You will get that satisfying feeling when you get to the end of leg day. However, if you don’t find it very challenging to make it up the stairs, then you probably did not do it correctly. This is why it is advisable to know how to target your quads effectively to maximize the development of your muscles by utilizing the correct exercises and techniques.
Tips to get bigger quads
Just because you work your quads when you bend your knees and hips, it doesn’t mean you should squat until you drop. In addition to performing the best quad workouts, you should know how to train your quads effectively. If you really want to see those massive gains in your legs, then you should take note of the following tips the next time you hit the gym.
Push beyond failure
What you have to do is go over your limits. By the time you get to the end of your sets, you should have pushed to muscle failure, which is the point where you are not able to do another rep with the correct form. You can do forced reps if you have a training partner so that you would be able to perform some extra reps after failure. If you don’t training, do a drop set when you achieve muscle failure.
Isolate at the end
When you are getting to the end of your workout, that is the perfect time to perform single-joint exercises. This is best because all the single muscle fibers in the target muscle group can be exhausted. You can also opt to perform a rep range that is a bit higher than your compound exercises.
Use compound exercises
When you utilize heavy and free weight workouts such as the deadlift and squat, you will deal a more significant impact on your muscles when compared to the machine and high-reps workouts. It would be best if you focused on compound exercises.
Squat Deep
When you are doing the squatting motion, ensure that you are performing the full range of motion and with the correct form. The reason is that you will be able to activate your hamstrings in addition to activating your quads.
Once per week
It is advisable that you train your legs once per week in a much-designed manner.
The best quad workouts
Now that you know the best tips to keep in mind, you can then move on to the workout. These workouts have been proven to be effective when it comes to getting bigger legs as they target your quads very well.
Dumbbell and Barbell Step-up
When it comes to working your quads and your glutes, the dumbbell and barbell step-up workout is a unilateral exercise that has both productive and functional properties. These are the steps to do the dumbbell and barbell step-up;
- First, stand tall in front of a platform or ledge and keep your feet apart by a distance of your shoulder width. You can choose to hold either a barbell or two dumbbells.
- Place your right leg onto the platform, then bring your body up by driving through your bent leg.
- Then you keep driving until your bent leg has reached the straight leg at the top.
- Then step back and make the move with your other leg.
You can choose to keep alternating between your right and left leg as you do the workout, or you can opt to hit your rep range with one leg.
Romanian deadlift
While working with your quads, it is important that you don’t forget your hamstrings. The work of the hamstring is to provide balance for the quads and also help avoid injury. These are the steps to perform the Romanian deadlift;
- Get into the starting position by standing tall and keeping your feet apart by a distance of your shoulder width.
- Use an overhand grip to hold the barbell in front of your upper thighs.
- Then start leaning forward, making sure you maintain the correct posture. This means that your core should be tightened, you should have a natural arch in your low back, along the spine, and your hips should be pushed out.
- While pushing through your glutes, you would feel a stretch in your hamstrings as your spine becomes parallel to the ground.
- When you have gotten to this position, ensure the bar is kept close to your legs, then start squeezing through your hamstrings as you get yourself back up to the initial position. Repeat the move from the beginning.
Hack squat
If you need some extra support as you get tired and towards the end of your workout, you can try the machine-based hack squat. Thanks to the support, you will be able to lift heavier than you normally would with the traditional squat. These are the steps to perform the hack squat;
- Place your shoulders and back against the seat of the hack squat machine as this is the starting position.
- Your feet should be flat on the floor and on the middle platform, set apart by a distance of shoulder width.
- First, unhook the safety lever before you start lowering down.
- Keep lowering until you get your thighs parallel to the platform of the machine.
- Then, revert to the initial position by powering through your legs upwards. Then, repeat the move.
Bulgarian split squat
This is an exercise where you would need to focus on each of your legs separately, unlike with a bi-lateral movement. This would help you in balancing out the deficiencies in any of the two legs. These are the steps to perform the Bulgarian split squat;
- Get into the starting position by resting one of your feet on a platform at your back. Then, hold a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang from the sides.
- There should be sufficient space for you to be able to lower down so that you won’t have to pitch your upper body too far front.
- Ensure your front knee does not go past your front toes as you start lowering into the squat.
- When your knee gets to the 90-degree angle mark, make your way out of the position and then revert to the initial position.
Walking lunges
The walking lunges are the best for working your quads even if there are a lot of lunge variations out there. What’s more, is that they are sufficiently functional because you are going to be making continuous movements instead of staying stationary. These are the steps to perform the walking lunges;
- First, grab a dumbbell in each hand and have them hanging by your sides, then step forward with your left foot.
- Your two knees should be the ones driving the lunge movement downward, also ensure that the two knees get to the 90-degree angle mark.
- Ensure that your front knee does not drift past your toes.
- Right before your lower knee makes contact with the floor, pause and then use your legs to drive upwards, which would bring the rear leg to the front leg, and then you are back to your standing position.
- Then, you step forward with your right leg and keep repeating the movement while alternating until you hit your rep range.
Leg press
If you are looking to optimize the use of the muscle fibers in your quads, it would be best if you added the leg press at the end of your workout. These are the steps to perform the leg press;
- Get into the starting position by placing your feet on the leg press machine and apart by a distance of shoulder width.
- Ensure your lower back is long and press into the seat, and also remember to keep your chest up.
- With a slow and controlled motion, unhook the safety and start bending your knees to bring the weight. This is the point where you are in a squat position. Ensure your glutes do not get off the chair.
- Power three the insurance an in an exercise. Then, revert to the initial position with slow and controlled motion.
Barbell squat
Research has shown that the exercise that works your quads the most are the squats. There are a lot of variations of the squat, but you will need the standard back and front barbell squats. This is an exercise that works for all the major muscle groups in your body, excluding your chest. The efficiency of this exercise is reduced as a lot of people perform it wrongly. These are the steps to perform the barbell squat;
- Get into the starting position by standing tall and keeping your feet apart by a distance of your shoulder width. You can either make it a front barbell squat or back barbell squat by holding the weight at your back or your front.
- Ensure you turn your toes out a bit before you start lowering.
- When you get to the bottom of the move, your butt should be a bit below your knees, and your thighs should be a bit below parallel to the floor.
- Also, your spine and head should be neutral, your shoulders should be back and your chest up.