This is the 4th and final time we’ll perform this workout on my 8-Week Fat-loss Figure Trainer. You’ll begin with single-leg extensions followed by Smith machine box squats—one of our compound moves for this quads workout.
With hack squats, you don’t need to go very deep—you don’t want to risk knee injury and you want to keep as much effort as possible in your quads. When you go below a certain level, which varies from person to person, the load shifts to your hamstrings or glutes. Those muscles are going to get plenty of work later in the week, so I want you to perform this exercise in a way that makes your quads scream at the end of every set.
When it comes to leg presses, many people emphasize a full range of motion, and that can be great for developing all of the muscles of your lower body. Remember, though, that we’re using this exercise to target quads. So don’t get caught up in what other people tell you: use the rep range and depth for this move that allows you to achieve your goal. In this case, we’re trying to focus on quads with as much constant tension as possible.
If you want to perform leg presses with a full range of movement, then it’s important that you look at your knee alignment and make sure that your hips, knees and feet are all in the position that allows you to feel strongest without encountering pain or incurring injury. You should also consider the pace at which you’re pressing—you can vary this from one workout to the next to work your quads in different ways, recruiting both your Type 1 and Type 2 muscle fibers.
Use these thinking points moving forward with all of your quads and other lower-body exercises. You should always be thinking about the muscles you’re trying to work, and how they’re stretching and contracting.
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Leg Extensions
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Smith Machine Box Squats
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Sliding Lunges
Performed on a rowing machine—watch my video for specific tips on how to perform this move.
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Hack Squats
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4 SETS / 15 REPS
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Leg Presses
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4 SETS / 16 REPS
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| Ball Crunches |
3 SETS / 15 REPS |
| Bench leg raises |
3 SETS / 15 REPS |
| Cardio |
20 MINUTES |
CYDNEY SAYS
Get in your Pre-Kaged before every workout to provide your body with nutrients and energy. Pre-Kaged not only helps you perform all your sets with intensity, but it also provides nutrients that fuel your muscles, ultimately helping to support your goal of burning body fat.
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PRE-KAGED
This pre-workout product primes me for my workouts. I like to get in Pre-Kaged about 30 minutes before each weight-training workout. That’s because it helps heighten mental focus and provides ingredients that spur your body to better performance. The patented ingredients in this product include CarnoSyn beta-alanine, BetaPower® betaine, fermented BCAAs, fermented Glutamine, L-Citrulline, patented Creatine HCl, PurCaf Organic Caffeine, and SPECTRA antioxidant blend. Pre-Kaged helps enhance mental focus, improves performance during training, and increases energy to get you through your toughest workouts.
CYDNEY SAYS: Taking a pre-workout product is especially important when you’re on a bodyfat-reducing program. I make sure to emphasize Pre-Kaged when I’m dieting.
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