Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 11.2 - Conditioning)
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T18:32:11.745Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 11.2 - Conditioning)

Welcome to workout #13 of the Conditioning part of my Lean Muscle Growth Program. Throughout this 3rd weeks section, you'll be performing a lot of circuits, often with a higher rep range to help improve muscular endurance and conditioning.

Keep rest times short, and select a weight that will challenge you towards the total reps shown per set, aiming to increase the weight (or add a few reps) for following sets.

Each exercise is performed once within a circuit with minimal rest between each one. Then repeat the circuit again, this time, trying to challenge yourself with a heavier weight.

You'll also see there is an abdominal circuit included at the end of the program. This can either be performed at the start or end of this program, or performed separately, usually first thing in the morning before eating when your gut is empty.

The leg press can offer a range of different bench and foot positions that focus on different regions of the legs. For this routine, you'll be using a mid-to-low bench angle, and feet positioned in the middle of the foot plate, a little wider than shoulder width apart, and toes slightly angled outwards.

Keep your lower back firmly pressed into the back of the bench and hold on to the handles to anchor you down. Lower the weight down under control, stopping before the knees touch the chest, or the weight bottoms out. Your glutes should also not be lifting off from the seat.

As you push the weight back up, exhale and push through the heels and balls of your feet, engaging the quads throughout the full range of motion. Pause before the knees lockout and flex the quads hard before repeating for the desired number of reps.

This exercise stimulates the quads, glutes and hamstrings to their maximum potential, and reduces any strain placed on the lower back and keeps it on the glutes.

Leg Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width part, and with a barbell in front of you, bend down to pick it up using an overhand grip just outside the width of your foot position. Stand upright with chest lifted and shoulders pulled back.

From here, keep your knees soft and lower the bar down your body to just below your knees. Your back should remain straight, and your hips are pushed back, hinging at the waist to allow you to lower the bar.

You shouldn't be squatting down with the bar, as the hinge at the hips will allow you to lower the bar. The knees are just short of lock out to allow you to feel the tension in the hamstrings.

Pause at the bottom of the rep, then focus on engaging your hamstring and glute muscles to pull yourself all the way back upright.

Stiff Legged Deadlift

If using a calf machine, set the height of the shoulder pads to be at shoulder height when standing on the floor in front of it. This will allow for the right range of motion while using it. If you don't have access to one, you can perform one leg at a time standing on a wooden block while holding a dumbbell in one hand and supporting yourself with the other hand.

Keep your knees slightly bent as you lower the heels down towards the floor (not allowing them to touch the floor). You'll feel a great stretch down the back of your calves. Raise the heels back up as high as you can while engaging the calves and flex them hard at the top without locking out the knees.

The standing calf raise emphasizes the gastrocnemius muscle, which sits on top of the smaller Soleus muscle, and is the larger, bulbous of the two main calf muscles. It is primarily involved in running and jumping activities.

Standing Calf Raises

Performing lunges on a Smith Machine allows you to remain in a fixed axis to perform stationary lunges up and down. (This is great for beginners, and those wanting to load up the weight for single leg lunges).

Position yourself under the bar so it's resting across the meaty part of your upper back (not on the neck), and step one leg forwards and the other back so as you lunge down both knees are bent at 90 degrees.

Your shoulders should remain stacked over your hips (you shouldn't be leaning forwards much), and your back heel is raised off the floor.
Stop just before your back knee touches the floor, then drive up through your back leg back into an upright position (without moving your feet).

Keep the movement smooth and fluid, performing all reps on one side before starting on the other.

This is a unilateral (single-leg) lower body exercise that mainly targets the quadriceps and glutes. It also works the hamstrings, calves and spinal erectors.

Smith Machine Lunges

Lay face down on a leg/hamstring curl machine with your heels up against the foot pads. Your knees should be inline with the point at which the machine pivots to allow the machine to raise up and down.

This exercise can also be performed on a seated leg curl machine.

Keeping your hips and upper body firmly down on the pad (some machines offer handles to allow you to hold yourself down), Curl your heels up towards your glutes, going as high as you're able to. At the top, pause momentarily and really squeeze your hamstring muscles before returning back to the start.

Ideally, you shouldn't be letting the weights touch at the bottom as this relieves tension from the muscle. Each rep should be controlled without any momentum or jerking movements. If this is the case, lower the weight being lifted.

Keep your toes plantar-flexed (pointed) on set 1, and Dorsif-flxed on set 2 (pulled inwards).

Lying Hamstring Curl

If you have access to a seated calf raise machine, I would use that to perform this exercise. If not, dumbbells and a foot block/wood with a raised seating position.

With the balls of your feet on the footplate/wood block, hold the dumbbells vertically on top of your knees (use padding if necessary), focus on lowering your heels down towards the floor as you feel a stretch in your calves. (Don't allow the heels to touch the floor). Then raise your heels up as high as you can while squeezing the muscles in the calves and flexing hard at the top of the rep. Perform all reps in a smooth and controlled manner.

The seated calf raise emphasizes the Soleus muscle, which is the smaller of the two main calf muscles that is highly involved in standing and walking.

Seated Dumbbell Calf Raises

Sit upright with your chest lifted and shoulders pulled back. Your lower back should be firmly pressed into the bench, and knees inline with the pivot point of the machine.

 Focus on a slower tempo with an emphasis on squeezing and engaging the muscles at the top of the rep. Don't let the weights touch at the bottom of the rep so as to keep tension on the muscles throughout the full exercise.

Grip on to the handles, or underside of the seat to anchor you down as you extend at the knee and raise the foot pad up as high as you can while engaging the muscles in the top of your legs. Pause momentarily as you flex them hard, and lower back under control. 

Perform first 1 set with toes extended out, and the last set with toes pulled in towards you.

Leg Extensions

Lay on the floor with your arms at your side (palms facing upwards so you're less likely to cheat by pushing your hands down during the movement), and knees bent with your feet flat on the floor as close to you glutes as you can.

Raise your right leg up (keeping your knee bent), so your heel is aligned with your left knee. Keeping your abs pulled in tight, push down on the ball of your left foot and drive your hips upwards, ending with a straight line from your knee, through your hips and to the shoulders. Hold this position for a split second as you squeeze the muscles in your glutes and hamstring.

Lower back down under control until you feel your glutes make contact with the floor, then drive back up again to the top of the rep.

Perform all reps on one leg before switching over to the other side. (You can also place a smash ball or weight on your hips to increase the resistance).

Single Leg Bench Hip Bridge

Position a cable pulley to the lowest setting and place an ankle strap around your (right) foot at the widest part (the ball of your foot), attaching a cable to the hook facing the bottom of your foot.

Move back away from the cable pulley so that with your right leg fully extended, there is tension on the cable. (Your left leg can be bent with the knee up, and foot on the floor next to your other knee, and hands on the floor either side of your to help support you in an upright position).

With your right knee slightly bent, flex the muscle above your shin and pull the toes inwards towards you. Pause briefly and then push your toes  away from you (resisting the weight from falling too fast), ensuring the weights don't touch back to rest, relieving the muscle of tension.

Perform all reps in a smooth and controlled manner, then switch legs.

This exercise targets the tibialis anterior (TA), the strongest dorsiflexor of the foot. Its also the muscle seen at the front of the lower leg.

Seated Cable Tibialis

This Abdominal circuit will focus on the upper and lower region of the abs, as well as the obliques (the side muscles), and is ideal for beginners just starting out. 

Perform a set of the first exercise, then immediately perform one of the second and third exercise without rest. You can rest for up to 60 seconds after completing all exercises (that's one round) before starting the next round.

Remember to actively engage your abdominals during each exercise, and  focus on your breathing pattern so that you really feel your abs working and contracting on each and every rep.

Using a decline bench to lock your feet in, lay back flat on the bench so that your shoulders are lower than your hips. With your shoulders touching the pad, raise your head up slightly and place your hands either by the side of your head at the temple (or for an easier version, cross them over your chest, or extend them out towards your knees).

Engage the abs and exhale as you crunch the abs to raise the shoulders a few inches off the bench. You do not need to sit up right (most make this wrong assumption, which works the hip flexors more than the abs). 

Think of your shoulders following an arc-like trajectory towards your hips, and pause at the top of the rep momentarily as you flex the abs hard hard at the top of the movement. Return back to the starting position, and as soon as you shoulders touch the bench, go back into the crunch.

You should be exhaling deeply, while contracting and engaging the abs on every rep.

This will primarily work the upper region of the abs.

Decline Crunch

Lay on your back with your legs straight, feet together and toes pointing upwards, with your shoulders and lower back pressed in to the floor. 

Place your hands under your lower back, and brace your abs and exhale as you raise your legs up over your hips. Keep the knees slightly bent and toes pulled in towards you. Stop when your feet are over your eye-line level looking straight up, and hips lift slightly off the floor. 

Exhaling will allow you to fully contract your abs and squeeze them hard at the top of the rep. Lower the legs back under control stopping just short before they touch the floor.

Your legs shouldn't be pushing upwards. Think more like your feet are following a curved arc that's always equal distance from your hips. If the full range of motion is too challenging for you, start with your legs directly above your hips and crunch the hips slightly forwards until feet are over your eye-line level.

This exercise develops more of the lower region of the abdominals.

Lying Leg Raises

This movement can be performed standing or kneeling.

Position yourself in a lunge position next to a pulley machine and hold the handle with your right hand, keeping the elbow fixed at a right angle out to your side. Your right knee should be bent in front of you and left knee bent behind you.

With your left hand on your right side of the abs, exhale and contract the abs as you drive your elbow down towards the hips (it only needs to travel a few inches to be able to fully engage the abs).

Pause momentarily at the bottom of the rep to fully flex your abs hard, and then return back to the starting position as you take a breath in through your nose.

After all reps have been performed on the right side, repeat on the left side.

This movement primarily targets the obliques as well as the main rectus abdominis muscle down the front.

Side Cable Crunch

Abs Circuit - Stage 10

Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 11.2 - Conditioning)

It was very clear instructions and the video was very helpful

MilosLuffy

Donald Lozon

Back & Forearms (Ep 1.1 - Strength)

I felt like it had some repeating shoulder exercise, but overall good

Liked the Ab workout in the end 

Especially the hanging Ab- great for chest stretch

Thomas Anthony 

Richard

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 1.3 - Strength)

I enjoyed this workout I did not have access to dumbbells for my level so I swapped out the calf dumbbell lifts for the hip abduction. Did not have access to standing calf raises machine so swapped for seated calf raises machine. Over all good directions.

Sunil Deep

Adam

Quads & Calves (Ep 1.2 - Strength)

Very challenging and clear directions. The videos were helpful.

Andrés Giordano

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 1.4 - Strength)

Matt

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 1.5 - Strength)

Francisco

Bünyamin

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 1)

Victor

Amadou Sow

Back & Forearms (Ep 2.1 Strength)

I could not get a smith machine so I opted for walking lunges instead if you run into the same problem I recommend walking lunges or in place lunges using dumbbells or weighted straight bar

Quads & Calves (Ep 2.2 - Strength)

The video was incorrect for the chest press first exercise

It was great. The workout video for the smith machine shoulder press is the wrong one though. It’s a leg press video. Other than that I love it

Ryan Baker

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 2.3 - Strength)

I felt like it did not include enough trap exercises.

Quads, Hamstrings, & Calves (Ep 11.2 - Conditioning)

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