Brett Wilkin’s Brutal Quad Training During 2023 Olympia Prep

Men’s Open bodybuilder Brett Wilkin has had a long offseason. He won the Big Man Weekend Pro in November 2022 to become the first to qualify for the 2023 Mr. Olympia contest, aside from the podium finishers in 2022 — reigning Mr. Olympia Hadi Choopan, runner-up Derek Lunsford, and bronze medalist Nick Walker.

With the 2023 Olympia set for Nov. 2-5, 2023, in Orlando, FL, Wilkin is working hard and heavy despite running a calorie deficit to achieve his signature conditioning. On Sept. 12, 2023, Wilkin published a video on his YouTube channel, sharing his quad-focused leg training with pro bodybuilder Martin Fitzwater. Check it out below: 

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Brett Wilkin’s 2023 Olympia Leg Workout

Here is a snapshot of Wilkin’s quad-focused leg workout:

• Seated Hamstring Curl
• Leg Extension
• Leg Press
• Power Squat Pro Machine
• Pendulum Squat
• Superset — TruSquat & Walking Lunges

Seated Hamstring Curl

Wilkin opened with the seated hamstring curl to warm up. Wilkin squeezed his hamstrings in their fully shortened position, using slow eccentrics to increase his time under tension. After reaching mechanical failure, Wilkin performed negatives to complete failure to promote hypertrophy.

Wilkin performed a double rest-pause set on his final set — hitting 10 reps, resting for 10 seconds, and then another 10 reps before repeating. 

Leg Extension

Wilkin moved to leg extensions for his quads. He added a resistance band to the machine to ensure constant tension on his quads and prevent the ankle pads from bouncing off his shins at the top of each rep. On the final set, Wilkin held the lockout for five seconds after every three reps to failure.

Leg Press

Wilkin moved through his full range of motion on the leg press to train the quads in their fully lengthened position (read: a deep quad stretch). He placed his heels at the bottom of the foot platform and aimed to touch his calves to his hamstrings at the bottom of each rep. He stopped shy of full knee extension to maintain tension on his quads. 

Wilkin placed 10 45-pound weight plates on each side of the leg press on his third set. After 10 reps, Wilkin performed 10 forced reps with Fitzwater’s help. Wilkin performed a back-off set with four weight plates on each side using a slow rep cadence of 5-2-5-1.

Power Squat Pro Machine & Pendulum Squat

The Power Squat Pro machine’s unique angle provides constant tension on the quads. Wilkin placed a wedge under his heels to increase dorsiflexion and further load the quads. 

Wilkin did a double drop-set on the final set, starting with 12 45-pound weight plates for 15 reps. He then removed four plates, performed 15 reps, and repeated this cycle one more time. 

“I really like [the pendulum squat] because it is really good on your lower back,” said Wilkin. “You don’t feel it in your lower back or your knees; you just feel it in your quads.” Wilkin paused in ‘the hole’ for five seconds on every third rep.

Superset — TruSquat & Walking Lunges

Like the previous two machines, the movement trajectory of the Watson TruSquat machine loads the quads while minimizing tension on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Wilking superset the TruSquats with bodyweight walking lunges. Wilkin’s next scheduled contest is the 2023 Mr. Olympia, his debut on bodybuilding’s grandest stage.

Featured image: @brett_wilkin on Instagram

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