The hack squat can be a great gym machine for developing your lower body muscles, particularly your quads, with very little engagement from your lower back.  This makes it a popular alternative to traditional squats using a barbell, which can put a lot of stress on your lumbar spine – especially if you’re not doing them with proper …
Spanish squats are one of the more unusual quad focused exercises that you probably don’t see being performed that often. That’s usually because it’s carried out in a rehab environment under the supervision of a physical therapist to help with knee injuries like patella tendinopathy. But, when the Spanish squat exercise is executed with proper form, it can be a great way …
The goblet squat is an efficient alternative to the traditional barbell squat. Needing only a kettlebell, it’s a great exercise you can perform pretty much anywhere. It’s a squat variation that’s widely accessible, offering many benefits such as improving your back squat technique and increasing both your mobility and strength. But it’s not …
Unilateral exercises, like the traditional lunge, are a great way of working both sides of your body equally. When done regularly they can help to offset any negative adaptations to strength or muscle size that have developed through bilateral exercises and overtraining. Recommended Reading – Discover 6 Leg Extension Muscles Worked & Alternatives And, whether you love …
Your quads, or quadriceps muscles, are the powerhouse of your lower body, playing a crucial role in everyday movements and athletic performance. One of the best ways of recruiting this large muscle group is by making use of the leg extension machine, which is a common piece of equipment found in many (if not most) commercial gyms. Compound …
There’s no doubt about it, barbell squats are in a league of their own when it comes to firing up pretty much every muscle group in your body building strength and packing on muscle. But there’s an age-old debate of whether or not free-weight squats are better than smith squats. Recommended Reading – 9 Best Barbell Back Squat Alternatives For …
Belt squats are a great way of training your squat while giving your lower back a break. This squat variation takes the place of regular back squats and is usually done on a hip belt squat machine, but if you don’t have access to one and still want to reap the benefits, we’ve got you covered. …
Your tibialis anterior muscle is located to the front of your shin and runs down the lateral side of the tibia. Sometimes referred to as the shin muscle or front calf muscle, it’s responsible for dorsiflexion of the ankle joint, which means it helps to lift the foot so that your toes point upwards. If you find you have discomfort down …
The Jefferson Curl has a bit of a controversial reputation, and if you see someone doing it in the gym you’d probably assume they were performing the exercise all wrong. That’s simply because of how the movement pattern looks. Bending over and completely rounding the entire spine goes against pretty much everything we’re taught when it comes to strength …
Deeper squats are going to give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to overall leg development. But certain factors may be limiting your ability to achieve a full depth squat. If you’re a powerlifter, or just getting into the sport, you’ll know that parallel squats are all that’s needed in a comp environment. …