Hypertrophy Past and Present 020 How to program a muscle specialisation phase
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Oct 6, 2025 The hosts dive into Peary Rader's classic leg routine, adjusting it for modern training needs. They discuss programming strategies to optimize muscle specialization while integrating it into existing plans, emphasizing the importance of compound lifts for overall growth. Key topics include the value of knee-dominant squats for quad development and balancing different lift types. The conversation also covers how to handle training frequency, session limits, and the rise of science-driven methods among younger lifters.
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Rader’s 1955 Leg Specialization
- Peary Rader's 1955 leg specialization replaced leg work in a full‑body 3x/week plan with a six‑exercise sequence emphasizing squats and stiff‑leg deadlifts.
- The routine used ~10 rep ranges and acknowledged some lifters might fare better twice weekly.
Hinge Choice Affects Reliability
- Stiff‑leg deadlifts reliably target hamstrings more than RDLs, which vary between people.
- For a simple barbell program, squat + stiff‑leg deadlift (plus hip thrust if available) covers quads, glutes and hamstrings well.
Pick Squat Variations With Purpose
- If you want quad bias, choose a deeper or heels‑elevated squat and separate hip‑dominant and knee‑dominant work.
- Prioritize exercises by the physiological purpose you want that movement to serve.
