Training Notes:
A: Adhere to the tempo. Ease into the loading and be careful about over-stretching. Take the last set to technical failure then use your hands to add 3 forced reps. The forced reps should be assisting the concentric but controlling the eccentric on your own. After the forced reps, perform a 20-30 sec loaded stretch.
B: These may take a little bit of tinkering to get the right band tension for the assistance. Set-up for Nordic curls with an apparatus or have a partner hold your ankles in position. Loop the band around your torso like a purse (over one shoulder and under the armpit on the other side). Keep your hips extended throughout and low back neutral. Slow the eccentric way down to generate time under tension in your hams. Get full extension at he bottom of the rep so your body is almost parallel with the floor. The band tension should be strong enough that you don’t have to use your upper body to help at the bottom or through the concentric. Take the last set to 1RIR.
C: Keep the loading and intensity relatively conservative here. Slow the eccentric way down to allow tension to build through your posterior chain. Note that the safety bar will feel very different compared to a straight barbell—the load will be more anterior and the bar will try to “fold” your upper back as you hinge lower. Control this by holding the handles and keeping them stationary. Don’t pull them down or allow the bar to swing during the rep. There will be a bit of natural spinal flexion and extension but do your best to limit the magnitude. Get a full ROM if you can and think about touching the handles to your knees. Try to lengthen your hamstrings. Take full rest between sets here.
D: Make these quad focused by adjusting your feet lower and more narrow on the platform to encourage max knee flexion at the bottom of the rep. Get a full ROM and as deep as you can on every rep. Perform a few feeder sets as you work up to a load that would be close to your 12 rep max. Once you’re ready, perform a Rest Pause set with this load. Take each set to 1RIR with 20 sec rest between RP sets. Only perform the sequence one time but make it max effort.
E1: Use a load that would be about your 20 rep max. You may need to perform a single warmup set here but you can also jump right into the working set if your quads and knees feel sufficiently warm. Note the tempo on these and contract as hard as you can. After failure, immediately move into a double drop set. Reduce the load by ~25% on each drop and take them to failure with the same tempo! Aim for as big of a pump as possible here. After completing the sequence, rest for ~30 sec before moving to E2.
E2: Perform 2-3 feeder sets of ~8-10 reps until you find a load that is close to your 20 rep max. Note that you should be performing these feeders BEFORE E1 due to the difference in warmups required between leg extensions and leg press. Once the drop set sequence on E1 has been completed, take these to technical failure. The fatigue will restrict the amount of reps you’re able to get but take your time and push these as hard as you can. Have a spotter if possible for confidence and extra motivation. No drop sets should be performed on leg press. The set/sequence is over when you can’t get any more reps here.
F1: Use your upper body for balance and support. Squat down to parallel with your weight on your toes and your heels off the ground. While maintaining your position, perform calf raises with the tempo given. Adjust your feet as needed in order to get the max amount of plantarflexion . It should feel like your calves are going to cramp up. End sets when you can no longer achieve a full ROM. No rest before F2.
F2: Use a machine for these if possible OR you can replicate the movement using a Belt Squat, Smith machine, or chain dip belt. Note the tempo here. Focus on lengthening and stretching your calves out. Take the last set to failure. Rest ~60 sec before returning to F1.