Welcome to my garage gym. My name’s Jacob Zemer—performance coach based just outside New York City in Westchester. I’ve been doing this for 8+ years, starting as a personal trainer at Equinox where I cracked the Top 25 in the company before going independent, embracing digital coaching, and helping thousands of busy professionals—finance folks, business owners, real people—drop fat and build serious muscle.
Today, I’m taking you through a high-effort, no-nonsense leg day workout—filmed right here in my garage gym, on a hot, humid New York day. Whether you’re training at home or have access to a full setup, everything I show here is adaptable.
Equipment You’ll Need (or How to Make It Work at Home)
For this session, I used:
- Belt squat machine (or sub in a barbell high bar squat)
- Dumbbells or barbell
- Bench
- Power rack or sturdy surface for Nordic curls
Don’t have the exact setup? No problem. I give alternatives for every move.
Full Lower Body Workout Breakdown
1. Belt Squat (or High Bar Squat)
We kick things off with belt squats using the Rogue unit—great for glutes and quads. If you’re at home without one, sub in a barbell high-bar squat. I used warm-up sets to dial in my foot placement and depth, then worked up to two heavy sets taken to one rep from failure. The key is full range of motion and technical failure—perfect form, pushing hard, but never sloppy.
“You really don’t need a lot of weight to make this machine brutal. I felt this in my glutes more than anything else.”
2. Bulgarian Split Squats
One of the best unilateral leg builders. I used dumbbells, but a barbell works too. Just find something to elevate your back foot—bench, box, whatever’s sturdy. I aimed for 10 near-failure reps per leg, two sets total. These torch your quads and build balance like nothing else.
3. Squat to Toes
I elevated onto my toes to increase the emphasis on the quads—especially the rectus femoris. Two sets of high reps (20+), taken right to the edge. If you’re chasing that deep quad burn, this will deliver.
4. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)
This is your hinge pattern for the day—hitting hamstrings and glutes. Two sets, reps in the 10–12 range, using my Rep Pepin adjustable dumbbells. Keep a slight bend in the knee, and think hips back, hamstrings loaded.
5. Nordic Curls
This one’s brutal—but worth it. I did three sets of strict Nordics using a custom setup. If you’re not there yet, modify with a GHD, push off the ground, or even use a TRX for leg curls. The goal here is to hit the biceps femoris and everything that ties into the lower hamstrings and calves.
Results-Driven Training
This session hit six sets for quads and five for hamstrings. Intense, focused, and efficient.
“I’m currently down 14 lbs on my cut, aiming for a total of 30 lbs fat lost this summer. I went from 257 to the low 230s, and I’m halfway there.”
I’ve put on 10 lbs of muscle over the last couple years—and now I’m stripping the fat away to show the work.
Follow the Journey
If you’re serious about fat loss, muscle gain, or just learning how to train smarter—subscribe. Every week I put out long-form content on YouTube and daily clips across TikTok and Instagram. We cover:
- Training breakdowns
- Grocery hauls
- Doctor visits
- Real, practical fitness advice
This isn’t influencer fluff. It’s real training for real people. Follow along if you want to cut fat, build muscle, and finally see your abs.
