Christian

Katherine Williford

This workout will focus on lower body COMPOUND movements through Barbell modalities. Compound movements will work to build muscle more EFFECTIVELY than any other type of movement. 

These barbell movements will allow your to more fully focus on strength and hypertrophy work as barbells can allow for more stable movement when compared to other modalities. 

Complete these movements in a slow and controlled fashion, working to stabilize, squeeze, and explode. 

If a movement in this workout shows sets with decreasing reps, try to increase the weight you use. 

Most importantly, leave your ego at the door and work with manageable weights that allow your to complete the workout with GOOD form.

Find a resistance band of medium to light resistance, hold out in front of you, push both arms outwards to generate tension on the band, then SLOWLY bring the band behind you. 

Try shrugging you shoulders UP before rotating the band behind you to help warm up the your trapezius muscles. 

Always keep the motion SLOW and CONTROLLED.

Resistance Band Around the Worlds

This is a warmup exercise intended to wake up the central nervous system and the lower body. 

One rep is shown in the video. 

Pulse in each of the stretches that this movement takes your through (the lunge stretch, the split stance hamstring stretch, and downward dog.

World’s Greatest Stretch

Feet shoulder width apart, spine neutral, back straight. 

As you lower yourself down, push knees out, keep your chin tucked, chest up, and your weight pushing through the heels of your feet.

No need to lower yourself past 90 degrees (make a 90 degree angle between shin and thigh).

Bodyweight Squats

IMPORTANT: Squats warrant EXTENSIVE form training, and it is CRITICAL to perform them correctly. Here is a brief run down, but my “Insights” page will have a more thorough analysis of proper form. 

Wedge yourself into the bar, gripping it with your hands as close as possibly with it still being comfortable. This will generate tension throughout your upper body. 

Lift the bar up and off the rack, stepping back to space to perform the reps.

Place your feet at a comfortable distance apart, breathe in, and hold breath until back up to the top. This will keep your core strong and activated. 

Make sure to perform these reps SLOW with light weight to ensure correct technique. Unlearning BAD technique is almost impossible. So let’s get started with PROPER technique at LOW weight. 

Do NOT let your knees cave inwards, push them outwards throughout the movement. Keep your gaze slightly upwards to maintain proper alignment.

NO NEED to go BELOW 90 degrees.

Barbell Back Squats

Grip a barbell FIRMLY at shoulder width. With bar hanging near your hips, activate your lats by pushing shoulder blades DOWN. 

Now HINGE at the hips, pushing your butt BACK. 

Activate your core by breathing in before initiating the movement. Keep your spine neutral. 

The bar should be tracing your shins and quads. As you hinge and the bar is lowered, feel the stretch in your hamstrings. 

Explode up once you feel the stretch adequately, explode up and squeeze your glutes.

Barbell RDLs

Load a barbell high up on your back, so it rests on your upper traps. Grip it firmly with hands as close as is comfortable. 

Only use weights that are manageable to load, which means that you can press it over your head and place it on your traps without messing up your shoulders. 

Once loaded correctly, step out and sink into your hips, feeling the stretch in your glutes quads and hip flexors. I like to make a 90 degree angle with my leg when I plant. Keep your planted knee in line with your foot. 

Don’t let your other knee hit the ground. 

To reload the weight, let it fall off your back in a controlled fashion OR press it back up and in front of you.

Walking Barbell Lunges

Feet past shoulder width high and wide on the machine. 

Mix up the TEMPO and RANGE OF MOTION. 

A complete range of motion is generally effective as well as a slow tempo, BUT mixing it up and surprising your body with a faster tempo and a more restricted range of motion could yield POSITIVE results. Do you. 

Make sure your knees don’t cave and BREATHE INTENTIONALLY.

High and Wide Leg Press

Set up the leg extension machine so your knees hang just off of the seat. 

Adjust the ankle support to rest comfortable between your ankle and shin. 

Perform reps with full ranges of motion, but don’t be afraid to mix up the ROM and SQUEEEZE!

Maintain a tight upper body as well.

Leg Extensions

Set yourself into the machine so as to generate tension throughout your lower body. 

Make sure to maintain tension throughout the set as well 

Mix up the ROM only when you feel comfortable with a COMPLETE ROM.

Leg Curls

Find a jump rope that feels comfortable and jump in a controlled fashion. Start slow until you feel you can increase the speed.

Jump Rope

Feet shoulder width apart, bend at the waist while feeling a stretch in your hamstrings. 

Bring your right hand to the ground in front of your left foot. If you don’t have the mobility to actually touch the ground, bring your arm down until you feel a solid stretch.

Bounce slightly, then alternate.

Dynamic Toe Touch

Week 1 Day 3:
Legs with a COMPOUND Focus

Great workout! Do you happen to have a PDF you could send me with a weight log to keep track of my weight progression?

Tyler Mathena

John Williford

Week 1 Day 1:
Chest with Shoulder and Tricep Accessories

Week 1 Day 2:
Back with COMPOUND Focus

Week 1 Day 4:
Arms

Week 2 Day 1:
Chest and Shoulders with CONTRACTION Focus

Week 2 Day 2:
Back and Accesories with CONTRACTION Focus

Week 2 Day 3: 
Legs with CONTRACTION Focus

Week 2 Day 4
Arms with CONTRACTION Focus

Week 3 Day 1:
Back and Accessories with TEMPO Focus

What are alternatives for Hammer strength machine chest press? I don’t have the machine.

Week 1 Day 3: Legs with a COMPOUND Focus

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