Legs - Hypertrophy Focus
(Week 6, 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 inclusion of varied angles and equipment ensures comprehensive development. The aggressive approach involves controlled tempos, high reps, and advanced techniques like drop sets to push past plateaus, stimulating maximum muscle growth while maintaining strict form to prevent injury.
Exercises
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• 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:
Perform 4 sets of 8-10 reps with an RPE of 8 on the first set, progressing to RPE 10 on the last. Use a controlled tempo (2-1-2) to maximize time under tension. Focus on depth and stability, engaging the glutes and core. This compound movement is essential for overall quad, hamstring, and glute development, setting the foundation for hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
4
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• Leg Press
Sit on the leg press machine and push the platform with your legs to extend your knees.
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 4 sets of 10-12 reps at RPE 8-9. Keep a controlled eccentric phase (3 seconds) and explosive concentric. Adjust foot placement to emphasize different areas: high for glutes and hamstrings, low for quads. This movement allows for high volume and overload, critical for muscle growth.
Working Sets:
4
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• Walking Lunges with Dumbbells
Begin by standing upright with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step forward with your right foot, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at approximately 90 degrees, ensuring your front knee is directly above your ankle and your back knee is hovering just above the ground. Keep your torso upright and core engaged throughout the movement. Push through the heel of your front foot to stand back up and step forward with your left foot into the next lunge. Continue alternating legs, maintaining proper form and control. Keep your steps steady, avoid letting your knees cave inward, and ensure your movements are smooth and controlled.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 12-15 reps per leg at RPE 8. Maintain a steady pace with a slight pause at the bottom for increased tension. Use moderate dumbbell weights to challenge stability and unilateral strength, addressing weak points and imbalances.
Working Sets:
3
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• Leg Curl (Seated or Lying)
Sit or lie on the leg curl machine with your legs positioned against the padded lever, ensuring the knees are aligned with the machine's pivot point. Grip the handles or sides of the machine for stability. Keep your torso upright (seated) or flat (lying) and engage your core. Curl your legs by contracting your hamstrings, pulling the padded lever towards your glutes. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout. Keep your hips stable and avoid using momentum to ensure proper hamstring engagement.
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 4 sets of 12-15 reps with RPE 8-9. Focus on slow, controlled negatives (3 seconds eccentric) to maximize hamstring hypertrophy. This isolates the hamstrings, helping to develop balanced posterior chain strength.
Working Sets:
4
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• Hip Thrusts
Sit on the ground with your upper back resting against a bench or elevated surface, knees bent at approximately 90 degrees, and feet flat on the floor. Place a weight (such as a barbell or dumbbell) across your hips for added resistance if desired. Drive through your heels to lift your hips upward, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower your hips back down in a controlled manner, maintaining tension in the glutes throughout. Keep your core engaged and avoid overextending your lower back during the movement.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps at RPE 8. Emphasize glute contraction at the top and controlled lowering. This movement targets the glutes directly, supporting hip stability and aesthetic development.
Working Sets:
3
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• Seated Calf Raises
Sit on the calf raise machine with your feet positioned on the foot platform, ensuring the balls of your feet are supported. Place your thighs under the padded lever. Push through the balls of your feet to raise your heels as high as possible, squeezing your calves at the top. Slowly lower your heels back down to the starting position, feeling the stretch in your calves. Keep your knees stationary throughout the movement, and avoid using momentum by controlling the movement with your calf muscles.
Prescribed Sets:
Execute 4 sets of 15-20 reps with RPE 8. Use a full range of motion, pausing briefly at the top and bottom to maximize calf hypertrophy. High reps and slow tempo stimulate the calves' slow-twitch fibers effectively.
Working Sets:
4
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• Ab Wheel Rollout
Kneel holding ab wheel, roll forward extending body, roll back contracting abs.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps at RPE 8. Maintain a tight core and controlled movement to engage the abs and anterior chain, supporting overall core stability for heavy lifts.
Working Sets:
3
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• seated calf raise
seated calf raise machine
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 3 sets of 15-20 reps with RPE 8. Focus on slow, deliberate reps to maximize calf engagement and hypertrophy, complementing standing calf work for comprehensive development.
Working Sets:
3