Ronnie Coleman’s Quad Workout for Huge Gains

Ronnie Coleman
Ronnie Coleman's killer quad workout (Photo via Instagram/fitnessandbodybuildingnewsfeed and bb.hard_worker)

Eight-time Mr.Olympia Ronnie Coleman knows best about getting jacked quads. "The King" says that without his brutal leg routine, he wouldn’t have reached the top and won eight straight Olympias. Coleman knows very well what it takes to make huge gains. He recently shared what he did - especially his leg workout routine - that helped him achieve a massive lower body.

If you want to work on your quads, here's Ronnie Coleman’s leg workout routine to help you. We’ve put together Coleman’s quad workouts to guide you through the process of achieving some serious growth. You will likely benefit from the exercises and advice from one of the biggest men on the planet.


Ronnie Coleman’s Quad Workout

For Mr. Olympia, it was all about straight sets of free weight squats for pure quad mass.

Coleman's leg routine would start with squats, followed by leg presses and finally, leg extensions on the machine. For each exercise, he used the heaviest weight possible, which was followed by a drop set for leg extensions and leg presses.

“It is a brutal way to train your legs, and you also might want to throw up. But the gains will be worth it”. – Ronnie Coleman

Squat

Coleman recommends performing five pyramid sets of squats with 12 reps per set. Pyramid sets mean you have to start with a light weight, and increase the weight with each set.

You need to opt for weight so that you reach failure at around 11 reps, and continue to force through failure for 2-3 more reps. Remember that it will definitely be challenging, and you may also feel the worst burn, but find the power to get through the sets.

Ronnie Coleman preferred butt to ankles for his quad stimulation, but not everyone can handle that because of weak knees, lack of mobility, etc. Nevertheless, you must try to go below the parallel at least.

The entire focus throughout the exercise should be on keeping your hips lower than your center of gravity and experiencing a nice deep stretch.

“Since I always maxed out on my last set, good form was foremost in my mind. No pitching forward, no arching my back, and I kept my butt lower than my body’s center of gravity. Never does it thrust backward and upward. Concentrate on getting a pump in your quads." – Ronnie Coleman

Leg Press

Ronnie Coleman’s squat workouts were brutal as always, but wait till you hear how he advises performing leg presses. According to Coleman, he went straight from squats into the leg press machine with a little break in between.

For leg presses, he recommends pyramid sets in weight for four sets. In the last set, he advises reaching your maximum threshold of burn, and proceed quickly to the drop sets.

Have a spotter remove one plate off both sides, and continue the exercise for as many reps as possible. Put on one weight plate again, and continue to pump another set. Continue doing that till there's a single plate left.


Leg Extension

Ronnie Coleman performed leg extensions following the same rep and set pattern as he did the leg presses. He started with pyramid sets of four to failure and used enough weight to keep his reps at 15. At the top of each rep, he contracted his muscles.

He advises that as soon as you reach the maximum pump, immediately drop the weight stack by 20 pounds, and straightaway pump out another set. Continue that pattern till you go through the entire weight stack, and end the sequence at the lightest weight on the machine.

So, are you strong enough to give Ronnie Coleman’s quad workout a try?

It needs no reminding that the workout is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you're ready to take your gains to an all-new level, look no further than Coleman’s killing quad workout mentioned above.

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