due to my lower back, but aim to really work the stretch by elevating my toes on 5lb plates and keeping my knees locked. I don’t suggest the toe elevation or locked knees unless you are working with lighter weight or you risk hamstring injury – FYI.
That concluded this primary leg workout.
Train hard!
Mark