Week 3 Day 1- Fortune Favours the Brave

13/04/15 Day 15- Legs & Abs

Wow, the one and only word I can think to describe this session, just wow.

Today marks the start of the 3^rd and final week of Neil Hills Y3T training, which means that it is annihilation week, this is going to be a week filled with, supersets, giant sets, drop sets and all other manors of torturous training techniques that will torch our souls and build our muscles!

I have to say, today's workout I have been buzzing for the last 24 hours, I have been both excited as well as completely petrified for what was to come. Reflecting on that thought, I had every right to be, there was nothing easy about this workout and that is what I loved about it. It's a 90% mental game with this kind of training, and you really have to be psychologically rooted in your focus, don't let up for a second and just keep on pushing.

So here is what this fantastic session looked it:

Leg Press – 2 Sets x Double Drop Set (25 Reps Per Drop)

Dumbbell Hack Squat – 2 Sets x Double Drop Set (25 Reps Per Drop)

Leg Extension – 3 Sets x Triple Drop Sets (15 Per Drop)

Lying Leg Curl – 5 Sets x 15-20 Reps

Super Set with

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift – 5 Sets x 15-20 Reps

Seated Calf Raise – 4 Sets x 20-25 Reps

Super Set with

Standing Calf Raise – 4 Sets x 20-25 Reps

Incline Leg Pull Ins – 4 Sets x 20-25 Reps

Super Set with

Leg Raises – 4 Sets x 20-25 Reps

Cardio - Interval Training 15mins Total

After a thorough warm up, active stretch and a few big scoops of pre-workout, I was well on my way to starting my session. I jumped on the Leg Press keen as anything to get the session under way. Just warming up with a few plates either side to get the blood pumping, I had a quick final stretch off and then loaded the bar up with several smaller plates, this is so when I had to drop set after my first working set all I had to do was take a small plate off each side and then continue for my desired reps. Even after I finished my first working set I thought that 25 reps was pretty hard to squeeze out, so as you can imagine, doing it then another 2 times was absolutely killer! My legs were on fire, my breathing was seriously elevated and I knew it wasn't going to get any easier, I mean this was only the first exercise. So basically I cried my way through the next set of 75 reps.

Then came the fun part, the Dumbbell Hack Squat, if you have ever done this exercise then I am sure you can take pity on me ( I needed it), if not then definitely throw it in to your workout for an incredible burn out exercise! With my 3 Sets of dumbbells ready I strapped up and prepared for what was the hardest, and most soul destroying drop set of my life, breaking pretty much after every few reps on the drop sets just to try and get my breath back. I have never in all my training had to battle so hard with one exercise both mentally and physically. After each set I had to sit outside the gym, take in some nice cold air and try desperately not to be sick. I had to do this 3 times throughout my session.

Finally an isolation exercise! With the Leg Extension I wanted to focus on getting the squeeze out of my top range, well, that all went out the window after the first part of my first drop set. I had literally nothing left in my legs, at all. So trying to push my way through 120 rep was nearly impossible. A few times I took out my head phones, gave myself a pep talk and told myself that I was better than this, that I could do this, and that one day doing these reps right here right now could make the difference between becoming a champion, and with this new found hungry and battled my way through my remaining reps, giving every last drop, leaving nothing in the tank.

3/9 exercises down, I was absolutely smashed, I couldn't breath, I couldn't focus I was sweating buckets and buckets and just saw no end to this session, so once again I took a stroll outside, calmed myself down, got my breathing down to a relatively normal state and just got on with it.

Thankfully I didn't have to work my Quadriceps any more and the rest of the session was focused on hamstrings and calves. So moving onto my first SuperSet Lying Leg Curl & Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift. This exercise I took a little slower, making sure I was hitting the biting point on my lying curls, keeping that hamstring under as much tension as I could, and then finishing it off with the stiff leg deadlifts, doing this combo for maybe 2/3 sets would have been fine, but 5 sets! Was pandemonium, at this point I just focused on my breathing and let my body go into auto pilot, feeling for the tension in my hamstrings and pushing through my reps. I just had to keep reminding myself that this is going to make me bigger and stronger, I wan

ted to give up, I really did, but I didn't. It was like a Civil War in my brain, two sides battling out to have the final say. The right side won. I got up and moved to the last leg exercise.

Seated Calf Raises SuperSet with Standing Calf Raises, this, dare I say it was actually easy for once, compared to everything else I had gone through. With putting two high rep, isolating exercises back-to-back hitting the same muscle group, it does take it out of you pretty quick. I found myself dropping my weights by around 15kg on my standing calf raise, just to allow me to get the reps out. But its better to leave your ego behind, suck it up and work on your own weakness, don't worry about anyone else, this is about you!

Finishing off with the abdominal SuperSet was a tough, yet enjoyable, giving me a bit of time to reflect on the accomplishment I made here today. 3 weeks ago I never would have dreamt of pushing myself that hard, never would I have carried on pushing through such trials and tribulations. But I am stronger now, I am in control, and nothing can stop me. Nothing.

Wishing you a wonderful Monday

Happy Lifting,

Matt