How to build legs like Thenus "The Bull" Hellmuth
For Thenus “The Bull” Hellmuth earning his IFBB Elite Pro Card that status at only his third-ever show wasn’t just a triumph; it was a declaration. The 24-year-old phenom didn’t just win his pro card, he announced himself with a structural advantage so profound it has become his trademark: a phenomenal lower body.
Some critics might call him bottom-heavy, a common observation for athletes whose leg development overshadows their upper body—for now. But most recognize it for what it is: a distinct, genetic-gifted foundation that provides a powerful silhouette perfectly suited for Classic. His legs aren’t an imbalance; they are his main weapon.
So, how does The Bull build and maintain such formidable wheels? The answer lies in a workout that is both intelligently crafted and brutally intense.
The Philosophy: Precision and Brutal Efficiency
He prioritizes knee extension and flexion movements first to pre-exhaust the muscles, ensuring his target areas are fully engaged before moving to his primary compound movement. This approach, combined with the strategic use of Myo-Reps, maximizes muscle fiber recruitment and metabolic stress without requiring a marathon session in the gym.
Deconstructing The Bull’s Leg Day
1. Seated Leg Curl: 4 Sets (2 Working Sets, 2 Myo-Rep Sets)
The session begins not with squats, but with hamstrings. By starting with leg curls, Thenus pre-fatigues the vastus muscles of the quadriceps and wakes up the knee joint. This enhances mind-muscle connection and ensures his quads are primed for the work to come.
The Execution: After thorough warm-ups, he performs two heavy working sets in the 8-12 rep range, focusing on a powerful squeeze at the peak contraction. Then, he employs Myo-Reps: after a brief 20-second rest, he performs mini-sets of 3-5 reps until he can no longer achieve the target. This technique floods the muscle with blood and creates incredible metabolic stress, a key driver for growth.
2. Leg Extensions: 4 Sets (2 Working Sets, 2 Myo-Rep Sets)
The pre-exhaust protocol continues. Now with his quads already humming, he moves to leg extensions. This exercise allows him to isolate the quads completely, carving out that coveted teardrop (vastus medialis) and sweeping outer quad (vastus lateralis) detail without any systemic fatigue from supporting heavy weight.
The Execution: Again, two heavy working sets are followed by two Myo-Rep sets. The burn here is excruciating but essential. It ensures that by the time he steps under the pendulum squat, his quads are already screaming for mercy.
3. Pendulum Squats: 4 Sets (1 Warm-up, 1 Feeder Set, 2 Working Sets)
This is the centerpiece of his routine. The pendulum squat machine is a game-changer, allowing for deep, loaded squats with significantly less shear stress on the spine compared to traditional barbell squats. This lets Thenus hammer his legs with heavy weight through a full range of motion, targeting the entire quad complex and glutes with precision.
The Execution:
Warm-up Set: Light weight to groove the movement pattern and get a feel for the machine.
Feeder Set: A moderate weight set that acts as a final primer, pushing blood into the muscles and preparing the nervous system for maximum output.
Working Sets: This is where the magic happens. With a weight that challenges him for 6-10 reps, Thenus focuses on controlled negatives and explosive positives, sinking deep into the bottom of the movement to maximize muscle stretch under load.
4. Lying Leg Curl: 4 Sets (1 Working Set, 3 Myo-Rep Sets)
To finish the destruction, he returns to the hamstrings with lying leg curls. This variation places a greater stretch on the hamstrings compared to the seated version. By now, his posterior chain is fatigued, so the focus shifts from pure weight to an insane pump and total muscle failure.
The Execution: One all-out heavy working set brings the muscles to failure. Then, he goes into a torturous sequence of three Myo-Rep sets. With minimal rest, he forces out rep after rep until the hamstrings are utterly spent. This finishing move ensures complete development and adds those thick, sweeping curves to the back of his legs that complete the package from every angle.
The Takeaway: Lessons from The Bull
Thenus the Bull’s workout is more than a list of exercises. It’s a blueprint for intelligent bodybuilding:
Pre-Exhaust is Power: Isolating muscles before compounds ensures they, not your stabilizing muscles, do the majority of the work.
Quality Over Quantity: Four movements, executed with maximum intensity and advanced techniques, are far more effective than six exercises performed poorly.
Embrace Intensity Techniques: Myo-Reps are a highly efficient way to increase training volume and metabolic stress without adding excessive time or joint wear and tear.
For Thenus, these colossal legs are the foundation upon which his pro career is built. While he continues to bring up his upper body to match his legendary lower half, one thing is certain: on any stage he steps on, from the back, the winner is already clear.
