Legs
(Week 1, Muscle Mastery Split)Day Overview
This day is dedicated to lower body hypertrophy, emphasizing compound movements for overall development and isolation for specific muscle groups. The focus is on controlled, high-rep sets to induce mechanical tension and muscle fatigue, supporting strength and size gains in the legs.
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 at RPE 8. Use a controlled tempo of 2-1-2, ensuring full depth and proper form to maximize quad, hamstring, and glute engagement.
Working Sets:
4
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• Romanian Deadlift
Focus on hamstring engagement by lowering the barbell with a slight knee bend while keeping the back straight.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 8-10 reps with an RPE of 8. Focus on hip hinge and a slow eccentric (3 seconds) to target hamstrings and glutes.
Working Sets:
4
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• 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 4 sets of 12 reps per leg at RPE 8. Maintain control and full range of motion to maximize muscle activation.
Working Sets:
4
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• Leg Extensions
Sit on a leg extension machine with your back pressed against the pad and your ankles positioned behind the padded lever. Grip the handles for stability if available. Keep your torso upright and core engaged. Slowly extend your legs by straightening your knees until your legs are fully extended but not locked out. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then control the descent back to the starting position. Maintain a controlled tempo throughout to maximize engagement and reduce injury risk.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 12-15 reps with an RPE of 8. Focus on peak contraction at the top and slow eccentric for hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
4
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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:
Perform 4 sets of 15-20 reps at RPE 8, emphasizing a slow, controlled movement to maximize calf hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
4
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• Glute Bridge
Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat, lift hips off floor squeezing glutes.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 12-15 reps with an RPE of 8. Focus on squeezing glutes at the top and controlled lowering.
Working Sets:
4