Thinking about this more the only solution for stepping backwards blindly, is to use the ‘step mill’ 2 steps at a time, moderate speed. Incredible workout. Skip the science, up the desire I say. Too easy? Throw a pack on your back or hold two db’s. Slow and deep. And try not to use the handrails but be smart and safe. You will hate me later
but your legs will grow, guaranteed. Time is a variable you will have to sort out for by yourself. My balls are not crystal.
I remember talking to Danny Padilla briefly at Golds when it first moved to Santa Monica. The AAU Mr. America was held in LA that year and the promoter(?) Ken Sprague staged a huge parade downtown.
Just crazy, so many of the greats of that era were in town training all in one place.
Don’t remember if Joe had opened his World Gym yet intended to compete with Gold’s but he was eventually successful at poaching some of greats. Great gym but you had to put shit away and no music. Very hardcore.
Anyway, one day I was on Gold’s just hanging out after working out (remember, I am a nobody, not even a pimple on life’s ass) I see Danny come walking through the gym with two bodybuilder’s, one on each side of him. To this day I could not tell you who they were, Danny was that impressive, the most heavy muscled, densely packed with muscle bodybuilder I had evere seen. And he redefined the meaning of the word proportion.
When he was walking by I looked up at him and said “Hi Danny, how are you doing?” “You look amazing.” He said “Do I know you?” I said “No.” He said thanks then he lamented the fact, was disappointed, that the gym did not have a stationary bike. He said it helped him lean up and also made his legs grow, get huge.
I heard him repeat as much on a podcast. He would sit and peddle for hours at a time at a high resistance and a slow speed. His legs would just explode all the while he got leaner and leaner. A freak among freaks.
Fuck if I know what brought me down this rabbit hole, perhaps the fear that people have about losing muscle while doing cardio, like the step mill for instance, even without additional weight. It is still my go to piece of cardio equipment. Did it build my glutes, unfortunately not to any appreciable degree but you sure can feel it in the glutes and without the safety issues associated with step-ups and then blindly stepping backwards.