Most of us hate "leg day" - we think of long, laborious, puke-inducing work. But guess what? Leg day can be done more quickly than you think. You'll still be working off your tail, though, so let's lay down some ground rules:
- You absolutely have to train legs if you want a complete muscular physique.
- Leg workouts need to be intense in order to be effective. So prepare to work!
- A good leg workout can take as few as 45 minutes, so no excuses for skipping one!
So get ready to saddle up, because here are three quickdraw tri-sets that will get the job done. After a brief warm-up on the treadmill and some stretching, we'll start with the quads, work our way to the hamstrings, and finish it off with calves. Here's the drill:
- With each exercise, lift heavy so you can reach failure within the specified rep range.
- Complete each tri-set by performing every exercise within the round continuously. No rest.
- Repeat that tri-set after 1 minute of rest. Complete three rounds for each tri-set section.
- Once you've finished 3 rounds for the first tri-set, move to the next tri-set.
How fast will it take YOU to complete, partner?
Neither leg day nor trisets are for the
faint of heart. Let's combine them!
First Tri-set: Blow Those Quads Away
3 rounds, 1-minute rest between rounds:
Quads Triset
Leg Press
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Leg Extensions
3 sets of 12-15 reps
Bodyweight Squat (Shown Holding Kettlebell)
3 sets of 20 reps
Tip: After your thighs reach parallel with the floor, explode on the way up. If using bodyweight is too easy, hold a weighted plate in your hands to increase the intensity.
Second Tri-Set: Wreak Havoc On Your Hamstrings
3 rounds, 1-minute rest between rounds:
Hamstrings Triset
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Seated Leg Curl
3 sets of 12-15 reps
Lying Leg Curls
3 sets of 20 reps
Tip: Stretch before starting this round, and make sure to get a good stretch while performing the stiff-legged deadlift.
Third Tri-Set: Cannonball The Calves
3 rounds, 1-minute rest between rounds:
Calves Triset
Calf Press On The Leg Press Machine
3 sets of 15-20 reps
Seated Calf Raise
3 sets of 15-20 reps
Standing Calf Raises
3 sets to failure
Tip: On the first round, perform all the exercises with your toes pointed straight forward. On the second round, point your toes outward. On the third, point your toes inward. This will allow you to nail all parts of your calves!
But wait! There's one more twist ...
This is a rotating workout, baby! That means the order of your tri-sets will change from week to week so your legs stay on their toes, so to speak. Here's the 3-week cycle.
Week 1
- Quads
- Hamstrings
- Calves
Week 2
- Hamstrings
- Calves
- Quads
Week 3
- Calves
- Quads
- Hamstrings
If I were you, I'd take your lower-body measurements right now, do this program for 9 weeks, take those same measurements again, and get ready because your jaw will hit the ground ... hard.
