Simply over one month into 2023, anybody with a set of eyeballs and entry to social media can see that Derek Lunsford’s New Yr’s resolutions should have included by no means becoming comfortably into a wise automotive and having to show barely when strolling by means of doorways. On the very least, it was to pack even extra muscle onto his body and he’s off to a sizzling begin. 

In 2022, the 212 Olympia winner moved up a weight class and entered the Males’s Open division of the Olympia. Lunsford positioned second to Hadi Choopan, solidifying himself as a possible high canine in bodybuilding’s premier division whereas producing heaps of hype headed into 2023. 

On Feb. 7, 2023, Lunsford posted a full leg day session to his YouTube channel. The health club that Lunsford was in wasn’t named, however the video confirmed followers what a bigger, well-fed Derek can do with out the limitation of a 212-pound weight cap looming on the finish of the 12 months. 

Lunsford’s Leg Exercise

To evaluation the exercise’s focus, bodybuilding coaching is about stimulating the goal muscle(s) to spark muscle progress (aka hypertrophy). What workout routines you carry out isn’t essentially as essential as progressively doing extra work every time you step foot into the health club — most frequently within the type of loading extra weight, performing extra reps, or each. 

For that reason, it’s commonplace to see bodybuilders differ their routines barely from exercise to exercise. On the elite degree, particulars are every part. For instance, if an athlete is making an attempt to carry up their hamstrings, they could add extra hinging actions in comparison with squatting workout routines. This explicit exercise was a hamstring-dominant leg day, and Lunsford carried out a number of hamstring-focused actions to prioritize the muscle group.

Right here’s a have a look at the decrease physique workout routines Lunsford and his coaching companions carried out, together with suggestions for how one can get essentially the most out of the identical motion.

Mendacity Leg Curl

Why Do it: Curling weight from a susceptible place ensures that almost all of the strain is positioned in your hamstrings — the muscle you’re making an attempt to focus on. It’s additionally comparatively simple to carry out, making an excellent selection for trainees of any expertise degree.

Do it: Lie face down on the machine. Set the pad to take a seat simply above your heels and guarantee you can full the motion with a full vary of movement. Seize a deal with in every hand, brace your core, and curl the pad as near your butt as snug. Decrease the load slowly (strive counting to 3) earlier than initiating the following rep. 

Lunsford Says: “It’s a really humbling machine,” Lunsford notes within the video “You do not want numerous weight.”

Stiff-Leg Deadlift

Why Do it: An in depth cousin to the deadlift, the stiff-leg model has the lifter full a customary deadlift with a shorter vary of movement and with much less of a bend of their knees. This kind tweak locations extra rigidity on the hamstrings. The stiff-leg deadlift additionally engages the decrease again as you regularly hinge up and down with out placing the load down.  

Do it: Load a barbell with much less weight than you’d use for a standard deadlift. Arrange together with your regular stance whereas bending your legs barely, after which carry the barbell off the bottom. Maintain your core tight and decrease the bar to the center of your shins. Carry out gradual and managed repetitions.

Lunsford Says: “Now that we now have blood again there, and it’s form of tight, I wish to do a stretching motion. … That is an train that you just’re far more prone to tear a muscle in comparison with different ones,” Lunsford notes. “We’re actually pumped up within the hamstrings from what we did a minute a go [lying leg curls] … we’re making an attempt to open up the muscle fibers by stretching the muscle.”

Machine Squat

Why Do it: This machine model of the squat might help you develop your quadriceps. The profit that comes with that is that you just don’t must be involved with stabilizing the load as you’d a barbell, which permits extra focus in your legs and fewer in your supportive core or again muscle groups.

Do it: Every squat machine could have its personal producer’s directions based mostly on the particular design, which you must comply with. The last word objective is to really feel steady with the load, decrease your self as far down towards the ground as you safely can, so you are feeling the stretch within the high of your thighs. Utilizing drive by means of your toes, push your self again as much as the standing place. 

Lunsford Says: Lunsford defined that he usually performs belt squats as an alternative, however he opted to carry out this motion as a substitution. He steered alternating rep velocity with this train. “5 gradual, 5 quick, 5 gradual, 5 quick.”

Seated Leg Curl

Why Do it: The benefit to doing a seated model of the leg curl is that your hips are bent, which might cut back activation of your glutes and provide help to isolate the hamstrings. This motion could be finished with one leg or each concurrently.

Do it: When you’re secured within the seat and have adjusted the thigh pad and ankle pad (above your knees and simply above your ankles, respectively), bend your knees and contract your hamstrings to drive the footpad down. Your legs ought to a minimum of break 90-degrees (pointed towards the ground) on the backside — if mobility permits, curl your toes underneath the seat close to your glutes. Slowly return the load to the prolonged place and repeat.

Lunsford Says: “At this level, all of the exhausting stuff is completed,” Lunsford defined. “You’re going to push your self, however the ones which can be actually going to tax the CNS [central nervous system], the place you actually must dig deep and pull out these couple further reps, these received’t be so taxing on you. This further stuff is a bonus so that you can simply get higher. Each rep, each set, you’re bettering.”

Leg Extension

Why Do it: The leg extension presents an identical profit to the seated leg curl, besides that it isolates the quadriceps as an alternative of the hamstrings. It may be used for warming-up the knees in addition to constructing the quad muscle groups.

Do it: When you’re seated with the leg extension pad on the high of your ankles, press your legs towards the pad to straighten your legs. Proceed lifting till you are feeling a full contraction within the high of the thighs. Slowly return to the beginning place and repeat.

Lunsford Says: The main target at this stage was extra about reaching high-quality contractions reasonably than utilizing essentially the most weight and performing most reps. “Simply customary tempo, customary rep velocity, simply straight units.” he stated. 

Abductor/Adductor Machine

Why Do it: Most variations of this machine work permit you to carry out each workout routines in the identical station. The adduction will goal the interior thighs whereas the kidnapping will assist develop the outer portion of the world.

Do it: When you’re seated, choose which motion you want to begin with. Adduction requires you to press the pads in in direction of the middle whereas abduction name so that you can press them out.

Maintain your legs bent always and slowly management the load. There must be no jerking or explosive actions. Maintain every contraction and stretched place for a short second earlier than resuming the following rep.

Lunsford Says: He shared no particular ideas on these explicit workout routines, however you may see his gradual and calculated actions all through the units. The machine’s stability allowed him to maintain his palms in touch with the working muscle groups, additional bettering his mind-muscle connection for a stronger contraction.