“It feels unreal; since I was 11 years old, I dreamt of being on that Olympia stage, and now I’m really close.” The 2024 Classic Physique Olympia runner-up Mike Sommerfeld opened up recently during a leg workout with four-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler.
Sommerfeld tapped Cutler’s wealth of insights and revealed his secret weapon: alternating high-intensity, upper-lower body workouts.
“I gained a stupid amount of muscle,” Sommerfeld confessed. Though he struggles to balance gains and recovery. “[Don’t] focus so much on [lifting heavy],” Cutler advised. “Training should be cycled.”
[Related: Arnold Schwarzenegger Calls This Bodybuilding Exercise an “Absolute Must-Do”]
Cutler & Sommerfeld’s Leg Workout
The exercises were performed in the following sequence for three sets of 12 repetitions.
- Machine Seated Hamstring Curl
- Machine Standing Hamstring Curl
- Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift
- Lying Leg Curl
- Leg Extensions
- Leg Press
- Walking Lunges
- Machine Adductions
During the session, Sommerfeld said he switched from Open to Classic due to a genetic sickness that affects his liver. “I’m the healthiest ever at the moment,” he proudly stated. I just need the details.”
Cutler told Sommerfeld to keep refining his greatness since “The guy [Chris Bumstead] you had to knock out is gone.” Despite the reigning Classic Physique champ retiring, Sommerfeld isn’t lowering his guard. A win at the 2025 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, in early March would boost confidence.
Prioritizing Hamstrings
The duo prefers starting leg day with hamstrings. Cutler begins every workout with seated leg curls — his hack for bringing up weak hamstrings. Likewise, Sommerfeld shared his strategy, “The moment my brain connects, and I feel a good contraction, I [stop and increase the weight],” he shared.
Cutler established 12 reps as what “seems to be [most effective].”
[Related: Why Bodybuilders Recommend Doing Leg Curls Before Squats]
Controlled vs. Explosive Reps
Cutler and Sommerfeld debated rep tempo. Sommerfeld trains slower to prevent injuries; Cutler prefers faster rep speeds. One isn’t necessarily better, though a faster lift and slower eccentrics are shown to optimize muscle growth. (1)
Cutler focuses on a specific range of motion during leg curls. “I don’t lengthen the [hamstrings] totally; I keep the tension, lock in, pause, and reset.” He doesn’t count reps but almost always subconsciously hits 10-12.
“Remember, the weights don’t matter; it’s all about the feel,” Cutler reminded.
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Reference
- Wilk M, Zajac A, Tufano JJ. The Influence of Movement Tempo During Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Hypertrophy Responses: A Review. Sports Med. 2021 Aug;51(8):1629-1650. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01465-2. Epub 2021 May 27. PMID: 34043184; PMCID: PMC8310485.
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