These days, you’re just as likely to catch him in a downward dog at a yoga class, as squatting a phenomenal weight on the squat rack. Despite his new found passion for vinyasa, it’s clear that bodybuilding icon Brad Rowe hasn’t lost his appetite for a beast-mode and never skips a leg day session.
Brad grew up in the small coastal town of Seabrook, NH. As an only child raised by a single mom, he found playing sports filled a gap in his life and kept him busy. At the age of 13, Brad’s cousin ‘dragged’ him into the gym, and so began a lifelong relationship with bodybuilding.
“I was like the circus act, because from day one I was stronger than most of the young adults,” recalls Brad. “I had no idea about the bodybuilding world, and it certainly wasn’t a dream of mine to become a fitness model, but a profile pic I posted on MySpace led to an agency making contact and, well, I suddenly found myself living in LA and competing at the Olympia.
“I landed a ton of magazine covers and enjoyed a successful run at commercial acting. I went on to build my personal training business, and now work with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.”
In 2020, Mark retired from bodybuilding and shifted his focus to health and wellness, but he’s still not shy of the weights room.
We’re not greedy, but we love huge legs and flexibility combined, so here’s Brad’s leg routine when he does hit the gym for a spot of heavy lifting.
BRAD’S LEG DAY LOGBOOK
1. The Warm-Up
4 sets of 12-15 reps
Brad Rowe starts with an isolated movement like leg extensions or leg curls to pre-fatigue the muscles. This ensures the muscles are fully activated to preserve the joints and tendons during the heavier movements.
2. LEG PRESS
3 sets of 10-12 reps
Packs power and size onto your thighs!
3. SQUATS
3 sets of 10-12 reps
The barbell squat is the meat and potatoes of leg development. Squats were the foundation of my training from a very young age. 2x a week I would do 10-15 sets of heavy squats. Not everyone is built to squat, however. Limb and torso length and mobility can make squatting a very useless and damaging activity for some.
4. RUSSIAN DEADLIFT OR HAMSTRING HYPER EXTENSIONS
3 sets of 12-15 reps
If you want to really bug the hamstrings, a heavy RDL is the go-to movement! On the other hand, the hamstring hyperextension is a hugely underrated hamstring exercise. You can use a spotter or a bar to help you through the range of motion.
5. THE FINISHER
Twisted or straight single-leg press
3 sets of 12-15 reps
Next Brad Rowe does twisted single-leg presses. They are great for focusing on the sweep, as well as providing more glute activation than a traditional leg press. The straight single-leg press is great for overcoming imbalances. Unilateral movement helps to activate those small stabilizer muscles. This foot position is a great quad exercise, especially for developing the quad sweep.
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