Most of the memorable poses in bodybuilding, at least as far as the general public is concerned, involve showing off the arms or abs. But when it comes to winning the Olympia, you could argue that the show-winning poses for nearly every champion involved the legs — specifically the quads. That goes for Jay Cutler’s stomp, Ronnie Coleman’s shaking of the thigh, Phil Heath’s definition when relaxed, and you could go on and on.
Every Mr. Olympia winner had his own favorite move and why he felt it helped him win the big show. We have five of those champions go into detail about what they liked to do and why. Read on so you can apply these champions’ advice and develop your quads to the best of your ability.
Make sure you check out the quad workout at the end so you can put their principles into practice.
This move is pretty controversial because some trainers feel it takes a toll on the knees, but Cutler saw the advantages and used it in his favor. He told Flex that he likes this movement on both ends of the training session.
“I start with two warm-up sets of 15 leg extension reps, just to get my knees warm. Over the years, heavy lifting has taken its toll on my knees, so I want to get the blood flowing in my quads and around my knees before I move on to squats and leg presses. I also finish up with leg extensions — four heavy sets with drops. With those, I’m really focused on blasting and squeezing each rep.”
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4 PM production
Sergio Oliva – Back Squats or Front Squats
If you have a chance to learn from the last man to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger onstage, you pay attention. Oliva was the man to beat in the late 1960s, and his physique has been revered in the decades since. He credited barbell back and front squats for helping him developing his lower body. He told Flexhe was a fan of both versions of this classic move.
“Back squats and front squats built my legs. I go as heavy as 3 reps when squatting, but then finish with a set of 20.”
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Per Bernal
Samir Bannout – Hack Squat
Five men won the Olympia in the 1980’s. One of those winners was Samir Bannout, and one of the biggest assets he brought to the stage that year was the shape of his legs.
This was credited to hack squats and a method he felt provided extra rewards. The ’83 Champion explained to Flexhow he performed them for the best benefit. “I never lock out hack squats or leg presses until I need a break on the final reps. I want to keep constant tension on my quads.”
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Kevin Horton
Ronnie Coleman – Leg Press
Ronnie Coleman is known for his incredible leg press sets of 2,300 pounds. While moving an actual ton is an incredible feat, the eight-time Sandow winner actually didn’t use them for that purpose. Coleman told Flex that he liked doing these as a part of a superset for the front of the thighs.
“If you want to hit your medialis and lateralis, pair leg presses with squats or hacks. Many bodybuilders advocate supersetting antagonistic muscle groups, such as quads and hamstrings, but that nullifies a sustained pump. If you want to pump and burn your quads, superset two quad exercises.”
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pavel ythjall
Phil Heath – Walking Lunge
This exercise may be better associated with Coleman, but he used it for hamstrings. Phil Heath used it as a finisher for quads.
“The Gift” may have been blessed with great genetics, but he certainly trained hard to make sure he was front and center when he competed. He shared with Flex that doing these at the end helped push him which may be one reason why he was so dominant onstage.
“I take this one outside, it’s my finisher. Intensity in this exercise comes from concentrating on your form and continuously moving ahead without stops for rest.”
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restyler
Sample Olympia Quad Workout
Leg Extensions – 4 sets of 15 reps
Front Squat – 4 sets of 10, 5, 3, 20 reps*
Leg Press & Hack Squat – 3 sets of 12 reps each
Walking Lunge – 3 sets of 12 reps per leg
+Rest for two minutes between each set.
*Lower weight significantly when you do the final set.
