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The Essentials of Bodypart Specialization: Quad Training

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Squats

Guidelines for all squatting movements
(unless specifically stated otherwise)

  • if you have a longer than normal femur (thigh bone) and / or don’t have great flexibility in hips, hamstrings or ankles, try elevating heels between 1/2 an inch to 2 inches during the movement.  Evaluate.
  • feet shoulder-width apart unless otherwise stated
  • pretend feet are in concrete (don’t let body ‘fall forward’ or knees cave inwards)
  • keep hips, knees and ankles in a line & avoid any internal / external rotation of hips
  • don’t drop into the eccentric (imagine the hamstrings pulling the body through the negative)
  • come down until glutes are fully lengthened (bottom position), then drive up
  • relatively even-weight distribution throughout / slightly more on outside of foot and heel
  • push with the whole foot (except during hack squats)
  • aim to co-contract glutes and quads throughout (especially at the bottom given the potential for unnecessary joint stress)
  • don’t focus on trying to get your body up from the ground / platform, think about pushing the ground / platform away from you.

    • * FOR QUAD FOCUS: squeeze heels either inwards towards each other, or out, preferably out (‘intent’).

 

Barbell Squats

    Exercise Specific:

  • keep knees directly over and in-line with the heels / toes

 

Wide-Stance Squats / Wide-Stance Box Squats

Note how the knees remain in line with the toes / heels despite the external rotation

    Exercise Specific:

  • place feet 18” or so apart
  • externally rotate toes to about 45º / heels in
  • simply allow knees to fall outwards during the movement.
  • If performing Box Squats: ensure platform is at a height that allows you to reach parallel (or just below) at the bottom; upon reaching this ‘seated’ position, immediately begin the ascent.

 

Barbell Front Squats

Note how the knees remain in line with the toes / heels despite the external rotation

    Exercise Specific:

  • How to Hold the Bar:
       > with a bar in the squat rack slightly below shoulder level, walk right up so that the centre of the bar touches the base of the neck; raise arms up and straight out in front.
       > notice a small area where the bar can sit / balance against the base the neck (be aware that it may feel a little uncomfortable at first).
       > keeping arms / elbows up, bring hands across the body (towards opposite shoulders) and position them against the bar so that it doesn’t roll forward during the exercise.
    step back and begin.
  • come down as low as possible while maintaining a vertical plane.
  • If performing Barbell Quad Squats: elevate heels about 3-6″ and place feet about 10cm apart with very slight external rotation.

 

Hack Squats / Single Leg Hack Squats

Standard (2 Leg) Hack Squat

Single-Leg Variation

    Exercise Specific:

  • it’s of particular importance with this exercise to ‘physically rehearse’ (warm-up) with a couple of sets prior to your working sets
  • For Quad Emphasis:
       > feet shoulder-width and low on platform
       > pay extra attention to keeping the quads under constant tension as it’s nearly impossible to go too low with contracted quads (if the tension begins to disappear you’ve gone too far down (or, more likely, gone down too fast).
       > don’t forget to add inward or outward ‘intent’ during two-legged hack squats.
  • For Hamstring / Glute Emphasis:
       > place feet up a little higher on the pad
       > aim to go as deep as possible
       > push with the heels while using downward heel ‘intent’.

 

Dumbbell Squats

For Quad Emphasis

For Glute Emphasis

    Exercise Specific:

  • For Quad Emphasis:
       > hold dumbbells beside hips and keep torso vertical throughout
       > apply inward or outward ‘intent’
  • For Glute Emphasis:
       > lean forward at the hips holding dumbbells in front of knees
       > avoid any rounding of the spine / keep chest up
       > do NOT apply inward or outward ‘intent’.
  • If instructed to perform ‘Dumbbell Quad Squats’: elevate heels about 3-6″ and place feet about 10cm apart with very slight external rotation.

 

Sumo Squats

Different hand-grips may be used – an ‘alternate’ grip is depicted here (the trainee would switch hand positions the next set)

    Exercise Specific:

  • stand wide with butt sticking out and toes externally rotated to approx. 45º / heels in
  • aim to keep the body upright (move straight up and down), do not bend forward and over (the weight should not touch the ground despite the arms remaining relatively straight) – stand tall every rep
  • DO NOT perform ‘intent’ on this exercise.

 

Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift and Squat Combo

The stiff-leg deadlift portion

Finish position of the squat after transitioning from the bottom of the stiff-leg deadlift

    Exercise Specific:

  • as the name suggests, this exercise is a combination of a dumbbell squat and a stiff-leg deadlift
  • initiate the movement by bending at the hips, only then allow legs to take over and transition into a squat
  • keep weight back and directly over the heels
  • focus on squeezing the lower back and glutes (not the quads)
  • drive heels into the ground
  • touch dumbbells down to the floor momentarily at the bottom.