Quadzilla's Revenge
I've seen it over and over in all the gyms in which I've lifted over the years. People use two or three exercises for their quads: medium stance squats, leg presses, and some leg extensions to finish them off. I don't know if these lifters don't want to do anything else, or just aren't aware of the other great quad developers out there. Nonetheless, variety is the key, and doing the same exercises over and over will probably lead to the ever-dreaded PLATEAU. Renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin has found that 70% of the population adapts to a given program within six training sessions (1). Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with the aforementioned exercises. Hell, from personal experience I believe that the full squat is the best overall leg developer, and that leg presses are great for quad hypertrophy. I avoid extensions, but even they can be decent for hypertrophy as well. I just want to spice up your next few quad routines. You will notice that most of these exercises are unilateral. A study by Behm et al found that the dominant leg in non-resistance trained individuals exuded more force than the non-dominant leg during double leg extensions (2). This could possibly lead to strength imbalances during bilateral exercises, thus underscoring the importance of including unilateral exercises in your program. When exercising unilaterally, be sure to always begin with your weak leg. Finally, please note that THERE WILL BE NO MACHINES USED WITH THESE EXERCISES, SO SMITH MACHINE LOVERS AND PEC DECKERS MAY WANT TO TAKE CAUTION AND WEAR A HELMET Traditional Squat Variations-- All of these squats will be performed with a full range of motion (below parallel, or "ass to grass"). Wide stance-- feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart Medium stance-- feet shoulder-width apart Narrow stance-- feel about 4 inches apart Heels elevated-- grab two 10 pound plates and place your heels on them; you can try this with any stance Front squats-- the bar lies on your delts in front of your head rather than on your upper traps. Barbell Split Squats Step out as if you are going to do a lunge, but keep your feet planted in the same position for the entire exercise. Bend your front leg until your hamstring touches your calf, and then push back up. Keep your front foot flat throughout the duration of the exercise. After you complete your reps, rack for 30 seconds and move to the other leg, then take your desired rest time.  Barbell Split Start  Barbell Split Finish Barbell Box Split Squats This uses the same form as the regular split squat with your squatting leg elevated roughly six inches off the ground.  Box Split Squat Barbell Hack Squat Basically it's a reverse dead lift; you keep the bar behind your body. Be sure to keep your chest up and back flat. You may want to use straps depending how heavy you go so your grip doesn't give out before your quads do. This can also be performed with your heels slightly elevated.  BB Hack Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat Elevate one leg on a bench behind you. Why it's called "the Bulgarian" is beyond me, but you'll wind up hating Bulgaria and most of Europe while doing these; they're that fun.  Bulgarian Barbell Front Step-Up For proper form, curl your toes up on your straight leg, placing the emphasis of weight on the heel so you cannot assist the other leg with the work. Step up keeping your back flat, and brush the toe of your straight leg on the top of bench when the rep is completed (this is just used for a balance adjustment.) Control your descend, landing once again on the heel of your straight leg.  Front Step Dumbbell Side Step-Up This time, turn parallel to the bench instead of perpendicular. The same form goes for the side step up as the front step up, however I find using dumbbells allows me to balance better when performing step-ups from the side of the bench.  Side Step Barbell Alternate Leg Lunge Start out with your feet together, and then step out as far forward as possible with your weak leg first. Bend the knee so your hamstring touches your calf, and then explode the extended leg back to the starting position. The next step should be with your opposite leg. Remember, a set of eight reps means eight reps for each leg, not eight reps total. Reverse Barbell Alternate Leg Lunge This is the same as the alternate leg lunge, but instead of taking a giant step forward, take a giant step BACK. Then, explode back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. 1 and 1/4 Squats From a traditional squatting position, descend ass-to-grass, up to parallel, back down to grass, and all the way up?that's one rep. Keep this rep range at 6-8. Also, keep a trash can nearby. I just can't seem to hold on to my lunch when I do these. Sample Routines Ok, now that you have such a wide variety to choose from, how are you going to set up a routine? Here is something I would do for a basic 5x5 quad day: A) Medium stance heels elevated squats: 5x5 at a 40X1 tempo with 2 minutes rest between each set. B) Box split squats: 4x5-7 at a 3010 tempo, 30 seconds rest between each leg, 90 seconds rest between each set. Or, try this pre-fatigue workout: A1) Reverse alternate BB lunge: 3x12 at a 20X0 tempo, super set with: A2) Barbell hack squat: 3x10-12 at a 4030 tempo, rest for 2 minutes and repeat superset. B) Narrow stance squats: 3x8-10 at a 3010 tempo, 2 minutes rest in between sets. Conclusion By no means am I saying that you should get rid of leg presses completely; I am just trying to get you to throw a little variety into your life. These exercises will still give you those thunderous quads you always wanted, while also fixing possible strength imbalances. Finally, you can develop that sexy VMO that many girls crave. Yes, in a controlled study at Big Time Playa magazine, scientists found that a well developed vastus medialis was the first thing 92% of females noticed about a male in different social scenes. Okay, I'm lying...but maybe now you can obtain the ever-coveted bodybuilding nickname "Quadzilla."
Ladies, Jesse Cohen is single. He enjoys romantic things such as monster truck rallies and pro wrestling-- and puppies and pillows and stuff. He can be reached at jessecohen10@comcast.net. References 1. Poliquin, Charles. SEMINAR: Training for Strength. February 5, 2000. 2. Behm DG, Power KE, Drinkwater EJ. Muscle Activation is enhanced with multi- and uni-articular bilateral versus unilateral contractions. Can J Appl Physiol. 2003 Feb; 28(1): 38-52. |
