The Most Underrated Quad Exercise of All Time.
Pictured is the Hex bar, or trap bar. They come in various shapes and sizes, but the general premise is the same: The user stands inside of it.
Safely add strength and size to the thighs.
If you lack muscle mass, the thighs have 4 huge heads to add muscle to. The quadriceps extend the knee, and all 4 heads of the muscle serve different roles in creating the movements of our femur. While it's essential to keep every part of the quads strong, it's beneficial to the knee to get the often envied Vastus Medialis(VMO) muscle stronger. The muscle is an attention grabber on a bodybuilding stage, and can help protect the knees from injury. Like a tricep, the quads, are responsible for extending, or "locking out," the knee.
The innermost head, the VMO is responsible for that last ~15-20% of extending the knee, the actual "lock-out." So it's safe to say that the teardrop can only grow if the exercises performed fully extend the knee. Pulse-squats, Lateral Lunges, and incline leg presses (where the lockout is usually avoided) are leaving this head of muscle out of work. Ditch the Terminal Knee Extensions, and get ready to lift towards better legs. If you want strong leg extension, and a great VMO, get the Hex bar, and pull!
While often known to be the easier, ego-friendly version of the deadlift, don't disrespect the trap bar, or machine deadlift when it comes to making your Vastus Medialis(VMO) look like a teardrop. Often, exercises for the quads include heavy stretching, long ranges of motion, and potential discomfort for those with knee pain. Whether building the quads for your health, or to step on stage, the trap bar deadlift has all the essentials for making your VMO pop!
32 Likes, 3 Comments - David Corrado B.S, CSCS (@trainathlon) on Instagram: "‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️ FOR ALL OF THOSE WITH ACHY KNEES 👀 Are squats not feeling so hot? Does..."
User Friendly Terminal Knee Extension-
The Hex bar (or trap) bar is more friendly for picking up off the floor. It's a more back friendly deadlift because of the way the user is positioned inside of the bar, as opposed to being behind it, where it may be more tempting to compensate with the back. The Hex bar also creates a smaller range of motion for the deadlift, making it easier for beginners to learn the essentials of the hinge! Yet, unlike any barbell deadlift, the hex bar makes it the easiest route to terminal knee extension. If you fully extend the knees with a barbell, you still have to push your pelvis up into the bar, because the bar is in the way of full extension. With the hex bar deadlift, you can stand straight up with nothing to denature the movement. Not only is it a more complete extension, it's easier to perform with less risk, because of the reduced range of motion. With a standard bumper plate on each side, plus the handles of a hex bar, the bars a few inches higher off the floor, and less likely to let back pain or hamstring tightness screw up the deadlift.
Less range of motion, but more weight.....seriously.
While cutting down on range of motion and building more muscle may sound counterintuitive, but for the case of the VMO, we're just looking for strong, complete terminal extension. Since the hex bar allows users to lift weight more easily, you can take that same terminal extension, and make it more complete, and heavier than most people could during a conventional deadlift. Wear wrist traps, wear a belt, chalk up the hands, and just make sure that every rep, you stand tall! Even a side-loaded deadlift machine will allow you to terminally extend the knee better than a barbell deadlift would., it's as simple as changing the angle, so normally exhausted muscle groups don't leave you hanging, when completing the movement matters.
They make plate loaded deadlift/shrug machines, as well as these sleek designed Technogym Kinesis Omegas for the job. The tool doesn't matter, the movement does. Train heavier, and squeeze those quads!
People will do terminal knee extensions (TKE) religiously.Why not just do them with heavy load, and a different barbell? Hex bars are becoming more commonplace in gyms, so there aren't as many excuses to avoid the deadlift anymore. The TKE shown with the elastic band attached to a power cage is a short range movement. The hex bar deadlift can be as short or long as you want it to be. Like any other deadlift, add blocks, or add a platform to stand on. Whether it's for deficit deadlifts, or block pulls, that rep is always going to end in terminal extension, if it's done correctly.
Simplicity: A Game of Up and Down.
More weight and less range, or less weight and more range. This is the go-to rule in understanding how changing the hex bars elevation will work for you. If recovering from a knee or hip injury that limits the ROM, just add blocks or plates under the plates of the bar, and pull from even higher. Elite athletes often perform heavy rack pulls, why could they not perform them with a different barbell?
It still allows you to train that lockout movement, whether for the sake of rehabilitation, or for weekend warrior dreams of competing in Strongman contests. The hex bar deadlift is the most easy to grasp staple of an exercise for leg training. With an elevation under the feet, now there can be a deficit, and more stretch in the quads, if needed for bodybuilders, or shorter people. You can do this with deadlift machines as well. Either add plates under your feet, or stoppers to the actual weight stack. If it (somehow) get's to the point that you have maxed out the sleeves of the bar, take it in different directions. Try to max out the bar with more range of motion. When that gets easy, add a bit more, or add elastic bands. The VMO, and your knees will continue getting stronger, and it will have been done with much more safely than the alternative.
58 Likes, 2 Comments - David Corrado B.S, CSCS (@trainathlon) on Instagram: "#405 rack-pulls to end an intense week of travel. Good to be back to PR hunting. #fitfam #stronger..."
Summary.
There's a more risk averse way to build your quads, and it still calls for heavy resistance! The hex bar deadlift is a great option for beginners, and advanced athletes. It's simple, get stronger, and stand up taller with the hex bar. Deadlifts aren't the only thing you'll need for better quads, but it's a safe option that almost anybody can work with. Squats, lunges, and lateral movements can put people with a lack of hip mobility at risk for knee injuries. While everybody should strive for more perfect primal movement patterns, everyone needs to know where there athleticism stands. If there's not enough hip rotation, or bodily awareness in the pelvic floor, take it to a more safe, comparatively effective movement. While you work on building other movement patterns for yourself or your clients, follow the suggestion that leads to more safety, and more strength!
David Corrado BS,CSCS,TSAC-F
@trainathlon (Instagram) , @trainathlon1 (twitter)
University of Florida-2016
David Corrado began his training career at age 18, volunteering as a fitness coach for students with intellectual disabilities in the Gainesville, Florida area. While at University of Florida, David became certified, and worked as a trainer and coach at the UF campus rec center. Having been certified through multiple curriculums including PTAG and the NSCA’s CSCS and TSAC-F certifications, David now trains in Boca Raton, Florida, specializing in functional strength training for working adults. He trains his clients at the Institute of Human Performance, in Boca Raton, Fl.