The road to Olympia is a year-round endeavor, with training evolving dramatically through different stages. Bodybuilders transition from the bulking season to the cutting phase, prioritizing muscle preservation and definition as they enter peak week (the final seven days before a competition).
On Oct. 7, 2024, coach Hany Rambod offered a glimpse into former Olympia champ Hadi Choopan’s final peak week quad-dominant leg workout before the 2024 Mr. Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV.
Hadi Choopan’s 2024 Mr. Olympia Leg Workout
- Leg Extension
- Leg Press
- Power Squat Machine
- Smith Machine Front Squat
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Unilateral Movements for Better Isolation
Peak week is about refining existing muscle and enhancing definition rather than building new tissue. Unilateral exercises enable targeted stimulation, maximizing muscle contraction and stretch for sculpting. Choopan points his toes inward during leg extensions to bias the quad sweep.
Rambod gently taps Choopan’s quads during the concentrics as tactile feedback to enhance mind-muscle connection, which Rambod believes boosts force production, leading to sharper contractions.
Rambod explains that tactile feedback allows him to assess muscle fullness, providing crucial information for adjusting nutrition and training to improve muscle conditioning and separation.
Maximize Muscle Pumps
After three sets of leg presses with a shoulder-width stance, Choopan transitions to a narrower stance and performs more repetitions to increase blood flow to the quad sweeps and boost definition and vascularity. (1)
“We are not going crazy heavy; just getting that really good pump.
Rambod cautions against lifting too heavy or aiming for new personal records in the final week before a bodybuilding show to limit injury risk. Instead, he advises prioritizing a deep mind-muscle connection, increasing the time under tension, and focusing on the weakest muscle groups. (2)
Improve Glute & Quad Definition
Striated glutes have become the hallmark of peak conditioning. Full range of motion (ROM) squats can help achieve that sculpted aesthetic. Choopan uses the Panatta super squat machine, which allows for depth without straining the lower back.
Choopan transitions to Smith machine front squats to bias the quads, employing a narrow stance to zone in on the vastus lateralis. Rambod emphasizes controlled eccentrics and precise form to maximize muscle activation.
The 2024 Mr. Olympia
The epic rematch between Choopan and the reigning champion, Derek Lunsford, will headline the 2024 Olympia. While these two are the favorites to win the coveted Sandow trophy, former champion Brandon Curry, Samson Dauda, Andrew Jacked, Martin Fitzwater, and the always-dangerous Hunter Labrada are all vying for the title.
Should Choopan emerge victorious at the 2024 Olympia, he will etch his name in the annals of bodybuilding by becoming the second bodybuilder after Jay Cutler to reclaim the Olympia throne after losing it.
References
- Hirono, T., Ikezoe, T., Taniguchi, M., Tanaka, H., Saeki, J., Yagi, M., Umehara, J., & Ichihashi, N. (2022). Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 36(2), 359–364. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478
- Burd NA, Andrews RJ, West DW, et al. Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. J Physiol. 2012;590(2):351-362. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
Featured image: @hanyrambod on Instagram
