May 23 - Legs

Updated May 23, 2026 02:06 PM

Goal

Restart legs clean. No ego lifting. You have not logged legs since March, so today is a rebuild day.

Main win:

Leg Press 205 for 2 clean sets + do hamstrings.

Rules for today

Move slow. Full control. No bouncing.
Stop 1–2 reps before ugly form.
If knees/back feel weird, lower weight immediately.
You have tight calves and can flare plantar fasciitis if calf/foot load gets too high.
No aggressive calf work today. Keep calf raises light, slow, and optional.
If the bottom of your foot starts hurting, stop calf work immediately.
Log actual Weight/Reps in the empty columns.
Warm-up sets do not need to be logged as working sets.

Warm-up

5–8 min bike or treadmill.
Easy calf/foot prep:
30–45 sec gentle calf stretch per side.
10 slow ankle circles each direction per side.
Optional: roll foot lightly on a ball/water bottle for 30–60 sec. Do not smash it.
Leg Press warm-up: light weight × 12.
Leg Extension warm-up: light weight × 12.

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Leg Press

How: Feet shoulder-width, controlled depth, no knee lockout slam at the top. Push through mid-foot/heel.

Target: 175 × 10, 190 × 10, 205 × 8–10, 205 × 8–10.

Progress goal: If both 205 sets hit 10 clean reps, next leg day can try 220 again.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	175	160	10	10
2	190	175	10	10
3	190	190	10	10
4	205	205	10	10

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Leg Extension

How: Smooth reps. Pause/squeeze at the top. Do not kick the weight up.

Target: 130 × 12, 145 × 10, 160 × 8–10. Optional 175 × 6–8 only if knees feel good.

Progress goal: Controlled reps > heavier weight.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	115	115	10	10
2	130	130	10	10
3	145	145	10	10
4	160	160	10	10
5	175	175	10	10

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Romanian Deadlift

Why: Hamstring work without the shin pain from the curl machine.

How: Soft knees, hips back, neutral back. Lower slow until hamstrings stretch, then drive hips forward. Do not chase depth if your back rounds.

Target: 3 sets × 8–10 reps. Start light/moderate. Controlled 3-sec lowering.

Progress goal: If all 3 sets hit 10 clean reps with no back weirdness, add weight next leg day.

Set	Weight	Reps
1	45	10
2	65	10
3	65	10

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Glute Extension (Per Leg)

How: Controlled reps. Don’t twist your hips. Squeeze glute at the back/top.

Target: 100–115 × 10, 115 × 10, 120 × 8–10.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	115	85	8	10
2	120	100	8	8
3	120	115	8	8

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Calf Raises

How: Slow reps. Pause gently at the bottom stretch and pause at the top squeeze. No bouncing.

Plantar fasciitis rule: This is optional. If calves/feet feel tight or irritated, skip. If you do them, keep them light and controlled — no maxing, no chasing burn.

Target: 2–3 sets × 10–12. Stop if foot pain starts.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	25	25	10	10
2	25	25	10	10
3	25	25	10	10

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Inner Thigh — Optional Finisher

Do only if energy is good. Keep it controlled. This is accessory work, not the main event.

Target: 2 sets × 10–15.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	130		10
2	130		10

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Outer Thigh — Optional Finisher

Do only if energy is good. Controlled reps, no swinging.

Target: 2 sets × 10–15.

Set	Prev Weight	Weight	Prev Reps	Reps
1	145		15
2	145		10

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Skip Today

Squats ❌

Skip unless you really want them. Since legs have been absent for a while, rebuild with machines first.

Unilateral Leg Press ❌

Skip today. Regular leg press + hamstring work is enough.

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After workout note

If you feel destroyed after this, next leg day reduce optional finishers. If you feel good after this, next leg day add either squats or unilateral leg press — not both.

If plantar fasciitis flares, next leg day reduce/skip calf raises and keep the warm-up foot prep.

March 03 - Legs