THEQuadriceps training is essential for every athlete or novice who practices CrossFit or bodybuilding; although it is a difficult task to choose only one exercise as the best one for the training of this muscle district, we want to give it a try!
Index
Criteria for choosing the exercise
When trying to choose an exercise that is better than the others, we need to consider some criteria:
- Is it easy to apply progressive overload?
- Is the exercise safe to perform?
- Is it possible to find this tool or perform this exercise in any gym?
Best Exercise For Quadriceps: Which Will It Be?
Taking into account the arguments presented above, there are some exercises that we can exclude:
- Squat free body: it is more suitable for endurance rather than hypertrophy
- L-sit: it is difficult to perform and involves more muscles, not just the quadriceps
- Pistol squat: it is a very difficult exercise to master.
In the end there are 3 big contenders left:
- Bulgarian split squat: can resolve imbalances force which can be achieved by working each leg individually; this exercise is definitely a good candidate, but it is difficult to overload because you can easily lose your balance. You can use a pair of dumbbells to add some weight, but that's a lot of equipment needed for just one exercise, so it's not our winner
- Hack squats: you can gradually overload the hack squat machine and the way it is designed relieves the pressure on the lower back; moreover, it is not necessary to have a spotter during the performance. The only reason this exercise is not the winner in our opinion is because the quads are worked precisely and effectively, but only in the specific position and range of motion of the machine.
- Back / front squat: here are the finalists of the ranking; both of these variations are very valid exercises for training the quadriceps, but since there can only be one winner, for us the front squat is the best exercise for the quadriceps! Let's remember that the back squat is also a very valid exercise, but the risk of injuries it is quite high because the higher the load, the more you tend to move forward with your neck, lowering it, while your hips tend to rise.
Front squat: why is it the best exercise for the quadriceps?
Let's see the main reasons why the front squat can be considered the best exercise for quadriceps:
- Precision: The front squat is more aimed at the quadriceps than the back squat
- Ease of Overloading: It is easier in this type of squat to load the bar
- Full range of motion: with the front squat you can perform deep squats to get more benefits
- Safety: If you are doing a heavily loaded squat, you need to roll the bar forward away from your body and with the barbell front position it is much easier
- Ease of execution: all gyms in the world and home gyms have a barbell and that's all you need to do the front squat.
And in your opinion, what is the best exercise for the quadriceps? Let us know in the comments and remember to follow us also on our telegram channel
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