Time Under Tension is the Key to Ryan Terry’s Leg Day

IFBB Pro League competitor Ryan Terry has adorned countless international bodybuilding magazine covers, such as Muscle Insider and Muscle & Fitness, and taken first place in competitions such as Mr. Great Britain and Mr. International. If a recent Instagram post is anything to go by, the 33-year-old from Nottinghamshire, England is training with intensity in the build-up to his return to the 2022 Olympia on Dec. 16-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

Having earned his place in this year’s Men’s Physique Olympia showdown by claiming first place at the inaugural Arnold Classic UK in October 2021. Speaking at that contest, the former plumber told MyProtein:

Last weekend has reignited the fire in me and I am now more determined than ever to be the best in the world and take that the Mr. Olympia title.

Terry’s determination was on full display on June 21, 2022, as he took to his Instagram to provide an update on his road to Olympia, blasting out an intense leg workout alongside the Australian fitness personality and coach, Nathan McCallum. Check it out below:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Ryan Terry (@ryanjterry)

[Related: Nick Walker Tackles Leg Day With 212 Olympia Competitor Derik Oslan]

Ryan Terry’s Leg Workout

• Leg Extensions:
  • 1 x 12 "Feeler warm-up set"
  • 3 x 12 reps, working sets
  • 1 x 12 reps, TUT set
• Seated Calf Raises: 4x reps, 12-15
• Stiff Leg Hex Bar Deadlift: 4x 10-12 reps, slow and controlled
• Lying Leg Raise: 4x 15 reps
• Standing Smith Machine Calf Raise: 4 x 20 reps
• Walking Barbell Lunges: 4 x 12 lunges on each leg

As the footage shows, Terry controls each exercise by stressing his muscles in time under tension (TUT). In a leg-focuses training video posted to Terry’s YouTube channel back in February, the bodybuilder explains that he prefers to train intensely whether with heavier weights and fewer reps or higher reps with a lesser weight depending on how he feels in the gym. He likes to start with light leg extensions as a warmup as they help to draw blood toward the knees.

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Terry advises that heavy weight is not essential to make an exercise difficult. TUT is essential. Terry spoke to this further in a notable 2020 Facebook Watch video:

It’s all about the negative tempo of the rep. On the concentric part…hold for a second and then go four seconds down. This is a great way to push through plateaus and get that strength gain without going too heavy and risking injury.

Whether executing a barbell curl or a leg extension, the same rules of TUT apply. Bring the weight down in a controlled manner, then explode upwards.

This is something I’ve implemented quite a lot in my training, and I absolutely love it.

Judging from the current size of Terry’s quads and calves, TUT seems to deliver when it comes to building muscle. We’ll see if Terry’s TUT training transforms his physique to the judges’ liking to potentially dethrone reigning Men’s Olympia champion Brandon Hendrickson.

Featured image: @ryanjterry on Instagram