The following details my main leg workout from this past Saturday morning at Kirkland Gold’s Gym. The workout was loosely based on a program by my coach, John Meadows, but I made a few modifications while training with Christina. I was officially one week out from competing in the Vancouver BC Pro. Here is the workout…
Lying Leg Curls
Set 1 x 10 reps with 50lbs
Set 2 x 10 reps with 65lbs
Set 3 x 10 reps with 80bs
Set 4 x 10 reps with 95lbs
Set 5 x 10 reps with 110lbs
Set 6 x failure (extend set 2X) with 125lbs
*I elected to work my way up in weight doing sets of 10 reps with perfect form and a brief hold in the contracted position on each rep. On my 6th set I failed to get all 10 reps; so I rested for 15 seconds and went again until failure, then rest 30 seconds and went a final time to failure. I counted this as 4 working sets.
Smith Machine Hip Thrusters
Set 1 x 10 pause reps + 5 pump reps with 135lbs
Set 2 x 10 pause reps + 5 pump reps with 155lbs
Set 3 x 10 pause reps + 5 pump reps with 185lbs
*Deliberately hold the contraction at the top while flexing your glutes and not hyperextending your back on the pause reps. On the pump reps you just pump them out non-stop. I elected to do this exercise instead of the adductor machine.
Reverse Banded Hack Squats
Set 1 x 14 reps with 1 plate + 25lbs/side
Set 2 x 12 reps with 2 plates/side
Set 3 x 10 reps with 2 plates + 25lbs/side
Set 4 x 8 reps with 3 plates/side
Set 5 x 8 reps with 3 plates + 25lbs/side
Set 6 x 8 reps with 4 plates/side
Set 7 x 8 reps with 4 plates + 25lbs/side
Set 8 x 8 reps with 5 plates/side
*My back and knees were feeling fragile so I elected to take small jumps in weight with short rest breaks (60 seconds between sets). I worked my way up until I got to a weight that was pretty tough for 8 reps and stopped. The short rest periods facilitate cumulative fatigue forcing me to use lighter weight.
Goblet Squats w/Heels Elevated
Set 1 x 15 reps with 60lbs
Set 2 x 15 reps with 60lbs
Set 3 x 15 reps with 60lbs
*I used a wide stance, descended slowly and pushed my hips forward flexing my quads and glutes at the top on each rep.
Single Leg Presses
Set 1 x 10-10-10 reps with 2 plates/side
Set 2 x 10-10-10 reps with 2 plates/side
Set 3 x 10-10-10 reps with 2 plates/side
Set 4 x 10-10-10 reps with 2 plates/side
*Perform deliberate reps here with one leg for 10 reps, then switch immediately to the other leg for 10 reps, and then finish with both legs for 10 reps using a low and narrow foot stance to hammer the quads. Alternate which leg you start with on each set.
Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deads
Set 1 x 8 reps with 55lbs
Set 2 x 8 reps with 55lbs
Set 3 x 8 reps with 55lbs
*I can’t go very heavy here due to my lower back, but the focus is on the stretch anyway. Adjust your weight as needed. I elevated my toes on 5lb plates to create a greater stretch at the bottom and only came up ¾ of the way to maintain hamstring tension.
That concluded this day’s leg workout...well, sort of because I then went and helped some good friends move for about 3 hours. Hauling boxes up and down stairs may count as my first cardio session of this prep, lol. Tomorrow I officially begin the depletion process again.
Train hard!
Mark