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Intense Workout

- Leg Emphasis -

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**WORKOUT SUMMARY (+ CLICK TO ENLARGE)**
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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Post Activation Potentiation Eccentric Overcoming Isometrics & Squat Jump Circuit	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	4-5 (3-5" hold) + 4-6 jumps	60"	7-8	2"

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Superset Part 1

NOTE: After performing the post activation potentiation squat using eccentric loaded overcoming isometrics go directly into a double rebound plate jump squats (same video) or kettlebell jump (second video).

Research studies have shown post activation potentiation (PAP) is one of the most effective mechanisms we know of for maximizing power output, high threshold motor unit recruitment, explosive power, & speed, during training & competition. Post activation potentiation (PAP) is a physiological phenomenon in which an intense series of voluntary muscular contractions, typically performed using heavy isotonic movements (i.e. barbell back squat) produces temporary increases in peak force & power during subsequent explosive activities.

For instance, performing a set of heavy back squats several minutes prior to an explosive activity, such as jumping or sprinting, can produce a boost in power & speed during those activities resulting in higher jumps & better sprint times. Similar effects have also been demonstrated in the context of upper body activities. While the exact physiological processes that may contribute to this response are still a matter of debate it appears that increased higher threshold motor unit recruitment may be the strongest contributor as heavy loading may help wake up these motor units. Once activated, they may be more easily recruited during explosive activities.

Although a majority of the studies implemented isotonic exercises (traditional free weight movements) such as barbell squats & bench press, various studies have explored overcoming isometric exercises, i.e. pressing/pulling against an immovable object. Most of these investigations concluded that overcoming isometrics are superior to traditional isotonic free weight exercises for producing PAP.

When performing overcoming isometrics the lifter should try to find a position anywhere from the moderately stretched position, or 90 degrees, to as high as the highest sticking point (20-30 degrees from lockout) as this allows both high force production and maximal motor unit recruitment to occur. In other words, the goal is to maximize the length tension relationship. Too much or too little overlap of muscles fibers will compromise force production and activation. So yes, the overcoming isometric should feel powerful and forceful while also producing significant intramuscular tension on the targeted musculature. Lower or higher positions can also be employed periodically to work on specific sticking points that lifters may experience on certain portions of their lifts.

It should also be noted that as long as maximal effort and exertion are used close to, or near maximal levels, of activation will occur in the targeted musculature. With that said, what is likely to change based on the depth or ROM is the targeted muscle(s) that is emphasized.

For instance, performing the overcoming isometric closer to the bottom or 90 degree position of a chest press will likely target the chest and shoulders to a greater extent as well as the outer regions of the pectorals, whereas a higher position will likely target the triceps and inner chest more so with less emphasis on the shoulders. Similarly, an overcoming isometric near the 90 degree bottom position of a squat will likely result in a roughly equal level of quads and glute activation whereas higher positions will likely be predominately quads.

Superset Part 2

Weighted Jump Squats are treating for increasing explosiveness in the entire lower body and improving vertical jump. Try landing back in the bottom of a squat, pausing, then exploding up again for each rep.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Overcoming Eccentric Isometrics Single Leg Barbell Squats	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	3-5 per leg (3-5" hold)	90"	8-10	2-3"

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OPTION #1

Want to blast your entire lower body with one of the most intense single leg lower body squat exercises you can do? Try these single leg squats using overcoming isometrics and eccentric isometrics as I show here. Read more at: https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/overcoming-isometrics-eccentric

OPTION #2

Here's NFL athlete Chris Carson showing optimal squat form with brief 90 deg eccentric isometrics which not only saves the joints but also maximizes muscle growth & strength.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Stability Ball Ab Rollouts from Plank	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	20" (per side)	60"	6-7	N/A

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OPTION #1

Ab rollouts are one of the best exercises for blasting your abs and core via anti-extension firing patterns. However most variations lack a significant balance and stabilization component. Performing single leg rollouts on a stability ball addresses this issue by forcing the lifter to lock their core in another level not to mention their postural stabilizers, shoulders, and lumbo-pelvic hip complex. In other words its a combination ab exercise and full body stabilization movement. Try performing 3-5 reps per side while using a controlled rep cadence and pausing in the stretched position. And yes the movement will be slightly smaller than most rollouts.

OPTION #2

Here's NFL athlete Chris Carson on single leg power holds with sprinter knee drive which are one of my favorite foot and ankle stabilization drills.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Eccentric Isometric Foam Roller Front Curled Squats	#1,#2,#3,#4	3	3 per side	90"	7-8	2-3"

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MAIN OPTION

This next exercise is a foam roller squat. I’m not a huge fan of foam rolling as it’s often a Band-Aid for pain and inflammation caused by lousy mechanics. However, I do love the foam roller as there are dozens of ways to use it to improve body mechanics on a variety of basic movement patterns. Here’s why its so effective on squats.

Although this visually resembles a standard bilateral squat, it’s actually as close to a single leg squat as you can get without it technically being a unilateral exercise. In essence it represents another single leg squat variation to add to your repertoire although there are unique benefits to this one that can’t be replicated with other single leg variations which I’ll list below (# 2-10). Once you perform the movement, you’ll see exactly what I mean. In fact, nearly all of your weight has to load onto the working leg (the leg on the ground). If you place even slightly too much tension on the foam roller leg or have any mediolateral deviations (valgus or varus or internal or external rotation), the foam roller will slide or roll out and you’ll lose control of your body.
The ability to work the bilateral squat pattern yet emphasize one leg is a great way to both clean up the bilateral squat pattern and reap the benefits of single leg training simultaneously. Many individuals can actually perform a solid single leg squat as the difficult balance component essentially forces their body to use correct mechanics. The bilateral squat on the other hand has much greater degrees of freedom & room for error as the lifter is not immediately punished for faulty mechanics. As a result, many lifters perform bilateral squats (standard double leg squats) with aberrant mechanics for years because they can temporarily “get away with it” but eventually it catches up to them with ensuing injuries. This squat variation forces the lifter to clean up their bilateral squat form (which is not always an easy feat) while simultaneously addressing single leg strength & side-to side-symmetry.
This movement requires incredible motor control, core activation, and spinal rigidity. This is actually a fairly advanced exercise that both requires and builds significant levels of motor control and movement competency. Any sudden movements, excessive momentum, loss of tension, lack of proper mechanics, postural misalignment, or lapse in focus will result in immediate loss of balance. As a result the degree of constant tension from this anti-rolling squat is incredible making it a unique but effective hypertrophy stimulus for the legs.
This squat does wonders for fixing valgus collapse at the knees, ankles, and hips. In fact, that’s originally how I developed this exercise as I was thinking of a squat to literally force the lifter out of valgus collapse. With this anti-rolling squat, collapsing even slightly (with ankle pronation or valgus knee collapse) on the working leg will place more tension on the foam roller leg (as it shifts the weight medially causing the foam roller to slide out. In fact this is the most unforgiving squat I’ve seen when it comes to addressing valgus collapse. Even single leg skater squats don’t require this precise degree of hip, foot, and ankle alignment.
In contrast to the above, the anti-rolling foam roller squat also helps to eliminate excessive knee spread, which is becoming more problematic in advanced lifters from over-spreading and over-externally rotating at the hips. Although ankle pronation and valgus knee collapse (inward knee collapse) are two of the worst mistakes a lifter can make when squatting there still needs to be a balance between medial and lateral forces around the knee and hip. Essentially the knees need to be spread just enough so that the feet, ankles, knees, and hips, are more in less in-line with each other (not in or out). This squat variation helps drive that notion home as it demands the perfect amount of knee spread without overspreading. Any amount of overspreading and excessive varus forces that produce lower body misalignment will cause the foam roller to slide out laterally from the body. If you’re having trouble determining how much to spread your knees and hips on your bilateral squat, this one will inform you immediately.
This squat also helps eliminate excessive range of motion and collapsing. Using extreme depth and collapsing at the bottom by going beyond parallel results in unusual lateral forces onto both legs causing the foam roller to slip out. In essence this foam roller squat forces proper 90-degree/parallel squat form and punishes faulty mechanics including ATG technique.
When it comes to reinforcing optimal hip hinge mechanics on the squat, this anti-rolling foam roller squat is one of the most effective squat variations I’ve used. Part of this is because the hips start in an offset position thereby initiating the movement with a slight hip hinge (as one side of the pelvis is raised up and forward). In addition, unless the hips set back with ideal hip hinge technique too much force will be produced in the medial and lateral directions and there will be wasted force and energy leaks instead of force being produced perfectly vertical into the ground. As a result this produces a rolling effect on the foam roller causing the lifter to lose his or her balance and control.
This anti-rolling squat variation also cleans up external rotation in the foot and ankle complex almost immediately. A proper squat involves keeping the feet relatively straight yet most individuals squat with too much external rotation due to weak feet and ankles and other compensation patterns. Even slight external rotation of the feet during the anti-rolling foam roller squat will produce lateral and medial forces on the roller creating undesired deviations and loss of balance.
This anti-rolling squat also works unique stabilizer muscles around the hips, groin, and inner thighs. These muscles are often neglected however they’re critical for performance and lower body muscle function as well as joint health.
This squat variation literally forces the lifter to employ the most effective training protocol there is – eccentric isometrics. In fact if you don’t use eccentric isometrics on this variation it will feel almost impossible to dial in.

ALTERNATE OPTION (EASIER OPTION)

Here's a great squat variation demonstrated by one of my figure athletes Leslie Petch Lee. Essentially you're performing a goblet squat while keeping constant tension on the quads by not fully extending at top and only performing the bottom half of the movement. This is a great finisher for inducing hypertrophy in the quads and thighs.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Squatting Lat Pulldowns	#5 & #6	2	3 (per side)	45-60"	4-5	3"

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The squatting lat pulldown is not only one of the most effective upper back and lat exercises for building functional strength and size but it also does wonders for cleaning up pullup and lat pulldown technique. Here are several of my athletes and clients including NFL quarterback Taylor Heinecke, Leslie Petch, Ben Lai, Ike Onike, and Erin English showing some unique variations. There are 10 reasons why they're so effective. Read more at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/squatting-lat-pulldowns

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Half Kneeling Overhead Press (Eyes Closed)	#5 & #6	2	3-4 per side	60"	5	2-3"

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OPTION #1

Here I have NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke and NFL running back Marquell Beckwith performing a half kneeling overhead dumbbell press. Besides working the stabilizers of the core and hips this also crushes the shoulders, upper back and triceps as the lifter is forced to use controlled technique and smooth mechanics to maintain balance and control during the lift.

You’ll also notice that while Taylor’s lockout position is spot on, Marquell is having trouble with the top lockout position compensating slightly with lumbar extension. Ironically Marquell’s lockout position during more traditional overhead presses is typically very dialed in. With that said the half kneeling variation exposed a bit of weakness in his core and hips that we actually addressed on subsequent sets. With that said, one of the many reasons I like to periodically incorporate unique exercise variations as these subtle modifications not only target slightly different muscles but they also help expose subtle areas of dysfunction, weakness, and imbalances that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.

OPTION #2

Half Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press with NFL athlete Ameer Abdullah: Provides a functional stretch to hips while also working the shoulders, triceps, core, & upper back. Keep stomach in & hips back.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Stability Ball Single Leg Hip Bridge	#7 & #8	2-3	6-8 (per side)	45-60"	7-8	N/A

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OPTION #1

This is a basic but great unilateral exercise for targeting the glutes and hamstrings. It's important to keep both feet dorsiflexed as this will help maximize tension in the glutes and hamstrings as well as help produce stronger innervation in the foot and ankle complex which is critical for performance.

OPTION #2

Band Resisted Hip Flexion Knee Drive: Besides blasting the hip flexors of the elevated leg & the glutes of the support leg, these also require significant balance & motor control throughout feet & ankles as well as lumbopelvic hip complex.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Overcoming Isometrics Trap Bar or Barbell Split Squat Lunges	#7 & #8	3	3-5 per side (3-5" hold per rep)	75-90"	8-9	2-3"

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OPTION #1

Here's an overcoming isometric lunge that blasts the lower body using the trap bar split squat lunge. You can also use a barbell if you have no access to a trap bar. Read more in new article at https://www.advancedhumanperformance.com/blog/overcoming-isometrics-eccentric

OPTION #2

Although a strong squat is a solid indicator of lower body strength, most folks can use aberrant form & improper mechanics to cheat their weigh through by relying in various compensation patterns. The eccentric isometric barbell lunge on the other hand requires much greater motor control, balance, stability, & symmetry which is why I like to make it a goal for clients to handle at least a load equivalent to their bodyweight.

Besides being a great indicator of leg strength & lower body muscle function having the ability to lunge heavy weight is one of the most surefire ways to improve leg strength & size not to mention athletic performance. Lunge pattern also represents the best method for eccentrically targeting the hip flexors of the back leg (something squats don’t provide) while simultaneously stretching the glutes of the front leg.

Additionally, lunges/split squats are nothing more than an isolated variation of the human gait as it directly mimics the cross-crawl method of movement. No other tool works better for correcting gait (walking and running) and lower body movement mechanics than lunges. Unfortunately most individuals perform them improperly thereby negating the benefits.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Single Arm RDL and Row (Ball Optional)	#9,#10,#11	2	3 per combo (12 total) (SEE DIRECTIONS)	75-90"	7-9	2-3"

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REP NOTES: Perform 3 per variation per side. For example, with your right leg back on the ball you'll perform 3 rows with one hand and then 3 rows with the other hand. Repeat this process with now your left leg in the back on the ball. As such, you'll perform 12 total rows - 6 per side as you will do 3 reps ipsilateral and contralateral on each leg.

This row is a great posterior chain move (upper back, lats, glutes & hamstrings), you’ll want to do several reps in each of the 4 positions as ipsilateral will involve more inner thigh & adductors & contralateral will involve more outer hip/glutes & abductors. Focus on placing a majority of the weight onto the front leg by keeping the hips tall & hinging through the front hip. Hollowing out the core is also important as it ensures the hips stay tall while taking stress off the spine.

There’s very little room for error as even the slightest loss of stability, deviation in form, shifting of your hips, or body misalignment will result in loss of balance. These are also incredibly effective for the feet & ankles which is a very underrated component of fitness & performance. To maximize the effectiveness of the movement while also learning proper technique I recommend using the eccentric isometric protocol rather than rushing through your reps.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Single Leg Pushups (Ball Optional)	#9,#10,#11	2	5-10 per leg	60-75"	7	2-3"

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The single leg pushup is a great full body pressing movement. By simply placing one leg on the med ball & performing controlled eccentric isometric pushups not only does this blast the chest, shoulders, triceps, & core but it also addresses alignment from the foot all the way through the lumbopelvic hip complex. Any deviation in alignment from head to toe will result in loss of balance. These are also great for addressing foot & toe activation not to mention toe mobility. The stimulus to the upper body pressing muscles is also surprisingly intense since you'll be required to stay unbelievably tight & use strict & controlled pushup mechanics. So yes expect a full body burn. Lastly notice the 90 deg joint angles on both moves which represents optimal positioning & ROM not only for these drills but for most movements.

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EXERCISE	SUPERSET	SETS	REPS	REST	RPE	EI
Leg Press Calve Raises Eccentric Isometrics	#9,#10,#11	3	8-12	60"	8	3-5"

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OPTION #1

This is an advanced variation of the single leg swap that works on rate of stabilization development (RSD) as well as reactive stabilization, and uniform stabilization. The key is performing the swap rapidly to force the muscles to turn on quickly.

OPTION #2

When it comes to maximizing both mass and symmetry in the calves the single leg dumbbell calve raise is one of the most effective movements there is. Focus on creating a strong and powerful squeeze at the top and performing a long hold in the stretched position. Also having a slight forward lean further increases the effectiveness.