Turns Out I Didn't Know Squat About How to Build Great Legs
An injury forced me to change...and changed my perspective on bodybuilding forever
When I started competing in bodybuilding, I had one particular advantage that eventually allowed me to become an IFBB Pro classic physique competitor: Big legs. And whenever someone would ask me how I had been able to gain such size on my legs, I would always give one answer: Squats!
Squats were my go-to exercise. and I would do them more than anything else. In fact, some of my leg days consisted of nothing but squats.
Then one day, about 10 weeks out from a competition, the unthinkable happened. I tore my quad tendon, and suddenly squatting was no longer an option for me.
Convinced I was done for, ready to give up and drop out, I happened to mention my misfortune to a good friend who holds a PhD in exercise science. His response shocked me. My friend told me that all was not lost. In fact, he said I could train around the injury using different exercises and still be ready to go on show day.
I was skeptical, but I followed his advice and rested my injury for about a week and crafted a program using lighter leg presses with a range of motion that did not aggravate my injury. I combined more reps and volume. I did hip-thrusts and other alternate exercises that did not cause me pain while doing them. To my great surprise, I hit the show that year and was able to maintain excellent quality regarding my legs. The experience changed my perspective on bodybuilding forever.
In the past, I had been fixated on a particular exercise when the real key was understanding what muscles I was actually training and then establishing a solid mind-muscle connection with them. In other words, it turns out that squats — while being a superior exercise — aren’t the only way to get competition-level legs! Today especially, there are plenty of great machines out there that when used correctly can deliver similar or better results depending on how those exercises fit your body.
Don’t get wrong: If you feel good squatting, by all means – squat! It’s a great movement and will definitely help you add size to your legs. But in the end, it really comes down to the architecture of your body and how any movement feels for you. My advice: Try different machines and see how they feel. Learn to load your quads when pressing. Remember, the real goal is to keep constant tension through a full range of motion. That’s it. Fully understand and embrace that concept, and you, too, can achieve significant results and solid growth.
One more thing — and I cannot emphasize this enough — staying in good form is paramount. Don’t be concerned with the amount of weight you are using. Really. Put your pride aside and convince yourself to be more concerned with the quality of your reps as you progress toward muscle failure.
People always doubt me when I say this, but it’s true. If I could get to muscle failure in good form with a 10-lb plate, you’d see me happily working out with that weight. The gym is for growing muscles, not egos!
Work hard, train smarter!
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