Professional bodybuilders alter their training regimen according to their competitive schedule. Most athletes utilize the off-season for gaining size, while the prep season typically involves higher-intensity training to improve conditioning and muscle definition during a calorie deficit.
Although many competitors prefer hitting their ‘peak’ in the final week leading up to a show, 2021 Bikini Olympia champ Jennifer Dorie prefers to be in stage-ready shape two weeks before a contest.
Leading up to the 2022 Olympia, Dorie pulled back the curtain on her hamstring and glute workout in a video on her YouTube channel. She shared exercises and training techniques she uses one month before a pro show to build her championship-winning figure. Check it out below:
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Jennifer Dorie’s Hamstring and Glutes Workout
Dorie performed seven exercises in her high-volume leg workout:
- Seated Leg Curl — Four sets
- Barbell Hip Thrust — Four sets
- Barbell Romanian Deadlift
- Superset: Cable Kickbacks & Abductor Machine — Four sets
- Superset: Hyperextension & Banded Lateral Walk — Four sets
[Related: Use Bodybuilder Dorian Yates’ “Blood and Guts” Back Workout for Next-Level Gains]
Seated Leg Curl
Dorie’s leg day started with seated leg curls. The former Bikini Olympia champ pauses at the bottom of her range of motion with each rep. Pausing at the bottom enables Dorie’s mind-muscle connection in the shortened position.
Dorie performs slow eccentrics for an increased time under tension. She hits 15 reps with relatively lighter weight.
Barbell Hip Thrust
Dorie prefers barbell hip thrusts over machine hip thrusts, as the former better suits her body mechanics and allows her to move through her full range of motion. The line of pull is also more agreeable for a better form for Dorie than the fixed line of the machines.
Dorie’s hip thrusts begin with one 45-pound weight plate on each side. She moved up to two plates on the second set and finished with three plates for the final two sets.
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Romanian Deadlift, Cable Kickbacks, & Abductors
Dorie also proceeds with slow negatives for her Romanian deadlifts. She utilizes a pause and a squeeze in her hamstrings and glutes at the top of each of her 15 reps. Doing so aims to improve the glute and hamstring tie-in.
“I can’t feel it if I go too heavy. The goal is just to feel a stretch, keep my glutes engaged…and keep the tension on my hamstrings.
Dorie prefers cable kickbacks with one knee on a flat weight bench to establish better mind-muscle connection with her glutes. She advises against using momentum. She superset cable kickbacks with the abductor machine, performing partial reps in the top half of her range. She executes cable side kicks for the remaining three supersets.
Hyperextension & Banded Lateral Walk
Dorie further biases her glutes by placing her feet at the top corners of the foot platform. By wrapping one end of a resistance band around the machine’s legs while holding on the other end with both hands, she keeps her glutes under constant tension throughout each rep. Resistance bands in this fashion add tension during the concentric portion of the movement while relieving tension during the eccentrics.
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Road to 2023 Olympia
Dorie most recent contest was the 2023 Arnold Classic, where she ranked third overall behind gold medalist Lauralie Chapados and reigning Bikini Olympia champion Maureen Blanquisco in second. As a past Olympia champion, Dorie has a lifetime qualification for the Bikini Olympia and doesn’t need to re-qualify by winning a pro show.
Dorie will attempt to reclaim the Bikini Olympia crown at the 2023 Olympia, scheduled for Nov. 2-5 in Orlando, FL.
Featured image: @jenniferdorie_ifbbpro on Instagram
