The first article in this series was an overview of non-linear periodization and what I believe is the best application of it. If your goal is to sport the most muscle your frame will hold and you want to attain the greatest functional strength possible with bodybuilding as your primary goal, then this training design is for you. Applying the design to leg training, you'll want to keep a primary strength movement at the center and other movements will be used for intensity/growth training. Along with just about every other veteran of training, I believe the squat is unbeatable for this purpose, especially if you observe powerlifting rules of depth. Not everyone can squat due to biomechanical or injury issues, but I'll use it as the core of this example.

True to the studied scientific basis of this training model, heavy strength training will be complimented with more intense, faster- paced auxiliary movements. My personal experience with a two-week rotation has produced the best results over and over again in twenty years of searching and experimenting with every design imaginable. On paper, this would mean one week of heavy, core lifts and the next week would include moderate weights, moderate reps, but with brain-exploding intensity. I'll lie out a sample two-week rotation and then follow with more explanation.

WEEK ONE

SQUATS

bar x 20

95 x 20

135 x 20

185 x 15

225 x 10

275 x 5 (First �documented� 5-rep set. Heavy, but not too challenging.)

315 x 5 (A little harder.)

365 x 5 (Tough)

405 x 2 (Failure)

STIFF-LEG DEAD LIFTS

95 x 10

135 x 10

185 x 8

225 x 5

250 x 5

275 x 5

That's it for week one. I'm big on warm up sets as you can see, but once you get to the five rep sets, take plenty of rest. This is strength training. I vary the rep/set schemes a little for each body part due to the physiology of the fiber type and the mechanics of the movement. The 5/5/5/2 scheme for squats is something I borrowed from a friend who is a world-record setting squatter. The goal is that every time you squat you will increase your 2 rep max and possibly, occasionally one, two, or all of the five rep sets. Same thing for the five rep sets on the dead lifts. You want to increase your strength as you can on these movements, but not at the expense of changing your form. If you add twenty pounds but were sloppy or shallow, you didn't really increase your strength.

WEEK TWO:

LEG PRESS

90 x 25

180 x 25

270 x 25

360 x 20 (All reps continuous - no rest/pauses - all sets!)

450 x 15

540 x 10

630 x 10 (To failure)

EXTENSIONS

50 x 15

80 x 10 (Hold each rep - superset into one final set of leg press 270 x 50 non-stop!)

HAM CURLS

80 x 20

120 x 15

160 x 12

200 x 8 (failure)

250 x 5 (failure)

Week two is designed to stimulate growth but at the same time, provide a functional rest from the heavier squat work. If you squat heavy each week it won't be long until you're plateaued, sore, and fatigued all the time. Every time you squat on this system you should feel fresh and strong. This is NOT a light workout, it's a higher volume workout. You should even try to progress your weight each week here as long as the form and reps stay where you want. You can also toss in other auxiliary work such as a couple sets of hack squats or one-leg leg press or one-leg reverse squats as long as you keep the workouts to an hour or so. You can do virtually anything for this workout as long as you're providing enough intensity for the volume. Then� get ready to squat next week!