Legs A
Legs A is a workout designed to focus on deadlifts. I found that attempting to go heavy squats and
heavy deadlifts were just too darn difficult to achieve in a single session. I
would run out of fuel in the tank far too quickly and then I had difficulty
even attempting the more ancillary exercises (leg extensions, etc.). My
workouts would just get cut short. So I am trying a split where I break up
these up more to improve my stamina.
Workout Breakdown
Circuit 1) I hope that at this point you consider me a
friend and a helpful advisor. I hope you like me… because after this, you are
going to hate me. Time to start deadlifting. Deadlift is one of the key
exercises performed at the Special Olympics because you are basically just
standing up. Like Texas Hold’em, it takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to
master. So let’s get started.
Trap Bar Deadlift: I feel now is a
great time to reinforce the following video for Deadlift training. How To Deadlift: LayneNorton’s Complete Guide is the most comprehensive and understandable guide I
have found. How important are Deadlifts? Well first, Deadlift works almost everything.
While the primary muscle targets is the lower back (which we all need
strengthened), it also hits the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, middle back,
traps, and your forearms. I think it would be a shorter to list what doesn’t
get worked with a Deadlift.
When I first started, just lifting 115 pounds (that is
the bar and two 35-pound plates) was torture. I hated it. I sapped so much
fuel, I found all sorts of excuses to do something else. I went with low weight
and high reps and that seemed to make it worse. Now first, get that form
MASTERED. You don’t want to hurt yourself but I feel it is better to go with a
higher weight and less reps. I think if you are putting strain on that weight
belt and you have to hold your breath to achieve that lift, that means you are
working! We do so much hypertrophy on our other exercise days. Now, focus on
getting STRONG. You do that with heavy weight and lower reps. By achieving more
of that brute strength first, you can then begin to slowly shift to more
surgical lifts and more reps down the line. Make those muscles scream. Find a target weight that you really like and
then make your goal be an increase of reps over the weeks. Could you only get 6
this week? Cool. Try to get 7 next week.
I like the trap bar better than the barbell because it is
a more natural feel for me because of the neutral grip. There is also no fear of banging my knees,
scraping my shins, and I can do more weight.
Seated One-Leg Calf Raise: It is
probably a mistake to sit after my Deadlifts because I want to get blood
flowing back into my legs. However, the Leg routines do not play themselves
well to the antagonistic set theory. So I feel the calf is the best muscle to
target after. The calf is the fastest recovering muscle in the body because we
use it to walk around all day long. If
it seems like you are hitting your calves heavy, trust me, you aren’t doing
enough.
Circuit 2) While this session is Deadlift focused, we are
not getting away from the Squats entirely.
Landmine Squat: Even if you are a seasoned lifter, you might not be familiar with
the Landmine Squat. If not, research it. The theory is pretty darn sound. They
are essentially a Front Squat (or at least the same principle) and it is
physically impossible to fall forward because of how the bar is positioned in
front of you. It keeps your stomach stretched. And the thing we constantly hear
is never to let your back round forward when squatting. With this variation, it
is impossible. With less chance of injury, this is just the smart squat for the
beginner.
My recommendation is to squat until your elbows hit your
knees. The hardest part is getting the bar from the floor into a position to
perform the squat. If you really want to torture yourself, once you get back to
your starting position, you can do a shoulder press to add more to the workout.
StandingDumbbell Calf Raises: Yet another calf attack. The heaviest dumbbells at my
gym are 50 lbs. So I use two of them and go to failure. I know the rep count on
the chart is listed as 20 but really this is an AMRAP exercise.
Circuit 3) The routine now begins to move to more ancillary
exercises that are designed to improve Circuit 1.
Straight Leg Deadlifts: The target for
this exercise is the lower back. (It is easy to confuse this with a Romanian
Deadlift which will be discussed in Routine B.) If you look at the Straight Leg
Deadlift from the outside, people think that you are lifting the weight with
your shoulders and your back. I believe this is how you get hurt. Instead, you stand
on an elevated platform and fold at the waist. To return back to the starting position,
imagine your hips driving forward. Don’t lift with your back at all. As you
stand up to your full height, don’t pull with your back to get your shoulders
up. Imagine your hips moving forward, pushing you back up into position.
Leg Extensions: These are one of
the few cable exercises for legs but if you really want to see your leg muscles
start to pop, this is a good staple to fit in your routine. You can do this as
simultaneous lifts or even one leg at a time.
Circuit 4) More ancillary exercises but do not discount
the Dumbbell Step Ups on paper. They will wear you down quick.
Dumbbell
Step Ups: I am going to go on record calling this an “advanced” exercise.
If balance is an issue for you, be mindful. It is basically walking up a flight of
imaginary stairs carrying two dumbbells like suitcases. You can do many variations of this. I started
off with very heavy weight and a low step but then backed off the weight and switched
to a standard bench. This will leave your hips burning, your legs stretched,
and you out of breath.
One-Legged
Cable Kickbacks: While Squats and Deadlifts do work your butt, One Legged
Cable Kickbacks specifically target your glutes. Now, this is not a leg curl. You want a
slight bend in the knee but you want to kick your whole leg backward like you
are lining up for an imaginary soccer kick. If you want your butt to look like
it is sitting on an invisible shelf, get in a cable station, Velcro that cuff
on and start kicking back. Work that butt! Ladies, your men will thank you.
Circuit 5)
Remember, we are going for that total body workout and working those hips and
the inside of your legs are going to help improve your overall performance. But
I could never keep adduction and abduction straight in my head until one of the
trainers at the gym taught me a clever mnemonic device...
Cable Hip Adduction (aka Good
Girls): With this exercise, the weight is to the side and you have the weight
attached with a cuff. You are pulling the weight across your planted foot to
make the insides of your thighs strong.
Cable Hip
Abduction (Bad Girls): This is a variation of the previous exercise and the
weight is still out to the side but now you are kicking your leg out wide. You
will feel this burn in your hips.
The Furyan Set: Legs B
As Legs A was Deadlift based, Legs B is Squat based. I’ve
got three different squat variations that work the legs from different angles.
Workout Breakdown
Circuit 1) With a single exercise, we are going to target
your quadriceps, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and your lower back. This is one
of the four main exercises that all routines need to be built around.
Barbell Squat: If you skipped over the
Tyro Sets or maybe if you just need a refresher, I highly recommend studying Layne Norton’s SquatTutorial on YouTube. It is extremely comprehensive and easy to understand. Just remember that you want to get that butt
slightly below where your thighs are parallel to the ground. No half-assing. I
want deep full squats.
Standing Barbell Calf Raise: As
there is not a true antagonistic counter for the squat, I have partnered this
with the Standing Barbell Calf Raise. I
like to stand on the edge of 10-pound plates for this lift. You just want to put
the balls of your feet on the plate. I have it listed as 12 reps on the chart
but this is really an AMRAP exercise.
Circuit 2) We are going to continue with a variation on a
theme.
Narrow Stance Barbell Squats: If you
want to build tree trunks, we need to hit those legs from multiple angles. To work
the outside of the legs, you need to take a narrow stance. Much like a top-heavy
wine glass or a newly silicone enhanced exotic dancer, you are going to find it
difficult to stabilize yourself with the narrow stance, so lower the weight, be
mindful, and observe the safety guides of your squat rack. You don’t want to
put your feet too close together or your knees are going to flare to the side. You
want a tight stance but not so tight that you cannot maintain proper form.
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raises: A
variation to Circuit 1, this is a similar exercise but now performed with
dumbbells hanging down at your sides.
Circuit 3) Yet another variation on a theme.
Sumo Stance Barbell Squats: This is
the opposite of the Narrow Stance Squat and is designed to hit the inside of
your legs. We do these variations to improve our performance with Circuit 1.
Dumbbell Lunges: I feel the Dumbbell
Lunge is similar to the stimulation that we get with the Dumbbell Step Up onto
the bench. Start very light with your weight as these are deceptively difficult
to master. You can even start by performing these with weight in one hand and
using your free hand to stabilize yourself.
Circuit 4): I was late putting the Romanian Deadlift into
my rotation but now it is one of my favorites.
Romanian Deadlifts: On paper this
looks the same as the Straight-Leg Deadlift that we performed in Routine A. With
the Straight-Leg Deadlift, you fold at the waist putting the focus on your
lower back. With Romanian Deadlifts, you stick your butt out. Simple as that. That
pushes the focus to your hamstrings and you will be able to tell the
difference. Go as low as you can to the floor without letting the weight touch,
so you keep tension on the entire time. And push your upper body back into position
by driving your hips forward.
Goblets Squats: By now your tank is
going to be draining but let’s feature a lesser weight squat to tone that you
can perform quickly to get that heartbeat elevated. Goblet Squats should be
performed with a “elbow-to-knee” principle. It should put your squats well
below that horizontal plane that you need to do for the full effect. Like the
Landmine Squats in Routine A, this variations is designed to keep your spine
from arching forward. I have been doing this with one single Dumbbell held by
the top head but they are suggesting doing this with two Dumbbells held up
against your shoulders. (See, I am still learning and experimenting after over
a year of doing this.)
Circuit 5): We now move to more sculpting exercises to close
the workout.
Lying Leg Curls: These help you
develop your hamstrings and can be performed with both legs simultaneously or
as single leg exercises. Note that this is one of the few cable or machine
exercises in this rotation. Free weights are always the best way to go if you
can.
One-Arm Kettlebell Swings: These
will initially feel more like a shoulder exercise but as you get deep into your
rep count, you will feel the burn in your hamstrings and lower back if you are
doing them right. This is more of fun exercise that you need to reward yourself
with after all that hard work.
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