The Daily Grind

Sample Lower Body Workout

Legs, Glutes

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest Interval	Trainer Tips
Squats	2	10 9	at least 5 min	Only working sets are listed. Please perform a sufficient warm so you’re ready to rock on the working sets. Prior to any working sets, loosen your hips so you can maximize your squat depth. We advise you get into a deep squat position like you’re going #2 in the woods and rock back and forth to help loosen your hips as part of your warm up. Prior to any working sets, find a stance you’re comfortable with. Position your feet roughly shoulder width apart or a bit wider. If it feels more natural, point your toes outwards. Claw the ground with your feet making sure your big toes, pinky toes, and heels are firmly planted into the ground. Rest the bar on your trap muscles, NOT the bony bump on the back of your neck. Flat shoes or squatting shoeless is recommended. Maintain a neutral neck; don’t stare at the ceiling, strain to look down, or look to the sides. Prior to lowering the weight, brace your core and keep your core tight (flexed) throughout the set. Prior to the rep, you can take a big breath and hold it as you lower the weight. Exhale as you press up (likely near the end of the rep). Take additional breathes between reps if needed. Strive to control the weight through your mid foot. Go as low as your body comfortably allows you to. The lower you go, the more your glutes and quads will grow. When pressing up, your knees should not be rotating inwards. If you find your knees rotating inward, try to rip the ground apart with your feel as you press up. Do not pelvis thrust forward at the top of the rep. Do not use booty bands. Substitute Exercises Squats (Safety Bar) Squats (Smith Machine) Hack Squats Pendulum Squats Squat Press
Seated Hamstring Curls	2	10 9	2:30 min	Prior to beginning any working sets, set up the machine to maximize the range of motion. Your legs should be almost fully straight with your hammies stretched at the top of the rep. Position the pad against the back of your ankles. Squeeze your hamstrings each rep on the way down. Control the weight as you release it back up. Feel your hamstrings lengthen and stretch as you release the weight up. Don’t let the weight stack hit between reps; keep tension on those hammies! Keep your toes pointed in a neutral direction throughout the set. Don’t angle your feet inward or outward. Pointing your toes down away from your knees (plantarflexion) will minimize the engagement of your gastroc calf muscle and make the weight feel slightly heavier. You can use this technique if your calves are oversore and you want to minimize their involvement in the movement. Substitute Exercises Lying Hamstring Curls Lying Hamstring Curls (Chest off Bench) Standing Hamstring Curls Glute Ham Raises
Leg Press (Single Leg, Banded)	2	10 9	5 min	Position your foot in the middle of the sled where it feels most comfortable. Your pressing foot will likely be slightly inside of your shoulder. Keep your toes pointed straight ahead. Start each set with your weak leg. Perform the listed rep count with your weak leg, then switch to your stronger leg. Do not alternate legs each rep. Hold the handles throughout the set. Prior to lowering the weight, brace your core, and keep your core tight (flexed) throughout the set. Prior to the rep, you can take a big breath and hold it as you lower the weight. Exhale as you press up (likely near the end of the rep). Take additional breathes between reps if needed. Strive to control the weight through your midfoot. Strive to release the weight until your knee is flirting with your chest, but only go as low as your body naturally allows you to. Do not lift too heavy to the point where you compromise your ability to maximally lower the weight. The lower you go, the more your lower body will grow. Keep your glutes and lower back firmly planted in the chair throughout the set. Substitute Exercises Leg Press (Single Leg) Leg Press (Single Leg, Horizontal) Leg Press (Narrow Stance, Banded) Smith Machine Squats (Narrow Stance)
Lying Hamstring Curls	2	10 9/ dropset	2:30 min	Prior to beginning any working sets, set up the machine to maximize the range of motion. Position the pad against the back of your ankles. Squeeze your hamstrings each rep on the way up. Control the weight as you release it back down. Feel your hamstrings lengthen and stretch at the bottom of each rep. Don’t let the weight stack hit between reps; keep tension on those hammies! Keep your toes pointed in a neutral direction throughout the set. Don’t angle your feet inward or outward. Pointing your toes down away from your knees (plantarflexion) will minimize the engagement of your gastroc calf muscle and make the weight feel slightly heavier. You can use this technique if your calves are oversore and you want to minimize their involvement in the movement. Substitute Exercises Lying Hamstring Curls (Chest off Bench) Seated Hamstring Curls Standing Hamstring Curls Glute Ham Raises
Glute Abductors (Machine)	2	10 9	2 min	Prior to beginning the set, position the machine so your feet can be as close as possible which allows you to maximize the stretch on your glutes. When lifting the weight, drive down through your heels and squeeze your glutes. Spread your legs as far as your body naturally allows you to. Don’t lift too heavy as you’ll be unable to spread your legs very wide and you’ll limit the range of motion. If you feel pain in your hips, the weight is too heavy. Use a forward lean if that helps you focus on your glutes and relieves tightness in your hips. Keep your glutes engaged and feel them tug as you lower the weight back down. A slower eccentric release can facilitate the mind muscle connection and ensure you’re in total control of the weight. Keep constant tension on the booty and don’t rest in between reps. You always have the option of making eye contact with your gym crush when performing this exercise. Substitute Exercises Glute Abductors (Hip and Glute Machine) Glute Kickbacks (Hip and Glute Machine) Glute Kickbacks (Machine, Kneeling) Glute Kickbacks (Machine)
Glute Hyperextensions (Single Leg, Holding Weight)	2	10 9/ dropset weak cheek only	2 min	Position your plant leg a little closer to the middle of the equipment compared to two leg glute hypers. Position the equipment so you can bend at the waist and drop your upper body over the pad. Roll your shoulders and chest forward to round your back. This helps relieve stress from your lower back and target your glutes. You can hold whatever weight you’d like whether it be a plate, barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, etc. Hold the weight in front of your torso where it’s most comfortable. Feel your glutes stretch as you lower your body down in a controlled manner. A slower release tempo can help you focus on stretching your glutes. When lifting yourself back up, think about initiating the movement with your glutes. While keeping your back rounded, flex your glutes as you elevate up. Come up as high as what’s comfortable. Substitute Exercises Glute Hyperextensions (Single Leg) Romanian Deadlifts (Single Leg, Dumbbell) Glute Hyperextensions (Holding Weight) Glute Hyperextensions (GHD Machine, Holding Weight)
Machine Adductors	2	10 9/ dropset	90 seconds	Prior to the set, position the pads relatively wide. The wider the pads are, the more you’ll stretch your adductors which can facilitate growth. It might be easier to position each leg on the supporting foot stand while standing, then sit into the machine. Once set up, close your legs and try to squeeze your adductors each rep. Feel your adductors stretch as you release the weight back down. You can go a little slower near the bottom half of the rep to ensure you’re controlling the weight when your muscles are stretched. Don’t let the weight stack hit between reps; keep constant tension on your adductors.

These Workouts Will Only Work If You Do.

Longer Rest = Challenge Yourself Every Set.

What should you do during the longer rest intervals?

Stretch muscle groups you are not training.

Additionally, we advise stretching post workout, every workout, for at least 5 minutes.

Key Terminology

Warm Up

It is recommended you perform a small cardio warm up for roughly 5-10 minutes. This should be low intensity like walking or the elliptical machine. The goals are to elevate your heart rate, body temperature, and get blood flowing to your muscles.

Then, perform mobility work and movement specific warm up exercises. For example, if hack squats are listed first, do some bodyweight squats and leg swings to loosen your hips and a set or 2 of hack squats using lighter weight before you attempt the reps listed for the workout. Our goals for this portion of the warm up are to improve your mobility, prime your stability muscles that will assist during the lifts, and practice your movement coordination. Only after your muscles are warmed up, movements feel comfortable, and you’ve attempted lighter weight exercises should you begin the workout.

All sets listed in the workout plan are working sets meaning you should already be warmed up and each set, you should challenge yourself. Once you’re warmed up after the first exercise, you don’t need to do light weight warm ups before the other exercises; you’re already rocking and rolling. However, if you’re unfamiliar with how to do a particular exercise and you’ve never done it before, please do at least 1 set with lighter weight to gain familiarity with the movement.

Do not perform static stretches with the muscles you’re about to train during your warm up (don’t hold leg stretches as this can reduce performance). If you stretch your legs, glutes, or calves, make sure your muscles are moving as they stretch (dynamic stretching). My personal favorite stretch for leg days is to lower to a deep squat stance and slowly rock back and forth. You can perform some dynamic stretches throughout your workout if you feel your body is still a little tight. You can also perform some static stretches with the muscles you’re not training between the longer rest intervals if you’re up for it. You can stretch muscles of the upper body during the longer rest intervals but again, only if you’re up for it. Make sure your primary focus is a high quality leg workout.

How heavy should you lift?

Perform all sets besides the sets that say “/dropset” within 1-3 reps of failure. This means if 4 sets are listed and the 4th set has “/dropset” at the end, take the first 3 sets to almost failure (maybe you could squeeze out between 1-3 more reps) and the 4th set to muscular failure. We want you to keep between 1-3 reps in reserve if the set does not have “dropset” at the end. Therefore, if you think you could squeeze out 4 more reps, then increase the weight! If you’re failing at rep 9 and the set demanded you do 12 reps, then lower the weight. The vast majority of your sets will be to almost failure.

Example

Bench Press (Barbell)

Listed Reps = 12, 10

Set 1 perform 12 reps; maybe 13-15 would be true failure. Remember, keep 1-3 reps left in the tank. Pick a weight where you think you could do 13-15 reps.

Set 2 perform 10 reps; maybe 11-13 would be true failure. Pick a weight where you think you could do 11-13 reps. You might need to increase the weight from last set because fewer reps are listed.

Incline Bench Press (Barbell)

Listed Reps = 8, 6

Set 1 perform 8 reps; maybe 9-11 would be true failure. Pick a weight where you think you could do 9-11 reps.

Set 2 perform 6 reps; maybe 7-9 would be true failure. Pick a weight where you think you could do 7-9 reps. You might need to increase the weight from last set because fewer reps are listed.

Chest Flies (Machine)

Listed reps = 12, 10/dropset

Set 1 perform 12 reps; maybe 13-15 would be true failure. Pick a weight where you think you could do 13-15 reps.

Set 2 is the last set and /dropset is listed. Take this to true muscular failure. Strive for at least 10 reps, then when you reach failure, perform a dropset. A dropset means you after you reach failure with good form, immediately reduce the weight by roughly half and crank out more reps to failure again!

If the “/dropset” is added after a set, that set demands a dropset. If a dropset is listed, it’s used only on the last set. If 3 sets are listed, never do a dropset after sets 1 or 2.

Dropset

Immediately lower the weight by about 30-50% after reaching muscular failure and continue doing more reps at the lighter weight. There is NO stop in between meaning go to failure at the heavier weight, reduce the weight as quickly as possible, and go to failure again with the lighter weight.

Example

Let’s say you’re using 200 pounds on the last set of calf raises. The last set has 8 reps listed (you think you will hit failure around 8 reps using 200 pounds). After you go to failure, immediately lower the weight to anywhere between 140-100 pounds. It doesn’t have to be precise, and often times the first weight that catches your eye when you look at the weight stack is what you’ll choose. Let’s say you picked 100 pounds. Right after you switch from 200 pounds to 100 pounds, immediately start cranking out reps at 100 pounds and go to failure again. Warning – ouchies will occur.

AMRAP

As many reps as possible; take this set to failure. If two sets are listed with “AMRAP”, then take them both to failure. AMRAP sets are used frequently on ab exercises. Note that you shouldn’t be doing more than 25-30 reps. If you’re doing more than 25-30 reps, then find a way to make the exercise more challenging by increasing the time under tension and control of each rep, squeezing harder, or adding weight. Always be in control of your movements.

Form

Always control the weight over the full range of motion and never sacrifice form to lift heavier. If you’re doing a set and can no longer maintain good form with strict control of the weight you’re using, the set is over.

Listen To Your Body

Don’t feel obligated to do every set in the workout if your body is fatigued. Strive for high quality work and when the quality drops, move onto the next exercise. We don’t know your mood, what your day has been like, if you’re in a calorie surplus or deficit, your general activity level, and whether or not your gym crush is in the gym; all of these factors influence your training volume.

If 5 sets are listed for a specific exercise and you’re completely drained after 3 or 4 sets and can no longer maintain the weight you’re using or use the heavier weight with good form, then move onto the next exercise. Let’s stimulate, not obliterate our muscles.

On the contrary, if you’re feeling amazing and want to add one extra set to a specific group of exercises, go right ahead. However, please don’t add more than 1-2 sets total for the entire workout. If you want more work, amplify your focused aggression and lift heavier. Make each set count rather than add more sets. Quality trumps quantity. Don’t add excessive volume and cause unnecessarily high muscle damage. Your muscles grow better when damage is lower [1]. The protein you eat goes toward building new muscle rather than repairing your current damaged muscle.

Listen to your body. You know yourself the best. Let’s work smart and hard to achieve our goals.

Rep Tempo

Unless the tempo is specified, lift at a natural speed where you’re in total control of each movement. Never purposely slow things down too much or speed things up by swinging the weight in an uncontrolled manner.

Exercise Order

Try to stick to the exercise order. If someone is on a machine or piece of equipment you need, ask to work in. In the gym we all have one goal – get better. I’m sure they’ll understand and share your appetite for success.

References

Damas, F., Libardi, C. A., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2018). The development of skeletal muscle hypertrophy through resistance training: the role of muscle damage and muscle protein synthesis. European journal of applied physiology, 118(3), 485-500.