If you want to sculpt a masterpiece with your body, you’ll need to focus a lot of your attention on compound movements to boost your metabolism and build a solid structure, but you’ll also need to incorporate isolation exercises to give you that really polished and finished look.
Today I am going to share an amazing workout that combines the power and calorie burning benefits of a compound exercise as well as the sculpting and shaping benefits of an isolation exercise…
The leg press is a fantastic exercise for working your legs. It doesn’t replace a squat or a deadlift, but it’s still one of the best exercises that you can do for your legs. Chances are pretty good that you are already incorporating the leg press into your workouts, but there’s also a pretty good chance that you are not receiving the maximum benefits from this great exercise.
If you are performing the leg press with your feet in the same position on the press every time, you’ll be placing more of the resistance on just a few of the muscles that make up your legs. However, by varying the position of your feet, you can isolate other muscle that make up your legs, while still experiencing the benefits of a compound movement.
For example, if you place your feet closer together and lower on the press you will hit your outer thighs and the muscle in your quads that give you the tear drop look above your knee (Vastus Medialis muscle). If you place your feet wider or higher up on the press you will hit parts of your hamstrings, inner thighs and glutes more.
My buddy Tom Venuto, author of Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle shared an awesome workout involving the leg press that is guaranteed to hit all the muscles in your legs and really get your heart pumping!
This leg press workout is demonstrated in the video above. It’s the leg press performed as a dropset with your feet in a different position for each set…
First you load up the leg press machine with a weight that you can do for 6-12 repetitions. Place your feet in the middle of the press and shoulder width apart. Hammer out as many as you can.
Now strip one plate off and perform the leg press with your feet at the bottom of the press and close together, approximately 4 inches apart. Aim for 6-12 reps.
Now strip off another plate and place your feet up high on the press and shoulder width apart. Perform 6-12 reps
Now strip off one more plate and place your feet in the middle of the press and as wide as you can go and have your toes pointing out. Perform 6-12 reps.
The only rest that you will take is the time that it takes to change the weight. For men, you can use 45 pound plates and women, it will depend on how strong your legs are. You may use 25 or 35 pound plates or if you need to go as low as 10 pound plates, that’s fine too.
This would not be your complete leg workout, although you will be pretty fried. Add in some deadlifts, leg extensions, leg curls, or alternating lunges to this workout and you should be toast!
Give this workout your best shot and let me know what the experience was like for you. I’d love to hear about it.
Sculpt a Masterpiece,
Scott Tousignant
About The Authors
Scott and Angie Tousignant have been helping men and women, just like you, sculpt their body and life for over a decade. This dynamic duo prides themselves on providing a balanced and practical approach that will motivate and inspire you to become the best YOU that you can be.
Scott and Angie have dedicated themselves to sharing their exact workouts, what they eat, and how they stay motivated to continue transforming their body’s and life.
Their line up of body sculpting programs includes, ROCK That Body, Girl Empowered, Sizzlin’ Circuits, Core Plus More, Fat Loss Quickie, and More Love Less Fat.
We’re excited to share in you successful body sculpting journey!