As we did on the first day of Phase Two, we’re going to begin today’s workout with Smith Machine back squats. Keep in mind that most people are stronger with their back squats than with their front, so we’re really going to push the weight today. Still, I want you to start easy and really warm up your target muscles as well as your knees and hips. And don’t forget that we’re using this move to primarily target quads. That’s why I’ve placed a bench under my butt—when you go deeper you recruit more hamstrings and glutes, which are going to get more targeted attention in our next leg workout on Wednesday.
For stationary split lunges, I want you to position yourself so that you really feel the quads working in your lead leg. You should also get a nice stretch along the quads of your trailing leg. For this move, I want you to go back and forth from one leg to another without resting throughout the entire exercise. This should be one giant anaerobic/cardio set where you feel the stretch and contraction in all of your quads muscles. Your quads should be fried, but you’ll also be sucking air.
The third move for this workout is hack squats. It’s essential that you keep your back against the pad at all times. If you feel too much pressure in your knees as you lower, then I want you to move your feet a little higher on the platform. Keep the action in your quads throughout the entire set, and keep your action smooth—don’t allow your body to shift and twist.
With leg presses, I want you to focus on increasing weight with every set. And I want you to continue to perform the same number of reps for every set, maintaining that smooth, even pace. Distribute the weight evenly through your feet, and don’t allow you lower back to come off the pad. If you feel as though you’re about to break form, then I want you to use the rest-pause technique. You can re-rack the weight for a couple seconds or you can just hold the weight at full extension without locking out your knees. Take a deep breath or two and complete all the reps of this set.
Our finishing move for legs today is leg extensions. This is a great move for getting the last bit of oomph from your quads. I want you to push through the pain, breathe and get stronger. Really work those quads.
Cardio gets more important as you begin to reach the end of a program like my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer. And by that I mean that you need to perform the right amount of cardio. I recommend that you perform 20-minutes of steady-state cardio 5 days a week to promote calorie burning and support recovery. But you may have different needs that I’ve addressed on my Rest days. Perform the amount of cardio that helps you achieve your goals.
DAY 36—Legs (Quads Emphasis) Workout
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Smith Machine back squats
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Stationary split lunges
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Hack squats
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4 SETS / 20 REPS
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Wide leg presses
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4 SETS / 20 REPS
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Leg extensions
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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| Twisting floor crunches |
3 SETS / 15 REPS |
| Wheel roll outs |
3 SETS / 15 REPS |
| Cardio |
20 MINUTES |
CYDNEY SAYS: At this point, many of you will be consuming fewer calories per day, and you’ll be feeling that during Phase Two. However, you should have consumed your cheat meal last night or sometime yesterday. Regardless of how low you need to go in calories, don’t forget that the importance of your cheat meal isn’t just a reward: It also stokes metabolism to help you continue to burn body fat.
