The THT 2.0 Training Cycle. How To Train Your Legs (part 9)

by Mark McManus on January 17, 2011

In this cycle, we start each week by blasting our legs.

There are a total of just 8 sets, but this ain’t no picnic.

You’ll promote growth right from the first working set.

If you’ve been using any other training program apart from THT, you’ll feel the effectiveness of this workout after a few sets, and you’ll SEE a difference in as little as a week.

Here’s an outline of leg day…

Barbell Squats
Barbell Squats
Leg Presses
Leg Presses
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Stiff Leg Deadlifts
Standing Machine Calf Raises
Standing Machine Calf Raises

That’s 2 sets of Squats, followed by 2 sets of Leg Presses, then 2 sets of Stiff Leg Deadlifts, and we finish we 2 sets of Standing Calf Raises.

ALL SETS ARE TO POSITIVE FAILURE. NO EXCEPTIONS. (see here for more on failure)

A leg workout demands that you perform big compound movements like squats and/or leg presses. You just can’t get complete leg development without them.

Why do leg presses after squats on the third and fourth set?

After completing 2 sets of squats to failure, you can very easily reach “form failure”, meaning that you simply can’t control the weight properly through the positive and negative portions due to the high level of fatigue.

To get around this we need to take the issue of stabilization out of the equation by doing leg presses. We can therefore avoid form failure and really overload our legs MAXIMALLY in all sets.

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts are best performed while standing on an elevated platform, a few inches off the floor will do. DO NOT round your back and do not lower your upper body past the point where it’s comfortable. You want to feel the stress on your hamstrings, not your back.

There is no advantage to going lower than a straight, arched back will naturally allow. Keep your knees slightly bent when lowering and lifting, then straighten them at the top.

Your calves will have received some indirect stimulation from all the above movements, but now we want to dedicate a couple of sets to overload them head-on!

Perform 2 sets of standing calf raises to positive failure in the 8-12 rep range.

As I stated in this article, rest for 2-3 minutes between sets. 3 sets are required for bigger body parts. So for this workout, I recommend you rest for 3 minutes after every set, except for calf raises where 2 minutes will suffice.

To get all the rep ranges, rest periods, and to track your progress, download the workout logs by clicking here.

Don’t sit and wonder about its effectiveness. Do it exactly as stated and start GROWING once and for all. You can become another MuscleHack success story!

Train With 100% Intensity!

Mark McManus

{ 9 comments }

1 Terry January 17, 2011 at 8:49 pm: Nice one, Mark. I just started this today after reading all the posts last week.
So today was this leg workout and it kicked my ass! In a good way though. Only 6 sets for my upper legs and i can feel some DOMS kicking in already. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s workout. Terry.
2 Paul January 17, 2011 at 9:13 pm: Can this be swapped with the THT 3.1 volume legs set?
3 Dale January 17, 2011 at 9:28 pm: Is there a substitute for leg press. I workout at home and dont have access to one.
4 mike January 17, 2011 at 10:12 pm: Hey Mark , just wanted to say GO PACKERS! Mike in Wisconsin.
5 Andre January 18, 2011 at 4:19 am: Hallo Mark, i have the same question as Dale. Can one replace the 3rd and 4th set with sqauts if you don’t have a leg press machine and what must the sets and rep amount look like then?And what will be the best for calves – standing DB calve raises or seated calve raises as i don’t have a calve machine?
6 Paul L January 18, 2011 at 5:23 am: Hi Mark,
firstly thanks for all this free info, my question is how do you perform squats to complete failure safely. Thanks Mark and I appreciate all you do. I purchased the arms blast experiment and cannot wait to give it ago when I finish 3.0. Currently on week 03.
7 krs January 18, 2011 at 3:03 pm: Thanks for the time and effect Mark. Leg day looks neat.
I like the whole look of the THT 2 routine and will be cycling this as soon as my HIT routine and arm blast experiment has been completed.
8 Mark McManus January 18, 2011 at 9:57 pm: @Paul. If you want to swap that one workout, go ahead.
@Dale. After barbell squats, try hack squats, dumbbell squats, or just more sets of barbell squats. But a machine movement like leg press is ideal because of the ‘form failure’ point I made in the article.
@Andre. See above. Sets and reps remain the same. Dumbbell or barbell calf raises are ok if you can hold enough weight. I personally do seated or standing calf raises on my smith machine.
@Paul. Use a squat rack, or have someone spot you. There is nothing wrong with using a smith machine either.
@Terry @ Krs. Thanks!
9 Heath the Cheap High Protein Snacks Man January 19, 2011 at 1:50 am: I must say i am quite impressed with the routine you have outlined. I was especially surprised by the standing machine calf raises being added.

I have often seen just the plain calf raises. I know they are popular as well. I am assuming that if you can’t get to a machine that a regular calf raise will do just fine.

I like the fact that there is little room for error. Here you give solid proven exercises and when to do them. You even include rest periods. Major kudos to you my friend!

I recommend that every remember to stay hydrated during this.It is easy to loose a lot water through your sweat doing all of this.