This is the Leg Workout Powering 42-Year-Old Bodybuilder Brandon Curry's Mr Olympia Push

Leg workouts are often brutal affairs, leaving even the most-trained athletes broken and exhausted. For Brandon Curry, who won the 2019 Mr Olympia title and is targeting a return to the pinnacle of his sport, training legs is no different – though he is still keen on prolonging his career for as long as possible. In October later this year, the 42-year-old will hope his quad-dominant workout will have paid dividends when he steps on stage.

‘As you get more mature, you gotta train smarter and make sure your hard work is not tearing you down too much,’ Curry said in his latest YouTube video, which goes through his leg workout in great detail. ‘So we’ll be using some advanced techniques to make sure we’re really working the muscle, getting a good workout, but preserving these joints for the remainder of this prep.’

Curry isn’t wrong when highlighting the workout’s advanced nature. Not only does he perform five of the six exercises on a leg press or hack squat machine, the remaining movement is one not often seen in the gym. There are opportunities to vary the equipment used should you wish to tackle this workout, however.

The Workout1. Leg Press 3-ways x 1 set of 8-10 reps per foot position2. Calf Raise x 3 sets of 8-10 reps3A. Sissy Squat x 3 sets of 8-10 reps3B. Sumo Squat x 3 sets of 8-10 reps4. Floating Step-up x 3 sets of 8-10 reps each leg5. Good Morning x 3 sets of 8-10 reps How to Do the MovementsLeg Press 3-ways

Using either the seated leg press or 45-degree leg press, plant your feet in the middle of the foot pad about shoulder-width apart, with your back flat against the seat. Control the weight and bend the knees so the plate moves towards you – don’t let your lower back lose contact with the seat. Push the plate away from you, ready to repeat.

To make this a 3-way movement, Curry then assumes a high-foot placement on the plate in order to target his hamstrings, glutes and hips more. He then finishes the third part of the exercise with his feet in a narrow stance in the middle of the plate.

Rest is minimal between the normal, high-foot and narrow placements, though enough to ensure the full set is completed to a high intensity and with great quality.

Calf Raise demonstration of a weighted stepup exercise using a step box

Stand upright holding two dumbbells by your sides. Stand on an exercise step or a weight plate on the balls of your feet, raise your heels off the floor to the highest possible position before slightly lowering the heels to the bottom position, ready to repeat.

Curry uses the leg press machine to perform his calf raises, allowing him to emphasise the stretch at the bottom portion of the movement. Standing on an exercise step or weight plate helps to achieve the same goal.

Sissy Squat quad exercises

With your feet hip-width apart, heels raised off the plate of the machine to shift your weight forwards to the balls of your feet, bend at the knees and lean backwards, creating a strong and rigid straight line from your knees to your head. Continue bending at the knees, maintaining your backwards lean, lowering your knees as close to the ground as you can handle before standing back up forcefully.

Curry demonstrated a technique that sees him roll down onto his toes during the lowering phases before rolling back to a flat-footed position. The bodybuilder believes this makes it easier on the joints, disregarding claims that the movement is a ‘knee killer’.

Sumo Squat goblet squat

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart holding a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip. Taking care to not arch your back, push your hips back and bend your knees to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up to the start position.

Sticking to the hack machine, Curry flared his knees out while performing the movement as part of a super-set, allowing him to keep as much tension on his legs as possible. Using a barbell is just as effective as standing in a hack squat machine to complete the sumo squats.

Floating Step-up

In an extremely creative variation of a single-leg squatting movement, Curry attaches a resistance band to two safety bars behind an exercise step that is around knee height. He places a wedge on top of the step that allows him to emphasise his quads in the movement. Another resistance band is attached to the j-hooks that are placed around head height.

When performing the floating step-ups, Curry places the top band under his armpits, steps onto the platform with just one foot while placing his opposite shin behind him onto the band that is attached to the safety bars. From there, he squats down on one leg, bouncing off the resistance band as he drives back to the top.

Similar results can be achieved to this advanced single-leg squat through a Bulgarian split squat, pistol squat or dumbbell step-up.

Good Morning barbell good morning

While Curry once more utilises the hack squat machine to perform his good mornings, a barbell is more than sufficient to complete the exercise safely and effectively.

Place a barbell across your shoulders behind your neck. Ensure your shoulder blades are pushed back to take the weight off the bar. Brace your core and slowly bend at the hips to lower your head towards the floor. Pause at the bottom, then reverse.

This is the Leg Workout Powering 42-Year-Old Bodybuilder Brandon Curry’s Mr Olympia Push

Tags: