out. The more walking that I incorporated during my training, and day to day schedule, the faster my body fat reduced. If people are struggling to burn body fat or have hit a plateau, adding in fasted LISS would be my number 1 tip here.
I can’ t stress enough to females reading this article to try different methods! Everyone’ s body is unique, and what works for one person may not work for someone else. Only with trial and error can you be sure of the fastest way to get the legs which you desire!
Challenges I’ ve had with my legs I’ ve always found it tough to get my legs into a state that’ s fit for competition level of conditioning to be tough. My lower body is where I tend to hold body fat, and this has led me to using other training methods to target the stubborn areas. Mentally, more than physically this has challenged me. Progress in these areas has been slow. I have always stressed that my legs won’ t be in condition, in time for the show. As any competitor will know, this added stress and cortisol is the enemy when prepping and trying to look your best.
During my last prep, I experimented with some plyometric exercises during one of my two weekly leg sessions. This proved to be beneficial, and made me realize that giving the body multiple training methods can lead to faster results and breaking through fat loss plateaus. The combination of Rosie Harts and Tracy-Anne’ s( Owner of Yorkys Gym) guidance helped me bring my legs into condition.
Intensity techniques Although I have built size in my legs with heavier loading, I have seen great improvements using a higher volume approach with extended sets and maximizing time under tension. This means increasing the number of sets you perform and increasing the duration of each set. Slowing down the tempo of each rep is also a great way to increase the time at which your muscle is under the load during each set.
Intensity techniques such as drop sets also help achieve this. Performing a set to failure, dropping the weight by 20-30 % and then performing as many extra reps as possible without any rest. These are especially painful and I apologise in advance, as the muscle floods with so much lactic acid, and creates a strong burning sensation.
Another way to increase the TUT is by adding super sets to your programme. A super set is performing two exercises back to back without any rest. A couple of my favorite supersets for legs are:
Courtesy lunges with Dumbbell Sumo Squats
Leg extensions with Walking lunges
Seated Hamstring curl with Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
Exercise Tips and Execution Volume, loading and exercise selection, play a key role in building your legs. But, your efforts will be in vain unless your technique for each exercise is optimal. This was highlighted to me by Tracey Ann- King who gave me many tips on how to get the most out of each individual exercise. Small variations in foot placement, posture, squeezing and activation can make a huge difference to how effective an exercise is.
One mistake I see many people in the gym make is not using a full range of motion on all movements. It’ s great if you can squat a heavy weight but if your squat looks more like a knee bend I can ensure you your legs won’ t be doing much growing!
Mind and muscle connection are key. If you are performing your reps too fast and swinging the weight around you will not be contracting the targeted muscle. Instead, try to slow down your repetitions: using a three second count on the lowering phase of the exercise and pausing for a second when the muscle is maximally contracted, this should help to really engage the area you are targeting. This works great for leg extensions and leg curls- you really will notice the difference.
82 FLEX | APRIL 2018