Triple-Benefit Legs Workout

Updated 21.12.2011
The legs workout I got for you guys here in this post is rather different. It will:
1. Improve Athletic Performance, 2. Bullet-Proof your Knee, Groin and Lower Back, and 3. For the Ladies, it will do this:

We strengthen the legs in all the right places, help structurally balance the knee and increase dynamic flexibility in the hips…all in one.

That in turn improves sports performance and helps prevent low back and groin problems in the future.

It’s the type of legs training I let my soccer players and other athletes do in the G.P.P., or General Preparatory Phase.

If you’re not competing in any sport this will still strengthen and tone your legs nicely, while keeping that lower back in good shape: winner, winner, flapjack dinner!

Women should never be afraid of doing legs training, as the results will look something like the picture above…
Really, please don’t worry: lifting weights will never make you look like a guy. When women are overly muscular, there’s usually some kind of drugs involved.

The Legs Workout that will both make you stronger and keep you healthy for longer

A1: Full Sumo Squats, 3 x 6-8rm, 22X0, 60s. A2: Leg Curls, 3 x 6-8rm, 40X0, 60s. B1: Split Squats, 3 x 6-8rm, 22X0, 60s. B2: Seated Good Mornings, 3 x 6-8rm, 3020, 60s. C1: Athletic Crunches, 2 x 20, 1010, 60s. C2: Eccentric Back Extensions, 2 x 6-8rm, 40X0, 60s.

OK, have fun… whaddaya mean, how do you do that?
Juuust kidding.
A leg workout needs to be done right to be both safe and effective.

Here’s the Explanation:

A1+A2 means you alternate the stations, so you do A1, rest, then do A2, rest, back to A1, etc. Same for B1+2 and C1+2. So you do Split Squats for 6-8 reps max (meaning you shouldn’t be able to do more than 8 reps with strict form, and no less than 6) at a 22X0 Tempo, then rest for one minute exactly, go to the leg curls, ditto there, back to the split squats, and so on, and so forth. The tempo is specifically designed to give you a pause in the stretch position, to emphasize that stretch. Also this takes out the elastic element, so it’s harder as you have to overcome inertia every time. Harder work = more effective, at least in this case. So in for example the sumo squats you go all the way down, then hold the bottom position for 2 seconds –always keeping up the tension– and then explode up. Let me run you through this real quick: Split Squats, 3 x 6-8rm, 22X0, 60s. So it’s 3 sets of split squats, 6-8 reps, 22X0 tempo (2 seconds down, hold for 2, explode up, repeat), rest a minute, alternate with A2 for 3 sets each. Then you move to the B- and C-Stations and it’s the same principle there.

OK here are the exercises:

Split Squats:

I tried to unearth a video of the Sumo Squats for you guys and couldn’t find a single one with correct form. This here is the closest, only if you just put a barbell on your back you can forget about all the fancy “standing-on-elevated-steps” and “holding-a-dumbbell-that-your-grip-will-fail-on-before-your-legs-do”, know what I mean?
The point is to squat all the way down, well below 90°

Sumo Squats:

Seated Good Mornings:

Athletic Crunches:

You can see a video of the crunches here in Mark’s 4 Weeks Abs Routine…

Eccentric Back Extensions:

There’s a more detailed explanation on this in my post on low back pain here…

Legs Workout Pointers:

A1, Full Sumo Squats: bottom-out fully, it’s super-important to go all the way down, definitely below 90°. Stance-width is at least 1.5x shoulder-width, 2x shoulder-width max. A2, Leg Curls: the pad must touch the butt, emphasize explosiveness (hams are fast twitch dominant) B1, Split Squats: here the knee travels all the way forward, the hams cover the calves, torso upright. It’s basically a single-leg full squat. B2, Seated Good Mornings: wide legs, feel the stretch in your groin and medial hams. C1, Athletic Crunches: no swinging with the arms C2, Eccentric Back Extensions: feel the pain baby. 4 distinct steps, weight in, up, weight out, lower. Make sure not to get into sloppy form, especially with this exercise.

As always warm up real well, you can find the guidelines here in my post on Warm Up Exercises for the Weights Room.

Have Fun,

Mark