"Of all the bodybuilders you've worked with, who showed the greatest potential?"
Without hesitating, Bob Gruskin replied, "Jeff King." He also tells me that Jeff was one of the hardest training athletes he's worked with (although Defendis takes the top spot there). 
It's rare for potential and work ethic to meet in one lifter, which is why there are so few men like Yates or Coleman. The third ingredient "luck" was the one factor Jeff King lacked. His untimely rise in the turbulent politic waters of bodybuilding kept him from capitalizing on the other two traits.
But during his time in the sport, King built a physique that still earns respect today. With his permission, I am sharing some of his routines and pointers from his (now out of print) "Leg Training Manual."
According to Jeff, for best gains:
1. I suggest cycling your workouts to avoid overtraining. A series of light, moderate and heavy days is recommended. I have found that one maximum day every two weeks works well for me. On these days, I go for personal records. In setting up your schedule, you will have to take into account your personal recuperative abilities.
2. Thoroughly warm up before handling heavy weights. Before doing any heavy movements, I warm up with a couple sets of leg extensions and front squats.
3. Always take each movement through a full range of motion.
4. Do each movement in perfect form.
5. Do not forget to resist the movement on the way down for negative emphasis.
6. Rest no more than ninety seconds between sets. Keep moving to keep the intensity high.
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OFF-SEASON LEG TRAINING |
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Front Squats |
3 sets of 8 reps |
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Duck Leg Press |
4 sets of 8 reps |
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Hack Squats |
3 sets of 8 reps |
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Leg Curls |
4 sets of 10 reps |
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Standing Leg Curls |
2 sets of 10 reps |
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Standing Calf Raise |
3 to 4 sets of 15-20 reps |
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Calf Press |
3 sets of 12-15 reps |
Another excellent leg training program is my Powerlifting Squat Routine. You should emphasize the typical
back squat with a two-by-four under your heels. Maximum poundages in pyramid sets can promote excellent size and strength gains. Along with the back squat I use the Duck Leg-press (also in a powerlifting-style pyramid). I have found that alternating my normal off-season routine with the following power schedule works well.
The first few sets act as warm-up sets which prepare you for your final maximum sets. Sample weights are listed. Always attempt to surpass your previous record weights. Keep in mind that you'll be training at a slower pace than in your normal routine.
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POWERLIFTING SQUAT ROUTINE |
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Back Squats |
6 sets of 12/10/8/6/4/4 reps 135x12 185x12 225x10 315x8 405x6 495x4 495x4 |
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Duck Leg Press |
4 sets of 10/8/6/4 reps 400x10 500x8 600x6 700x4 |
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Leg Curls |
3 sets of 10 reps straight sets, no need to pyramid these |
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Go animal in your leg workouts!
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