inner vs outer quad

[nikegurl]

i know we've talked about thigh sweep before (and bicep peak and upper pecs lol)

i believe that the quad muscle near the knee on the inside of the quad is a different muscle than the outer quad....but my biology may be wrong.

i tend to feel most of my quad exercises right around the knee on the inside. i'm not talking about knee pain. it's that part of my quad that feels "pumped" and most sore after leg days.

is that just how i am or is there something i'm doing when i squat or do leg extensions etc. that makes it that way? can i do anything to try to emphasize that area less and outer quad more?

 

[KarlW]

Do you squat deep ? like all the way down ?
That would emphasize the glutes and outer quads (for me anyway).

 

[nikegurl]

yep - i'm definitely going to parallel. and it's the same with leg presses and extensions. i feel it alot more on my inner quad.

 

[sawheet]

First I would like to say thet your avatar is amazing, nice job!! Ok you have 4 different quad muscles. First of all do not point your toes in or out on leg extension excercises, that is to much tension on a open chained excercise. Deep squats will hit the outer quad if you feet are closer and feet are straight, while theese super deep squats can be harmfull it may be done on a hack squat machine. Lunges are favorable because of the stretch you can produce in the opposite quad and the depth performed. AS for leg presses once again a closer stance is good but to deep and you roll your back, try a vertical leg press if available, your outer quads will hurt for days.

 

[nikegurl]

hi sawheet. thanks for the advice and the nice compliment! made my day.

 

[sawheet]

Also if you ever get a chance try to find the book called the muscle meets the magnet, it shows how different muscle fibers are recruited during different movements and positions. It puts a bodybuilder in a MRI right after exercise to see where the blood is, pretty cool and dimystifies allot of the myths.

 

[LAM]

That book is almost impossible to find these days. You may want to try looking for a book called Target Bodybuilding by Per A. Tesch, PhD...

 

[KarlW]

It's all personal I know but I wouldn't advise doing squats too deep on a hack machine, your back will come off the back rest and you get into an unnatural position.

ps How are deep barbell squats harmful ? I mean apart from the obvious back/knee considerations.

 

[FAZEEK]

MY FIRST REPLY ON THIS BOARD....

Now the training is hard to talk about, because its more of a show and feel thing.... (You have to see it and feel it), but Ill give it a try....

On squats, it sounds to me that you knees may be going out over your toes... did that make any sence? if it did this is a bad thing...

On leg exstensions you may want to take the wieght off the back of your legs a little and lighten the wieght a bit....

Ok, help me out here guys... Does anyone know what Im trying to say?

This board is really nice too....

hope that help a lil... Fazeek

 

[gopro]

Close foot stance...almost feet touching...on presses and all squat forms will focus on the outer thigh (vastus lateralis).

Leg extensions with feet turned IN at the top will hit the outer thigh hard...no its not dangerous unless you have a bad knee problem.

Try a pre-exhaust superset of these leg extensions followed by close stance squats or presses.

Also, do your legs collapse outward during squatting movements? This will put more focus on the inner quad (vastus medialis). If so, you may need to work on the abductor machine.

 

[Alex Oviedo]

I'm not really sure if it's considered dangerous, but I've found that working squats on the hack machine, with my toes turned slightly inward, and my thighs pointing forward and parallel works the outer quad a bit harder.

BTW I also have a much smaller lateralis when compared to my medialis. Must be from all the kicking i guess.