@steve0691 do you mean like
3plate x15, 4plate x12, 5plate x10 ,6 plate x10, 7 plate x 9**
Counting that for 5 sets?
3plate x15, 4plate x12, 5plate x10 ,6 plate x10, 7 plate x 9**
Counting that for 5 sets?
Yes, in my case the first set would always be 20-30 reps, not to total failure, just a good burn and pump. Last 1-2 sets would be failure, of course after a few sets of high reps the weight is significantly reduced.@steve0691 do you mean like
3plate x15, 4plate x12, 5plate x10 ,6 plate x10, 7 plate x 9**
Counting that for 5 sets?
Definitely a peak power age!!!! Keep it up.Thanks man- I am 35. Been training around 20 years, competed in powerlifting until 2017, first show in 2020.
I get confused of these abbreviations too. You’re not aloneYou and I are of the exact same mind here, lol. I think the only difference between your leg day setup and mine is I've been doing the hip extension on a separate day. Although at some point that may change if I want to make the heavy back day purely a back day, in which case I'd probably also do a hinge last or second-to-last.
I do think the strength has to be built at some point. I think most bodybuilders with great legs have taken a similar progression, i.e. at some point they were BB squatting 5-6+ plates, filling out the sleeve on their gym's hack, etc. Pre-fatigue, metabolic work, and the like only seem to really work in the long term if you're strong enough to actually still use a weight that eclipses most people's top sets, lol.
Edit - just realized "SL" probably stands for "single-leg," not "stiff-leg," in which case we're doing the same damn thing![]()
same problem for me.Totally agree on adductors. I'm only 5'9", but I have a short torso and looong legs, and prioritizing adductors has made a major difference in how thick they look on stage.
I mostly feel the same on rep count, too. Trouble is some gyms' adductor machines are just ridiculously light. The one at that gym in the video above is Life Fitness - very smooth but absurdly light, it's a weird CAM seutp. I end up pinning on 4+ plates with a GymPin, as well.
I almost cried tears of joy after watching those videos! Great form, great execution!What’s your typical quad-focused leg day like lately (or just leg day, if you always do it all in one go)? How has it changed the last few years?
As with most body parts, I used to hammer away at progressive overload on the main movements (leg press and back), and that worked great for a time- especially as I got away from powerlifting and free squatting and embraced the movements that actually grow my quads. But over the last year or so, I’ve upped the rep counts, added more intensifiers, and started doing a lot more volume on the way up to top weights, ie pyramiding. As a result, my quads are better than ever, and my hips and knees are in solid shape, even in the offseason when they’d normally be screaming at me.
As much as I love training to true failure, I’ve also started shying away from grindingly slow reps in favor of drops, clusters, etc- basically getting more of the high-fatigue, “effective” reps in a safer manner. I don’t love leaving a rep on the table, but at some point it starts to feel like you’re playing with fire every leg day. I still aim for weight and rep progression over the term, but in a much more pre-fatigued context.
Here are a couple sets from this week’s leg day. A Cris-pause set on the leg press ala Cris Edmonds (awesome guy, helped my wife with her Olympia training and myself with posing)- typical 3-round DC-style rest-pause with an additional drop at the end. Then onto a double drop on the hack with a much lower and narrower stance I’ve been using lately.
The whole leg day looked similar to the usual, but with a little less volume given I'm deep into prep. In full-swing offseason, it'd be more like a top set + a backoff with intensifiers on each movement.
On a related note, prep leg training is awesome when you're in that goldilocks zone with better hip mobility and wind due to dropping weight, but still decent energy. The latter is starting to wane, and my legs are feeling kind of dead, that 12-6 weeks out period is some of the best leg training of the year.
- Seated leg curl - 20-15-12-10 pyramid, final set double drop with partials and a 20-count iso hold
- Adductor machine - pyramid up over 4 sets of 12 to a rest-pause of 12-5-4
- Prime leg extension - pyramid 2-3-4-5 plates on the middle peg each for 10 reps with a hold at the top. On the final set, drop back to 3 plates for ~20 total. Then a backoff with weight evenly split between middle and top pegs (lengthened / stretch emphasis)
- Leg press: pyramid 2-4-6-8-10 plates for 10 paused reps. Final set was the Cris-pause for 14-4-3 reps, then drop to 6 plates for a final 10
- Hack, low and close stance: pyramid 4-5-6 plates for 8 reps each. Final set just got 7, then double drop to get 15 total.
- Walking lunge: 1 very long trip down and back the turf in the back of this gym
Love belt squats, very underrated and I’m surprised I don’t see guys doing them more often. Very safe and completely takes the lower back out of the equationI do quads and hams divided so:
Quad day
Reverse pek dek 15-20 20-30 (i do this exercise 3x a week at the start of workouts)
Seated calves 12-15 15+
Adductor machine 12-15 15+
Belt squat 12-15 15+ (i prefer this to hack squats, and i do it quad focused)
Leg Press 12-15 15+
Leg ext (one leg at time) 15-20 20-30
Walking launges AMRAP
The first set is my "top set", second set is "back off" where i lower the weight by 20%
Single I can go a bit deeper, and focus on imbalances. Broke my leg years ago and one quad has always been smaller. But I’d do them towards the end of the workout. Best bang for your buck loading wise is still going to be bilateral movements. But basically a DB row compared to a BB row, tools in the toolboxSide tracking this thread, or should I start a new one?
What are the thoughts on single leg press vs two?
Benefits? Drawbacks (other than less proportional weight and taking 2x the time)?
I also love belt squats, without a doubt one of the most underrated exercises.Love belt squats, very underrated and I’m surprised I don’t see guys doing them more often. Very safe and completely takes the lower back out of the equation
I like unilateral leg press when I'm dieting because deep in a diet it gets harder to feel the muscles work and unilateral makes that a bit easier.Side tracking this thread, or should I start a new one?
What are the thoughts on single leg press vs two?
Benefits? Drawbacks (other than less proportional weight and taking 2x the time)?
Just realized who you are, good to see you here, I’ve followed you for a long time on IG
I don’t train like a bodybuilder anymore but this will add some variation to the thread. My legs have been unintentionally growing in size doing this:
-10 box jumps, 20 seconds rest max height
-5 sets of heavy farmer carrys
-10 sets of backwards sled 100yds, 60 seconds rest
-Pendulum squat 5x15 (work sets)
-DB RDLs 4x8
-4x10 lateral step ups 18in (up and over)
-8 minute circuit: 15 Bulgarian split squats, 15 leg exts, 50m prowler sprint, as many rounds as possible no rest
-60lb weight vest on, 20 mins level 10 stair master, or 20 minutes walking lunges
I like unilateral leg press when I'm dieting because deep in a diet it gets harder to feel the muscles work and unilateral makes that a bit easier.
There are no drawbacks other than time. Benefits are that it can help imbalances and lower systemic fatigue since less total weight is used.
Ive discussed this with my physiotherapist and according to her, single leg press will put higher amount of stress on your hips.I like unilateral leg press when I'm dieting because deep in a diet it gets harder to feel the muscles work and unilateral makes that a bit easier.
There are no drawbacks other than time. Benefits are that it can help imbalances and lower systemic fatigue since less total weight is used.
Dorian never died for a lie.....Dorian Yates's newist interview, he is in shorts, and you can see how massive his quads are. He does one exercise, leg extensions, for quads.
Do you include also warmup sets?I've split legs into two workouts - quads and glutes & hamstrings - for many years and it's given me great results.
Quads are a standout body part for me and it wasn't genetic. I have long leg and it took years to figure out the ideal way to hit them and fill them out. The equipment that put the most size on my quads is the plate loaded Free Motion Hack squat and plate loaded Flex Fitness leg press.
The only change I've made to it over the last few years is adding more volume. I've done the same exercises in the same order for years. I like 10-15 reps for quads. I think hitting adductors hard and heavy is one of the most important parts of building great quads. I don't agree with 20-30 rep sets for them - I built mine using a GymPin to keep hitting them heavy in the 10-15 range.
Below is yesterday's quads workout.
Calf Press on Hammer Strength Leg Press:
Life Fitness Abduction:
- 2 x warmup
- 3 x work
Life Fitness Adduction:
- 1 x warmup
- 305 + 180 x 12
- 305 + 180 x 12
Hammer Strength Leg Extension Unilateral:
- 1 x warmup
- 305 + 180 x 12
- 305 + 180 x 11
- 305 + 180 x 12
Hammer Strength Linear Hack Press:
- 6 x warmup and work (no big jumps in weight)
Hammer Strength Linear Leg Press:
- 90 x 12
- 270 x 8
- 410 x 5
- 540 x 4
- 680 x 12 - knee wraps
- 720 x 10 - knee wraps
- 500 x 10
- 270 x 12
- 810 x 12
- 1,000 x 12 - knee wraps
- 1,200 x 10 - knee wraps
- 720 x 12
- 720 x 10 - rest-pause - 6 - 4
Hammer Strength Linear Hack Press:
- 90 x 12
- 270 x 8
- 410 x 5
- 540 x 4
- 680 x 12 - knee wraps
- 720 x 10 - knee wraps
- 500 x 10
- 270 x 12
I can assure you that’s not how they were builtDorian Yates's newist interview, he is in shorts, and you can see how massive his quads are. He does one exercise, leg extensions, for quads.