Bodybuilder Sam Sulek is continuing to refine and build his physique for the IFBB Pro League circuit. On March 13, 2025, he powered through a tough leg workout to build stronger quads in his off season.
Sam Sulek has backed up all the hype fans put behind him over the past three years. To prepare for his foray into the sport, he took wisdom and training lessons from a handful of top-tier athletes, including former Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, Samson Dauda, and Urs Kalecinski.
He made his long-awaited bodybuilding debut at the 2025 NPC Legends Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, and won the Overall Classic Physique title. This triumph qualified him to compete at the Arnold Amateur event. Although there were doubts about his chances of earning a Pro card, Sulek thrived under pressure and secured the big win. As a newly minted IFBB Pro, he walked fans through his latest leg workout as he aims to improve over the next few months.
Bodybuilder Sam Sulek’s Off-Season Leg Workout
Find his exercise selections below:
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- Lying Leg Curl – 3 Sets and 1 Drop Set
- Smith Machine Romanian Deadlift – 1 Set
- Leg Extension Machine (Alternating) – 2 Sets
- Smith Machine Squat – 2 Sets
- Leg Press Machine – 2 Sets
- Leg Extension (Alternating) (Superset A) – 1 Set
- Sissy Squats (Superset B) – 1 Set
Sulek broke down his current approach to training legs. To make significant improvements in the future, he eventually plans to divide and conquer: one session for quad-focused work and another for hamstring-focused work.
“I’m not to the point where I’m really almost ready to start doing a really heavy quad-focused day and more of a hamstring lighter quad day because I’m just not going that heavy on quads yet. Today, it’ll still be a plain lift.”
He said the first version of his leg workouts for the future will be focused on quads, including movements like Smith machine work, leg press, and hip pressing, but with less squatting movements.
“Hamstrings first, quads like normal but I am going to begin to transition to having those sort of two individual days scheduled in the week where the first quad day, the first leg day we could say is going to have more sets of heavier quad work, be it heavy Smith, be it heavy leg press, heavy squats, heavy whatever, heavy hip press, which not so much the squats.”
He explained that some leg press machines provide ample stimulus for his hamstrings while others don’t.
“Honestly, the regular loaded movements like that for leg pressing, squats, Smith squats, and even hack squats and pendulums, not very hamstring-focused. Basically, all quads, hamstrings almost have nothing to do with it apart from stabilization. Leg press definitely gets a lot of hamstring involvement,” he shared.
Given how taxing the leg press can be for Sulek, he mentioned that he doesn’t have to completely ‘kill’ his hamstrings as he’s done in the past.
“Leg press too, but some of them, like my hamstrings are freaking wrecked afterward. To the point where I could even pull my hamstring if I jumped into a heavy set of full-on leg press too quickly without warming up.
What that tells me is if I’m going to have a day that has a bit more of that leg press involved, then for hamstrings, which I’m still going to hit before, I don’t have to totally kill them.”
With Chris Bumstead retiring from the sport, many wonder who might take his place as the next Classic Physique superstar. Some believe that honor could be bestowed upon Sulek, while others, like judge Terrick El Guindy, suggest the next icon of the category is Mike Sommerfeld. In light of Sulek’s victory at the Arnold Amateur, he’ll have the opportunity to compete at the 2026 Arnold Classic if he chooses.
RELATED: Sam Sulek Shares ‘Diabolical’ Arm Workout for ‘Skin-Splitting Pump’ 10 Days from 2025 Arnold Amateur
Watch the full video from the Sam Sulek YouTube channel below:
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