Training quads for hypertrophy

[PeanutbutterDC]

What are your favorite exercises for training quads? I train hams and quads on separate days, so I'm looking for exercises with a heavy focus on quads- or modifications of exercises to stress quads over hams (e.g. foot placement, ROM).
More considerations: I train alone- no spotter. I want to keep my sets to about 20 for now.
Any suggestions, tips, or links are appreciated!

[TooManyYears]

Maybe you can try stifflegged deadlifts. Imo perfect for building quads and (to lesser extent) glutes.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Maybe you can try stifflegged deadlifts. Imo perfect for building quads and (to lesser extent) glutes.

Stdl are all hams

[Windex]

In the box answer : leg extensions but only one leg at a time for isolation. Toe pointing inward or outward to target inner / outer quads.

Out of the box answer: If you have hiking trails near by with good altitude. You can buy weights to attach to legs (similar to a weighted vest). Steep incline trekking is great for legs.

[Charlie67]

+1 for front squats, but take good care of your back.

If you happen to have a belt squat platform, that would be awesome, but they're a bit rare.

[TooManyYears]

PeanutbutterDC
Stdl are all hams

You're right, sorry for that. Always switch those...

[PeanutbutterDC]

You're right, sorry for that. Always switch those...

No worries! We all get switched up on stuff like that from time to time. And the older I get, the more often it happens!

[HoldMyBeer]

Hack squats if your gym has it. Feet narrow (about hip width) and low on the platform

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[charger69]

What are your favorite exercises for training quads? I train hams and quads on separate days, so I'm looking for exercises with a heavy focus on quads- or modifications of exercises to stress quads over hams (e.g. foot placement, ROM).
More considerations: I train alone- no spotter. I want to keep my sets to about 20 for now.
Any suggestions, tips, or links are appreciated!

You have great legs- I do t know if you can make them better!

I like one legged squats with dumbbells- brings out the cuts.
Lunges seems to help also.

If you are looking for better quads, you may want to do them by themselves and also when you do hams with less exercises.

If you really are looking for a shock, try leg press- 10 reps SLOW (up and down), 10 second hold at the bottom, and 10 reps 1/4 lower portion fast. Rest 1 minute and repeat 3x.
Leg extensions 10 reps heavy, 10 reps about 1/2 the weight slow. 4x
Hack squat- same as leg press
Leg extensions- same
Smith machine lunges- same as leg press
Leg extensions.

Let me know if you can walk out of the gym. This is more of pumping the blood into the muscle as opposed to breaking down the muscle.


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[PeanutbutterDC]

You have great legs- I do t know if you can make them better!

I like one legged squats with dumbbells- brings out the cuts.
Lunges seems to help also.

If you are looking for better quads, you may want to do them by themselves and also when you do hams with less exercises.

If you really are looking for a shock, try leg press- 10 reps SLOW (up and down), 10 second hold at the bottom, and 10 reps 1/4 lower portion fast. Rest 1 minute and repeat 3x.
Leg extensions 10 reps heavy, 10 reps about 1/2 the weight slow. 4x
Hack squat- same as leg press
Leg extensions- same
Smith machine lunges- same as leg press
Leg extensions.

Let me know if you can walk out of the gym. This is more of pumping the blood into the muscle as opposed to breaking down the muscle.


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Ooooo, Charger! So many good suggestions. Thank you!
My legs are aight but I can't seem to work them out really hard at my age. When I was a youngin I... well, you know what they say: the older I get, the better I was. But seriously, I crave that "legs shaking, can't press the clutch on the drive home" (btw, true story from my youth).
I'm avoiding heavy squats. 1) my torso is the weak link, not my quads, 2) don't want to add thickness to my midsection, 3) I've had back surgery and was told to go easy on axial loading, 4) I'm afraid of failing and getting hurt (no spotter)- so I never go to failure

I like front squats but again, cant go too heavy. Back is the weak link. It might be my form though. I only say that because when I go too heavy I feel a twinge in my lower back, left side only.

Hack squats: so hard, gotta love 'em! I definitely feel those in my quads. I stop at parallel or so. Should I be going deeper if I'm just about quads?

Lunges: tend to feel them in my hammies a lot. Same with split squats and box squats. Maybe work those in on hamstrings day.

On-legged squat? How does that work? What do you do with your other leg? (Thinking it might be what I'm calling a split-squat)

Thanks, Charger, for your kind words and thanks again for your many suggestions!

Edit: I started with the info about squats just as background info- not relevant to your suggestions.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Now, let's talk about going to failure...
With most leg exercises I stop short of failure for safety reasons. Does anyone actually squat or lunge to failure?
Not a safety issue so much but might be embarrassing to go to failure on leg press or hack squat... have to crawl outta the apparatus.
I'll go to failure on extensions, but as far as legs go, that's the only exercise where I go to failure. I'm curious what others do.

[HoldMyBeer]

Now, let's talk about going to failure...
With most leg exercises I stop short of failure for safety reasons. Does anyone actually squat or lunge to failure?
Not a safety issue so much but might be embarrassing to go to failure on leg press or hack squat... have to crawl outta the apparatus.
I'll go to failure on extensions, but as far as legs go, that's the only exercise where I go to failure. I'm curious what others do.

No. Any (heavier) compound leg exercises I do not take to failure. Usually the weight is just to heavy to risk injury. If I don't know I have another rep in me with good form, I don't do it

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[charger69]

Now, let's talk about going to failure...
With most leg exercises I stop short of failure for safety reasons. Does anyone actually squat or lunge to failure?
Not a safety issue so much but might be embarrassing to go to failure on leg press or hack squat... have to crawl outta the apparatus.
I'll go to failure on extensions, but as far as legs go, that's the only exercise where I go to failure. I'm curious what others do.

Try my leg workout, you want want to be driving a standard. You essentially go to failure.

I do not go super heavy because of my age and joints. I usually have a rep range. I either try to increase 1 more rep or increase the weight. That one extra rep may take me at full force 5 seconds to complete. That is failure for me.
I do have a routine where I do go to total failure, but I use it very limited. Not on legs except extensions or curls. I always do work within a squat rack so I am protected if I wanted to go to failure.
I’m sure that I take people by surprise. They bring out the 100 lb db’s and the bodybuilding dude is working with 25’s. I can make you cry in pain with 25’s. LOL

I am also from the thought process that you are taxing the CNS too much if you go to failure everyday. People will argue both sides.


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[PeanutbutterDC]

Cylon, Charger, and HMB: thank you for your responses. It's helpful to know how others (who are serious about it) train.
Charger, I cant wait for my next quads day. I'll report back after I try your workout!
HMB, same! A good thing about having trained for so long is I can usually tell if I have one more in me or not.
Cylon, sounds like you're training for strength not necessarily size, but I appreciate your input nonetheless.

[charger69]

Cylon, Charger, and HMB: thank you for your responses. It's helpful to know how others (who are serious about it) train.
Charger, I cant wait for my next quads day. I'll report back after I try your workout!
HMB, same! A good thing about having trained for so long is I can usually tell if I have one more in me or not.
Cylon, sounds like you're training for strength not necessarily size, but I appreciate your input nonetheless.

Please don’t call me bad names! LOL
I hope to hell that you have a standard so we can test it out.. see if the workout passed the test. LOL


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[Leggodess]

Now, let's talk about going to failure...
With most leg exercises I stop short of failure for safety reasons. Does anyone actually squat or lunge to failure?
Not a safety issue so much but might be embarrassing to go to failure on leg press or hack squat... have to crawl outta the apparatus.
I'll go to failure on extensions, but as far as legs go, that's the only exercise where I go to failure. I'm curious what others do.

I almost always squat till I reach COMPLETE MUSCLE FAILURE. I also try pushing past COMPLETE MUSCLE FAILURE.

You are lifting medium weights and lights. You could do it. If not use to it make sure you have someone to spot you.

For quad focused exercises I'll do front squats, deep squats, leg extension, LUNGES. Some sets lift heavy weights, medium weights, light weights.

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[GearHeaded]

MUSCLE ROUNDS on the leg press and leg extension. what are muscle rounds? a heavy volume based intensity technique.
so for example, on the leg press you'll put on a relatively heavy load as your only going to do 5 reps. but after those 5 reps you only rest for 10 seconds, then you do 5 more, rest 10 seconds, 5 more, rest 10 seconds, 5 more.. until you've hit 25 total reps. this series of 5 reps for 5 times is one muscle round. you can do the same thing on leg extensions

this is basically allowing you to use a heavy load, get in plenty of volume, AND go essentially to failure and beyond (similar to rest pause method).
You'll do 2-3 rounds of these muscle rounds. then immediately when your done, lighten up the load and do sets of 25 reps to drive a ton of blood and metabolites.
this method with these two together will drive hypertrophy from both myofibril and sarcoplasmic tissues (rather then just one or the other). you'll get both mechanical tension and metabolite training in one series.

I would NOT incorporate muscle rounds with something like squats. the reason is because your going to failure multiple times within one set and would be easy to collapse in the squat rack. just use it with exercises that are safe and more controllable when hitting failure.


for quads, I recommend smith machine front squats. much easier to get a good quad contraction and focus on the muscle when you don't have to worry about balancing the weight on your back.

if you have access to a belted squat machine, like the one I put in my gym here -- thats an absolute quad burner.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Charger's workout just about killed me dead