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Czech Out This Leg Workout!

The Czech Republic’s Lukas Osladil came out of nowhere to win his first-ever pro contest in the 212-division in Toronto last June. His freaky quads and glutes separated him from the pack thanks to his unique leg workout!

7 Ways To Boost Leg Growth

By Lukas Osladil, IFBB Pro

Lukas Osladil

1 Go High: “Don’t be afraid of high reps for legs,” says Lukas. “I do three sets of 30 on the hip abduction machine and superset that with sets of 70 of a partial sumo squat. This is good not just for size but detail.”

2 Get Creative: “Don’t lock yourself into one way of doing things. My quads were weak for so many years, and then I started using a closer stance of standing movements and leg presses and it really helped my sweep.”

3 Lunge On: “The lunge is a great move for beginners and advanced athletes because it requires a lot of muscle to do properly.” Research also shows the lunge can strengthen your hamstrings.

4 Flexibility Matters: Lukas suggests that regular stretching — both between sets and post-workout — is crucial for maintaining flexibility or increasing range of motion on exercises, which can translate to greater strength and fewer injuries.

5 Think Unconventional: Not a fan of the hip abductor? “I’ve been doing it for over 10 years,” Lukas says — and the benefits for his glutes, which help to win contests, are evident. “Don’t be afraid to keep rest periods short on shaping moves like extensions. The additional intensity can cause greater gains.”

6 Fan the Flames: To trigger a good leg burn, Lukas uses very slow reps in almost every workout. “I also focus on the top half of the movement where there’s a lot of peak contraction, and I use drop sets for leg extensions as well. As with my sumo squats, I also use partials.”

7 Weightless Warm-Up: Some people like to jump under the bar for a few light sets to warm up. Lukas prefers his own bodyweight, using high-rep sets of squats and lunges to get blood flow going to his hips, knees, ankles and muscle bellies.

5 Things You May Not Know About Lukas

Lukas Osladil

1) He’s a consummate showman onstage. His “rolling glutes” and “one-legged 180-degree turn” moves — as he colloquially refers to them — may as well be trademarked, seeing as few other bodybuilders would consider trying these show-stopping poses.

2) He’s got an eclectic taste in music. His official Facebook page lists Abba, Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Paul Oakenfold, The Beatles and Madonna as his favorites.

3) Lukas is renowned for his intense, multi-muscle-group workouts. On any given day he’ll mix and match bodyparts — frequently 3–4 in a single workout — working his abs, delts, triceps, calves and more.

4) His amazing flexibility sets him apart from the field. “I’ve always stretched before, during and after training since taking up bodybuilding,” he says. “I use my flexible poses in my routines to show something new and unusual.”

5) If not a bodybuilder, he says he would’ve been an Olympian. “I would probably train as a sprinter — the 100-meter dash. I’m a fan of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps and I like watching track, swimming and gymnastics during the Olympic Games.”