by BJ Gaddour

But let me give you some context: Here at MH, I specialize in making fitness videos. In fact, you can see me in our brands videos on Facebook Instagram, and, of course, MensHealth.com.

Which is a lot of fun, but also has its drawbacks. Namely, lots of people like to share their opinions about how I look. Or more specifically, how my legs look. But not in a good way.

One day, I got fed up with all of the someone skipped leg day comments, and decided to do something about it.

To be clear, Ive never been one to skip leg day. However, my history of knee injuries had made it difficult for me to train my lower body as often or as hard as I want to.

I struggled with patellar tendonitis from the ages of 14 to 21, and had four knee surgeries by the time I was 22. The last surgery actually ended my college football career. So throughout my 20s, I just decided to work around my past injuries and wear pants to cover up.

Above are before-and-after photographs of my transformation. Its no coincidence that Im doing stepups in the imagesthey are staples in my leg-changing program.

When I first looked back at my old photos, the difference in my legs was shocking. Whats even more surprising? The change throughout my entire body.

Related: <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19534014/strength-secrets-from-normal-guys/" id="f4f5e84a-5e4f-3e0d-a54d-a20f2adbc1d3"> Normal-Sized Guys Who Are Freakishly Strong Tell You How They Did It </a>

Even though I purposefully trained my upper body less in order to allow my legs to catch up faster, I was leaner and more muscular up top.

And thats a true testament to how much horsepower can be added to your metabolic engine by building more muscular hips and thighs. A bigger metabolic engine not only helps you lean out, but it also sets a daily calorie-burning foundation so you can maintain your results for the long haul.

Rather than share my actual program with you, I think youll benefit more by learning the 6 key training principles I followed.

After all, the program I used was very specific to my needs. For instance, I really emphasized building my quads since that are needed the most work. But follow these guidelines, and I promise that your legs and body will change.

1. Squat every day The squat serves as the foundation for all lower-body exercises. So if you want the best results, you need to spend time in a squat position daily. This doesnt mean you need to squat heavy or even underload every day.

But it does mean you need to 1) accumulate as many reps as possible of the squat, and 2) spend as much time as possible in a deep squat position.

To start, I recommend squatting under load three times per week. As for the other days, you should do bodyweight squats and squat mobility work like spending <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19547702/squat-mobility-hacks/" id="73116109-a217-34e8-a73e-c7ba5b2125ca"> 5-to-10 minutes in a deep squat </a> .

It doesnt have to be more complicated than that. I like to rotate between barbell front squats, barbell back squats, box squats, and goblet squats.

Be sure to mix the load and rep scheme within the same week or every couple weeks to prevent plateaus. Do heavy strength work in the 3-to-5 rep range, hypertrophy work in the 6-to-12 rep range, and endurance work in the 15-to-20-plus rep range.

Related: <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19547942/fast-squat-fix/" id="efc877e9-a476-3917-a474-03532d6665be"> The Fastest Way to Get Your Ass to Grass during a Squat </a>

Personally, I like to do heavy work, and then perform higher-rep back-off sets within the same session. And even though it requires the use of lighter loads, I also like to take 2-to-3 seconds on the lowering portion of the squat, and pause for a count at the bottom of each rep. Its a better strategy for muscle growth and longevity, in my opinion.

2. Get great at goblet squats I already established the importance of squatting above. But a big problem for a lot of people is that squatting bothers their knees and back, and they dont have the mobility to achieve the needed depth for optimum growth.

Thats why Im in love with the goblet squat. You can use either a dumbbell (easier) or kettlebell to do them, and its a lot more accessible and safer than the barbell variations.

Plus, holding the weight in front of you provides a counterbalance that autocorrects your squat form, allowing you to naturally sit lower and more upright. This takes pressure off of your lower back and promotes greater growth in your glutes and quads.

You can get great at goblet squats by committing to doing 100 sessions of 100 total reps over the next 6-to-12 months. You can break up the 100 reps into sets of 10 or 20 or whatever youd like. Just hit that total. After 10,000 reps, your body and brain will never have to think about the best squatting pattern for your body again.

You should also shoot for a goal of being able to do multiple sets of 10-plus reps with a weight that is about half of your bodyweight. (So a 200-pound person would use a 100-pound dumbbell).

3. Build up strength with Bulgarians Single-leg exercises are the key to balance and symmetry between sides. They also unload your spine and improve your hip mobility and core stability.

Recent studies have shown that the Bulgarianor rear-foot-elevated split squatmay be just as effective as the regular squat for muscle and strength gains, while putting less stress on your back. (For more Bulgarian squat benefits, read <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19536080/are-back-squats-safe/" id="16c39636-58f8-30dd-a7dc-0dd00cc8e188"> Are Back Squats Safe? </a> )

Do the Bulgarian split squat at least once a week. If needed, you can also use it in place of squatting all together. Your goal should be to perform multiple sets of 10-plus reps while holding a combined weight that is at least half your body weight.

I also recommend spending 2-to-5 minutes per side mobilizing your quads and hips in the bottom position every single day. Also, be sure to mix in other classic single-sided lower-body moves like lunges, stepups, hip thrusts, and hip hinges.

4. Finish with 10 minutes of lunges or stepups When I first started this plan, I could barely lunge for a couple minutes without stopping. But I built up to an hour straight of walking lunges. And I was able to walk just fine the next day!

Initially, my commitment was just to finish every <a href="https://www.bicycling.com/training/g20009211/the-best-ever-leg-workout-for-cyclists/" id="8eb998d1-d9de-3706-a804-6fcea91af2f0"> leg workout </a> with 10 minutes of nonstop lunges or stepups. I would mix between the two for variety since lunges hit your quads more, and stepups hit your hamstrings and glutes to a greater degree.

Use just your bodyweight in the beginning and alternate between faster and slower tempos. You can either lengthen the time (from 10 to 20 or 30 minutes), or gradually add weight with dumbbells or a weight vest.

In the case of stepups, you can look to increase the box height. I credit my increased size and vascularity in my legs to all the lunges and stepups I did. They also dramatically improved my recovery ability between sets and workouts.

The legs respond very well to high-volume endurance training. And when combined with the heavier-loaded work prescribed above, you get the best of both worlds.

I should also mention that this protocol melts fat, bulletproofs your knees, boosts hip mobility, and improves your running mechanics and conditioning.

Before this, I couldnt run for a minute without feeling some pain in my knees. After doing it, I can now run with ease and without pain for a full hour. (And I actually kind of enjoy it.)

(Pounding the pavement not for you? Here are <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g19546016/10-exercises-that-burn-more-calories-than-running/" id="2f112904-94a3-3a8d-a61a-f3e08f35d066"> 10 Exercises That Burn More Calories than Running </a> .)

5. Deadlift heavy at least once a week Deadlifting isnt for everyone. But if you can do it safely and without pain, I highly recommend you deadlift at least once per week.

Its a total-body strength and muscle builder and it adds slabs of meat to your back, hips, and hamstrings. This extra strength and muscle provides the balance your body needs to look and perform better.

If you cant make it work with conventional or sumo deadlifts, try trap bar deadlifts or rack pulls instead. You could also perform straight-leg deadlifts.

Keep the reps between 1 and 5 for most of your sets, pull from a dead-start with a pause, and reset between each rep. Focus on progressively adding weight over time. Save the high-rep metabolic work for swings and squats.

Related: <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g19547317/10-secrets-to-the-perfect-deadlift/" id="7f07114a-aa29-3dfd-a616-dfeed0351e15"> 10 Secrets to the Perfect Deadlift </a>

The goal here is raw strength and good form. If deadlifting just isnt an option for you or its not worth the risk, then learn how to do swings properly and focus on that instead.

Youll still build your backside and you can get a whole lot of miles out of swings because of their low impact on your legs.

6. Pay attention to your glutes Your glutes are truly the center of the fitness universe. They drive all key movement.

And I learned from my friend and world-renowned expert Bret Contreras that the thrust is a must! I did barbell hip thrusts at least once a week, and actually built up to doing 5 reps with 625 pounds.

Besides building up my butt like never before, this set the foundation for my gains in squats and deadlifts. Start with your body weight and do sets of 10-to-20 reps. (For more ways to work your butt, check out <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/g19546820/best-glutes-exercises/" id="f8d796ef-5245-3bb7-ab7d-3542328a1db0"> The 17 Best Glutes Exercises </a> .)

Your next goal: Do multiple sets of 10 reps of the barbell version with a load equal to your bodyweight.

If you dont want to do the loaded version because you think it looks ridiculous, then progress to the single-leg version. No matter how strong you get, 10 reps of those are always super challenging and will burn your butt in a serious way.

About a year ago, I decided to fully dedicate myself to transforming my legs. Which might sound funny, given that Im the Fitness Director of Mens Health.

The 6 Secrets to Transforming Your Legs—and Ultimately Your Whole Body

Your first reaction might be to say no. But think about your routine for a second.

Are you excited to train every day? Are you losing fat? Are your exercises constantly progressing?

If you answered no to any of those questions, then youre definitely stuck in a rut.

Now check out the 21 movements in the video above.

Theyre body changers. Theyll strip away fat. Theyre fun and challenging. And you can do them at home, in a hotel room, or at a gym.

And best of all, theyll get you pumped to work out again.

But just showing you the movements isnt super helpful. So Ive outlined below how to use each of the exercises in your weekly routine. Go get shredded.

1. Dumbbell Goblet Clean to Squat to Press This is a total-body exercise that combines a pull, a squat, and a push into one metabolic rainmaker.

Whats a metabolic rainmaker? Its a movement that melts fat, builds muscle from head to toe, and jacks up your heart rate.

Do it: Do as many quality reps as possible in 2 minutes, and then rest a minute. Thats 1 round. Do up to 5 total rounds for a 15-minute weight-loss workout.

2. Situp to Hipup This move hits both the front and back of your body so that you can hit every muscle in your trunk.

Its also pretty dynamic and involves more muscles than standard crunches. As a result, youll burn more calories and sweat more.

Do it: Plug the exercise into a full-body circuit as your core move.

Or perform it as a finisher at the end of your workout. Do as many reps as you can in 5 minutes, resting only when needed.

3. Semicircle Mountain Climber

In my honest opinion, this is the most challenging mountain climber in existence.

Tracing a semicircle with your legs while supporting your bodyweight on your hands smokes your shoulders and abs like no other variation can.

I tend to sweat so much while doing these that I have to relocate to different spots on the training floor from set to set for safety purposes. No joke.

Do it: Plug the exercise into a full-body circuit as your core move.

Or perform it for 30 seconds straight, followed by 30 seconds of rest. Thats 1 round. Do 5.

4. Dumbbell Alternating Hand Swing This isnt your average swing. It develops hand-eye coordination, strengthens imbalances between sides, and really builds grip strength.

Its also kind of fun to pass the weight from one hand to the other, so youll notice that the time passes a lot faster while doing this bad boy.

Do it: For a great cardio workout, grab a 25-pound dumbbell or 16-kilogram kettlebell, and do as many reps as you can in 3 minutes. Your goal is to go non-stop. When the 3 minutes is up, rest for 1 minute. (Its like boxing intervals.) Thats 1 round. Do 5.

You can also pop this move it into a metabolic circuit as a hip-dominant exercise.

5. Side-to-Side Blast-Off Pushups

The blast-off pushup is the ultimate total-body pushup variation. Thats because you load your hips, knees, and ankles and then explode into the bottom of the pushup positionso every single muscle in your body is working.

But adding a diagonal to the blast-off portion is a whole new ballgame. Suddenly, youre putting more emphasis on one side of your upper-body, asking it to handle a dynamic, heavy load. Not only with this build unilateral strength but youll also gain insane core stability.

Do it: Pair the exercise with dumbbell alternating hand swings. Do 20 alternating hand swings (10 per side) and 10 side-to-side blast-off pushups (5 per side). Thats 1 round. Do max rounds for time in 10-20 minutes.

6. Sprinter Situp With this move, youre incorporating a running pattern into the classic situp movement.

The key: reciprocal movement of your arms and legs. When your right arm comes forward so does your left leg, and visa versa. This improves your core strength, coordination, and athleticism.

Do it: Throw this into a circuit as a core exercise.

Or try to do 100 reps as fast as possible in as few sets as possible.

7. Feet-Elevated Dead-Stop Pushups When doing a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19547594/best-way-to-do-a-pushup/" id="33b8f1cd-ebb0-38fe-a6b9-2e2b5da67e13"> dead-stop pushup </a> , you lower your entire body to the ground, pick up your hands from the floor, and then push back up. This eliminates the slingshot effect of your muscles and connective tissues making it twice as hard as a regular up and down pushup.

It also really builds raw strength and spinal stability. You simply cant come up off the floor unless you fully engage your thighs, hips, and abs. As a result this move will really bump up your bench press and pushup totals.

And its three times harder than a normal pushup if you do this move with your feet-elevated. Trust me!

Do it: Perform 10 reps <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a19547990/why-you-need-emom-workouts/" id="e0e683e2-c1eb-3276-a4e8-b2d124c05a14"> EMOM </a> (every minute on the minute) for 10 minutes. It will be the toughest 100 reps of your life.

8. Dumbbell Pull Complex This upper-body complex fuses a compound horizontal and a vertical pull pattern with an isolation exercise for the biceps. As a result, it blasts all of your pulling muscles including your back, biceps, traps, forearms, glutes, and hamstrings.

Do it: Grab a pair of 25-pound dumbbells. Perform 2 rows, 1 high pull, and 1 biceps curl. Perform as many rounds as you can in 2 minutes, and then rest a minute. Thats 1 round. Repeat up to 4 more times.

Once you consistency complete 10 rounds every 2 minutes, bump up the weights by 5 pounds.

9. Dumbbell Ground and Pound

Its time to do your best Conor McGregor impression! Visualize your worst enemy and go balls to the waller, floor.

This exercise might seem strange or sadistic, but its great for mental training, stress relief, and upper-body endurance.

Do it: Grab a light pair of 5 to 10-pound dumbbells. Get in a split-kneel position, and then and repeatedly punch toward the floor for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Perform up to 10 total rounds.

10. Dumbbell Split Squat to Shoulder Raise This is one of my favorite leg and shoulder exercise combos. Its also a surprisingly good move to improve your overall balance and coordination.

Do it: Lower into a split squat with a pair of light dumbbells held at your sides. Then push up so your legs are straight, while simultaneously raising up the weights to shoulder level and out to your sides. Lower back down into a split squat.

Thats 1 rep. Do 5 on one side, and then switch legs Perform as many 5-rep rounds on each side as you can in 5 to 10 minutes.

11. Dumbbell Discus I threw the discus in high school. Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 of my throws would go out of bounds, with most of them hitting the protective fence.

Luckily, this exercise allows me to reap the benefits of this classic field event without embarrassing myself in public.

The discus involves rotation of the hips with pivoting feet, one of the most important athletic movements to train. Focus on loading and exploding through the hips with every rep. Your belly button should face forward throughout the entire exercise.

Do it: Perform the movement with a light 5 to 10-pound dumbbell.

To fire up your fat-burning fast-twitch muscles fibers, perform the exercise for 20 seconds straight, and then rest for 10 seconds. Thats 1 round. Switch arms and do the same thing on the other side.

Perform 5 rounds per side for a genuine hip and heart attack.

12. Extended Range-of-Motion Bulgarian Split Squat Recent studies have found that the Bulgarian split squatwhere you elevate the foot of your rear leg to a box or bench thats approximately knee heightmay be just as effective as heavy squatting for gains in muscle and strength.

And it unloads your spine and fixes mobility and strength imbalances between legs. Its money!

But you can make it even better (and by better, I mean a lot harder) by also elevating your front foot onto a lox box or step.

This extends the range of motion of the exercise your body has to travel, which increases the muscle gain and calorie-burning stimulus. It will also mobilize your hip flexors and glutes in a way that few other moves can.

Do it: Do as many reps as you can on one side for 50 seconds, and then rest for 10 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. Perform 5 total rounds on each side for an awesome 10-minute workout.

You can also place this into a metabolic bootcamp-style workout as a lower-body or single-leg move.

13. Dumbbell King Kong This exercise doesnt only have a beast nameit also is a beastly exercise. Thats because it combines a sumo deadlift and a curl and an overhead press for a grueling test of muscular endurance and mental willpower.

Do it: Perform 10 king kongs, and then set the dumbbells down and crank out 30 second of jumping jacks. Thats 1 round. Do 10 rounds as fast as possible.

If you have anything left in the tank, then storm and climb the biggest building you can find.

14. Levitating Lunge You can think of this move as a more accessible way to do a pistol squat. It doesnt require as much flexion of the knee or hamstring mobility to performbut it does develop incredible lower-body strength and stability.

I recommend using a pair of light 5 to 10-pound dumbbells for counter balance. This will allow you to sink deeper into each rep while keeping a more upright trunk. Besides being easier on your spine, it means more work for the hips and thighs.

You can place a pad down on the floor where your knee will touch.

Do it: Build up to 5 sets of 10 reps per side. Your back knee should kiss the floor or pad for your knee. Once you can do that, add a weight vest or a 1 to 5-second pause at the bottom to keep the gainz coming.

15. Bear Walkout Im a huge fan of the bear crawl. It improves pelvic and rib positioning, core and shoulder stability, and breathing mechanics. It also strengthens the hands and wrists.

Make it more core-tastic by walking your hands out into an extended plank position. Hold for a count and reverse the movement and repeat for time or reps.

Do it: Perform 10 reps as warmup for your next upper-body workout.

Or throw it into a circuit as a core or metabolic mobility exercise.

16. Long Jump to Hop Back to Skater Jump Im a huge fan of what I call cardio flows. You seamlessly flow between a set number of bodyweight cardio moves for prolonged periods of work.

You go hard on each one for 3 to 5 seconds, and then move on to the next one and so forth.

Since the moves are non-competitivemeaning they work different areas of your bodyyou can work harder for longer without rest. This translates into a sky-high heart rate and a sick amount of fat-burning.

Do it: Perform the flow all-out for 2 minutes. Then rest one minute. Thats one round. Do up to 5 total rounds.

17. Dumbbell Bear Crawl to Row to Donkey Kick

What happens when a bear makes sweet, passionate love to a donkey? This exercise is born!

Its truly criminal what this exercise does to your upper body, which is why its been outlawed in 37 states. Use it at your own risk.

Do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and assume a bear crawl position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.

Perform a bear crawl forward. Youll move your right hand and left foot forward, then move your left hand and right foot forward. Now pause, and do a row with each arm. Then immediately perform an explosive donkey kick behind you (as if a stranger is trying to mount you without permission).

Keep repeating that sequence for set a period of time or a set number of rounds. I like 1 to 2-minute work periods with 30 to 60 seconds of rest between sets.

18. Dumbbell Bridge to Press to Pullover

With this mega move, you get after all the goodies: butt, abs, chest, arms, shoulders, and back.

Its also a great way to mobilize your hips and shoulders, and to offset the negative effects of prolonged sitting during the day.

Do it: Grab a pair of 25-pound dumbbells, and perform sets of 10 to 15 reps. You can also do as many reps as you can in 2 to 3 minutes. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between sets.

19. Breakdancer Im what youd call a terrible dancer. So anytime I can pull off some type of dance move, Im all about it.

And the breakdancer is one of few that I can pull off. (Its also a perfect option for Bar Mitzvahs, weddings, or birthday parties.)

Why should you do it? Its unmatched for building dynamic shoulder and core stability. It also can be done at a fast enough speed to really create a metabolic disturbance. And its way more entertaining than normal planking.

Do it: Plug it into a circuit as a core or cardio move.

Or use it as a fast and fierce finisher. Do as many reps as possible in 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and the repeat. Do this 10 times total.

20. Side Plank Lateral Raise

The side plank is a great exercise to bulletproof your back and shoulders and strengthen your lateral hip muscles. But you can make it an even better bodybuilder by doing lateral raises with your top arm. Your shoulders will scream.

Do it: Grab a light dumbbell. Perform lateral raises with your left arm for 30 seconds, and then rest for 15 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. Thats 1 round. Do 3 to 5 sets for bolder shoulders.

21. Dumbbell Bent-Over Row to Biceps Curl Ive never seen this exercise anywhere before, so lets just say that I invented it. It seamlessly streamlines a bent-over row into a curl for a great back and biceps blast.

The angle of the curl provides peak biceps activation at the top of the move, where theres typically little to no tension with the classic standing variation.

Do it: Plug it into a circuit as an upper-body or pulling exercise. Do sets of 10 to 15 reps or work periods of 40 to 60 seconds.

21 Metabolic Moves That Will Get You Shredded

Are you stuck in a workout rut?

21 Metabolic Moves That Will Get You Absolutely Shredded

Andy is also freakishly strong and athletic, even though some would consider him a "normal-sized" guy at just 175 pounds. Case in point, he's one of the lightest men ever to complete the Beast Challenge, where you perform a pistol squat, weighted dead hang pullup, and single-arm overhead press with a beastly 48-kilogram or 106-pound kettlebell. Check out the video below to see Andy in action.

"The overhead press was the hardest part of the challenge for me," says Spear. "But I worked this specialized 6-week ladder program from strength and conditioning legend Pavel Tsatsouline and come testing day, I nailed it."

But according to Andy, he wasn't always a physical specimen. "Growing up, I was a skinny kid with big ears that stuck straight out from my head and a face full of acne," he says. "Outside of gymnastics, I didn't have much confidence in myself."

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNaZ3-PDNf1/" id="767fb7b4-996c-399e-ad39-e35ff711e2eb"> View this post on Instagram </a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BNaZ3-PDNf1/" id="e50a498f-db35-3f6e-a8c2-27e120245941"> Growing up I was a skinny kid with big ears that stuck straight out from my head and face full of acne. Outside of gymnastics, I didn't have much confidence in myself. My entire life I have had a very difficult time expressing my emotions, both positive and negative. I held in all my angst, uncertainty and lack of confidence. I figured it would get better or go away at some point. I put most of my value as a person on how I looked from a very young age and thought if I 'looked normal' I would change and become a 'better person' and people would like me more. I grew my hair out to cover my ears and put on 45 lbs of muscle my first two years of college. I was pole vaulting for a D1 school and president of my fraternity.. I was still not confident in myself as a person. My identity was based on 'what I did' rather that 'who I was'. I had surgery to 'fix' my ears when I was 24 years old. Still, much of my mid 20s I was floating around, getting by with random jobs until I found training and realized I could coach, teach and motivate for a career. Thank God for that. Purpose. Sure my physical appearance had changed, and sure it probably helped in an industry largely based on aesthetics. But more importantly, I had found a purpose. Loosely defined at that point, but I knew I loved coaching and changing lives and now had an opportunity to do so through fitness. I don't share that part of my life very often, and I wish I did more. I am still working everyday not to fall back into old patterns, self doubt, lack of confidence, beating myself up over my insecurities. Work in progress. Where ever you are right now is exactly where you are supposed to be. That doesn't mean you have to stay there. We all have the power with in us to transform- physically, mentally, spiritually. We all have insecurities and imperfections. That's what makes us human. We have all gone through periods in our life that we wish would end sooner than later. Whatever you've been through in your life made you who you are today. And today you are f*cking awesome! Don't forget that. #yourefuckingawesome #perfectnever </a> A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andyspeer/" id="803e511e-d988-39f4-a331-3d402e39c8d9"> Andy Speer </a> (@andyspeer) on Nov 29, 2016 at 3:30pm PST

He entered college as a scrawny 140-pound pole vaulter at the University of Miami and put on 45 pounds of rock-hard muscle his first 2 years in college. "I basically just lifted weights and ate everything the cafeteria had to offer," says Spear. This transformation unleashed the beast within him and Andy has never looked back.

Today Andy Speer is one of the most prolific fitness models in the world. And he's inspiring good people like you all over the world to make a change.

Other topics covered in this episode include:

<ul><li> What it was like winning the grueling Next Top Trainer contest </li><li> Growing up a gymnast </li><li> Pole vaulting at University of Miami </li><li> Serving as Shaun T's protege in several best-selling Beachbody home workout DVDs </li><li> And much more! </li></ul>

P.S. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out the Shaun T podcast.

On the latest episode of the Men's Health podcast, we interviewed the winner of the 2014 Men's Health <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/content/next-top-trainer/" id="91c13581-6bb0-397b-a173-e8ffdcbd235a"> Next Top Trainer </a> contest, Andy Speer. Andy is one of the worlds leading fitness models and training minds. He is also the creator of the Mens Health <a href="https://www.shopetc.com/menshealth?custom_collection=22" id="2dcc2d66-c495-31d5-a615-9c27b83460dd"> Anarchy </a> workout DVD...

​How This Skinny Kid Got Jacked

Drop sets (also referred to as strip sets) provide a sequential stimulus of heavier to lighter loads with short, incomplete rests between sets to completely exhaust every muscle fiber youve got: both slow-twitch type I fibers and fast-twist type II fibers.

This combination of multiple sets and multiple loads within one extended giant set sends your muscles a serious message to grow. And trust me, your muscles will listen.

Drop sets also dramatically increase your training density (or the amount of work you do in a given period of time) and your muscles time under tension. These two factors are key drivers of rapid fat loss and make you look instantly more muscular. Im such a big believer in drop sets that I designed two of the workouts in my new metabolic training system from Mens Health- <a href="https://www.shopetc.com/menshealth" id="33d71745-ca97-34d7-ac13-7cc03a8848ec"> METASHRED EXTREME </a> -around the concept.

Want proof? Take a look at fitness legend Steve Hercules Reeves, who popularized the training method. Since then, its been used by top strength and physique athletes for decades to maximize strength and muscle gains.

And though there needs to be more research into why drop sets are so effective, some initial studies suggest its due to acute hormonal responses (like Human Growth Hormone) and cellular swelling that result from such epic muscle pumps. Your muscles will literally flood with blood and the metabolic stress is off the charts.

There are two main types of drop sets: loaded and mechanical.

Loaded drop sets are the classic method where you start by performing as many quality reps as you can with a heavier weight. Then you reduce the load, typically by 25-50 percent, and repeat, taking no more than 20 seconds of rest. Thats a single drop set.

A double drop set would involve bumping the load down another time and repping out once more. And if you really hate yourself, you could do a triple drop set where you use four different loads in one extended body- and life-changing set.

Using the goblet squat as example for a double drop set:

Set 1: AMRAP (as many reps as possible with good form) with a heavy load, for example a 100-pound dumbbell Set 2: AMRAP with a medium load, for example a 50-pound dumbbell Set 3: AMRAP with a light load, for example just your bodyweight

Youd obviously adjust the loads based on your fitness level, but this should give you a good idea of how to set up a drop set sequence. Dont overly concern yourself with exact adjustments in weights, especially early on. The key is to just use a weight thats light enough to attack the next set as hard as the previous one.

Though this is the simplest way to approach drop sets, it also requires access to multiple loads. So it can be tough to execute if you dont have access to a wide variety of weights.

Thats where the second drop set approach comes into play.

Mechanical drop sets involve the strategic manipulation of one or more exercise variables to seamlessly extend a set while using the same absolute load. Essentially, you use progressively easier exercises or less challenging variations of the same exercise to keep going and going. Like a leaner, more jacked version of the Energizer bunny.

This can be accomplished many different ways. Here are just a few of my favorites:

<h1> 1. Drop Set Type: Body Angle Adjustments </h1>

With this method, you adjust your body position to decrease the relative load youre working with. No exercise demonstrates this better than the pushup as outlined below:

Set 1: Feet-elevated pushup (hard) Set 2: Pushup (medium) Set 3: Hands-elevated pushup (easy)

You start with the most relatively challenging body angle and then drop to a new angle that reduces the amount of your bodyweight that your chest, core, shoulder, and triceps muscles have to work against.

I love this approach because its so much easier and more convenient to transition between variations of the same move than to switch between different weights.

<h1> 2. Drop Set Type: Stance and Grip Adjustments </h1>

Here you start with the weakest stance or grip position when you are most fresh and then seamlessly move to a stronger stance or grip position as you fatigue to keep going. Here are some examples:

Set 1: Close stance (hard) Set 2: Normal stance (medium) Set 3: Wide stance (easy)

Set 1: Overhead press (hard) Set 2: Incline chest press (medium) Set 3: Flat chest press (easy)

Set 1: Overhand grip (hard) Set 2: Hammer grip (medium) Set 3: Underhand grip (easy)

(Its worth noting that beyond allowing you to go harder for longer, varying your hand and foot positions allows for more complete muscular development and prevents overtraining.)

<h1> 3. Drop Set Type: Stability Adjustments </h1>

Starting a set with a move that requires a high degree of stability and moving to more stable positions as you fatigue is another sound strip set approach.

A great example for the upper body is to use levels changes with the same pair of dumbbells for carries (also known as farmers walks):

Set 1: Carry with your arms overhead (hard) Set 2: Carry with the weights at shoulder level (medium) Set 3: Carry with the weights at your sides (easy)

Your core has to work a lot harder to stabilize your spine when your arms are overhead due to a lengthened center of gravity.

From a lower body perspective, you could move from harder unilateral exercises to easier bilateral exercises:

Set 1: Split squat, left Set 2: Split squat, right Set 3: Squat

Besides requiring more balance, single-leg moves put twice as much load through your working muscles.

But dont just limit yourself to the examples above. Common sense would tell you that squat jumps are harder than regular squats. So following a set of squat jumps with a set of squats would make for a great lower-body drop set.

And since you use lighter loads with single-joint, isolation moves than with multi-joint, compound moves, following a set of triceps extensions with chest presses using the same load makes for a killer upper-body drop set.

The sky is really the limit here. They key is to just select a proper sequence of exercises that feel easier and easier as fatigue accumulates. Have fun and get it done!

Finally, Ive created a upper-body and lower-body drop sets workout to get you started. These are adapted from my latest workout program, <a href="https://www.shopetc.com/menshealth" id="33d71745-ca97-34d7-ac13-7cc03a8848ec"> METASHRED EXTREME </a> , where shred meets gainz!

<h1> The Diabolical Drop Sets Workouts </h1>

Ive created a lower-body and upper-body version of this workout since I prefer an upper/lower split to a total-body split for maximum fat loss and muscle gain.

Do the lower body-workout on one day and the upper-body workout on the next day. Then rest a day or perform lower-intensity recovery work like cardio or mobility. Do each routine twice per week for four total sessions per week.

If you prefer whole-body workouts, then perform one or two cycles of each workout within the same training session. Perform two to three sessions per week with at least a day of rest between workouts.

Much like the great American poet Snoop Dogg, Im a big believer in dropping it like its hot. But Im a terrible dancer and a bit of a meathead, so I limit most of my dropping to my physical training.

by BJ Gaddour

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Articles written by the author

The 6 Secrets to Transforming Your Legs—and Ultimately Your Whole Body

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The Lifting Technique That Flattens Your Belly

The Single Most Important Factor In Your Workout

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