Name: Playbook - Al K - W2/D6 Lower
Uploaded: 2022-05-06T07:35:19.170Z
Duration: 90 min
Description: W2/D6 Lower

Darren Dowdall

This is your priming movement to activate your quads and warm up your knees. Use this to get your mind focused and in the zone for this intense session. Prioritize the mind muscle connection with these, keeping each rep controlled.  

- Sit on the machine with the pad at the bottom of your shin 
- Extend your legs and squeeze through the quads to move the weight until your leg is fully extended
- Pause at the top holding the contraction for a split second and lower slowly keeping constant tension on the quads

Leg extensions

Make sure to set your feet placement correctly if you’re gyms smith machine is angled. You would need to move your feet a few inches forward to avoid rolling onto your toes at the bottom of the rep. 

- Using a smith machine, keep a close stance with your feet while pointing your toes slightly outwards at a 45 degree angle. 
- Squat down with a 3-4 second tempo during the negative portion of the rep then finish the rep explosively
- Push through your heels to go up engaging your quads as much as you can

Smith machine squat

RDL’s with dumbbells are recommend but barbell is great as well. Always avoid forcing yourself into depth and only go as far as your hamstrings will let you. If you begin to feel unnecessary load or rounding in your lower back, this usually means you are going too deep into the stretch. 

- Start with dumbbells in your hands standing upright as opposed to starting from the floor
- Slowly lower the weight with a very slight bend in your knees
- Sit your butt back, bending from the hips and be conscious of your lower back posture to ensure there is no rounding
- During the negative portion of the lift, guid the weight parallel to your shins until you feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings
- Drive your hips forward and use your hamstrings / glutes to elevate you up into your starting position

Dumbbell RDL

- Position your foot midway or high up on the platform. The lower the more quad focused and the higher the more hamstring / glute focused 
- One leg at a time, slowly lower the platform and push through your heels to bring the platform to its starting position
- Execute slow and controlled reps while pulling yourself tightly into the seat for extra stability

Leg press - Single leg

- Place feet so that only the balls of your foot and toes are on the platform
- Push through the platform engaging only your calves
- After fully contracting the calves, control the weight down into a deep stretch
- Contract the calves out of the stretched position and repeat

Leg press calf raise

Careful to consciously initiate and activate your glutes and hamstrings while executing this movement. It is really easy to predominantly hinge through your lower back so focus on the glute and hamstring muscles as much as you can.

- Position the hyperextension machine to where the hip padding is pressed into your upper quad and pelvic bone. 
- Raise and lower your upper body engaging your glutes and hamstrings, minimizing excess lower back hinging

W2/D6 Lower

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