[quote]skiracer wrote:
[quote]y0lked wrote:
[quote]yarni wrote:
[quote]skiracer wrote:
I find squats don’t do much for my quads. Yes, they do something, but no, low-bar deep squats don’t hit my quads anywhere near what they hit the ass, hams, and lower back. Yes I’m going past parallel. Doing 20xbreathing squats etc is a great mass builder, but not so much for the quads specifically unless your build is very different than most.
FRONT squats hit the quads much more directly. I would love to figure out how to do them but simply don’t like either grip version once you start getting up in weight. If anyone knows any moves that hit the quads squarely, I’d love to do it, but I don’t think an ass/ham focus move like regular squats is great advice for quads.
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But you are talking specifically about low bar squats - putting the bar higher on the shoulders allows you to keep more upright (in the thoracic spine) like in the front squat. The problem with front squatting (if mass is the goal) is that long sets are not really practical. The shoulders (front deltoids in particular) will fatigue faster than the much larger and more powerful muscle counter-parts in the legs.
If you squat like a powerlifter, the quad involvement is almost none. If you squat like an olympic lifter, quad involvement is much greater.
The powerlifter has the bar low, and therefore sits back into the squat - which causes the shins to stay vertical and minimises knee bend (more stress on the back).
The olympic lifter has the bar high, and therefore (his/her hips) can come down in a much more vertical direction - which causes the knees to bend somewhat (more stress on the knees).
Foot placement and positioning are of course other factors, but the point is that the former variation (said simply) maximises glute/hips/hamstring recruitment, whereas the later (olympic) variation does this but with more stress placed on the quads (due to the greater knee bend)
This is my understanding anyway. I’d be interested to hear other opinions
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I squat high bar and my posterior chain is far more developed and stronger than my quads. I also cant build mass in my quads from squatting. Ive gotten up to 2 plates per side for front squats but like stated above my shoulders also fatigue quicker than my quads.
I have to rely heavily on lunges and leg presses for quad development. What would u suggest for me? (no thread hijack) lol[/quote]
x2 - Leg press is lame (yes I know Dorian and Ronnie do them whatever) and it’s hard to go heavy on lunges. Suggestions appreciated. [/quote]
What types of rep ranges are you guys using who don’t feel your quads working during high bar olympic full ROM squats?
I know personally that if I go heavy (like below 8 reps) I feel my glutes and hamstrings more too.
But, try putting your 10 RM on the bar and gutting out 20 reps with it (breathing style) and tell me that you don’t feel your quads.
Moral of the story, try higher reps for better quad stimulation.