Training

No matter how much bigger a competitor might be, you can bring him down to your size or smaller. All you need is harder density, deeper cuts and more chiseled definition, and, voila: your more visible muscularity creates the illusion that you have more size.

Taking this a step further: If you create that illusion on a blatantly big body part such as your legs, his height, weight and other conventions of size suddenly virtually disappear, alongside your superior development and conditioning.

Acquiring that illusion, though, necessitates the painful reality of intensifying your training; but if you can make that sacrifice, your reputation as a respected giant-killer awaits you. Just follow these tips for slicing and dicing your legs:

Leg press
• A wide stance, with toes pointed outward, works the inner quads and hamstrings. A closer stance, with toes pointed straight ahead, works the front quads. For proportionate development, use both positions, alternating from one workout to the next.

• Get a full range of motion, bringing your knees into your chest but not so far that your hips rotate off the pad.

• Lock out at the top, squeezing the teardrops and outer thighs.

• Do four pyramided sets of 12-15.(See photo above.)

Single-leg extensions
• This is a warm-up exercise, normally performed by extending both legs simultaneously, except that by using one leg at a time, more force can be concentrated into each individual thigh.

• Do not lean backward. Sit upright, or even lean slightly forward; this intensifies the contractions in the medialis and lateralis at the top.

• Movements should be slow, focusing on lifting your leg by means of quad contractions, not with leverage.

• Lock your ankle perpendicular to your lower leg, and squeeze all the way up; then, hold for a peak contraction.

• Do four sets of 15 repetitions each.

Smith machine squats
• Once you release the bar from its brackets, take a shoulder-width stance and move both feet about a half step forward, to isolate your quads.

• Stay tight as you lower yourself to where your thighs are just below parallel; then, explode upward and backward against the bar.

• Get a full range of motion, but do not stop at the top.

• Do four sets of 15 reps.

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