What leg exercise is better than the back squat? Could you?
If your legs are small and you think heavy squats are the only way to stretch them, you need to rethink your approach.
Troy Adashun explains how he modified his leg training to achieve impressive strength and muscle gains without using barbell back squats.
When it comes to lower body hypertrophy, he claims there are plenty of other great lower body exercises out there.
Source: Photo provided by CrossFit Inc.“I wanted to make this video because, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to squat heavy weights to stretch your legs. , does not include any barbell squats.”
“When I started lifting, I thought doing the heaviest squats was the best way to get big legs, but it turned out that I was training for strength rather than hypertrophy. Try leg workouts to get bigger legs and feel the difference in rep range, pace of each rep, and overall exercise choices.”
“These leg exercises will blow your legs up with a short, intense workout.
Better exercises than squats for lower body muscle building
1. More Effective Leg Exercise – Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
Probably one of the most painful and effective leg exercises in existence.
Go deep well and don’t cheat your moves.
This can be felt all the way from your glutes to your quadriceps.
Stick to the 10-12 rep range for maximum muscle growth.
Place your knees over your toes and load each leg one leg at a time. To make the exercise even harder, try pause reps. Hold the bottom position for at least 3 seconds to maximize time under tension.
2. More Effective Leg Exercises – Dumbbell Walking Lunges Super Set Hands Over the Head Walking Lunges
This further fatigues the legs in a functional and challenging way.
Again, supersets prolong the time you’re in tension, which promotes muscle growth.
Growth Tip: Add weighted versions of each exercise as supersets.
3. More Effective Leg Exercise – Dumbbell Sumo Squat
This is a great alternative if you are experiencing back problems or are recovering from an injury.
It cannot be as heavy as a back squat and requires the core and spine to be upright and toned.
If you have ankle mobility issues, you may choose to do this with your heel raised. Simply place your heels on weights or bumper plates.
Be sure to squeeze the top and focus on your mind muscle connection.
4. Better Leg Exercise – Leg Extension Super Set and Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
Do 3 sets of 12 reps for both exercises. RDL should be performed immediately after leg extension is complete.
Form tip: Point your toes slightly out and squeeze your quadriceps as tight as possible at the top of the movement.
Troy Adashun considers the following equation, performed within the proper rep range, to be a good principle for leg growth. “Strength + Consistency = Growth”
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Video Timestamp:
- 00:00 – Why Squats Are Ruining Your Gains
- 0:15 – The truth about chicken legs
- 0:50 – Perfect leg workout for fast growth
- 1:50 – One of the most painful leg exercises (but it works!)
- 03:00 – db walking lunge superset for growth
- 4:45 – Great barbell squat alternative
- 5:20 – Great quadriceps and hamstrings superset
As a final disclaimer, Troy says doing back squats consistently in the 10-12 reps range is an amazing way to grow your legs. But for novice athletes, he believes this run in parallel poses a higher risk of injury than many of the other exercises he included in the video.
leg muscles
Your feet are full of many muscles that control movement in different ways. Some help you walk, others help you run and jump. The quadriceps are on the front of the thigh and the hamstrings are on the back of the thigh. Both muscle groups work together to provide power and stability as you move around.
quadriceps (quad)
The quadriceps are the muscles that make up the thigh. Extend and bend your knees to straighten your hips. The quadriceps femoris consists of four muscles: vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.
vastus lateralis
The vastus lateralis muscle is one of the quadriceps muscles. It is located on the outside of the thigh and helps extend the leg. The vastus lateralis is a large muscle that can be strengthened with exercises such as lunges and squats.
The vastus lateralis muscle is located on the outside of the thigh.
The vastus lateralis muscle is located on the outside of the thigh. This muscle extends from the middle of the knee to the top of the kneecap (patella), underneath the fat layer.
The vastus lateralis is one of the four large muscles that make up the quadriceps group of the leg. A small portion of each has an anterior pelvic attachment point called the iliotibial band or ITB (pronounced ITB). This band stabilizes and supports these muscles in order to bend the knee back and forth during daily activities such as exercising, climbing stairs, or climbing into bed after a long day at work. increase.
rectus femoris
The rectus femoris is the quadriceps muscle. It makes up his quarter of the thigh muscle, starting at the pelvis and inserting into the tibia and patella. This segmented muscle is responsible for flexing the knee joint and helps propel you forward when running or walking uphill.
The rectus femoris also helps stabilize the hip during other movements that twist and bend in different directions, such as kicking a ball.
The rectus femoris runs down the middle of the thigh.
The rectus femoris is one of the quadriceps muscles and is located on the front of the thigh. This muscle runs down the middle of the thigh from the hip to the knee, attaching to the kneecap (patella) in the last few inches.
This muscle is responsible for extending (straightening) and flexing (bending) the knee joint. This allows it to move forward and backward when walking, and to rotate and twist when running.
vastus medialis
The vastus medialis is a muscle on the inside of the thigh. Attaches to the kneecap to help extend and flex the leg. It also helps to bend your knees by pointing them inward. The vastus medialis muscle is used to stabilize the knee joint during exercise, which helps prevent injuries such as ACL tears.
The vastus medialis is located on the inside of the thigh. Attaches to the kneecap.
The vastus medialis is located on the inside of the thigh. Attaches to the kneecap to help straighten the leg.
Vastus Intermedius
The vastus intermedius lies below the rectus femoris and extends from the hip to the knee. Attaches to the kneecap to help extend and bend the leg and bend the knee.
The vastus intermedius lies below the rectus femoris and extends from the hip to the knee.
The vastus intermedius lies below the rectus femoris and extends from the hip to the knee. It’s the quadriceps. In other words, it helps you bend your knees.
hamstrings
Hamstrings are located on the back of the thigh. These muscles help extend and bend the leg. It also works with the quadriceps to flex and bend the knee, as well as helping prevent injuries such as ACL tears.
For athletes who need to improve speed, stability, or power, having strong hamstrings can be beneficial. You can make sharp turns when running. Even if your strong hamstrings don’t support it, you can easily pick up speed otherwise!
Your feet are full of many muscles that control movement in different ways.
Your legs are full of many muscles that control movement in different ways.The quadriceps and hamstrings are the major muscles in the front and back of your thighs, respectively. The vastus medialis is located on the inside of the foot. The abductors (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus) support hip movement, and the adductors (adductor longus, middle brevis, and gluteus maximus) push in from both sides to hold things together!
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