Workout of The Week 21
Thickening Protocol Lower Body
Today’s training is from the original thickening protocol I created for clients. This program is a hypertrophy emphasis cycle that begins with high volume compound movements. If you haven’t recently tested a 1RM then estimate your 50% for the back squat. If you’re not acclimated to sets of 20 squats it will be rough but 50% for 20 isn’t a high intensity. For the first 3 weeks of the program we add 5% to the sets of 20 and linearly progress the tiger squats. Begin with a tiger squat weight that you can hit for a 3-5 RIR each set.
Training
A1. High Bar Back Squat 50% x 20
B1. Tiger Squat 3 x 12
C1. Leg Press Narrow Stance 2 x 20, 1 x 10-15
D1. FFE Split Squat 3 x 12/ea (Front Foot Elevated)
D2. Band Hamstring Curl 3 x 25
E1. Rope Crunch 3 x 20-25
How to do a tiger squat:
Descend into the bottom of a squat like usual, bounce out of the hole about 1/4 of the way up then come back down, and rebound back up to complete a full rep. Repeat this 11 more times to complete a set. Really drive with the quads each rep and avoid compromising torso position for more weight.
Emphasize a good stretch on the front foot elevated lunges by using a 2110 tempo. Descend two seconds, pause for a second at the bottom, then take a second to reverse the movement back up. Drive the knee over the toe as you go down into the lunge. This is contrary to what your local physical therapist tells you, but contrary to what they believe, it’s not “bad” for you. Just select a weight you can handle with good technique. You should feel a good stretch in the hip flexor of the back leg while feeling the contraction in the quad of the front leg.
If 3 sets of 25 of band hamstring curls are too easy, combine it and do a set of 75 and crank it out.
Have fun with this one.