point of his workout , but on Wednesdays , they come second . Still , they get a firm beatdown .
It commences with standing leg curls , Williams ’ favorite hamstring movement . “ I feel as if I get the most out of them , so I use the energy I have left over after training quads to do them first ,” he says . “ I like the concentration , being able to contract them fully one at a time .”
He ’ ll do three sets , 15 to 20 reps apiece , pyramiding up , before moving on to lying curls for four to five sets of 15 or more reps — as many as he can muster before failure . “ I ’ ve been trying to improve the lower part of my hamstrings , and so on lying curls , I ’ ve found I can activate that lower part better by doing more of a partial than by bringing my heels all the way [ to my glutes ],” Williams says .
He ’ ll also do four to five sets of 15 or more reps of seated leg curls . While he pyramids upward , none of his hamstring movements are about the weight moved , as he ’ s quick to explain . “ To me , the contraction is the most important thing when you ’ re training hamstrings ,” Williams says . “ It ’ s not a big muscle , but if you can control the weight and do the exercise correctly , I think you get a lot out of it [ as opposed to ] just trying to lift the heaviest weight you can . I really try to go slower so I can feel the mind-muscle connection with my hamstrings .”
IT ’ S A STRETCH
While many might lead off hamstrings with the barbell Romanian deadlift , Williams prefers the opposite approach . “ I keep the reps higher , focusing more on the stretch during each rep than anything else ,” he says .
Williams begins with a plate on
LEG
124 FLEX | MARCH ’ 18