Quad question...

[AngelBrt]

Hi Cathe! First I have to say that I absolutely love the new intensity series, it has really fired up my motivation. Only recently have I started using heavier weights for my lower body, and I am loving the results. But, I always seem to feel squats, lunges, and leg presses in my hamstrings and glutes, but my quads don't ever seem to be sore or gain much definition. I was wondering if you had any suggestions for how I could target my quads at home with free weights. If there were a way to use them more in squats or lunges or maybe some additional exercises? Thanks for any help, and thank you so much for producing such great workouts!

Angela

 

[purplesky1120]

Hey Angela, I actually have the opposite problem, in squats and lunges I mainly feel it mostly in my quads, and only slightly in my hamstings and glutes. I think this may be because they are weaker than my hams and glutes. So maybe I can use some additional exercises myself to help strengthen my quads so that I can feel lunges and squats equally over the front and back of my legs. I would love to hear what Cathe has to say!!
Purplesky1120

 

[schnebbles]

Gosh, I have the same problem as Purplesky.. I feel everything in the quads too, and it makes me really mad.

I did what I could of LL last night for the first time, and my quads were really sore, but through-out the day today, I could feel the glutes, but not as much as the quads.

I think I need to keep my form on squats better. I sometimes don't realize it's not quite what it's supposed to be.

Kathy

 

[StepSquat]

Hi Angela

I've been working out for over 12 years now and I can sympathize with your problem. Lunges and squats have now become my all time favorite leg exercises. I've found that to really feel the quads working in squats, you should NOT squeeze the glutes as you squat. Keep them relaxed. Also, try flexing your quads as you rise up out of the squat. Pause briefly at the top and really flex those quads hard before descending into the squat again. Another option is to stand with your heels elevated on a piece of wood when you squat. It helps some people feel it more in the quads.

Hope this helps!

Lisa:7

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Angela! The deeper down you go into these movements, the more glute you will recruit. So I suggest that you do leg presses with a lower step height as to keep you from bending your leg down to a 90 degree angle.

On squats you can do the opposite of low ends and instead hover at the top of the movement in the same manner.

For lunges, you can lunge on to a step as opposed to the floor, again to keep you from getting deeper into the movement.

But I do not favor eliminating anything as to not create a muscle imbalance. Therefore, you can favor doing the method you prefer to feel it where you want to but do not exclude the deeper movement altogether. Hope this helps!

 

[kathryn]

>>For lunges, you can lunge on to a step as opposed to the
>floor, again to keep you from getting deeper into the
>movement.
>

Hmmm...I often will do lunges with my front leg on a 4-6"step, and I find I can go DEEPER into the movement and thus feel it more in the glute and hamstring area as well as the quads. This slight elevation of the front foot also seems to allow me to go deeper without putting as much stress on the knee.

For leg presses, I also find that I can use the same step size (usually 12 "or 14" and either get a workout that is pretty balanced as far as leg muscles being worked, or work on the glute area by going a bit lower at the bottom portion of the movement (with more bend in the knee) and really pushing through the heel.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Kathryn! Yes, you CAN go deeper if you choose to, but you can also choose to do a more shallow lunge in this manner yet maintain the benefits of less stress to the knee.

 

[AngelBrt]

Thanks so much Cathe (and everyone else!). I will definitely try your suggestions. I do focus work on going down really deep into squats and lunges so it probably will help to mix it up with working on the higher end of things and using a step with lunges. I do want to keep balanced though because I'm defnitely enjoying the results for my hamstrings and glutes! Thank you again!

Angela