Tag: leg training
Dana Linn Bailey Shares ‘Hamstring-Glute-Focused’ Workout for Leg Gains
Dana Linn Bailey (DLB) is a pioneer of the Women’s Physique division who remains in stellar shape years after retirement. In a recent YouTube video, Bailey walked fans through a brutal hamstring-glutes-focused training session for growing muscle and building strength.
“So today, we’re focusing on hamstrings and glutes. I like to separate my leg days so I can really focus on quads one day and hamstrings and glutes [the next],” Dana Linn Bailey shared.
In the 2000s, DLB established herself as an all-time great in the Women’s Physique category. Her capped and striated shoulders helped her reach the top of the sport in 2013 when she claimed the inaugural Women’s Physique Olympia title. All signs pointed to utter dominance until Dana returned in 2014 when she was ousted from the throne by Juliana Malacarne.
Bailey’s love for the sport still fuels her today. While she’s stepped away from competing, Dana is a famous online influencer known for sharing fitness-related content such as workouts, nutrition information, and physique transformations.
In one of her latest endeavors, Bailey decided to revamp her physique in June. In what she’s titled the ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ challenge, Dana plans to get ripped and lean at the same time in the months to come.
It remains uncertain if Dana Bailey will entertain a competitive return. Questions about her competing again were raised during her recent Cutler Cast Podcast appearance. Bailey even mentioned that she would undergo drug tests to prove her natural status if she did announce a comeback. With her attention shifting to a new physique goal, DLB updated fans with one of her leg day workouts.
Check Out Dana Linn Bailey’s Hamstring Glute-Focused Leg Day Workout
“We are doing a hamstring and glute-focused leg day. This is one of my favorite days of the week as far as legs go, you know. But today’s focus, we’re hitting that posterior, DLB said.
Sumo deadlifts – 12, 10, 8, 8 rep pattern 4 sets
Hip thrust machine (banded) – 10-12 reps with 5-8 pulse reps 4 sets
Abductions – 20 reps 4 sets
Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts – 12 reps 4 sets
Sumo Squats – 12 reps 4 sets
Reverse squat – 10-12 reps 4 sets
banded/bodyweight hyperextensions – to failure
Sumo deadlifts
“We are starting off with sumo deadlifts. I love sumo deadlifts. I’m much stronger in them and I feel them not so much in my back, I feel it all in my legs and hamstrings. So, when I do deadlifts, I tend to not do deadlifts on back day, I tend to do my deadlifts on ham and glute day. So, we’re doing a sumo stance, the reps, I generally stay a little bit higher.”
“When you come up, I want you to really focus on thrusting those hips forward. When you do that, your butt will squeeze.”
Hip Thrust machine (banded)
“The whole point of this is it’s pushing your knees in. So, you actually have to engage your glutes even more by keeping your knees out. So, it’s just adding more tension to the glutes, which we’re always hitting a glute exercise so we’re going to go 10 to 12 reps on the hip thrust with the hip band. Once you get 10, we’re going to add let’s say five to eight pulses at the top. Just little half reps.”
Dana Linn Bailey shared that if you don’t have access to a hip thrust machine, try a barbell variation.
“If you don’t have a hip thrust machine, you can do this all on a barbell,” said DLB.
Abductions
“Abductions. So, now we’re trying to get our knees as far away as we possibly can. 20 reps here, holding for a good two-second count on each one. And your butt will be on fire.”
Toes-Elevated dumbbell Romanian deadlifts
“A little superset. One of my other favorite little supersets I do. We’re going toes elevated dumbbell RDLs. The reason we have our toes elevated if you’re like me – I’m pretty flexible, most girls, we’re pretty flexible. If you’re not as flexible, do it with your feet flat. This is just going to add a little more stretch in your calf, Achilles, and a little more stretch in the hamstrings. 12 reps here.”
Sumo Squats
“Sumo squats. So, the way I do it, if you prefer holding it this way [vertical] this isn’t going to be much of a squat, you would have to elevate yourself. So I keep the dumbbell that way [horizontal]. I want you to have a forward lean in your torso just like we talked with Bulgarians.”
Reverse squat
“Hamstring and glute day is all about your basically hinged at the hips the whole time. So we’re going to be facing away and the first part of the movement is you’re going to push your butt back just like you did with those RDLs, push your butt back then you’re going to squat down and you’re going to stay in that leaning torso position instead of being more upright. Upright quads, lean in is hamstring and glutes.”
Banded/bodyweight hyperextensions
“Then, I’m going to go over and do hypers. If you can’t do them at the same time that’s fine. I do this just to save time. We’re doing banded hypers and then drop set to just bodyweight hypers to failure.”
DLB isn’t opposed to working with high-profile names in the sport. Given her status as a former Olympia winner, she loves testing her strength in the company of other bodybuilding veterans. She recently joined hands with trainer Hany Rambod for a brutal FST-7 shoulders workout.
Bailey also teamed up with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Last July, they took part in a tough chest and triceps training session. By the end of the workout, Cutler was not only impressed with Dana’s strength but her endurance as well.
Despite having reached 40 years old, DLB doesn’t appear to be slowing down. Fortunately for her fans, she’s offered a consistent look at her physique as she aims to transform her body. Days ago, Dana revealed that she likely gained muscle ‘if anything.’ However, she plans to increase her cardio in the next few weeks to lean down.
Even though she’s long retired, DLB still attacks training sessions with the same attitude that saw her reach the top of the sport. She encourages anyone watching her videos to follow along as she enters the next stage of her ‘Summer Shredded 4.0’ body transformation challenge.
Watch the full video from DLB’s YouTube channel below:
More Leg Day Workouts:
Published: 23 July, 2023 | 9:30 AM EDT
Jay Cutler Smashes High-Volume Leg Pump Workout for Mass Gain
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler is back with another brutal workout demonstration. In a recent JayCutlerTV YouTube video, Cutler showcased a blood-pumping legs training session where he focused on building mass.
A pioneer and mainstay of the IFBB Pro League Men’s Open division, Cutler dominated his class with a combination of muscularity, detail, conditioning, and sheer willpower. Having dethroned ‘The King’ Ronnie Coleman in 2006, Cutler proved himself on the sport’s brightest stage. He remains the only man in the history of the Open class to ever win back an Olympia title that was lost, which he accomplished in 2009 after he was dethroned by Dexter Jackson the year prior.
In addition to his four Mr. Olympia titles (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010), the Massachusetts native won the Arnold Classic three times (2002, 2003, 2004). Following his epic rivalry with Coleman, Cutler remains an esteemed member of the bodybuilding community today.
Late last year, Jay Cutler announced that he was transforming his physique for a ‘fit for 50’ challenge. While fans thought he was teasing a comeback, Cutler later made it clear he had no intention of stepping foot on a competitive bodybuilding stage.
Documenting his latest physique goal, Cutler has offered fans an inside look into his preparations. He’s targeting 6-8% body fat during this transformation but also plans to add mass and lean out without the use of bulking diets. In his latest offering, the former Mr. Olympia detailed a brutal leg-day training session.
Jay Cutler Ponders Post-Training Thoughts, Fit for 50 Challenge, and Having ‘No Real Goal’
Check out Cutler’s leg workout below:
Leg Curl Machine – 2 warmup sets, three working sets, pyramiding the weight up peak set 180 pounds
Standing Leg Curl Machine (alternating) – 1 working set
Stiff leg Deadlift w/dumbbell – 3 sets 10-12 reps pyramiding the weight up
Walking Lunge w/Barbell – 8-10 reps per leg
Leg Extension Machine – 2 sets reps until he gets a pump
Inverted Leg press – 3 sets 10-12 reps
Unilateral Leg press Machine – 2 sets 10-12 reps
Roger Squat machine – 2 sets 9-12 reps
Cutler highlighted that the session mainly focused on quad and hamstring development.
“It will be quads and hamstrings today, we’re going to start with hamstrings, but I want to thank everyone for following along on YouTube. It’s been really firing off lately. We got a lot of great things coming in the works. Obviously, I’m doing this crazy transformation right now and it’s working really well.
I’m about eight weeks out on Saturday, so today is Thursday. So I’ll be close now but I was saying yesterday, it’s not going to end there. I’m never going to be satisfied. This is kind of just like a goal as far as getting my body primed and ready to go. I don’t know how long this final outcome is going to be but if we get passed my birthday which is eight weeks away and the challenge still moves forward and I think it’s going to drag a lot of people into it, I know it’s giving people a lot of motivation. That’s all you can ask for. There’s no real goal. I’m not getting back on stage,” said Jay Cutler.
After completing the workout routine, Cutler said he judges many of his sessions based on the pump he receives.
“We’re rolling into the next decade of my life man. I just wanted to do something really cool. I know a lot of you guys have been riding with me for a long time so I want to thank you for that.”
“We just finished legs, it was an awesome workout. Every day is progression. The pumps are getting better and that’s kind of the key. I always talk about how I judge all the workouts by the pump. As we get closer now, like I said, eight weeks this weekend, and we’re right in it now,” Cutler shared.
Cutler has kept a furious training pace since announcing his transformation. Fortunately for fans, many of his workouts have been published online. The last time the four-time Mr. Olympia tackled a session, he showed off an effective arm-building hypertrophy workout. In a separate undertaking, he revealed a few tips for building abs with summer on its way.
Jay Cutler continues to inspire fans with his dedication to fitness in retirement. His latest leg workout is a tough but effective way to build lower-body strength and muscle.
You can watch the full video below from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel:
RELATED: Jay Cutler Calls Out Steroid Stigma in Film Industry, ‘Figures’ The Rock Is on TRT
Published: 15 June, 2023 | 9:13 AM EDT
Mike O’Hearn & Injured Hafthor Bjornsson Use Tom Platz-Inspired Workout for Ligament Strength
Mike O’Hearn and Hafthor Bjornsson, two titans of strength, met up for a special collaboration on leg day. In a recent YouTube video, O’Hearn guided Bjornsson through a brutal hack squat variation as the former strongman recovers from a pec tear injury.
At 53 years old, Mike O’Hearn has become somewhat of a legend in the fitness industry for his maintenance of mass, power, and strength. In addition, he’s kept up with a remarkably ripped physique for over three decades.
With experience in bodybuilding and strongman, O’Hearn doesn’t shy away from fitness challenges. He has trained with plenty of notable figures in bodybuilding and strongman, including four-time WSM legend Brian Shaw, who recently announced his retirement from the sport.
In April, former strongman star Hafthor Bjornsson suffered a painful pec tear on his third attempt at trying to bench press 556.7 pounds. While Hafthor revealed his upper chest was torn off the bone, he’s not letting the setback stop him from working out completely.
Mike O’Hearn Guides Injured Hafthor Bjornsson Through Longevity Leg Workout Created by Tom Platz
O’Hearn used the hack squat machine to demonstrate a technique he learned from Tom Platz. Platz, known as the ‘The Quadfather,’ possessed some of the best legs in bodybuilding history.
“That is a quad, that’s a teardrop at the knee, keep it healthy, they’re going to freak out, ‘What? How is that healthy?’ Because we’re stressing. Remember what we talked about, load the joints. The muscle is only so strong. The joints is God’s gift. I’m trying to force it, the joints and ligaments around the knee to be so strong. I learned this in 1989, Tom Platz, training with him from 89 to the early 90s, this is something he lived with.”
“I could see at that stage how strong his connective tissue [was], his legs were enormous, Tom Platz, great legs, but his knees were so healthy. That’s again, another fun exercise that somebody your size that’s a rarity to see that kind of movement. So we’ll do a moderate and see where we can find stress in the knee in a safe position.”
Hafthor was impressed with O’Hearn’s variation of the hack squat, where he utilized a wedge to place his feet at an angle.
“He’s just so focused each and every rep every set, he manages in the moment, everything with his muscles, the tightness of the squeeze,” Hafthor said about O’Hearn.
O’Hearn highlighted why the technique is so effective for quad training.
“I don’t know if you guys can see it at home, the difference between, you’re still leading with the quads compared to leading with the hip,” O’Hearn said. “So the way he was doing it first of all, he was great for the first time doing it but it was still a hack squat because it wasn’t leading with the ass. The last couple of reps were beautiful because he was rotating the ass up, stretching the quads, and getting more isolation. It’s such an odd position.”
Even though they were lifting light weights, Bjornsson was surprised by the work rate.
“You feel like you’re working so hard but at the same time, it’s light weight. It’s a very interesting movement for sure, different, like I said, like I’ve never done before,” shared Hafthor.
Bjornsson asked if O’Hearn adds extra weight or keeps the workout light when on his own.
“I do add more and more but I want to try to get a better range of motion. On this one… this would be like a finisher for me, I’d hit my squats, I’d do like a leg press or a similarity squat, some kind of moderation – we have a like I said, kind of hack squat and then I’d do something like this at the end to kind of finish that leg out.”
“Stress done right will strengthen your body,” said O’Hearn. “The possibility of you being like this in 30 years… is a possibility, it really is. Where most people will go, I hit 30, I hit 35, I’m done, I’m only going to get older and weaker but that’s not the mentality you have.”
Before wrapping up the video, Hafthor explained how training has changed from his 20s to his 30s.
“In your 30s, you got to be more detailed, more prepared, and have everything lined up: nutrition, sleep, training, recovery, rest, everything has to be dialed in and I can’t even imagine, I know that every single day you’re doing whatever you can to even get 1% better,” Hafthor Bjornsson said.
This isn’t the first time Mike O’Hearn has led a longevity-inspired training session. He joined Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son, Joseph Baena recently, where they teamed up to attack a back training session. During the workout, O’Hearn shared that some of the movements they practiced could help Baena’s joints when he’s around his father’s age (75).
While the technique may differ from the norm, Mike O’Hearn is living evidence of his training practices and has employed these exercises for more than three decades.
RELATED: Hafthor Bjornsson Shares Intense Pre-Surgery Recovery Techniques for Gruesome Pec Tear
Watch the full video below from Mike O’Hearn’s YouTube channel:
Published: 17 May, 2023 | 4:09 PM EDT
Jay Cutler Shares Legendary Quad-Stomp-Inspired Leg Workout, Targets ‘6-8% Body Fat’ in 2023
Bodybuilding legend Jay Cutler continues to work toward a physique transformation before turning 50. In a recent YouTube video, Cutler detailed a 10-exercise leg day training session and compared body fat ratios from now versus when he was the reigning Mr. Olympia.
Cutler is a titan of the bodybuilding industry, having staked his claim against greats when mass monsters ruled the IFBB Pro League Men’s Open division. In addition to pushing mainstays such as Dennis Wolf, Johnnie Jackson, and Branch Warren, Cutler succeeded in winning the sport’s most prestigious title on four occasions at Mr. Olympia (2006-2007, 2009-2010).
In 2006, the Massachusetts native served up one of the biggest upsets the sport had seen when he dethroned eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. In order to defeat ‘The King,’ Cutler said he adopted many of his adversary’s training practices to cultivate an undeniable physique.
Perhaps Cutler’s most powerful attribute was his lower body, which he used to set himself apart from his peers. His stage presence and dominance shined bright in 2009 when he cemented his name in bodybuilding history with an iconic quad stomp pose en route to becoming the first man to regain a Mr. Olympia title that was lost.
In 2009, Cutler’s quadriceps became the talk of the town as they became his secret weapon to reclaim his physique’s glory. With his arch-nemesis, Jackson, beside him, who had taken the title away from him the previous year, Cutler had a point to prove.
Cutler’s quad stomp is now part of bodybuilding history! It’s amazing to think that no one else had ever come back to win the Olympia after falling down the ranks. But Cutler did it! Even though he had some tough competition from guys like Jackson and Warren, that quad stomp gave him the edge he needed to come out on top. What a moment!
Even though Cutler stepped away from the sport in 2013, his passion for working out remained steady. Late last year, he revealed that he was transforming his body to fulfill a personal goal, which he’s titled the ‘Fit-for-50’ challenge. Targeting his best physique in over 10 years, Cutler shared his latest leg day workout for fans to try out.
Jay Cutler Brutal Leg Day Training Session
Below you can find a full list of Cutler’s workouts for leg day.
After the training session, Cutler once again highlighted that he’s not taking on any heavy drug cycles for his current transformation nor will he partake in low-carb days.
“Leg day, I’m not going to hit poses, next week starts the posing actually. Like I mentioned, I think we’re 13 weeks from the ultimate – which I don’t know what that ultimate is… once again I’m in uncharted territory because I’m going to do this prep without the contracts, without a big prize pot at the end, there’s not going to be a $400,000 or $200,000 purse; this is for me, the fans, so I’m going to put a leisurely effort in. When I say leisurely, we are not going full tilt, no heavy drug cycles, no crazy low-carb days.”
Cutler specified that he carried only 3% body fat during his time as a Mr. Olympia champion. However, for his current look, he feels sticking with a 6-8% range would be best. In addition, he intends to maintain a weight of 235 pounds.
What I’m trying to do, is I want to be able to showcase this transformation. This is a lifestyle transformation. Someone who is already in good shape, I think I’m around 12-14% body fat and to get right to the 8-6% range, which would be relatively lean, not the 3% that you saw on the Olympia stage that required the last six weeks of drastic dieting. Although, I am looking forward to trying to turn it up in the last six weeks and seeing how far I can push myself and maintain 235: that is the goal,” said Jay Cutler.
Given his recent undertaking, Cutler has been open and honest about his physique goals. He took part in a CutlerTV interview recently, where he laid out the high-protein diet he’s employed to fuel his fitness demands.
While he won’t be appearing on a contest stage anytime soon, the world is excited to see Jay Cutler’s latest transformation. Surely more physique updates will follow when he makes a special appearance in Romania for the 2023 Masters Olympia contest in August.
RELATED: Jay Cutler Talks ‘Fit for 50’ Transformation Challenge: ‘Strictly Testosterone, No Tren’
Watch the full video below from the JayCutlerTV YouTube channel:
Published: 11 May, 2023 | 11:29 AM EDT
Rich Gaspari on Building Bigger Legs: ‘Train Super Hard and Go to Failure’
Seasoned bodybuilding veteran Rich Gaspari has amassed a wealth of knowledge related to the sport following a decorated career. In a recent Instagram video, Gaspari shared tips for legs and techniques to utilize in lower-body training sessions. During his days of competition, Rich Gaspari boasted a refined lower body and stellar conditioning as a Men’s…