Here is all the information you need to know about training quads!
And if you dont want to read, you can just check out this video!
Exercises and movement patterns
There are 2 types of exercises that you need to include in your quad workout:
1. Lower body compound exercise
2. Isolation exercise
Lower body compound exercises
The exercises that belong into this category are for example, the squat, front squat, leg press or the hacksquat, and many others.
Basically any quad exercise that classifies as a lower body compound.
I would highly recommend going with some kind of squat variation though, as it is just one of the best tools for getting big quads.
And by the way, always go for the high bar squat, instead of the low bar squat.
Because the low bar squat puts more emphasis on your glutes & hamstrings, and thats not what you want, when you are trying to grow your quads.
The high bar squat will put your torso in more of a upright position, which will emphasize your quads.
Thats why the high bar squat is superior to the low bar squat, when it comes to building your quads.
Isolation exercises
The funny thing is, that basically the only good isolation exercise for the quads is the leg extension, so the choice is pretty simple here.
The exercise is just absolutely amazing, so if you can do it, you definitely need to take advantage of it.
Number of workouts
The number of workouts that i would recommend for the quads, is 1 all the way to 3 workouts per week.
But for most people, i would recommend 2 workouts per week.
And if you are struggling with the size of your quads, you can go up to 3 workouts per week.
But if you are like me, and you have above average quads genetics, then you can get away with just one workout per week.
But that only applies, if you have already spent some time in the gym, and your quads are already well built.
The reason why you would wanna do this, is that if your quad genetics are way too good, then your quads will become disproportionate to the rest of your physique.
And worst of all, you will not be able to fit into any pants, trust me, it sucks.
But If your legs look like noodles, you need to train them at least 2 times per week, there is no going around that, you have to put the work in.
Number of sets
When it comes to the number of sets per week, i would recommend something between 12-18 sets per week.
This number is very accurate, i will tell you more about it a little bit later.
Rep ranges
You need to split your exercises into:
1. Main exercise
2. Isolation exercise
This will help you to simplify your workout a lot.
Main exercise
For the main exercise, you will choose a lower body compound exercise of your choice.
The main exercise will always be done as the first quad exercise of the workout.
Which means that your power will still be at its peak.
Thats why the rep range on the main exercise can be as low as 5 reps, all the way to 15 reps.
I wouldnt recommend going above 15 reps on the main exercise.
If you have ever did like 3sets of 20reps on the squat, with some challenging weight, you know that your quads were not the limiting factor.
Cardio was the limiting factor.
Thats why why its better to stay in the lower rep ranges when you are doing any of the lower body compound exercises.
Isolation exercise
And when it comes to the isolation exercise, its most likely going to be the leg extensions.
For the leg extensions, pretty much any rep range will work, as long as you are not going below 8 reps.
So for example 8-12 or 15-20, everything is fine as long as you stay between 8 and 30.
You just need to make sure that you are that your form on the leg extensions is good, and that you focus on the top concration.
Pausing on top of the rep, for like a half a second to a second, on each rep is what you want to do.
Example quad workout
This is how the example quad focused part of your workout could look like:
And if your workout is constructed in a way, that you do 2 main exercises, and one isolation exercise, then you can set it up like this:
I think that some of you might be confused about this, so let me explain:
Remember when i told you to use 12-18 sets per week for your quads?
Awesome.
This number basically gives you 2 options.
You can either do 3sets of the main exercise, and 3sets of the isolation exercise, and you do that twice a week – that would be 12 sets per week in total.
Then there is the second option, where you either do two different main exercises, for 3 sets each, or you can just stick with the one main exercise, and do it for like 5-6 sets.
And then you add 3 sets of the isolation exercise on top of that.
If you did this 2 times per week, that would equal to 18 sets per week.
So these are the options that you can choose from.
Technique: Important!
When you are squatting, you need to make sure that you are going below parallel, otherwise you are just wasting your time.
And if you are not sure if you are going below parallel, the next time you do squats, record the sets, and take a look at whats happening, and if there is an issue, then start working on fixing it immediately!
Remember, you are not in a powerlifting competition, there is not reason to just barely hit parallel and immediately bounce back..go deep.
And when i say deep, i mean deep, you can basically go „ass to the grass“.
It comes with multitude of benefits.
Most importantly, you will get more activation in the quads, and also in the glutes.
You will also reduce the risk of injuring yourself, because when you do deep squats, you naturally have to use less weight, which means that you are more in control of the weight.
In my opinion, this approach is way better, than if you just try to „brute force“ it, and chase a weight that you are not really cappable of controlling.
When you get older, you will thank me, because all of that will catch up to you later.
Thats why its better to squat deep, not only that it will be friendlier on your knees, but it will also build more muscle.
So if you are not able to do a proper deep squat, then it should be on the top of your to-do list, to be able to do so.
My best recommandation to achieve a deep squat would be to practice squatting while holding onto a sturdy object, and slowly practice that, until you are able to basically go ass to the grass.
Get more out of less weight
Another thing that you can do, to get more out of less weight, than just squatting deep, is to elevate your heels.
You can do that by putting a small plate under your heels, or you can get a pair of weightlifting shoes, and they will automatically elevate your heels a little bit.
There are 2 reasons, why you would wanna do something like this.
The first reason, is that if you have really bad ankle mobility, then this simple trick will help you to actually do a deep squat.
And the other reason, is that it will emphasize your quads much more, than if you didnt have your heels elevated.
This can be an absolute game changer for you, if you really cant feel your quads when training them, or if your quads are just not responding to the training at all.
Because your heels are elevated, your whole body is in a more upright position, which is exactly what you want when you are trying to grow your quads.
The quads will have no choice, but to grow.