The difference between male and female bodybuilder is shredded, perfectly shaped legs. The lower part of the female body has more muscle mass. That is the reason why their legs look more massive.
But what is the best choice when your goal is putting every muscle to the fore? There are so many people who repeat the same routine over and over, letting their bodies defend progress by creating plateau effect. I guess your goal is Hanna Herman’s legs, right?
While others do high-bar squat, leg curl, leg extension, and leg press, you have the chance to defeat them via superb creativity.
Let’s shock muscles in a different way and outsmart our body! These “strange exercises” will break the training monotony. You have a chance to build Priscilla Cavilha’s monster legs as the time goes by!
1. Platz Hack Squats
Tom Platz is a legend with a good reason – he made a new exercise from a hack squat. Difficult by itself, hack squat burns all four parts of your quads. But Tom’s exercise developed a specific target – outer quad and the teardrop inside of it!
Performance:
Assume the standing position, joining your heels together. Point your toes outwards. Perform squat and push your knees forward and down. Lift your heels off the floor as you squat.
While going up, push on the outer part of your feet to hit vastus lateralis muscle. When you feel the outer part of a quad is killing you, while the inner part is under a regular tension only, you mastered the technique!
Mistakes and tips:
- Do not get up explosively, the exercise is very dangerous and technically difficult.
- Keep your spine flat.
- Do not transfer the weight to the inner or medium part of your foot.
- Do not bounce.
- Do not push your knees to the side.
- Your body mustn’t rotate.
2. Sissy Squats
The name will probably make you laugh. But this exercise is extremely difficult and you have to be a master of fitness to perform it properly. Don’t be tricked by the name, after 10 repetitions your quads will be loaded with a king-size amount of lactic acid!
Performance:
A beginner should hold on a plyometric box, bench, or a squat rack slightly higher than the level of his hips. It is hard to maintain balance during the first few sessions unless you have slacklining experience.
Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Squat down slowly. Bend your knees forward and down.
As your knees go down, lift your heels off the ground. Your back must fall backward while you go down. When you reach the bottom point, your quads should be at least parallel to the floor. Squat up slowly with control.
Mistakes and tips:
- Put the dumbbells under your feet for more balance.
- Do not rotate your knees to the side.
- Keep your spine flat at all costs.
- Don’t bounce – the exercise should be done very slowly to maximize the effect.
- If your legs are more than shoulder-width apart, you will include adductor muscles.
3. Good Mornings
This is probably the most dangerous multi-joint exercise for hamstring and glute muscles. You need to be Collin McRae on the track for this one – he was known for a perfect assessment of every curve. You need to be 110% aware of your possibilities! Do not go too heavy!
Performance:
Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and a barbell on the rear of your shoulders, keeping your knees slightly bent. Bend your torso forward keeping the barbell on your shoulders. Push your hips backward contracting your glute muscles as the body assumes the position parallel to the floor.
Relax your glutes and push your hips forward as you return to the starting position. The exercise must hit all the parts of your hamstrings.
Mistakes and tips:
- You mustn’t curve your spine.
- Do not put heavy weights or you will slam your face off the ground.
- Bending movement must be followed by hip movement.
- Do not rotate your body in any direction.
- Think about doing this exercise in the squat rack or power cage.
4. Step-Ups
Many of us have problems with a weaker leg. With this world-class unilateral exercise, this kind of trouble becomes history! You know very well that the slightest visible difference might cost you Mr. Olympia title.
What do you think, is it easier to stop a soccer player who uses left leg only or both legs equally? When you block a player who knows to use both legs, you must react faster and close a lot more angles. But a left-legged player mostly goes to the left. The world-class bodybuilder won’t let his stronger hamstring looks extraterrestrial compared to the weaker one!
Performance:
The exercise burns quads, glutes, hip flexors, and hamstring muscles at the same time. Depending on your fitness level, you can do many types of step up. Assume the standing position with your legs shoulder-width apart, keeping your hands beside your body. Take dumbbells or kettlebells in your arms to make an exercise harder.
Use your left leg to step onto a platform. Bring your right leg up and lift the knee above the line of your hip. Return your right leg to the floor. When both of your feet are on the ground, apply the same movement pattern for the opposite leg. Continue until the remainder of the set.
Mistakes and tips:
- Do not bend your body to the side.
- Your knee mustn’t go lower than your hips.
- Look straight ahead.
Final word
You need to be an artist to train your legs. Staying away from limits is never easy. Especially when a whole gym focuses on four-exercise routine.
Try to master the technique and do the exercises in front of the mirror. You know where you should feel burning during these “strange exercises”. If you hit a wrong spot, this is a red flag!
Priscilla Cavilha’s legs are not a dream anymore. Stay persistent, focused, and open-minded in your tasks. The more you are willing to sacrifice, faster the progress will be.
