So it's 6 weeks into prep, 6 weeks out and on Thursday 25th of September it was time for pain, high reps leg day. Starting as always with a short walk to the gym I began to prepare myself for the ordeal. In my first session I was to train quads and calves. And like posing practice I believe in working form the floor up so it was stretching time and then straight into calves.
After 15 sets of a mixture of 20-30 reps I had 5 minutes on the Bike to warm up the Quads and prepare for battle. Starting with leg extensions I repped out 5 sets of 15 reps before heading outside for the walking lunges. With the cool morning air in my face I loaded my bar and set of for a gruelling 3 sets of 40 reps. By 20 I was sore, by thirty it was burning but when you make it to 40 reps, place the bar on the floor and stand up tall that wind in your hair feels epic.
after the lunges it was time for another tough choice, high rep squats, 4 sets of 20 reps with 120kg. This is a mind game this one. The first 12-15 are okay, but the last five are each a battle, especially after the first few sets.
Then to kill the quads completely it is over to 4 sets of 15 reps on one of the most dreaded exercises of them all, the front squat. The burn here is epic, especially after the previous challenges, but you persevere, knowing it will all be worth it in the end. And boy when you put that bar back on the rack after that final rep of the session, you experience this odd sensation of weakness and absolute strength, as your fatigued legs almost buckle below you, but your mind screams in its ancient cry of victory.
But its not over yet, now its time for only a quick respite, a lull in the battle, hamstrings is approaching on the horizon. You take a quick breather, grab a meal if you need it and then begin the ritual of stretching over again before charging on tired limbs back into the fray. But I will save that adventure for tomorrow.
My full quad and calf routine:
Full Leg Stretches - 10 mins
Seated calf press - 5 sets of 30 reps
Calf press on the leg press machine - 5 sets of 20-15 reps
Standing calf press - 5 sets of 20 reps
- warm up for thighs Bike - 5 mins level 12
Leg extensions - 5 sets of 15 reps
Walking lunges - 3 sets of 40 reps (20 each leg)
Squats - 5 sets of 20 reps
Front squats - 4 sets of 15 reps
stretches - 5-10 mins
After 15 sets of a mixture of 20-30 reps I had 5 minutes on the Bike to warm up the Quads and prepare for battle. Starting with leg extensions I repped out 5 sets of 15 reps before heading outside for the walking lunges. With the cool morning air in my face I loaded my bar and set of for a gruelling 3 sets of 40 reps. By 20 I was sore, by thirty it was burning but when you make it to 40 reps, place the bar on the floor and stand up tall that wind in your hair feels epic.after the lunges it was time for another tough choice, high rep squats, 4 sets of 20 reps with 120kg. This is a mind game this one. The first 12-15 are okay, but the last five are each a battle, especially after the first few sets.
Then to kill the quads completely it is over to 4 sets of 15 reps on one of the most dreaded exercises of them all, the front squat. The burn here is epic, especially after the previous challenges, but you persevere, knowing it will all be worth it in the end. And boy when you put that bar back on the rack after that final rep of the session, you experience this odd sensation of weakness and absolute strength, as your fatigued legs almost buckle below you, but your mind screams in its ancient cry of victory.
But its not over yet, now its time for only a quick respite, a lull in the battle, hamstrings is approaching on the horizon. You take a quick breather, grab a meal if you need it and then begin the ritual of stretching over again before charging on tired limbs back into the fray. But I will save that adventure for tomorrow.
My full quad and calf routine:
Full Leg Stretches - 10 mins
Seated calf press - 5 sets of 30 reps
Calf press on the leg press machine - 5 sets of 20-15 reps
Standing calf press - 5 sets of 20 reps
- warm up for thighs Bike - 5 mins level 12
Leg extensions - 5 sets of 15 reps
Walking lunges - 3 sets of 40 reps (20 each leg)
Squats - 5 sets of 20 reps
Front squats - 4 sets of 15 reps
stretches - 5-10 mins
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