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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
“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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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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