Recently we shared a chest workout, used by the world’s most relatable superhero Jason Momoa, in his quest to bulk up ahead of his turn as Aquaman.
In it we explained how legendary trainer Mark Twight – responsible for producing the imposing onscreen physiques of everyone from the eponymous 300 Spartans in Zack Snyder’s stylish historical epic 300, through to Superman himself, Henry Cavill— was forced to work around Momoa’s love for rock climbing, and insistence that he hit the walls two to three times per week.
‘We balanced weightlifting with climbing, we didn’t fatigue climbing muscles the day before a session in the rock gym but instead focused on chest, shoulders and legs,’ Twight shares.
Twight also notes, that perhaps in part due to Momoa’s, erm, 'adventurous' nature, the workouts had to be kept interesting.
‘The movements and combinations had to be fun,' says Twight, 'and sometimes novel – treat training as play and it will never be a drag or feel like work.’
It’s ironic, then, that this leg day that Twight shared with us from Momoa’s training plan features a lot of dragging. Fortunately, with many commercial gyms now retrofitted with astroturf tracks and sleds, this is a leg workout that most of us mere mortals can finally pit ourselves against.
Before you set out to build yourself a set of superhero worthy pins, Twight has some final words of encouragement: ‘If you’re brave enough to choose “transformative” loads for the sled and quad extension, and strict with the split squat and hold in bottom position, this should deliver the DOMS you have been craving — because that’s how you know the work is working.’
Jason Momoa's Leg Workout
Part One
After a thorough warm-up, work your way through five rounds of the following sled push, pull, leg extension combo. Rest 4-5 minutes between each round to keep your form sharp, but add an extra 20kg plate to the sled every round.
A1. Sled push x 20m
Grab the handles of a sled with your arms fully locked out and lean in. Keep your torso almost upright (A). Drive the sled by marching forward, taking large, powerful steps (B). Try not to lose momentum once you start a length. Begin with 2 x 20kg plates on the sled, add an additional plate each round.
A2. Sled backward drag x 20m
Attach straps or a thick rope to your sled and grip with both hands (A). Explosively march backward with small but powerful steps (B). Focus on the tension in your quads as you extend at the knee with each step.
A3. Single leg extension dropset x 36 (6, 12, 18 on each leg)
Hop on a leg extension machine and perform 6 reps with your left leg, using a weight that you wouldn’t be able to perform more than 8-10 reps with. Immediately repeat with the right leg. Next, reduce the weight by 2-3 plates and perform 12 reps with your left leg, followed immediately by your right. Finally, with no rest, drop another 2-3 plates from the stack and perform 18 reps on each leg, one at a time.
Hop off of the machine and walk it off. Add the additional load to your sled, rest 4-5 minutes and repeat this quad killing circuit for 4 more rounds.
Part Two
This simple dumbbell lunge and split squat combo has a deceptive sting in its tail. Twight recommends using a pair of 20-25kg dumbbells and resting for 4-5 minutes between each of the 5 rounds. Trust us, you’ll need it.
B1. Walking lunge x 40m
Standing tall, grab a set of dumbbells and hold them with straight arms by your sides (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a long step forward with one leg, bending your front knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg, moving forward as you do.
B2. Bulgarian split squat x 10/10 (with 10 sec hold on final rep)
Set yourself up with your back foot resting on a bench or box, your front foot around 3 feet out in front, holding your dumbbells at your sides (A). Keeping your torso upright throughout, bend your front knee, slowly lowering yourself towards the ground (B). Explosively push back up to the starting position and repeat. On your tenth and final rep, hold yourself in the bottom position for 10 seconds before (trying) to stand back up. Switch legs and repeat.
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With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.