The 2023 Tampa Pro takes place Aug. 3-5.
After finishing seventh place at the previous year’s Mr. Olympia, Hunter Labrada recognized the need for adjustments. Following his breakthrough performance at the 2020 Tampa Pro, which earned him a direct qualification for Olympia, Labrada returned to prominence, securing a spot among the top five at Mr. Olympia. Hunter Labrada, son of the esteemed bodybuilding icon Lee Labrada, confirms his unwavering commitment to delivering his utmost best this season. Watch Hunter Labrada’s final leg workout before the 2023 Tampa Pro.
| Full Name: Hunter Labrada | ||
| Weight | Height | Date of Birth |
| 235 – 250 lbs | 5’9″ | 03/17/1992 |
| Division | Era | Nationality |
| Men’s Open | 2010s – Till Date | American |
This leg workout is part of Hunter Labrada’s preparation for the 2023 Tampa and Texas Pro. The Tampa Pro takes place this weekend from August 3-5, with the Texas Pro happening later this month.
He was joined by another bodybuilding great, Branch Warren. Warren won the Arnold Classic in 2011 and 2012 and retired from competition last year. He’s been in the bodybuilding industry since the 2000s. Branch Warren flew down personally to watch Labrada and note his conditioning as he tends to do. The retired bodybuilder still trains and is still in top shape. Plus, he is notable for his conditioning, which Labrada believes he can learn better conditioning from him. He says,
“Branch has seen me compete pretty much every single time I’ve competed. So i trust his eye. He’s obviously known for his conditioning and that’s something that I need to bring this time.”
In this article, we’ll look at the final leg exercises Hunter Labrada did before the Tampa Pro and the one he’s using to prep for the upcoming show ahead. We’ll talk about what specific muscles they work and share special tips from Labrada and Warren.
View this post on Instagram
Hunter Labrada’s Leg Workout
Labrada uses mostly isolation exercises to build his leg muscles in this session. Isolation exercises target one joint, while compound exercises aim for multiple muscle groups. This type of training allows you to focus and perfect your form, and it better engages the targeted muscle. This study shows increased size for participants already doing compound resistance training when they added isolation exercise to their routine (1).
Isolation exercises are also great accessory movements that can help prep a lifter’s joints and muscles for the bigger lifts. Labrada did the following leg exercises while Branch Warren did some back exercises.
| Exercises |
| Seated Leg Curl |
| Leg Extension |
| Hip Press |
| Hip Thrust |
| Standing Incline Calf Raise |
Seated Leg Curl
Leg curls are a great exercise to build your hamstrings. You can do them seated or in a prone position on a machine. This study shows seated leg curls led to greater hamstring muscle activation (2). This exercise is also great for your hip flexors.
Hunter Labrada started his leg training with seated curls to warm up his hamstrings for the compound movements. It’s good for warming up your knees without too much stress. Labrada did a few solid sets before heading to the next exercise.
Leg Extension
The leg extension is an excellent quad-building exercise. Very few routines will activate your thighs as this workout does. Leg extensions also come with the benefits of being low impact with a low risk of injury.
Hunter Labrada induced muscle growth in his quads by doing this effective exercise with slow full contractions during each rep. However, you should be careful with this routine as it can be harsh on the knees. After doing some sets, he moved to his first compound exercise for this session.
Hip Press
The hip press is a great exercise for building quads, hamstrings, and glutes. However, the efficacy of this particular routine lies in its ability to target and build your glutes. If you want a movement to strengthen and develop your backside, make this your go-to.
To do this exercise, Hunter Labrada uses a Rogers Athletic machine. This machine improves the engagement of the targeted muscles by increasing your range of motion. Research shows that using partial and full range of motion effectively builds lower body muscles during resistance training (3). Hunter Labrada did them unilaterally to isolate each side of his muscles.
Hip Thrust
The hip thrust is another amazing exercise for building your glutes. However, this routine also recruits quads, hamstrings, and hip adductors. Athletes and bodybuilders of all levels can do it.
Hunter Labrada used the hip thrust machine to do intense sets of this exercise. As a bodybuilder, building your glutes is important for aesthetics and lower body stabilization. Remember to keep your glutes squeezed while performing the movement at the top of each rep to maximize gains.
Standing Incline Calf Raise
The standing incline calf raise is a good resistance training exercise for leg development. It focuses on the two muscles running down the back of your legs, the gastrocnemius and soleus. Adding an incline with this routine reduces the stress on your lower back.
Hunter Labrada rounded off his leg workout with standing incline calf raises. Standing calf raises tend to build more gastrocnemius and are a great way to tone your legs. Labrada did a couple of sets before calling it a day.
Watch Hunter Labrada’s full leg workout below:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for more bodybuilders workouts!
References
- Barbalho, M., Coswig, V. S., Raiol, R., Steele, J., Fisher, J. P., Paoli, A., Bianco, A., & Gentil, P. (2018). Does the addition of single joint exercises to a resistance training program improve changes in performance and anthropometric measures in untrained men?. European journal of translational myology, 28(4), 7827. https://doi.org/10.4081/ejtm.2018.7827
- Maeo, S., Huang, M., Wu, Y., Sakurai, H., Kusagawa, Y., Sugiyama, T., Kanehisa, H., & Isaka, T. (2021). Greater Hamstrings Muscle Hypertrophy but Similar Damage Protection after Training at Long versus Short Muscle Lengths. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 53(4), 825–837. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002523
- Gillingham, B., Bishop, A., Higa, G. K., Adams, K. J., & DeBeliso, M. (2023). The Relationship Between Partial and Full Range of Motion Deadlift 1-Repetition Maximum: A Technical Note. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 37(4), 909–914. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000004342
