Legs - Hypertrophy Focus
(Week 2, Muscle Max Split)Day Overview
This session emphasizes high-volume hypertrophy for the legs, targeting all major muscle groups including quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. The workout begins with compound movements to maximize mechanical tension, followed by isolation exercises to enhance muscle detail and address weak points. The combination of heavy sets and controlled tempo aims to induce muscular fatigue and stimulate growth, aligning with the aggressive intensity strategy. Rest periods are kept moderate (~60-90 seconds) to maintain metabolic stress, and exercise order is designed to pre-fatigue smaller stabilizers and then target larger prime movers for maximal overload.
Exercises
-
• Barbell Squats
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, positioning the barbell across your upper back and shoulders. Keep your chest up, core engaged, and back straight. Initiate the movement by hinging at the hips and bending the knees to lower your body as if sitting back into a chair. Keep your knees tracking over your toes and ensure your heels remain flat on the ground. Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below, then drive through your heels to return to the starting position. Maintain proper posture throughout, avoiding forward leaning or rounding the back. Use the Smith machine or power rack to guide the bar's movement, providing stability and safety during the squat.
Prescribed Sets:
Begin with a warm-up set, then perform 4 working sets of 8-10 reps at an RPE of 8-9, focusing on controlled descent and explosive drive upward. Use a high bar or low bar position based on comfort, ensuring depth to fully engage the glutes and hamstrings. Rest 90 seconds between sets. This compound movement is essential for overall leg mass and strength development.
Working Sets:
4
-
• Leg Press
Sit on the leg press machine and push the platform with your legs to extend your knees.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 10-12 reps at an RPE of 8, emphasizing a full range of motion and controlled tempo. Focus on pushing through the heels to maximize quad engagement and avoid locking out at the top. Rest 60-75 seconds between sets. This movement allows for high volume and overload while reducing spinal load compared to squats.
Working Sets:
4
-
• Romanian Deadlift
Focus on hamstring engagement by lowering the barbell with a slight knee bend while keeping the back straight.
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 3 sets of 8-10 reps at an RPE of 8, maintaining a slight bend in the knees and hinging at the hips to target hamstrings and glutes. Keep the back flat and core tight throughout. Rest 90 seconds. This exercise complements squats by focusing on posterior chain development.
Working Sets:
3
-
• Walking Lunges
Begin by standing upright with feet hip-width apart. Step forward with your right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about 90 degrees. Keep your torso upright and your front knee aligned over your ankle. Push through the heel of your front foot to stand up and bring your back foot forward into the next lunge position, stepping ahead into a new lunge. Continue alternating legs in a walking motion, maintaining proper form throughout. Keep your core engaged, shoulders back, and avoid letting your front knee go past your toes.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 12 steps (6 per leg) at an RPE of 8, emphasizing controlled movement and full extension. Use dumbbells for added resistance if desired. Rest 60 seconds between sets. This unilateral movement helps address imbalances and enhances glute and quad engagement.
Working Sets:
3
-
• seated leg curl
seated leg curl machine
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 4 sets of 12-15 reps at an RPE of 8, focusing on a slow eccentric phase (lowering) to increase time under tension. Rest 60 seconds. Isolates the hamstrings for hypertrophy and helps prevent injuries.
Working Sets:
4
-
• Standing Toe Raise
Stand upright with feet hip-width apart, keeping your legs straight but not locked. Raise your heels off the ground by pushing through the balls of your feet, lifting your heels as high as possible while maintaining balance. Hold briefly at the top, then slowly lower your heels back to the starting position. Keep your core engaged and avoid using momentum; focus on controlled movement. To increase difficulty, perform on one foot or add resistance with a dumbbell or calf raise machine.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps at an RPE of 8, pausing briefly at the top to maximize calf stretch and contraction. Rest 45 seconds. Focus on full range of motion and controlled tempo to stimulate calf growth.
Working Sets:
4
-
• seated calf raise
seated calf raise machine
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 4 sets of 15-20 reps at an RPE of 8, emphasizing a slow eccentric and a strong contraction at the top. Rest 45 seconds. This targets the soleus and enhances calf muscle development from different angles.
Working Sets:
4
-
• Glute Kickback Machine
To perform the glute kickback on the machine, start by adjusting the machine to fit your height. Position yourself facing the machine with your knees on the padded platform and your feet resting on the footrest. Secure your knees under the padded lever. Begin the exercise by extending one leg straight back, keeping your knee slightly bent and your foot flexed. Focus on squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement. Slowly return to the starting position without letting the weight rest completely. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions before switching to the other leg. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement and avoid arching your back.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps per leg at an RPE of 8, focusing on squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement. Rest 60 seconds. This isolates the glutes to improve overall leg aesthetics and address weak points.
Working Sets:
3