Ryan Terry is on the precipice of making history at the 2026 Olympia. In a September 6 video, he broke down his top six leg exercises under three weeks before competing in Las Vegas.
“Six exercises I like to incorporate into my leg day. I wouldn’t say these are necessarily the go-tos to grow a specific muscle or that they are a necessity, but it’s something I implement quite a lot.”
Terry heads into the 2026 Mr. Olympia aiming to make another statement. He’s held the crown since dethroning Erin Banks three years ago. He’ll face a tough test soon, with a handful of threats eager to take his title, including Ali Bilal, Banks, Brandon Hendrickson, and Kyron Holden.
While legs aren’t heavily scored in Men’s Physique, a well-developed lower body can make a physique look more proportionate and balanced. This led Terry to unpack why these six exercises have long earned a spot in his regimen.
Ryan Terry’s Top 6 Leg Exercises
Find his selections from the video below:
- Single-Leg Hamstring Curl
- Single-Leg Extensions
- Lying Hamstring Curls
- Leg Press
- Leg Extension
- Seated Calf Raise
Single-Leg Hamstring Curl
In the video, Terry shared why he favors the single-leg hamstring curl. He focuses on the squeeze and contraction with one or two warm-up sets before using heavier weight.
“Pin-loaded. Starting off nice and light, really squeezing, and over-exaggerating the movement. Make sure you get a full contraction, and then after one or two warm-up feeler sets, I’ll then go into heavy sets, single leg.”
Single-Leg Extensions
Single-leg extensions are another staple in his arsenal because he can modify the weight and tempo. He said to pull yourself into the seat for better quad isolation.
“I really like leg extensions because you can control the weight and control the movement, so you can slow it down, make it heavier that way, you can put the stack on if you want to, and really focus on squeezing that muscle.”
“You can pull yourself into the seat so you’re only isolating the quads,” he adds.
Lying Hamstring Curls
Next, Terry encouraged planting your hips into the lying hamstring curl pad to prevent other muscles from taking over the exercise:
“I think that’s one of the best hamstring exercises you can get if you get the right machine and the right setup. If you plant your hips into the pad, it really prevents you from recruiting other muscle parts, your glutes.”
“That’s a great exercise for isolating the hamstrings.”
Leg Press
He named the leg press as a great movement for overall leg development because it can tax the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
“Always been a staple for me. I can control the weight, and I can slow it down should I need to, which is great for overall leg development. Depending on where you put your foot position on that pad, you can recruit your glutes, hamstrings, and your quads if you require it.”
Leg Extension
He also believes in using the leg extension with both legs, which can help keep muscle proportions balanced.
“I then like to do both together, leg extensions together, staying on the same machine.”
Seated Calf Raise
Lastly, Terry offered tips for better seated calf raise reps. He said to fully stretch the ankles and calves, and to hold each rep for a few seconds.
“I slow it down as best I can, so we are getting the ankles fully stretched out, the calves fully stretched out, as we go to the top, full contraction, hold it for a couple of seconds, and then repeat that.”
Terry is keeping training intensity high in the lead-up to his title defense. With the chance to tie Jeremy Buendia’s record of four Olympia titles, the UK champ is leaving nothing to chance. The 2026 Mr. Olympia takes place from September 24-27 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fitness Volt will have live coverage.
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