If there’s one man who knows about getting jacked quads it’s the “King” himself, Ronnie Coleman. He won eight straight Olympias and without his killer leg routine, he wouldn’t have reached the summit of Olympia competition. He definitely knows what it takes to pack on slabs of striated muscles and thankfully he shared what he did to get his massive wheels!
If you want quads which defy humanity, you’ll likely benefit from the advice of one of the biggest and ‘baddest’ men on the planet!
That’s why we’ve put together some seriously useful information from Ronnie Coleman himself, to guide you through the process of a quads workout which will result in some sick growth!
Ronnie Coleman’s Quad Workout
Coleman utilized a shock training program to get huge quads and it has worked pretty well, to say the least. For pure mass, Coleman believes in straight sets of free-weight squats.
Then if you want to really develop that deep separation between the muscles, he advocates pumping the quads nonstop while descending in weight with each set! Coleman applies some interesting principles to his workouts but hey… who would argue with his methods?
Coleman’s routine starts with the squat, then he moves to the leg press, and finally the leg extension machine. Each exercise involves a pyramid up to the heaviest weight possible, followed by a drop set for the leg press and leg extensions.
It’s a brutal way to train your legs and you might want to throw up but the gains will be worth it (You should actually work your way up to such an intense routine).
Here’s the detailed quad workout, so be sure to pay close attention as you don’t want to miss anything…
1. Squats
So Mr. Coleman recommends doing 5 Pyramid (Start light and increase the weight for each set) sets with 12 reps per each set. Choose a weight so that you reach failure at around 10 or 11 reps and force through failure for another 2-3 repetition.
It will be extremely difficult and you may feel the worst burn of your life but find the willpower to get through it.
Now, your range of motion should be full… which is not the same for everyone. Coleman actually goes “butt to ankles” for his deep quad stimulation but not everyone can do this. The reason may be a lack of mobility within the joints, bad knees etc.
Most people can work on improving their mobility and knee pain, and at this point, you can think about going deep during your squats.
But try your best to go below parallel at the very least.
Ronnie Coleman does not believe in squatting parallel or anything less than “butt to ankles”. There is a misconception that it’s hard to get back up after going so deep but he finds that compression in the thighs gives him the power to push through the lowest point of the squat.
The focus throughout the squats should be keeping your butt lower than your center of gravity and getting a nice deep stretch. Get the blood really flowing for best results through a full range of motion (For your body type).
2. Leg Press
If you thought the squats were brutal… then you’re in for a treat! Make no mistake, the leg press will burn and it will be hard but this is where mental strength will separate the men from the boys!
So as you know, you should jump (Not physically) from the squats straight into the leg press machine with little rest in between. With the leg press, you’ll pyramid up in weight for four sets, and on the fourth… reach your maximum threshold of discomfort (Get a maximum pump) then proceed to the drop sets.
Now, you’re going to have your spotters (preferred) remove one plate off of each side. Then perform as many reps as possible. Then have your spotters strip one plate again. Continue to pump out another set. Do this until there is only one plate left and you’re done!
3. Leg Extensions
We’ve reached the home stretch… the leg extension machine that is. But don’t think you’re getting off easy just yet. It still takes some serious willpower to finish hard.
You’ll do 4 sets of 15 reps on the leg extension machine. Pick a weight that is just difficult enough to get 15 repetitions with for each set, and pyramid up in weight for the 4 sets. Then after the fourth set, drop the weight stack down by 20 pounds and pump out another set.
Continue this pattern until you go through the entire stack, ending at the lightest weight on the machine.
Ronnie’s Rules for effective Shock Training
- Always use a full range of motion
- Only use this workout every fourth day you train legs
- Warm up with leg extensions for 4 sets of 30 in a pyramid fashion with a full range of motion and focus on the blood flow through the thighs. This is in preparation for the squats.
- Try to get two spotters for the strip sets where you’ll descend in weight. Limited rest is important.
- Make sure your quads are getting the entire stimulus (Not hips or joints) and don’t cheat through the motion.
- Don’t be afraid to keep pumping out the sets even if you feel pumped to the max.
If you don’t follow the rules, well… you’ll probably still get results seeing as this routine is pretty intense anyway. But if possible, follow the shock training rules to get the best results.
Are You Brave Enough to Do Ronnie Coleman’s Quad Workout?
It’s not for the faint of heart but everyone knows Ronnie Coleman is a mass building genius (With god-like genetics too). If you’d like to put yourself to the test then this is a great way to do it. You’ll definitely shock your quads into a new realm of growth and it’ll be worth it.
If you don’t like leg day then this may not be for you but if you’re looking to take your quad development to a whole new level… look no further than Ronnie Coleman’s killer quad workout routine.
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