Maximizing Leg Mass | Ben Pakulski's 7 Favorite Exercises
Maximize Leg Mass with Ben Pakulski's 7 Favorite Exercises
It’s now generally accepted that Ben Pakulski has the freakiest leg development (quads, hams, calves) on the current bodybuilding scene. Say it loud, maybe the best legs this side of the legendary Tom Platz. It didn’t happen by chance. Here the Canadian Colossus details his seven favorite leg exercises.
FAVORITE EXERCISES
1) Lying Leg Curls
It’s almost a cliché that a top bodybuilder warms up at the start of a leg workout with leg extensions, but Ben actually feels that leg curls are a much more appropriate movement. “I find that they warm up the knees better, without putting any strain on those tendons, plus it’s better to have a pump going in the hams before you start any type of heavy pressing or squatting movement.”
He does three or four gradually heavier sets as a preliminary, then an equal amount of work sets. Ben does his lying leg curls the regular way at one workout, and does them one leg at a time at the next session. “That’s important to make sure I don’t have any strength imbalances, and both hamstrings are working equally hard. It’s very easy to let one dominate without even knowing it if you always do leg curls with both legs at the same time. You also need to make sure your hips stay down on the pad.”
2) Squats
Ben has cut back on squatting frequency, since they are extremely effective at stimulating quad growth for him— and that’s not what he needs right now. But he would never dream of abandoning squats, since they have been delivering the goods for him since before he was old enough to drive. Ben is unlike most bodybuilders in that he never uses a lifting belt or knee wraps, despite routinely handling six plates on each side of the bar.
“If you start off using perfect form and not relying on a belt, your supporting muscles develop in proportion to everything else, and you never need a belt,” he points out. Another notable aspect to Ben’s squatting style is his shorter rest periods between sets, generally no more than a minute to 90 seconds.
3) Leg Presses
Often it’s the leg press rather than squats that are Ben’s core compound movement for the legs. Leg presses are more suited to high reps, as the back is fully supported and there is no balance required. Ben regularly does sets of 15-20, and isn’t afraid of volume, either, usually completing 6 sets but not afraid to do a set or two more if he is feeling extra energetic on a given day.
“If there’s one muscle group that thrives on high volume, it’s the legs,” he states. “The legs can handle a lot of weight and a lot of sets, and as long as you are only training them once a week like I do, you don’t have to be overly concerned with overtraining them unless you are in there all day or something ridiculous.”
4) Vertical Leg Presses
The vertical leg press was a staple in what few hardcore gyms existed in the 1960s and ’70s, but eventually became about as common as the T-Rex. But Ben still likes the vertical leg press, and uses it fairly regularly in the off-season. “I won’t do it pre-contest because I don’t think it’s too safe for the lower back,” he clarifies. “I don’t go super heavy on it either, and I don’t lock out my knees— just keep constant tension on my legs for the whole set.”
5) Hack Squats
Hack squats are Ben’s second pressing movement, whether he’s doing squats or leg presses as his main compound exercise.
“It’s a similar movement to the squat, but you have a lot more options with foot placement and therefore which area of the quads you want to target,” he notes. Lately on leg presses and hacks he has been using a technique he calls ‘intention,’ which involves pushing the feet together or apart as he presses. His feet don’t actually move, but just this slight adjustment changes the recruitment pattern of the muscles as well as prevents his joints from falling victim to repetitive-stress injuries.
“If you always press in exactly the same direction, sooner or later you’ll have problems in the knees or the hips,” he warns. He also cautions that anyone who dares give this method a try should know that your normal amount of weight is going to be too heavy— try reducing the resistance by about a third.
6) Leg Extensions
Pakulski’s formal education in exercise (he holds a dual degree in kinesiology and economics from the University of Western Ontario) is one of the reasons he doesn’t use the leg extension as a warm-up, as most others do.
“Extensions isolate the quads and do a great job of that, so using them to prepare for a multi-joint movement like squats that also involves the glutes, hams, and lower back makes no sense.” Ben uses leg extensions to target pure quads after he has already completed his heavy compound movements for them, and always gets a good squeeze at the top of each rep.
“As far as extensions separating the quads deeper, that’s a bit of a myth,” he adds. “Deep separations are more a function of having sufficient muscle mass there along with very low body fat.” He does three sets of 15-20 slow reps, maintaining tension on the quads at all times and pausing at the top of every rep to give them a good squeeze.
7) Lunges
Like Ronnie Coleman, Ben Pakulski is a big believer in lunges. He actually does them stationary at one workout, and walking at the next. “They are slightly different— you hit more quads when you walk, and more hams and glutes when you stay in one place.”
BEN’S RECCOMENDED LEG ROUTINE FOR MASS
Lying leg curls 5-6 6-8
Leg presses 6 15-20
or
Hack squats 4 6-10
Walking or stationary lunges 3 12-15 each leg
Leg extensions 3 15-20