Leg Training w/Focus on Quads

The following techniques/styles where utilized in today's training:

Time Under Tension  (T.U.T.):  Simply put, you keep the muscles to be trained under the tension of the weight you are using.  Basically what needs to be done for example:  say you are doing reps on the hack squat, you simply lower the weight just enough to where tension begins and that is your start/finish point.  Also, you can add in stop/start positions as you lower the weight and push it back up, as Ian King shows/talks about in his training.   Use a good pause of at least two seconds on each stop/start position as you lower it to the mid point then again as you push it back up.  I will utilize between two and seven stop/start positions depending on how I feel and what set I'm on.  You can take it a step farther as Ian explains in his "Get Buffed" training video and stop/start at different levels instead of stop/starting in the same positions every time.

Continuos Tension Zone  (C.T.Z.):  What I like to do here is utilize the highest section of tension in a rep and do my reps within that area...usually after I've already done a certain number of reps utilizing a different type of technique.  For example, if I'm doing full conventional reps I will then polish off the muscles with this technique to really give the muscles a full burn!  Or you can easily turn that around and start with this technique and go right into another one.  Just keep an open mind and you will take your training to an entirely new level.

Half Reps  (H.R.):  I will usually use this movement as an extra burner for the muscles being trained.  For example, I will do a set of  T.U.T. and automatically go right into a set of half reps just to get that extra burn.  You can either utilized the upper part of an exercise or the lower half to burn out the muscles being trained.  Or you could use the middle of the exercise which would closely resemble the C.T.Z. technique.  Half reps are an excellent way to hit some very focused/controlled reps after the muscles can't continue doing full reps or whatever technique you are doing prior to the half reps.  You could focus on utilizing the T.U.T. training in the upper half of the movement or the lower half just to add a new twist to your training.

Overload Principle w/Static Hold  (O.P.S.H.):  Overload is the main focus here...looking to use an extremely heavy weight that you normally would not add into your training program.  For example, on the leg extension after you have already hit your normal three of four sets or however many you hit, you then put as much weight on there as you possibly can do for one to three reps.  Once you have that weight placed on there you push it up to the highest point of tension and hold for a count of anywhere from eight to twenty seconds.  You could take it a bit further and add in a quarter drop after holding it and hold it again then push it back up to the first hold position and do your best to hold it one more time.  You can either rest for a few seconds before doing another rep or go right into your second rep with no rest but if you chose a weight that is just absolutely sick then you most likely need to rest before continuing.

Static Hold  (S.H.):  This is very simple, this is where you hold the weight in one position under extreme tension for a certain amount of time.  My time usually ranges anywhere from eight to twenty seconds.  You could incorporate one or two static hold positions into an exercise.  This is very close to the T.U.T. technique but is different enough to be necessary to have it's own definition.

Work Out:

Leg Extension:  (Single Leg)

Full Extension w/S.H., quarter drop w/S.H., full extension w/S.H., back down to start position, repeat
Set #1:        Weight:    100 lbs        Reps:    10        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds
Set #2:        Weight:    100 lbs        Reps:    08        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds

Full Extension w/C.T.Z., about two inches shy of top lock and then dropping back down about eight inches, that is the zone
Set #1:        Weight:    110 lbs        Reps:    14        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds

Full Extension (both legs) w/O.L.S.H., quarter drop w/O.L.S.H, full extension w/O.L.S.H., back down to start, repeat
Set #1:        Weight:    250 lbs        Reps:    03        Rest:    80 seconds

Full Extension (both legs) Conventional Reps, tempo 2-1-2
Set #1:        Weight:    170 lbs        Reps:    failure        Rest:    70 seconds

Leg Curl:  (basically this is just to warm up the hamstrings)
Set #1:        Weight:    100 lbs        Reps:    16        Rest:    40 seconds

Hack Squat:  (Single Leg)

First set both legs just to get the muscles aquainted with the new movement.
Set #1:        Weight:    Sled        Reps:    15        Rest:    40 seconds

Single Leg, w/C.T.Z., pause for a count of one at the bottom and top of the movement
Set #1:        Weight:    Sled        Reps:    12        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    70 seconds
Single Leg, w/C.T.Z., pause for a count of three at the bottom and count of one at the top
Set #1:        Weight:    Sled        Reps:    08        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    80 seconds

Single Leg, w/H.R.S.H., pause for a count of three at mid point, push half way up, pause for two, then back down to mid point, once the leg can't quite do another rep switch to C.T.Z. w/no pause just rep it out
Set #1:    Weight:    Sled        Reps:    06 right into C.T.Z.   Reps:    failure       Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    80 seconds
Set #2:    Weight:    Sled        Reps:    04 right into C.T.Z.   Reps:    failure       Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds

Single Leg Squat w/back Leg up on Bench:  This is a great stability exercise along with being a great strength/endurance builder.  What you do here is place your weak side leg out in front of you and the strong leg back and up on a bench.  Just the top of the foot should be placed on the bench and perhaps just the toes.  The leg to be worked should not be to close to the bench because then you will be to bunched up and to far out will leave you off balance.  Basically what you are doing is a split squat only the back foot is elevated up on a bench to place more focus/stress on the leg being worked.  Now that you have one leg back and up on a bench and the front leg in position to be worked place your hands up and behind your head and interlace your fingers.  This will help you keep your back straight while going through the exercise.  As you lower yourself down count to 5 because you want it to take you 5 seconds to lower, pause at the bottom, and then take 5 seconds to push yourself back up to the start position.  Do not fully extend the leg, keep the knee bent and the stress on the muscles being worked.  Do your best to do 10 reps per side but if you can't hit that many don't worry about, just do what you can.  But don't do more reps with your strong leg than you did with the weaker leg.

Single Leg Squat w/back Leg up on Bench:

Single Leg, w/C.T.Z., an entire rep will take approximately eight to ten seconds to complete
Set #1:        Weight:    body        Reps:    failure        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    50 seconds
Set #2:        Weight:    body        Reps:    failure        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds

Single Leg Static Step Down:  You will need to get an aerobic step and one maybe two extra levels to place under neither of it for extra height.  You may want to start with just one extra level to test your current level of stength/ability.  This exercise is much more difficult than how it reads.  Especially after what you just completed on the leg extension and curl...fatigue is the ass kicker here.  Once you have the step set up, place your weaker leg up on it and the other foot on the floor.  This will be like a single leg squat but with a short range of motion.  Now that you are in position, using only the leg that is up on the step push yourself up but not all the way.  Meaning that you will maintain a slight bend in the knee keeping tension on the muscles.  Pause for just a second and then lower yourself back down but not all the way.  Simply brush the floor with the bottom of your foot without taking any pressure off of the working leg.  Do 10 reps in this manner and on the 11th rep lower yourself down and stay lowered down for a count of 10 and raise yourself back up, keeping a slight bend in the knee at the top of the movement.  Now, bust out 6 to 8 more reps here and if you can do 10 to 12 go ahead and do so.  Once that leg is done switch to the other leg and do the same amount of reps.  An easy way to change this up is to add risers or do a 10 second hold after every 5th rep or 8th rep.  Remember you have to keep continuous tension on the muscles being worked or this exercise will not give you the benefits we are looking for.  You will see that you don't need a lot of height to get benefits from this movement but as you get stronger you will need to either up your reps or the height of the step.

Note:  Today, I utilized a normal bench to stand on and an aerobic step to lower myself to so that I had a greater distance to travel along with playing a mental game of being up higher off the floor than usual when doing this exercise.

Single Leg Static Step Down:  (utilize both the C.T.Z. technique and the S.H. technique within the C.T.Z. reps)

Set #1:    Weight:    body (C.T.Z.)    Reps:    14    S.H. Rep:    01 for a count of 10    C.T.Z. Reps:    8    S.H. Rep:    01 for a count of 10        Short Stroke your C.T.Z. reps and go until failure        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds

Set #2:    Repeat set number one as close to the same reps as possible.

Single Leg Press:  What you are looking for here is to keep tension on the leg same as the step up.  One major difference though, is that you will be utilizing three different stop and hold positions, sometimes even more than that (possibly up to 6).  So, keep a slight bend in the knee at the top and lower the slide down about 5 inches, hold for a count of 3, lower another 6 inches or so, hold for a count of 3, lower another 6 inches, hold for a count of three, reverse the process on the way back up or you could press the weight back up to the top keeping a slight bend in the knee at the top.  Next rep you do the same thing only you stop the slide in different spots...what I mean is that instead of dropping about 5 inches on the first part drop it 7 inches instead, hold for 3, drop another 7 inches, hold for three, drop another 6 inches, hold for 3 and push it back to the start position.  Do this for as many reps as possible.  Goal is a minimum of 6 reps per side on the first set.  Done with the first leg switch right into the resting leg then when that is complete rest for 70 seconds and repeat.  Just stay focused on the technique of changing the hold positions and holding each for three seconds.

Single Leg Press w/T.U.T.:

Set #1:   Weight:  270 lbs   Reps:  08    4 stop/start positions down/up, pause 3 seconds   Switch:  Repeat    Rest:  60 seconds
Set #2:   Weight:  315 lbs   Reps:  05    3 stop/start positions down/up, pause 3 seconds   Switch:  Repeat    Rest:  60 seconds

Single Leg w/T.U.T., then right into C.T.Z. reps
Set #1:   Weight:  340 lbs   Reps:  02    3 stop/start positions down/up, pause 6 seconds   C.T.Z. Reps:  12   Switch:    Repeat

Single Leg w/O.P., no pause and no lock out at the top of the movement
Set #1:        Weight:    400 lbs        Reps:    12        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    60 seconds
Set #2:        Weight:    490 lbs        Reps:    06        Switch Legs:    Repeat        Rest:    70 seconds

Jump Squat w/plate:
Set #1:        Weight:    25 lbs        Reps:    failure        Rest:    Work Out Complete