Sam Sulek was in the gym before sunrise for an intense quad-focused workout despite a recent knee injury
Sam Sulek recently shared an early morning quad workout, and while he’s known for pushing himself through grueling workouts, this session came with a twist. The young bodybuilder revealed that he recently suffered a painful knee strain, forcing him to modify his usual leg day routine.
Rather than loading up the leg press or squatting heavy, Sulek decided to focus on isolating his quadriceps while allowing his hamstrings and knee to recover.
Sam Sulek’s Full Early Morning Quad Workout
Sulek’s latest leg day was built around one primary exercise: leg extensions. Instead of his usual combination of heavy compound movements and isolation exercises, he used the machine to hammer his quads without putting unnecessary stress on his injured knee.
Sam Sulek’s Quad Workout Breakdown:
- Leg Extensions: Primary exercise of the session, performed through multiple challenging sets to thoroughly fatigue the quadriceps.
- Heavy Leg Presses: Skipped to avoid placing additional stress on the injured area.
- Squats and Other Heavy Pressing Movements: Avoided during this session.
- Standing Leg Curls: Skipped after Sulek identified them as a possible cause of his recent knee pain.
- Lying Leg Curls: Also avoided to allow his hamstrings to recover.
The video does not provide a complete set-by-set breakdown, including exact repetitions or weights. However, Sulek made it clear that his goal was to exhaust his quads using leg extensions rather than risk aggravating his injury with heavier movements.
By the end of the workout, he was satisfied with the results.
“Yeah, me and the leg extension got awful close today,” Sulek joked.
He explained why he decided against his usual heavy pressing movements.
“I don’t want to do any heavy pressing because heavy pressing still involves your hamstrings. So, I wanted to totally let this whole little section of stuff chill out.”
Sam Sulek Reveals Painful Knee Injury That Forced Him to Change His Training
Before arriving at the gym, Sulek opened up about a recent injury that left him struggling to walk normally.
He believes the problem involved the pes anserine region, where several hamstring-related tendons attach near the inside of the knee.
According to Sulek, the discomfort began following a previous leg workout that included standing and lying leg curls.
The pain became particularly severe later that night.
“I didn’t say how bad it was cuz I was embarrassed. But that whole next day, like I, that night, I could hardly sleep. Like I had to put my leg up on pillows.”
Sulek said the injury made climbing stairs difficult, forcing him to take them one step at a time. Fortunately, he reported feeling back to normal approximately two days later.
Despite the improvement, Sulek wasn’t interested in taking unnecessary chances.
“If you keep screwing yourself up, then you’re really boned. And now instead of a temporary tweak, you have a serious long-term issue.”
The bodybuilder encouraged viewers to pay attention when their bodies begin showing warning signs. Rather than pushing through potentially serious pain, he believes adjusting training can prevent a temporary setback from turning into a prolonged injury.
Sulek Says Finding Time for the Gym Comes Down to Priorities
In addition to breaking down his leg training, Sulek shared some thoughts about people who claim they don’t have enough time to work out.
He acknowledged that demanding jobs, family responsibilities, and academic commitments can create legitimate scheduling challenges. However, he believes some younger lifters could make better use of their free time.
Sulek specifically pointed to college students who spend hours playing video games or scrolling through their phones while claiming they cannot squeeze in a workout.
His solution was simple: evaluate how much time is being spent on unnecessary activities and redirect some of it toward fitness.
He also reflected on his college training days, explaining that the gym provided a valuable social environment where he could see friends while still getting his workouts done.
Although he enjoys the solitude of early morning training, Sulek admitted that he misses the camaraderie of working out with a familiar group.
Sam Sulek Shows Off Pumped Quads After Workout
Following his leg extension-focused session, Sulek showed off the results of his early morning efforts.
Despite weighing approximately 243 pounds, he was particularly pleased with the vascularity visible throughout his quadriceps.
“But 243 and to still have veins this noticeable. Oh goodness, that makes me feel pretty good.”
Sulek also credited his preparation for helping him achieve a strong pump. Before training, he made sure to drink plenty of water, eat some food, and prepare his pre-workout supplement.
The session wasn’t his typical heavy leg day, but it was a powerful example of how to challenge your body while modifying your routine around an injury.
For Sulek, protecting his knee was more important than putting up impressive numbers on the leg press.
Image embed via Instagram @sam_sulek
