Intense Leg Workout
- Leg/Lower Body Emphasis -
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| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Arm Weighted Planks (Additional Weight Optional) | #1,#2,#3 | 3 | 20-30" per side | 30-60" | 7 | N/A |
Option #1
Option #2 (Ab Walkout)
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This first exercise is a single arm plank (additional weight optional). If I could only choose one core exercise the single arm plank and variations thereof would be it as it’s one of the most simple yet effective core stabilization drills in existence. With that said here are 10 cues for single arm planks
Try to stay as tight as you can with every muscle braced from head to toe.
A wider stance is easier, while a narrower stance works the core stabilizers more intensely. Generally, use a stance that's slightly wider than shoulder width.
Place the non-working arm towards the side of the body without that arm actually touching the outer hip. Supporting the leg with the arm is a subtle form of cheating.
Focus on squeezing the non-working arm and keeping it tight to activate the lats and shoulder stabilizers of the opposite side via neuromuscular cross-transfer.
Keep both legs fully straight rather than allowing a slight knee bend. This helps you to keep a tall hip position and hollowed core instead of sagging at the hips.
Try to stay as tall on the toes as possible rather than allowing the heels to sag.
Don't squeeze the glutes! This will disengage the hip flexors. The hip flexors play a pivotal role in any plank as they keep the hips from dropping.
Avoid a crowded and compressed spinal position. And don't allow the shoulders to round or elevate. Maintain a neutral spine by focusing on lengthening out the body while keeping the chest out and hips tall.
To avoid rotation, keep your torso as square to the floor as possible.
Once you can complete 30 sec of a standard single-arm plank on each side without a break, progress the movement by placing weight on your back or elevating your feet. You can increase the difficulty further by performing eccentric isometric renegade rows I demonstrate on my website.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offset Loading Barbell Squats | #1,#2,#3 | 4 | 4,3,2,2 (per side) | 1.5-3 minutes | 8-10 | 2",2",3",3-4" |
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OPTION #1
The barbell back squats is one of the most butchered strength training movements in existence. Between poor spinal alignment, excessive range of motion, lack of motor control, poor hip hinge mechanics, and overall sloppy technique, the number of aberrations and types of dysfunction witnessed on barbell squats is endless. Although there are numerous methods that can help clean up squat mechanics including proper coaching and cueing of the basic squat pattern, one of the most effective techniques I’ve used for enhancing squat form is offset loading. Simply place 5-10% more weight on one side of the bar and perform the traditional back squat as demonstrated by several of my NFL and collegiate athletes.
There are actually 10 reasons why offset loading improves barbell squat form.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Performing loaded squats with ass-to-grass depth (ATG method) is plain wrong and not ideal for most lifters as it represents excessive depth and collapsed body positioning (read more about proper squat depth here). The offset barbell loading helps to eliminate this collapsing and excessive range of motion as the increased full body tension helps promote strong 90-degree angles rather than excessive range of motion. Even the slightest collapse or going beyond parallel will cause the lifter to lose control of the movement as the body will tend to twist or laterally flex. If you’re not sure about how deep your should be squatting or are still on the fence about optimal squat depth mechanics just use the offset loading protocol. Essentially it forces the lifter to produce optimal range of motion which happens to be somewhere between 90 degrees and parallel.
Lack of core activation is a common issue during squats that can quickly lead to a variety of dysfunctional squat patterns. The offset squat method not only works the primary muscles including the quads, glutes, and hamstrings but also crushes the core and spinal stabilizers. In fact you’re essentially resisting rotation and lateral flexion throughout each movement making it incredibly effective for hitting all of the spinal stabilizers and core musculature. Think of it as a combination of a squat and single arm plank or Pallof press performed at the same time.
Offset barbell squats are incredibly effective for eliminating momentum and jerky mechanics as they require the lifter to lift the weights smoothly and in a very controlled manner without wiggling, shifting, or use of excessive momentum. That’s because they force the lifter to synchronize the movement so that both sides of the barbell move in unison rather than out of synch with each other. Besides improving mechanics this also places more tension on the targeted muscles making it highly effective for hypertrophy training.
Lack of full body tightness and intramuscular tension is a common problem on squats. One of my favorite features of the offset barbell squat is that it teaches the lifter to stay tight by increasing intramuscular tension throughout the entire body. In fact this method helps promote concurrent activation and irradiation. Simply put it produces increased neural drive from staying tight which helps eliminate energy leaks and clean up form. Once you go back to standard loading don’t be surprised if your squat strength as well as other similar movements such as deadlifts, lunges, and RDL’s greatly improve.
A subtle yet frequent issue I commonly witness on the barbell squat is asymmetrical positioning as well as asymmetrical loading (placing more tension on one side of the body). The offset technique helps eliminate these symmetry issues as it forces the weaker side to catch up to the stronger side. In fact, if one side is even slightly weaker it will be immediately exposed. This is one of the single most effective methods I’ve ever used for correcting side to side imbalances and asymmetries in the squat pattern for my athletes and clients.
If you’re in need of an intense squat variation that crushes the quads, glutes, and hamstrings while minimizing total loading, joint tension, spinal compression, and muscle damage the offset barbell method is it. Because you won’t be able to handle quite as heavy a loading as you typically would (I recommend you start with 50-60% of your 1RM) it allows increased training intensity and activation but with decreased soreness, reduced joint tension, and less demands on recovery. This also allows the individual to train more frequently yet still with a relatively high intensity. In addition, if you have low back pain or spinal issues on squats I highly recommend incorporating the offset barbell method with lighter loads as it’s incredibly therapeutic on the spine not to mention brutal on the surrounding musculature.
A common squat cue that helps improve form is to pull the barbell into your upper back and traps by firing your lats and upper back. While this is something that takes practice to ingrain, the offset barbell loading method forces the lifter to adopt this cue out of pure necessity. In fact, the key to keeping the barbell level on your back and avoiding a tilted position is to literally squeeze and pull the barbell forcefully into the upper back and traps. Besides creating a stable position and level bar, this does wonders for improving squat mechanics and full body tension.
One of the first things my athletes notice when they perform offset barbell squats is how brutal and intense the movement is not just from a physical standpoint but also from a mental one. The level of mental focus and concentration as well as physical effort involved to make the movement one smooth and seamless motion is difficult to replicate with other squat variations. Once you return to traditional squat variations you’ll find your body and your mind better prepared for the task.
As previously mentioned when it comes to the various form aberrations and dysfunctional patterns witnessed during barbell squats the list is endless. Some of these include valgus collapse, anterior knee drift, excessive external rotation of the feet, foot and ankle pronation, lack of hip hinge mechanics, and numerous other issues. Fortunately the offset squat can help with each of these as I’ve literally seen it improve nearly all form issues on the squat. Although there are a number of explanations, it’s most likely a combination of core stabilization, full body tension, and greater motor control that causes the lifter to clean up their body mechanics within seconds in order to successfully complete the lift.
Although this article highlights the use of offset loading for traditional barbell squats it can actually be a applied to a number of lifts including all barbell movements such as bench press, deadlifts, overhead press, rows, and more, as well as a number of dumbbell and kettlebell exercises. It can also be applied to specialty barbells such as the trap bar, football bar, and fat bar.
OPTION #2
Here’s NPC national figure competitor Leslie Petch performing an amazing Quad blaster as she hits BANA 2:1 Bilateral Assisted Negative Accentuated front squats. That’s fancy terminology for saying you perform the concentric phase of the lift with 2 limbs and the eccentric phase with 1 limb thereby providing greater eccentric overload during that eccentric or negative movement.
Unfortunately, this technique is often limited to machines (i.e. leg extensions, leg curls, & leg press) especially with lower body training. However by strategically applying this method to the biomechanical drop rep protocol (similar to biomechanical drop sets only the adjustment happens mid rep rather than mid set) we can just as effectively apply this method to compound leg movements. Here’s what I mean.
Most lifters can handle at least 25-30% more total load on split stance & kickstand movements in comparison to single leg squats. Additionally, most individuals can handle 25-30% more loading on the eccentric phase compared to concentric.
Once we fully comprehend these various components we can easily apply the BANA eccentric accentuated 2:1 to most lower body movements. Simply chose a movement that’s 25-30% stronger on the concentric phase (i.e. bilateral squat) while simultaneously selecting a unilateral movement that’s 25-30% more difficult on the eccentric phase. In other words each repetition will be a biomechanical drop rep where the eccentric and concentric phases of the movement are biomechanically adjusted to produce maximal muscular overload.
Besides producing extreme eccentric overload, an added bonus of these is that they also provide a very knee friendly method for performing single leg squats.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg Deconstructed RDL Jump Over | #1,#2,#3 | 3 | 2-3 per side | 60" | 8 | 2" |
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Option #2
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OPTION #1
(Use as small or large of object as needed to jump over in order to regress or progress this movement to your desired intensity). Here I have NFL athlete Kevin Minter performing a deconstructed single leg RDL and bench jump over using an eccentric isometric protocol as we prep him for the upcoming season. By breaking the movement down into individual segments and using the eccentric isometric sequence, this helps the athlete to hone in on their form and fine-tune their body mechanics before jumping. It also allows them to use their arms to drive their hips into the optimal position without feeling rushed or sloppy. In addition this protocol eliminates momentum and teaches the athlete how to produce power from a dead stop position, which can be invaluable for speed and power training. Once you return to traditional jumps using the stretch reflex you’ll notice a massive improvement in jump height and power output.
These are also an incredibly effective foot and ankle exercise particularly when done barefoot. And yes, the harsh surface under barefoot conditions requires even greater foot and ankle activation to absorb the intense impact.
With that said, most exercises for foot and ankle training are great for recruiting a high number of muscle fibers surrounding the feet and ankles. However, there's one element missing: rate of stabilization development (RSD). Similar to explosive exercises that require a significant rate of force development (RFD), this single leg jump with a catch and hold protocol not only requires a high number of muscles around the feet and ankles to fire, but it will also force them to turn on quickly and rapidly in order to avoid sudden instability. Although this may not necessarily be the most challenging movement, it's a very advanced one due to the high degree of impact. In other words this drill is addressing 3 key factors, (1) rate of force development, (2) rate of deceleration, and (3) rate of stabilization development, all three of which are vital for performance.
OPTION #2
This eccentric isometric double rebound jumping technique is Hip thrusts & glute bridges are great posterior chain exercises. However athletes don’t always have the luxury of producing & or absorbing perfectly straight force vectors into their hips/legs.
This is where offset hip thrusters come in as it mimics rotational torque & lateral force vectors acting on the body while simultaneously working on perfectly dialed-in sprinter hip thrust movement patterns. These not only torch the glutes & hamstrings but they also work smaller stabilizers around hips as well as the abductors & adductors not to mention core & spinal stabilizers.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lateral Pinching Dumbbell Bent Over Rows & RDL's (Pinching Optional) | #4 & #5 | 3 | 2+2+2 (see notes) | 90" | 8 | 2-3" |
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Option #2
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I often combine grip & forearm exercises with more traditional movements such as rows, deadlifts, & more. For instance this movement kills 3 birds with 1 stone as we have a rowing pattern, the hip hinge pattern, and grip & forearm activation. This combination also helps dial in rowing mechanics as intense grip activation creates concurrent activation potentiation helping to eliminate energy leaks.
This helps prevent over-rowing & teaches the athletes how to find the optimal 90 degree position. With that said I like to attack grip & forearm training via 5 methods.
Heavy Compound Movements With Support Grip Emphasis. Includes overhand grip deadlifts, snatch grip deadlifts, Reeves deadlifts, weighted pullups, heavy rows, single arm dead hang holds, heavy shrugs, & farmers walks.
Crushing & Pinching Grip Movements. Includes fat grip exercises, plate pinching drills, towel pullups, ledge/mountain climbing pullups, rope climbing, rope pulling, & dumbbell pinching.
Bottoms-Up Movements. Includes overhead presses, chest presses, & pullovers with kettlebells, plates, or dumbbells, in bottoms up fashion.
Direct Forearm Isolation Work. Includes wrist curl variations, wrist roller drills, & leverage based forearm drills with sledgehammer or mace.
Forearm-Dominant Biceps Exercises. Includes targeting of brachioradialis muscl
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oblique Sling Press: Single Arm Single Leg T-Bench Chest Press Eccentric Isometrics | #4 & #5 | 3 | 3-5 per leg | 60-90" | 7-8 | 2-3" |
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This next exercise is a single arm single leg eccentric isometric chest press. This is the perfect antagonist exercise to the the bear crawl bird dog row I posted 2 days ago as both of these employ the oblique slings.
Notice how half of his body if off the bench and one point of contact with the bench, his left upper back & shoulder. The only other point of contact is the right foot on the floor. Having only 2 precise points of contact on opposite ends of the body creates enormous tension from head to toe.
This is one of the most challenging full body pressing movements there is as you’ll be forced to activate nearly every muscle in your body as you resist enormous amounts of rotational forces. In addition this is one of the more physically exhausting chest presses you’ll ever attempt due to the high levels of continuous intramuscular tension throughout each set. Besides devastating your glutes it’s also one of the most brutal core exercises you’ll ever perform as it absolutely crushes your obliques & transverse abs as well as your rectus abdominals.
If you have a weak link anywhere in your body whether it’s in the hips, core, or feet & ankles you’ll know almost immediately as you’ll find it quite difficult to maintain your balance for more than a few seconds. In fact, the only way you can reach equilibrium with your body on this movement and find a stable position is by producing perfect alignment from head to toe. Additionally, focus on driving the elevated knee as hard into 90 deg hip flexion as possible as this helps lock every component into place not to mention being very sprinter specific. The chest also gets blasted as you’re resisting shoulder abduction forces (i.e. isometric fly) in order to keep the load from pulling you off the bench.
WEIGHT GOAL
The goal should be to use 1/3 of their bodyweight as Ben shows with a 70 lb dumbbell.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccentric Isometric Dumbbell Split Squat Lunge (Foam Pad Optional) | #6 & #7 | 3 | 5-6 per side | 90" | 8-10 | 3" |
Option #1
Option #2
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OPTION #1
This next exercise is an eccentric isometric split squat lunges on a foam pad. You can also simply fold up an exercise mat several times to create a similar effect. This helps activate the stabilizers as well as the feet and ankles also helping the lifter dial in their form and control the movement.
OPTION #2
The barbell Bulgarian split squat jump is not just a great explosive power exercise as shown by NFL athlete Chris Carson it's also a therapeutic one as it provides a great functional stretch to the hips.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single Leg Sprinter Glute Bridges on Foam Roller | #6 & #7 | 3 | 6-8 per side | 90" | 8-9 | 3" |
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Option #2
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Here's a great way to improve sports specific glute function. The single leg sprinter glute bridge on the foam roller not only provides an element of instability but it also forces the lifter to resist additional extension forces acting on the knee. As a result these blast the glutes & hamstrings while reinforcing proper alignment that transfers very well to sprinting.
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knee Flexion Hanging Band Leg Curl Pullups | #8 & #9 | 2-3 | 4-5 | 60" | 4-5 | 2" |
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Option #2
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OPTION #1
Want to crush your back, glutes, and hamstrings (posterior chain). Try these knee flexion barbell loaded pullups I show here. See 30 more unique pullup variations in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/the-best-ways-to-perform-weighted-pullups
OPTION #2
The squatting lat pulldown is one of my favorite full body lat exercises. When combined with the seesaw method it creates even greater lat activation and full body tension
The barbell seesaw method is a great way for creating eccentric induced co-contraction which is pivotal for proper muscular contractions. Read more in full article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/offset-loading-strength-training
| EXERCISE | SUPERSET | SETS | REPS | REST | RPE | EI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball To The Wall Squatting Overhead Press (Kettlebells or Dumbbells) | #8,#9,#10 | 2-3 | 5 | 90-120" | 8-9 | 3-4" |
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A more advanced progression of my ball-to-the-wall overhead press exercise involves holding an isometric squat position throughout the duration of the set as shown here. Notice the 2 advanced variations illustrated in the video, including the highly difficult single leg variation.
his squatting ball-to-the-wall press truly taxes the entire body from head to toe making this one of the most intense full body exercises you’ll ever attempt. Although these aren’t necessarily as mobility friendly as the angled standing version due to a lack of an angular component, this variation does have quite a few of its own unique attributes, 5 to be exact.
Similar to the straight leg angled version, the lumbar support from the ball makes this overhead press very low back friendly and easy on the spine. Additionally, it still provides the benefits associated with direct vertical force vectors and axial loading that transfer well to more traditional overhead presses. Simply put, it teaches you to stabilize the spine and low back (via enhanced core activation) while also reducing stress and compressive forces to the actual lumbar region.
On a similar note, the squatting variation of the ball-to-the-wall overhead press makes it impossible to over-extend the lumbar spine and produce excessive lordotic curvature. One of the most common issues during overhead presses is allowing the hips to sag forward into excessive extension which places enormous tension on the low back and lumbar spine. Because the hips will be forced to sit back to maintain the 90-degree squat position, the athlete will be unable produce the aforementioned compensation pattern.
This incredibly strict and rigid upright torso position that’s ingrained by this exercise makes it nearly impossible to lean back and cheat. As a result the squatting wall-to-the-ball press truly isolates the daylights out of the deltoids and traps even more so than most presses.
Besides eliminating the backward lean that reduces tension to the targeted musculature of the shoulders (typically placing more tension to the upper chest), the squatting ball-to-the-wall press also provides constant tension to the shoulders including in the overhead lockout position. That’s because holding a squat while performing overhead presses changes the dynamics of the movement by providing extreme tension in the top fully contracted position that absolutely annihilates the musculature of the shoulders. During most overhead presses, the top lockout represents a position where the lifter can typically rest the involved musculature as they can use their overall body structure to maintain an overhead slot position similar to that used with Olympic weightlifting. Although this crushes the core it tends to reduce tension to the deltoids. The squatting ball-to-the-wall press eliminates this resting phase as the top lockout position is just as difficult as the bottom stretched position due to a constant tension component that’s difficult to replicate with any other overhead press.
Besides improving overhead pressing mechanics that translate incredibly well to traditional military presses, the ball-to-the-wall squatting press also improves squatting technique. That’s because it helps to reinforce the idea of sitting back into the heels during squats as it’s nearly impossible to perform these without this element. As a result the level of intramuscular tension throughout the entire lower body including the quads and glutes is quite high.
| EXERCISE | DURATION | # OF DRILLS | REST BETWEEN DRILLS | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Intensity Interval Cardio (HIT) | 30 minutes | 9 | 10-30 seconds | 7-9 |
High INTENSITY Interval CARDIO (HIT)
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