3 Quad Exercises For Skinny Guys / HARDGAINERS!

Even though I know leg related fitness content is usually not the most popular, we can’t ignore them. Just like YOU shouldn’t be skipping LEG DAY! So today we are going to go over 3 QUAD exercises for skinny guys or hardgainers, and if you haven’t been keeping up with all the videos in this series, make sure you click the link for the entire playlist right HERE.

Remember, this advanced technique utilizes specific movements to emphasize the Stretch, Flex, and Overload (SFO) of a muscle group when training to help YOU as a hardgainer build MORE muscle by creating a stronger mind-muscle connection (MMC). But anyone can train with this technique to bust through a muscle building plateau. SFO works by performing a triset of 3 different exercises, and the strategy behind this technique is to use the first 2 exercises to establish the ultimate MMC, and then utilize the third movement to completely hammer out the quads to exhaustion.

Routine Structure

For the routine itself, you’re going to perform 8 – 10 reps per exercise and complete 4 rounds of all three movements, ONLY resting 60 – 90 seconds after you complete 1 round of all three exercises. Remember it’s a TRISET, so there is no rest between exercises, and you’re going to complete 4 TOTAL ROUNDS.

Stretch: Sissy Squat

Now I know what you are probably thinking – ‘Oh my God, I’m not going to do that exercise, everyone’s going to look at me weird!’ Let me tell you a little secret…no matter what you do in the gym, whether you’re the most overweight person in the gym, or the most in-shape, insanely ripped person in the gym, people are going to talk smack about you. So this is for YOUR gains, not theirs!

This is the best exercise to focus on the stretch for the quads and it is going to help you SO much with establishing that strong MMC, however, it will take some practice to do this exercise. Proper form starts with you holding onto something sturdy, although if you are advanced, you might not have to hold onto anything, but I still recommend that you do. You’re then going to go up onto your tip toes, you’re going to flex your core, and you’re going to flex your glutes while pushing your hips forward. You want to keep your torso as stiff and as straight as possible, so that when you LEAN back all of the tension goes right to the quads. As you lean back, as soon as you get to the bottom (which is as far as your mobility will allow you to go), that’s when you’re going to feel the nice deep stretch, and then return to the top position before repeating for repetitions.

You can also do this exercise with a band, which might be easier for the majority of you. To use a band, all you need to do is loop it around something sturdy, and then as you perform the movement, you’re going to use the band to off-set your weight. The form is the exact same, so don’t forget to make sure you flex and squeeze your glutes and core as tight as you can. I feel like more people would enjoy this movement if it had a better name, so from now on you’re also going to refer to this exercise as THE MATRIX!

Flex: Leg Extension

I know some of you will probably say this exercise hurts your knees, but guess what, you’re not supposed to be using a TON of weight with this exercise. All you’re using this exercise for is to get to the top of the movement, and flex and squeeze your quads as hard as you possibly can. It’s preferable that you hold it in the flexed position for about 1 second before returning back to the starting position, and continuing this movement pattern for reps. Remember, the goal here isn’t TOTAL WEIGHT, it’s focusing on the FLEX, so go light with this exercise to really help establish a stronger MMC.

Overload: Barbell Hack Squat

With this exercise, I wanted you to be able to lift as much weight as possible, and I’m sure you probably thought the overload movement was going to be a front squat. But the reason you’re going to do a barbell hack squat instead is because you’re going to be able to lift a lot more weight off the floor, which is going to allow you to overload your quads a lot more as well. There are some key form things you have to keep in mind in order to execute this exercise properly.

You want your feet about shoulder width apart – your heels should be under your knees, and your knees should be under your shoulders. You also want to make sure your toes are pointing FORWARD – don’t turn them out, and don’t turn them in. Just like if you were doing a front squat, to maximize that quad engagement you keep your toes pointing forward and you keep the feet about shoulder width apart, so the form here is kind of the same.

Where things change obviously is with a front squat, you have to hold the weight up across your shoulders. With a barbell hack squat, you’re lifting the weight directly off the ground, so you’ll be able to load much more on the bar. You’re going to go down and grab the barbell outside of shoulder width. From here, you want to drop your hips, keep your chest up, and then push through your heels to get to the top of the movement. Once you get to the top, flex your quads, and then bring the weight back down. You’re going to repeat this movement for reps, trying to overload as much as you possibly can.

Conclusion

That wraps up your quad workout, and it should only take you 20 – 25 minutes max.  Remember, that the idea behind this series is to get you in and out of the gym as fast as possible, while also dealing maximum muscle damage for regrowth. As a hardgainer, you don’t want to be burning too many calories with LONG workouts.You NEED those calories to build MUSCLE!

One last thing – if you’re not a hard gainer and want to add this workout to your current leg training, try adding 2 rounds as a FINISHER after your current leg workout.