Awesome Power Leg Workout Today!!

Wow, I had one of the BEST leg workouts I’ve had in a long time tonight. I am so psyched this year to show my best onstage at the Natural Universe contest September 1st in Chicago. My legs have always been my most challenging bodypart so I give this workout my top priority every week.

I missed my leg workout last week because I was so busy preparing for my contest promotion in Chicago. I planned on working out when I got into town but then I got sick and I missed working out all week. Since we are on a schedule for the Power Cycle I am following, I decided to just stick to the schedule again (like I did yesterday with my chest and triceps workout) and do what I am supposed to do in Week 3 of the cycle.

After warming up with abs (Hanging Knee Raises supersetted with Kneeling Cable Crunches for two sets each), I started legs with Leg Extensions. This is obviously not a mass-builder, just an exercise to warm up the quads and the knees for the heavy work to come. I did three sets on Leg Extensions, 130×25, 170×15, 210×10, and then I was ready for Squats.

I do a variation of Barbell Squats called Pause Squats. I slowly descend to the bottom position and hold that position for a 2 count before rising back to the top. By pausing at the bottom, I put more tension on the quadriceps and less on my lower back. With my compressed discs in my lower back, I have to be very careful about going too heavy on Squats. I’m grateful that I can still do this mass-building exercise with the present state of my lower back so I have to approach it with caution.

Today my Power Cycle called for Pause Squats with 365 pounds for 3 sets of 3 reps. I can’t tell you the last time I went this heavy on Squats. It was literally probably 2-3 years since I did Squats with 365. It’s funny when you have a Huge Goal in front of you. Previous obstacles fall away and you believe you can do anything. I was psyched and ready to handle this weight today no matter what. Even though it was only for a limited number of reps, 365 is a substantial weight for Pause Squats but I was NOT going to be intimidated. Not with the Natural Universe only 20 weeks away!

I warmed up with several sets before doing my three working sets on Pause Squats. I did 135×12, 225×8, 275×6 and 315×5 as a warm-up before my real sets began. Because I haven’t trained legs in two weeks, I decided to do 355 for my first set to see how it went. After doing a very easy 3 reps pause-style, I knew it was time to go up to 365 for my last two sets. To my surprise, those sets also went very, very easy. My partner didn’t even have to touch me during each rep, they went up so easily. Wow, AWESOME Squat workout today!!!

After the Pause Squats, my training partner Maks and I went over to the Hack Squat machine. As with Squats, I don’t do Hacks in the standard method. I do 1 1/2 reps to make the exercise harder. I go all the way down, only half way up, back down and then do a full rep. This is considered one rep with 1 1/2 reps. I warmed up with 2 forty five pound plates on each side of the machine for 6 1 1/2 reps before doing my working sets. I put on 305 pounds on the machine for 3 sets of 4 reps – 1 1/2 reps style. This was also very easy as I blasted through each set. Nothing was going to stop me today baby!!

After quads, Maks and I finished our workout with hamstrings. We did Dumbbell Leg Curls on a slight decline bench. I picked the 85 pound dumbbell for three sets of 4 reps. This exercise gives the calves a good workout just from holding the dumbbell between the feet. I’m pretty strong on this exercise and I was able to hold the dumbbell in place for an easy 4 reps for all three sets.

Finally, we finished the leg workout off with Dumbbell Stiff-leg Deadlifts. I did one warm-up set with the 110 pound dumbbells for 8 reps before doing my working sets with the 130 pound dumbbells. I got an easy 5 reps for both sets to finish off the workout.

Wow, what an awesome leg workout today! This was one of the best leg workouts of the year and I am so psyched and ready for this year. It feels fantastic to have such drive and motivation at 49 years old. I have been training since the age of 14 so this is my 35 year of training and this will be 20 years since I won my first Natural Mr. Universe title. I believe in my heart that the Natural Universe contest is my destiny this year just as it was 20 years ago!