The X-Man lets us in on his leg training routine for the Arnold Classic
By Shawn Perine
February 17, 2009
FLEXONLINE
Toney Freeman, who graces the cover of the March issue of FLEX , didn’t just pick his nickname – The X-Man – out of a hat. In fact, there may be no more appropriate moniker in the sport today. His unique build, an artful blend of size and aesthetics highlighted by a set of wide-swept quads, could be a contender for one of the top spots at this year’s Arnold Classic (March 6-8 in Columbus, Ohio).
The X-Man took third at the AC in 2007 but slipped to seventh in last year’s contest. With a renewed dedication to his prep in ’09 – which includes two grueling leg workouts per week – Toney is hoping to better his showing from 2008. Can his quads carry him into the top three?
GETTING A LEG UP “My whole idea with my quads is I’m not necessarily looking for more size, just crazy detail. I have it pretty good from the front and back but I’m lacking it on the sides. So I’ve been attacking them from different angles. I’ve been incorporating leg presses into my quad routine, which I don’t normally do. I usually just squat, but with leg presses you can pick your foot placement to stress the side of your quads more.
DOUBLE UP “I’ve been training everything twice a week leading up to the Arnold. The first of my two leg workouts I’m focused mostly on quads. I’ll start out with leg extensions to get the blood flowing and from there I’ll move on to squats or Smith machine squats. I’ll do ten reps with a narrow stance and then 10 with a wide stance, all done as one set. Sometimes I’ll go up to 315 with these but normally I don’t have to go past 225 to feel it.
“That will be it for that leg workout. Then for the second one of the week I’ll start out with leg curls to focus more on hams. Then I’ll do some dumbbell leg curls and then some stiff-legged deadlifts. I got some tips on glute training from Kai, so I’ve been doing some Jefferson squats lately. Then I’ll finish up with leg presses – 15 reps with my feet low and then 15 more with my feet high. I won’t go super heavy on these – maybe 10 plates or less per side.
ALWAYS EVOLVING “I like to mix things up so I’ll do lunges and step backs on the Smith machine. It all depends on where I am. Sometimes a gym won’t even have room for me to do lunges with a barbell, so I might do walking dumbbell lunges. At this point in my career I’ve become attuned to my body. That’s why no two workouts will look exactly alike for me.
CRAZY IN COLUMBUS “I want my quads to be etched like Kai’s from the front and like Dexter’s from the side. Wait ’til you see what I’m bringing to Columbus though. I’m bringing some crazy sh– this time. For real.”
FREEMAN’S ARNOLD CLASSIC QUAD ROUTINE
DAY 1
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Leg extensions
3-5
15-30
Squats
4-6
8-10*
* close stance followed by 8-10 with a wide stance
DAY 2
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Leg curls
3-5
10-15 (heavy)
Leg extensions
3-5
10-15 (heavy)
Dumbell leg curls
4
to failure
Smith stepbacks
2-3
8-10
Leg press (Lo/Hi)^
2-3
15
Glute-ham horse
2-3
to failure
^ 15 reps with his feet low on the platform, followed by 15 with his feet high on the platform
Stay glued to www.flexonline.com for bodypart-specific training from other top pros as they wind down preparations for this year’s Arnold Classic.
