Build Bigger Stronger Quads: Optimal Training Principles For Quadriceps

Posted In: Bodybuilding, Exercise: Lower

Pre-exhaustion programs are not recommended for the quadriceps.

The quadriceps are powerful muscles and when the quadriceps incorporate the equally powerful gluteals, very heavy loads can be placed on the entire body.

Therefore, it is recommended that you begin training with the compound movements (such as: squats, dead lifts and leg presses) in order to enhance the normal movement patterns of the body.

For the safest squat technique just follow these rules:

Rule 1: Head neutral
Rule 2: Shoulders back
Rule 3: Bar resting on top of the scapula and posterior deltoid.
Rule 4: Maintain “weight-lifters arch”
Rule 5: Descend – 4 counts – inhale
Rule 6: Do not exceed “knee-toe-line”
Rule 7: Do not exceed “knee-hip-line”
Rule 8: Do not bounce at bottom
Rule 9: Feet positioned slightly wider than shoulder-width
Rule 10: Toes pointing outward for comfort 10-20 degrees
Rule 11: Nothing under heels
Rule 12: Knees track directly over toes
Rule 13: Ascend – 2 counts – exhale
Rule 14: Don’t lock the knees

According to research from the NSCA, if you use the GPO Principle (Gradual Progressive Overload) and perform deep barbell squats (hips go below “knee-hip-line”: violating Rule #7) starting out very light and gradually increases the load used in the deep squat, there will be little chance of injury.

Now that the cautions are out-of-the-way, the benefit to performing deep barbell squats is to strengthen the VMO. The VMO is the primary muscle in the quadriceps for full-knee extension and knee stability. Deep squats cause much greater muscle activation of the VMO than any other exercise.

If your concern is care and prevention of potential knee injuries, you can begin with NO resistance and a SUPER-SLOW technique to limit the chance of a problem developing.

The wide-stance-squat provides greater leverage and therefore is used to increase overall strength. The wide stance shifts the center of gravity slightly backward; this allows the powerful hip and gluteal muscles greater muscle activation, while decreasing stress on all but the vastus medialis muscle of the quadriceps. This exercise is best used to increase overall strength and to increase stress on hips, gluteals and vastus medialis. This wide stance squat position is referred to as the Powerlifter Squat.

To optimally perform the Powerlifter Squat simply follow the rules above – except: position the feet fairly wide apart with toes pointed outward between 10 – 30 degrees. It is imperative that you maintain the “weight-lifters-arch” (Rule #4). During the descent, allow the hips to come back and down as if sitting in a chair and shift the weight naturally to the heels. During the ascent, drive the weight through the heels while driving the hips up and forward.

The narrow stance squat is referred to as the “bodybuilder squat”. This is not recommended for the ordinary athlete because the barbell is positioned higher on the neck with much of the weight coming down on C-7 (Cervical vertebrae – 7).

The narrow stance makes it difficult to maintain a “weight-lifters-arch” and impossible not to exceed “knee-toe-line”. Bodybuilders use this high-risk exercise to move the stress load from the gluteals and hips to the quadriceps and primarily the vastus lateralis in the quadriceps group.

Similar variations are performed with similar results in the leg press, dead lift, hack squat, etc…

On the leg extension machine, you can also change the stress on different muscles of the quadriceps by rotating the position of the feet:

1. internally rotating (pointing the toes-in) increases the stress
on vastus lateralis.
2. externally rotating (point the toes-out) increases the stress
on the vastus medialis.

To increase the stress of the rectus femoris is the leg extension machine, extend the upper body by posteriorly tilting the pelvis (this is the opposite of the anterior pelvic tilt in the “weight-lifters-arch”.

Warning: Leg extensions are OPEN CHAIN EXERCISES and not recommended for injured knees. Most Critically: NOT recommended for ACL injuries (Anterior Cruciate Ligament).

One great benefit to performing compound exercises with high intensity loads is that high stress stimulates the endocrine system to produce anabolic hormones (HGH – Human Growth Hormone, IGF-I – Insulin like Growth Factors, testosterone, ect…), at least in males, there is limited evidence that heavy compound movements (i.e.: squat) stimulate testosterone production in females.

Now hit the gym and build some big muscle ham hocks for us!

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