The Ultimate Leg Day Challenge...Can You Survive?

Leg day...it’s something to both dread and savor at the same time.

You know it’s going to be hard. 

You know it’s going to leave you feeling absolutely wasted.

You also know that if you want to build your best body ever, then skipping leg day (or even doing it half-assed) is NOT an option.

If you think you’ve been taking your leg day training seriously up until now, then let’s see if you can survive the ultimate leg day challenge.

Fuel Your Workouts

In order to survive the lower body gauntlet that lies ahead, your mind and body are going to need to be fueled up and ready to go.

While fasting might be en vogue, if you want to not only survive this workout, but crush it, then you’re going to need to make sure you're properly fueled.

That means you’re going to want to have some carbohydrates and protein in your system.

It doesn’t have to be some huge, blowout buffet style meal (that is, unless you want to barf your pre workout meal all over the gym floor), but you do want it to have some staying power such that you don’t feel hungry during your leg day challenge.

One of our favorite pre workout meals is also incredibly simple -- proatmeal!

Simply cook up a ½-1 cup of oatmeal (according to the package directions), and then when it’s finished cooking add to it:

• A dash of cinnamon
• A scoop of protein powder (ISOLIT or WHEY) -- vanilla, PB or chocolate flavors work best we find, but any flavor can work
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 cup frozen blueberries

Stir it all together, and voila’!

You’ve got the ultimate quick-fix, muscle building meal that will power you through this leg day challenge.

Now, some individuals just flat out don’t like to eat anywhere near their training session, even eating 2 hours before their workouts can leave them feeling heavy and sluggish. If that’s you, then another option is to simply have a fast digesting shake 30-60 minutes before you workout, such as a scoop of ISOLIT mixed with a full serving of Intracell.

This pre workout shake will be rapidly digested, so it won’t feel like it’s sloshing around in your stomach while training, but the real bonus is that your bloodstream and muscles will be utilizing those proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates to both power performance and prevent protein breakdown.

Since you’ve had a proper pre workout meal, having an intra workout supplement isn’t as necessary. You could be just fine with drinking water and a serving of Electrolyte to stay properly hydrated.

But, if you’re looking for that little something extra to help you push hard as you near the finish line of this daunting leg day challenge, then want to mix up an intra workout shake using either EAA Max or Intracell, depending on how much carbohydrate you want to consume during training.

Now that we’ve covered the pre and intra workout nutrition parameters for this challenging workout.

Let’s get to the workout!

Ultimate Leg Day Challenge Workout

Exercise	Sets	Reps
Leg Curl	4	8-12
Back Squat	4	8-10
Leg Press (*superset with next exercise)	3	10-12
Walking Lunges	3	15-20 reps / leg
Romanian Deadlift	3	10-12
Seated Calf Raises	3	15-20

Leg Curl

Many leg workout drop individuals straight into the squat rack and have them start banging out set after set.

And, for many individuals this is perfectly fine. 

But, we’ve found that actually starting with leg curls helps prime the lower body for the heavy squatting ahead while also improving performance.

Performing leg curls at the beginning of the workout helps fill the hamstrings with blood, which creates a more stable base for the squats that follow.

Leg curls may also help warm the knees up, reducing the aches and pains that can sometimes arise when starting off right out of the gate with squats.

Lastly, many people have lackluster hamstrings on account they only ever train them at the end of their leg day workout, when they’re exhausted mentally and physically. Putting a hamstring-intensive exercise at the outset of the workout forces you to focus on building up the hamstrings.

Back Squat

When it comes to developing lower body power and strength, one of the best exercises you can do is the barbell back squat.

Squats aren’t just great for the quads and glutes, they also engage the abs and lower back, making sure you stay upright while squatting down and standing up. 

Let’s not forget the cardiovascular component to squatting, either. Your heart and lungs will be burning if you’re really pushing yourself during your workout session!

Make sure to take your time and do enough warm up sets until you feel ready mentally and physically to tackle your working weight.

Leg Press

Following the heavy compound movement, it’s time to pump up those quads and fill them with as much blood as possible.

You’ll be performing a superset of Leg Press straight into bodyweight walking lunges.

It can be tempting to load up a bunch of plates on the leg press and half-rep your way through the set all for the benefit of your ego.

But, we’d caution that you not do this.

Pick an appropriately challenging weight that you can move through a complete range of motion. That means bringing the sled down as far as your body will allow.

No partial reps here, folks.

You want results?

Then you need to use proper form and execute the movement under control.

Walking Lunges

After crawling out from the leg press, it’s right into walking lunges.

Take your time when performing these and milk each rep for all the gains it offers.

Don’t just fall into the bottom of the lunge and slingshot your way out of the bottom.

Control the descent, pause for a moment at the bottom of the lunge, and then explosively press up to the top.

If walking lunges bother your knees, you may substitute them with alternating reverse lunges.

After a few rounds of this superset, you’ll be wishing the workout is over...but we’re still not done yet!

Romanian Deadlift

Now that the entire lower body is pumped full of blood, it’s time to stretch things out with Romanian deadlifts.

Use a slow-controlled descent, pause at the bottom for a moment, and then powerfully contract the glutes and hamstrings to return to the top.

Make sure the barbell stays close to your body throughout the descent. Allowing it to drift away from you can place undue stress on your low back.

Seated Calf Raises

For the cherry on top, we’re going to finish with what could be the most stubborn muscle group of all -- the calves.

Most lifters make the mistake of simply bouncing the weight up and down during their sets of calf raises, which explains their lack of calf development.

As with every other muscle group, you need to use good form and control the weight -- this weight the muscles are actually doing the work and not your tendons, joints, ligaments, etc.

Use a 3-second negative on each rep and a 2-second squeeze at the top of each rep. At the bottom of each rep, sit in the fully stretch position for a full second.

Using this elongated rep scheme naturally means you’ll have to use less weight, but who cares how much weight you’re calf-raising?!

There’s no trophy for slinging the most weight around on a calf press. Your goal is to place as much tension on the calves and elicit a great training stimulus so that you can build bigger calves!

The Best Pre Workout for Leg Day -- Mega Pre Black

Leg training is tough and very few people have the gumption to train their legs with the requisite intensity, focus, and volume needed to make them grow.

For those days when you need intense energy, motivation, and aggression to get in the gym and wreak havoc on the iron, there’s Mega Pre Black.

Mega Pre Black is a high-stimulant pre workout supplement scientifically formulated to enhance energy, focus, performance, and intensity. Take 1-2 scoops 30 minutes before training and experience the ultimate pre workout boost.