Polish fitness influencer Wioletta Pawluk and bodybuilder Robert Burneika teamed up to put together a truly epic leg workout that is guaranteed to leave you with next level quads.
If you know anything about the strength sports scene in Eastern Europe, you probably have heard the names Wioletta Pawluk and Robert Burneika. Pawluk, one of the most successful fitness influencers in the region and a mainstay on the bodybuilding circuit, teamed up with IFBB pro and lifelong strength sports enthusiast Robert Burneika to devise the ultimate leg workout that will leave your legs looking totally shredded and defined in the gym.
If you’re starting to feel like your leg muscles aren’t burning the way the used to in your workouts anymore, it might be time to raise the bar and start pushing yourself. If that’s that case, look no further than the video above for a workout — specifically designed by two fitness experts with a combined two decades in the field — that will be sure to push your limits and take your physique to the next level.
Read on for more details about this insane workout and the athletes behind the training program.
Meet the Athletes – Wioletta & Robert
Wioletta Pawluk is a personal trainer and online fitness coach who was born and raised in Poland. She was naturally athletic from an early age, joining the track team in high school and continuing on a self-motivated fitness journey after graduating. After earning a degree in Architecture from New York City College of Technology, her beauty and toned physique took her into all sorts of creative fields — she worked as a model, music video dancer, and TV presenter.
Most recently, she was featured in videos by artists like 50 Cent, Puff Daddy, A$AP Ferg, and Trey Songz. Although she enjoyed the work, Wioletta realized fitness was her first love and retired from modeling to share her workout expertise with the world as a personal trainer.
She has been sponsored as a competitive bodybuilder by Dynamikmuscle — the same company that represents the legendary Kai Greene — and has used her time in the sport to refine the ultimate workout routines for her clients. You can visit her website, www.trainwithwioletta.com, to access more of her exclusive workout programs, tips, and tricks.
Robert Burneika, born and raised in Lithuania, is a lifelong bodybuilder. But his rise to bodybuilding fame in Central Europe had humble beginnings: he was first introduced to the gym at age 14, which at the time was just a small room in his family’s attic with a few weights. After realizing he had the passion and drive it took to succeed as a bodybuilder, Robert took the initiative to join a real gym and entered his first bodybuilding contest at the tender age of 19.
He took fifth place in that year’s Lithuanian Championships and knew that he had found the sport that would become his lifelong motivation. He moved to the United States at 21 to pursue his dream and began participating in local Strongman competitions in New England. Robert qualified for Nationals after his very first show, however, he was unable to compete due to his citizenship status.
Instead, he returned to first love, bodybuilding, and competed in the NPC. In 2010, he received the crowning achievement of his career as a bodybuilder: he took first at an NPC show and earned his IFBB pro card!
The Workout
Wioletta and Robert alternate equipment in the beginning. The crucial first step is beginning with either weighted squats or the seated leg press. Robert begins with weighted squats, Wioletta begins with the seated leg press. Since the workout alternates between the two initially, it really doesn’t matter which you start with, so do whatever feels most comfortable to you.
After 20 reps of weighted squats or the seated leg press, switch machines and do the other. This is a truly intense way to work out your legs and definitely not for the faint of heart. The change in position also enables your body to fully access all the sinews of the muscle and build strength in ways your body can’t when doing just one type of leg exercise.
There is also variation at this stage – Robert adds weight each time he switches, while Wioletta feels it’s “intense enough” and does not add weight. Again, base your judgment off yourself and your skill level. This is already a very intense workout, so it probably won’t be necessary for most of us to add weight.
Repeat this alternating cycle three more times, for a total of three of each at the end of the leg section. That’s 20 Squats – 20 Leg Presses – 20 Squats – 20 Leg Presses – 20 Squats – 20 Leg Presses or vice versa.
The second phase: calf extensions. After a quick break, Robert and Wioletta both do 20 seated calf raises on the calf extension machine. They switch twice and rest while spotting each other, for a total of 20 seated calf raises – rest – 20 seated calf raises each.
After, they both do a final 20 reps on a split calf extension machine that allows them to work their legs out individually and adjust the weight being applied to each leg. Robert explains that this is the most customizable part of the workout as you can completely control how much weight each leg is carrying.
The third phase: leverage squats on the calf extensions machine. Robert and Wioletta use the same machine they used for their calf extensions to weigh their feet down and do standing squats. Like before, they each do two sets of 20 reps with rest time in between while they spot each other, for an individual breakdown of 20 leverage squats – rest – 20 leverage squats.
The final phase: leg extensions. Robert and Wioletta focus intensely on the quads in the home stretch of their intense leg workout. Both of them do three reps on the machine for an individual breakdown of 20 leg extensions – rest – 20 leg extensions – rest – 20 leg extensions. Additionally, both of them use added weights to increase the intensity of the burn in their quads.
Tough enough for you? Watching the video gives you a great sense of how difficult it is but Robert and Wioletta are obviously pros who make it look easy. This is definitely a workout that would give even a veteran gym goer a run for his money. Try this workout the next time you’re in the gym if you dare, your legs just might thank you.
