Struggling To Build Your Legs? Try This Pre-Exhaust Leg Workout!
When it comes to hitting a muscle group, be it chest, back , legsor shoulders it's the same old "hit your heavy compound movements first then finish off with some higher repetition isolation exercises."
Ask any personal trainer or read an article in a fitness magazine about leg workouts and that's exactly what you'll find.
Start with a few low rep sets of your heavy barbell squat then move onto a leg press and finish off with high repetition leg extensions and leg curls.
That only works until it doesn't work.
Hit a plateau?
Want to experiment with an old school training technique?
Perhaps you just want to shake up your workout regime a little bit?
Run out of weight to add your barbell on heavy squats? (this is why I started doing this pre-exhaust leg workout!)
Here's How Pre-Exhaust Training Works...
To pre-exhaust our quads we will begin hitting an exercise or two that entirely isolates the quads, this means our heavy back squats are out of the question until our quads are fatigued.
Therefore we'll be starting off with the leg extension machine and high repetition barbell front squats.
Once we've smashed a 4 - 6 sets of quad-based isolation exercises for our legs we'll move on to the heavy lifting as per normal.
You'll find you're able to lift nowhere near as much weight on your back squat and leg press, however the contraction and pump you'll find from squatting with pre-fatigued quads cannot be matched!
Here's a Recap of the Leg Extension... (Exhaustion Exercise #1)
- Assume position on a leg extension machine with your legs placed under the pad, feet forward and hands on the side bars.
- Using only your quads proceed to extend your legs in front of your as you push against the pad, your torso should not move at all (hold yourself in place with the side bars).
- Hold the extended position for 1 second (legs extended forward in front of you).
- Slowly allow your legs to lower back down to the starting position.
- Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
Leg Extension Variations
Unilateral Leg Extensions
Perform all of your repetitions with one leg before switching over and hooking your opposite leg under the pad and performing the desired number of repetitions.
Unilateral training is particularly popular for ensuring and resolving muscular inbalances.
When performing the traditional double leg leg extension may guys tend to lean and push further with one side in order to compensate for the weaker quad.
Common Leg Extension Mistakes
Failing To Hold The Contraction
Ensure at the top of each repetition you're pausing for the count of one while you squeeze your quads.
Performing the leg extension with excessive speed and no contraction is a waste of time as you're barely placing any tension on the muscle.
Give My Pre-Exhaust Leg Workout A Try!
Leg Extensions - 3 sets - 12 to 15 reps per set.
Front Squats - 3 sets - 12 to 15 reps per set.
Heavy Barbell Back Squats - 4 sets - 6 reps per set.
Leg Press - 4 sets - 6 to 8 reps per set.
