Back on track here.
A great, but massively unloved Squat Variation;
Weighted Sissy Squat
Sissy Squats aren’t good for the ego, but they rip up the Quads. I’ve yet to cycle these in, but I will some time next year looking at my '07 training schedule.
I also agree with some that the VMO intense Leg Ext. Variation, while not the devil, should probably be last on the radar.
Hack Squat!
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
Please kid, I saw you the other day, my friend lives in Methuen, I live right down the road from you in Everett, I can spot a juicer from a mile away and you my friend are a pin-cushion. And hey Im not saying isolation exercises are bad, but actually just leg extensions specifically are not a selectable exercise if you know what you are doing. Leg Curls, Straight arm pulldowns, Skullcrushers, these are all fine, but now leg extensions. I guess you didnt get the memo…
[/quote]
Keep hating bro I use people like you as motivation. I could care less what you think about me. If someone like you points a finger at me saying im juicing when I know the truth about how hard i work, then I take em all as compliments. Im guessing last time you “saw” me I was in my gym, so next time come up and say hello.
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
Please kid, I saw you the other day
[/quote]
Well, thats a little creepy.
[quote]Shadowzz4 wrote:
And I hope the other poster was kidding about leg extensions.[/quote]
No, I wasn’t. The OP wanted to know exercises that he can use to get his VMO to grow - leg extensions can do that, especially if you point your toes out like Easy E said.
I’ve read the research on leg extensions, some of it I’d take on board, some of it I’d question. I certaintly wouldn’t use one that clamps your thighs to your seat as they don’t allow your knee to move properly through the movement, because as we all know the knee joint does not have a simple single centre of rotation (there’s that basic knowledge of physiology).
Try putting down the memos and thinking for yourself (and don’t stalk people, it’s really wierd).
CT will explain Frog Squats AND how to target the VMO here:
http://www.T-Nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1198794
[quote]Easy E wrote:
Shadowzz4 wrote:
Please kid, I saw you the other day, my friend lives in Methuen, I live right down the road from you in Everett, I can spot a juicer from a mile away and you my friend are a pin-cushion. And hey Im not saying isolation exercises are bad, but actually just leg extensions specifically are not a selectable exercise if you know what you are doing. Leg Curls, Straight arm pulldowns, Skullcrushers, these are all fine, but now leg extensions. I guess you didnt get the memo…
Keep hating bro I use people like you as motivation. I could care less what you think about me. If someone like you points a finger at me saying im juicing when I know the truth about how hard i work, then I take em all as compliments. Im guessing last time you “saw” me I was in my gym, so next time come up and say hello.[/quote]
Im just messing with you, I dont live in Everett anymore but I know the area. Just wanted to see what you would say to that. I honestly think anyone that does leg extensions is pretty deep into the FLEX mentality because there is no other reason to use them other than that. The fact of the matter is this.
The VMO is most active in and out of 90 degrees knee flexion. Using exercises that hit the muscle when the knee is at this joint angle are the best exercises to increase the strength and size of the VMO.
There is no way to significantly load the VMO at the 90 degree angle because if it is sufficient at 90 degrees the torque will be too high to get out of that joint angle and terrible on your knees. Sure you can hypertrophy the muscle doing leg extensions, but you are not going to get much strength out of that exercise and you will get alot of uneeded stress on your knees. So leg extensions are terrible. The only way they make sense (even though nothing could override the injury factor), is from a volume standpoint. Wanting to add more volume to quad dominant movements without the intensity of a squat lunge or stepup exercise.
[quote]simon-hecubus wrote:
smallmike wrote:
what are frog squats?
Yes, please expand on this.
To me: Frog Squats = Duck Squats = Sumo Squats
Frog Squats do NOT equal Hack Squats. I think… Please enlighten me if things are different from that.
Tip of the Hat: Shadowzz mentioned taking the hip extensors out of the equation. To that end, may I offer up Sissy Squats.
Wag of the Finger to Shadowzzz: Don’t be hatin’ on the Leg Ext so much! NO squats, or variation there of, provide maximal reistance to the quads in the fully contracted position.
Later,
Scott[/quote]
Thanks for the tip, but I have to question you on the second part of your post. Why is it important (especially for the VMO) to have to fight against maximal resistance in the contracted position? Why is this the only exercise that has more torque at the end of the movement than at any other time during it? The only other exercise I can think of is the Skullkrusher variation when your upper arms stay parallel or as close as possible throughout. But I am wondering why this is an important quality to train?