what makes an avid gym-goer? In a deep squat! How big is your extreme squat deadlift? Can you complete 10 sets of squat legs in one go? Is the pace of the squat fast enough?
Is it possible that the faster you run and the higher you jump, the stronger your deep squat will be? Proper understanding of squats and exercise habits is the only way to proudly tell others about your squat performance like a master. If you want to be a master too, this is a secret you can't ignore!
the quadriceps is a muscle on the front side of the leg, whose function is to extend the knee and flex the hip, and consists of four muscles on the front of the thigh, namely
l the rectus femoris, located in the middle of the thigh, is the only quadriceps muscle involved in hip flexion.
L the medial femoral muscle (teardrop muscle), located on the inside of the leg next to the knee.
L the lateral femoral muscle, located on the lateral aspect of the thigh.
L the medial femoral muscle, located between the lateral and medial femoral muscles at the front of the thigh.
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many of our partners believe that running or cycling makes it unnecessary to train their legs. And from a symmetrical point of view, a strong upper body with only toothpick thin legs is not very aesthetically pleasing.
From a growth point of view, the barbell squat is the biggest stimulus not only for the legs but also for the upper body, all the muscles need to be activated in order to complete the movement. Even with the upper body muscles contracting statically to keep the barbell racked on the back, the stress generated by the free squat has such an impact on the body that the body produces the most hormones from it. Therefore, it can be said that the deep squat can help the growth of all parts of the body in quadriceps training.
what is the role of foot stance in quadriceps training?
There are three main positions to be aware of when performing compound movements for the quadriceps.
1. Standing shoulder-width apart with the toes slightly pointed outwards: This position is best suited to stimulating the overall development of the thighs.
2. Narrow stance with the toes pointing forward: This stance is suitable for stimulating the growth of the lateral quadriceps (commonly known as the lateral femoral muscles).
3. Wide stance with the toes facing outwards at least 45 degrees: This stance is suitable for stimulating the medial femoral muscles (the medial head near the knee) and the inner thighs or the adductors as they are called.
whenever performing quadriceps training, make sure to use force on the toes so that it is easier to recruit the quadriceps.
For leg flexion and extension movements, three other foot positions can be used.
L toes up: Facilitates overall training.
L toes inwards: Helps to maximise the stimulation of the lateral quadriceps.
L toes pointing outwards: Facilitates maximum stimulation of the medial quadriceps.
good quadriceps movements
training movements for the quadriceps are divided into compound and isolated movements. Compound movements activate most of the muscles and emphasise specific muscle bundles depending on the foot position. Compound movements using the free barbell squat provide the greatest stimulation than in compound movements performed on machines such as the smith machine squat or leg raise. Isolated movements like leg curls can only be ranked third in terms of muscle stimulation.
Free weights - quadriceps compound movements
l barbell squat
l front neck squat
l dumbbell squat
l barbell arrow squat
l dumbbell arrow squat
equipment - quadriceps complex
l leg raises
l hack squat
l smith machine squat
l machine neck front squat
isolation movements
l leg curls and extensions
l hip jerk squat
l leg extensions
l abduction of the instrumented leg
(because only one joint is involved in the movement, the hip jerk squat is considered an isolated movement, but it provides about as much stimulation as a compound movement, mainly because the body must be displaced on a trajectory while performing the movement).
beginner quadriceps training programme
for those just starting to work out, a full body workout is recommended 3 times a week, mainly using basic movements to target each muscle group. A quadriceps routine may only include a few exercises that cover the quadriceps.
Exercise movement number of sets repetitions rest
machine leg curls 3 10-12 1 min
barbell squats 3 10-12 1 min
how to strengthen.
After 4 weeks, increase from training 3 sets to 4 sets. Rest between sets is still 1 minute. Why do leg curls first? As it is difficult for training whites to be consistent in their pronation, in this case starting with an isolation movement helps to give the trainer a better feel for the muscle groups they can emphasise when squatting deep.
intermediate quadriceps training programme
after 12 weeks of starting a fitness program it is time to start intermediate training to maintain progress. In this workout the body is divided into two days; chest, back and arms on day one and shoulders, legs and abs on day two.
Training movements number of sets repetitions rest
barbell squats 4 10-12 1 min
arrow squat 4 10-12 1 min
leg curls 4 10-12 1 min
how to progress.
After 4 weeks, increase each movement to 5 sets.
advanced quadriceps training programme
after 12-16 weeks of intermediate training, it is time to move on to a more advanced program. The main difference between the advanced and intermediate plans is that in the advanced process, the plan needs to be changed every 3 weeks to maintain training results. Weekly changes are key, with adjustments to sets, reps and rest periods.
L bodybuilding antagonistic muscle training split: Body parts are split into three or four days for antagonistic muscle training, chest and back hitch one day, quads and hamstrings hitch one day, etc.
L one major muscle and two smaller muscle training divisions: In this training division, body parts are divided into three days with one major muscle group (e.g. Chest, thighs and back) and two smaller muscle groups (e.g. Biceps, triceps, hamstrings, calves, abs and shoulders).
L one major muscle group per day advanced training split: In this training split, body parts are divided into six days and the major muscle groups are trained each day.
quadriceps training plan 1 (weeks 1-3)
training movement number of sets repetitions rest
barbell squat (shoulder width stance) 5 10-12 1 min
wide stance leg raise 3 10-12 1 min
leg curl (toes in) 4 12-15 1 min
deep squat (feet together) 3 10-12 1 min
quadriceps training programme 2 (weeks 4-6)
modified giant set
training movement number of sets number of reps rest
wide standing distance barbell squats 3 10, 8, 6 1 min
barbell arrow squat 3 10, 8, 6 1 min
leg raises (feet together) 3 10, 8, 6 1 min
leg curl (toe up) 3 15, 13, 10 1 min
bodybuilding quadriceps programme
the goal of bodybuilding style is to stimulate the muscles from several angles to ensure their full development. During this phase, it is important to use not only compound movements to stimulate muscle growth, but also a variety of isolation movements to really target specific areas of the muscle. If the muscles on the outer thighs need strengthening, more narrow distance movements are needed. If the inner thighs are weaker, wide spaced movements are needed.
Other techniques such as decreasing sets and supersets are also recommended.
training movements number of sets number of reps rest
superset 1: A+b
a. Barbell squats 4 10-12 no rest
b. Wide standing distance barbell squats 4 10-12 1 min
superset 2: C+d
c. Arrow squat 4 10-12 without rest
d. Leg press 4 10-12 1 min
superset 3: E+f
e. Leg curl (toes in) 3 15-20 no rest
f. Leg curl (toes out) 3 15-20 1 min
superset 4: G+h
g. Leg abduction 3 25-50 without rest
h. Leg inversion 3 25-50 1 min
master this workout to become a powerful deep squatter necessary to become a stronger presence, don't want to be held back by bottlenecks? Then get your squat on now!