Quad Growth

I’ve spoken about knee pain before, but what I didn’t go over was how those particular exercises are also excellent for quad growth. And since the post was so popular, I thought I would expand it a little bit more. So if you have a funky knee, or you want nice ass quads, check these out.

The Hack Squat

Allegedly named after it’s creator, George “The Russian Lion” Hackenschmidt, this exercise is the shit. Not only that, but if your knees are in good shape you can load it up and get some excellent stimulation on the legs.

Performing it is simple. Stand in front of the bar and deadlift it. Side note: this lift is also called a “behind the back deadlift.” If you do it right, you will feel like you are leaning forward a bit. That’s ok.

I included two variations here. The second involves more stimulation of the quads, but it might also be more comfortable for you depending on how your shape or how terrible your ankle mobility is. In either case, make sure your knees are going to bend a lot more than they will in a deadlift.

You also have a few options for your grip, too. If you don’t want to train your grip along with your quads, use some straps. Strap use does not make you a terrible person, contrary to what some will have you believe. You can also use the staggered grip (one hand over the other under). Or just use the double overhand grip. Either way make sure your grip doesn’t limit you so you can get that good quad growth.

Roman Chair Squats

There is actually apparatus for this, but most people don’t have access to it. Fret not, there is a way around that. In the video, I am using some heavy dumbbells to hold my feet steady, along with a bar behind me at the knee joint to keep me planted.  It is simple. Slide the tops of your feet under the handles and stand in front of the bar and you’re good to go.

It is better to use the hex dumbbells so that they won’t roll forward and mess your groove up. After you are in position, keep your shins straight, drop your ass low. To parallel is a good goal to aim for.

When you get good at these (and I know you will) add a plate or a kettlebell to hold in front of you for more resistance.

Lannister Lunges

Though I am sure I am not the first person to think of this, I have not seen it elsewhere. As such, I have no clue what to call it. So, I named it after my favorite character from A Song of Ice and Fire. Since Tyrion has such short legs due to being a dwarf, these lunges reflect that. You’re taking a short stride. The shorter stride puts more emphasis on the quads.

When performing the Lannister Lunge think of a small window in front of your static foot. That window you want to stay in for quad growth is about three inches, give or take. After some experimentation you can find the best groove for you.

Application

There are a few different ways you can apply these. If you’re tired of the same old shit that’s not stimulating quad growth, substitute some of your other leg day choices with these. If your knees are fucked, but you want them stronger, you can scale them down and lower the weight to help with that. If you want to make your knees even stronger, these will also help. Do err on the side of caution when performing any quad dominant movement due to the extra stress on the knee. Until next time, happy quad growth.

For more awesome fitness and doughnut related stuff, sign up and never miss an update: