After an impressive amateur career that saw him win the light-heavy class in both the USA’s (2007) and Nationals (2008), Tennessean Peter Putnam placed sixth in last year’s Jacksonville Pro 202. “Pump” has long been noted for his quality quads. As evidenced by his legs, he’s the expert. So, pop quiz, hot shot. See how much you know about his thigh training philosophy as you take this Peter Putnam Quad Quiz.
Question: What is the ideal range for reps?
ANSWER: “I use as much weight as I can, but my reps almost always fall in the 8 to 12 range. But I don’t stop at 12. If I can get 13 or 14, I do. Then what I do is I increase the weight for the next set, so I’ll fall in that 8 to 12 range then. That, to me, is the sweet spot for building muscle.”
Question: True or false, squats should always come near the beginning of a leg workout?
ANSWER: False. “I prefer putting squats towards the end when the quads are pre-exhausted to better recruit all the targeted muscles.”
Question: True or false, quads should precede hamstrings or calves?
ANSWER: False. “Quads are my strong points, so I’ll usually do hamstrings and calves before quads. Some people think this is going to throw off your balance in lifts like squats, but I don’t think it’s an issue.”
Question: Why does Putnam do leg extensions at both the start and finish of his quad workouts?
ANSWER: “The first two sets of 20 are just warmups to make sure my knees are ready for the squats and leg presses. The last three sets of 8-12 are working sets, and I go as heavy as I can and push myself to failure to make sure my quads are finished off.”
