I always think it’s really weird and funny when blogs go quiet for a long time, then come back with this overly dramatic apology once they have something new to post. Steering clear of that, I’ll say that yep, it’s been a while since I’ve had much to share.

But it’s almost a new month, and a new week, and candy and treats are about to rule our lives like they always do in the fall and winter months. And, personally, I’m looking to get things going again. No way to jump into it quite like a legs day, right?

Workout Goals

I’m going to approach this workout like someone with an intermediate training knowledge base, but physically speaking, like a beginner, meaning that I am going make the lift difficult but not unrealistic. Inconsistent training has meant my body composition has swung away from real leanness and my strength has decreased – a bodybuilding-style hypertrophy lift won’t help me a lot right now.

I’ve always thought it was important to get stronger before worrying about aesthetics, with the knowledge that a strong muscle will be big, but not necessarily vice versa. All that said, I want to set myself up for more time under tension in future weeks, which means the rep ranges will have to vary for these first few if I want to be 1) strong and 2) able to withstand more intense workouts. So the next 3-4 weeks will be about programming workouts to hit some low-rep heavier stuff, as well as sets bordering on endurance of strength.

The Lift

• Warmup: 1/3m jog (for me, that’s once around my block)
• Stretches, 3×10 seconds: Hip flexors, quads, hips
• Squats: 20×115 (warmup), 10, 7, 5, 5, 3, 3, 1, 1
• Sumo Deadlifts: 10×135 (Romanians for warmup), 5×3 progressive load
• 3 Supersets: Power Clean to Front Squat x 3/:30 planks
• Core Triset x 3: Hanging Leg Raises x 8/TRX Body Saw x 8/90-degree crunches 30/20/15
• Walking Lunges, 1/3mi for time