Legs
(Week 3, Muscle Mastery Split)Day Overview
This second lower body session continues to push volume with a focus on hypertrophy, emphasizing slow eccentric phases and full range of motion. The goal is to induce maximal muscle tension and fatigue in the legs, supporting overall growth.
Exercises
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• Front Squats
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, positioning the barbell across the front of your shoulders, resting on your clavicles and fingertips supporting the bar. Keep your chest up, core engaged, and elbows high to maintain the bar's position. Initiate the movement by hinging at the hips and bending the knees, lowering your hips down and back as if sitting into a chair. Keep your knees tracking over your toes and your torso upright throughout the descent. Pause briefly at the bottom, then drive through your heels to return to the starting position, maintaining a strong core and upright posture. Maintain proper form by avoiding letting your knees cave inward or your chest collapse forward.
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 8-10 reps with an RPE of 8. Use a slow eccentric (3 seconds) and focus on upright torso and depth for quad activation.
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:
Execute 4 sets of 8-10 reps with an RPE of 8-9. Emphasize a slow eccentric (3 seconds) to target hamstrings and glutes, maintaining proper hip hinge mechanics.
Working Sets:
4
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• Bulgarian Split Squats
Stand with your back facing a bench or elevated surface. Place the top of your right foot on the bench behind you, keeping your other foot flat on the ground about two feet in front. Keep your torso upright, core engaged, and chest lifted. Lower your hips by bending your front knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground or slightly below, ensuring your front knee stays aligned over your toes. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Maintain proper posture throughout, avoiding leaning forward or arching your back. Switch legs and repeat. Keep movements controlled and steady, focusing on balance and muscle engagement.
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 3 sets of 10 reps per leg with an RPE of 8. Focus on controlled movement and full depth to maximize unilateral hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
3
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• leg curl
machine lying or seated leg curl
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 4 sets of 10-12 reps with an RPE of 8. Use a slow eccentric and controlled contraction to target hamstrings.
Working Sets:
4
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• seated calf raise
seated calf raise machine
Prescribed Sets:
Perform 3 sets of 15-20 reps with an RPE of 8. Focus on full stretch and slow upward movement for calf hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
3
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• Ab Wheel Rollout
Kneel holding ab wheel, roll forward extending body, roll back contracting abs.
Prescribed Sets:
Complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps with an RPE of 8. Maintain core tightness and controlled movement for core hypertrophy.
Working Sets:
3