Page 160 - Muscle & Fitness (December 2019)

FLEX_BACK TO BASICS

45-DEGREE-ANGLE

LEG PRESS

SETS: 4 REPS: 25, 20, 15, 12
“This is the main compound
movement in which I try to use
the most weight possible to hit
the required reps for each set.
Set 1 is 25 reps, Set 2 is 20, Set 3

is 15, and the fourth and final set
is 12. I feel that using the higher
reps for the first few sets really
helps force the blood into the
muscle tissue and gives me a
great quad pump early on in my
workout, and by not going lower
than 12 reps, I take the strain
off my joints and reduce the risk
for injury often associated with
lower rep ranges like four to six.
For added intensity, I’ll turn my
last set into a dropset by reduc-
ing the weight by 50% and taking
the set to failure again.”

LEG EXTENSION

SETS: 3–4 REPS: 10–15

“This exercise is used to warm
up the quads and the knee joints
and serve as a primer for the
rest of my leg day. I like to have a
brief pause at the top of the rep
to really squeeze and contract
the quads, making sure every rep
counts. Also, just because it’s a
warmup and the first exercise
in my routine doesn’t mean it’s
short on intensity. Once you’re
through a few warmup sets and
you feel ready to go, you have to
put the pedal to the floor.”

1 5 4 M U S C L E & F I T N E S S / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 9 PAV E L Y T H JA L L ; P E R B E R N A L