LEGS |
ADVANCED
ROUTINE: SHAWN RAY
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ARGUABLY THE BEST PRO
bodybuilder to have never won the Mr.
Olympia (he finished in the top 5 for 12 years straight, 1990–2001),
Shawn Ray is a guy you want to listen to when training advice is
being dispensed.
>> “I never map out my leg
workouts, and that’s probably why my workouts are so fresh,” Shawn
says. “The most consistent thing I do on leg day is a few light leg
extensions first to warm up the muscles and get the blood moving.”
>> Although Shawn performs
regular hack squats, he also likes reverse hack squats, where you
stand in a regular hack machine backward.
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#4 |
EXERCISE |
SETS
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REPS
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Unilateral Leg Extension*
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4
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20 |
Barbell
Lunge |
4 |
12 |
Leg Press (or)
Hack Squat |
4
4 |
15
15 |
Leg
Extension |
4 |
12 |
* See exercise description on "Legs
: Advanced Routine Milos Sarcev".
This is just a sample workout from Shawn; a firm
believer in instinctive training, he changes his workout
each time he goes to the gym.
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BARBELL LUNGE
START: Adjust a barbell
across your shoulders and traps so it rests comfortably, and
focus your gaze forward. Start with both feet together, abs
tight and back straight and strong.
MOVE: From this
standing position, step forward with one foot, leading with
your heel, and lunge down toward the floor, maintaining
control over the speed of your descent. Lower yourself until
your opposite knee almost touches the floor, then push back
off your lead foot, returning to the start position.
Complete all repetitions on one side before switching to the
other.
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LEG PRESS
START: Begin the exercise with your
feet shoulder -width apart in the centre of the foot plate.
MOVE: Slowly lower the
weight, bringing your knees toward your chest but stopping before
your hips curl off the pad. Keep your lower back pressed against the
seat back throughout the movement. Pause a moment before pressing
through your heels to return the weight to the start position. “I
see a lot of people pressing on their knees with their hands to move
the weight back up,” says Shawn. “Let your legs do all the work or
you’re cheating yourself of the full potential of the exercise.”
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HACK SQUAT
START: Stand with your
feet slightly forward of your body and adjust your torso so
the pads rest comfortably on your shoulders.
MOVE: Lean into the
machine so your back is entirely supported and unlock the
weight\ stack, slowly squatting down\ until your hips and
knees are at, or just below, 90-degree angles. From here,
stand back up by pressing through your heels to lift the
sled. Come almost to a full extension at the top without
locking out your knees before descending again into your
next repetition. “I’m pretty consistent on my rep speed,”
Shawn notes. “I keep constant tension on my legs and
maintain a continual motion throughout the set.”
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LEG EXTENSION
START: Adjust the machine so
your back is fully supported and your legs rest comfortably over the
seat; the footpad should touch just above your ankles. Grasp the
handles at your sides.
MOVE: Flex hard through your
quads to raise the weight stack, kicking your legs straight out in
front of you. Squeeze your quads at the top of the movement before
slowly returning to the start position, keeping a constant tension
throughout the motion by not letting the weights hit the stack.
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Source:
One of the
magazines of
MUSCLE &
FITNESS
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