This month we decided to blast our quadriceps and hamstrings during separate workouts. It’s a unique feeling when your quads are all pumped up, yet your hammies are pretty relaxed.
This workout challenged my quads on many levels…
As with every Aesthetic Muscle Plan workout, we include a variety of rep ranges to maximize aesthetic muscle gains…
A1 Front Squats 6-8 reps… 3 sets… 90 seconds rest between sets.
B1 Hack Squats 3-5 reps… 3 sets… 2 minutes rest between sets.
C1 Leg Extensions 100 reps (rest-pause)
Select a weight that allows you to perform 20-25 reps. Rest for no more than 10 seconds, then perform as many more reps as you can. Repeat until you hit 100 reps.
On paper this workout doesn’t look so bad… but DAMN! The first week of this training phase it took more than 5 minutes for the burning sensation in my quads to dissipate after the Leg Extensions, and I experienced five days of SERIOUS DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which is a bit excessive and may have caused too much damage… although it’s hard to say, because I was in a caloric deficit and sleep deprived that week.
The second week I reduced the weight of the Leg Extensions by 15 pounds (as discussed in the video)… but the reduced weight felt too light… so next week I will go up either by 7.5lbs or back to the 75lbs… making sure I’m well fed and get adequate sleep for recovery.
Muscle Adaptations Caused By The Various Rep Ranges
The 6-8 reps range hits your fast twitch muscle fibers, while striking a nice balance between strength and hypertrophy gains… causing both neurological and metabolic adaptations.
The 3-5 rep range causes neurological adaptations… helping your muscles recruit more fibers during future workouts.
The 100 rep rest-pause set causes metabolic and cellular adaptations. The first 20-25 reps hits your slow twitch muscle fibers, while increasing the fluid volume of the muscle cell (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). With very little rest between sets your quadriceps will maximize muscle fiber recruitment.
As a lightweight natural bodybuilder and a hardgainer, it’s absolutely crucial that I maximize my aesthetic muscle gains by lifting heavy ass weight to improve my ability to recruit more muscle fibers… lift in the moderate and high rep ranges to hit both fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers, as well as cause hypertrophy of the non-contractile components of a muscle cell (which makes up 25-30% of the muscle size).
I can’t afford to leave any results on the table… and this strategic workout design helps me achieve this goal.
Give this workout a shot and be sure to share your experience with us.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant.
My Current Stats:
5′ 7″
155 lbs
38 years old
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK is a Physique Coach and Elite Natural Bodybuilder with the UFE.
Scott specializes in helping regular men and women sculpt their body into a chiseled work of art.
Viewing training as an art form and your body as a sculpture is a simple shift in mindset that brings out the beauty in your ongoing body transformation.
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with spectacular symmetry, proportions, and carved out detail is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences…
…It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.
Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs:
AMPlify Aesthetic Muscle Gains and Strip Away Stubborn Sacks Of Fat with AMP – Aesthetic Muscle Plan
Get a taste of Scott’s hardcore physique training programs with Physique Phreak
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