What is everyones best tip for developing the vastus lateralis?

Ray

Ray excuse my ignorance. Is this the outter quad muscle? I know the medialis is the tear drop. Clear this up...and I may have some tips...lol

JT--

It is the outside of the quads.

Thanks

Ray

Ray--

What I did to really bring up my sweep was leg presses with the feet together, hacks with the feet together and leg extensions with my toes turned in. Id also end every leg workout with no weight lunges. In less than a year they were really improved. If I can remember Ill post a link to a before and after photo. Less than one year apart. Im sure you may know these suggestions, but I also added a second leg day during this time.

JT--

Jason,
I do the exact opposite, but it works for me, lol! I do heavy squats with my feet farther than shoulder width apart (toes pointing slightly outward) and wide leg presses, coming down as deep as possible. I feel it really good in my upper part of the lateralis. When I keep my feet together, I feel it more in the medialis. Have you ever tried squatting with a really wide stance? Also, do you work you abductors? Using the abductor machine with you body on an incline really helps further develop your tensor fasciae latae, which can give you a better appearance to bring your quad sweep all the way up to your hip. I tried these techniques and my legs went from being my worst to my overdominant body part! Hope that helped a bit.

SEAN

I guess that post was supposed to be to ETX, not Jason. But hey, I guess everyone can read it, lol.

Sean/Jason

Thanks for the input.

Abductors will be added tomorrow.

Will also play with feet positioning a bit more.

Thanks

Ray

Sean--

Thats weird. If I squat wide I feel it in my inner leg and butt. I know hacks close together really hit my sweep anyways. I dont use the abductor machine much, were you meaning when you push inward or outward???? As far as developing sweep or both?

JT--

One way to remember which direction is ABduction and which is ADDuction is to think this way:

When one ADDucts, one "ADDs" to the body. So, in the example of an AB/ADductor machine, when the resistance is applied as one closes one's legs together, that's ADDuction (you're adding to the body, so to speak). If the resistance is applied as one spreads one's legs apart, that's ABduction.

In all thy getting, get understanding

For me, I squat feet real close on 5lb plates, butt to the floor. I've been told that I have good sweep. I have been trying my feet wider and up the board a little on hacks to get more upper ham/lower glute work. I might try the Abductor.

Dwayne

I always like to hear the little ways that we use to remember the tech. terms ... I liked Fitdocs .. but being from Northern MN we need to keep things VERY simply ... I have always taught my clients to simply remember the word "ABout" when differing between ABduction and ADDuction motions ... simply put, ABduction=AB/out ... tom

Ray,

I have found my quad sweep really responded with my feet closer together and my toes pointed out. I do that stance on everything (squats, leg press and hack).

All thanks for the replies

Have tried adduction, feet wide, and feet narrow.

Feet wide, regardless of exercise I feel it most in my glutes and hams

Narrow, feel it in my quads. Will try changing the direction my toes point as well this week.

Thanks again!

Tom great seeing you back on the board.

Ray

Hey Sean...Do you go for higher reps on the adbductor, or lower with more weight?

Dwayne,
It really depends on which type of workout scheme I am doing. Right now I am doing high volume with higher reps so I am also doing the same with the adbuctor machine. Hope that helps.

SEAN

Sean..Thanks. I am about 5.5 weeks out, I will keep the reps around 15 and do as much weight as I can for those number of reps.

Have a good one..

I've been doing one legged squats for over 7 years. Must say that my quads are 23 inches at 25 my thighs were 25" cold. I've found this to work best I've been a die hard Physical Culturalists for years and it works for me. The lateral head will be strongly stimulated because the thighs are under a greater overload seeing that you're using one limb.

My experience with the abductor machine is that I get great results from using this machine. I usually finish off my leg workout with this. A lot of guys don't like to use this machine because they think it's a ladies machine, but I started to used it years ago after seeing some of the IFBB Pros' doing the execise and tried it. In my leg routine I do incoperate some Box Squatting with butt to floor, works for me at 48 and that is years not degrees

Peterson Step Ups are great and will challenge the VM and creater greater proprioceptive conditioning as well.

With most leg training programs there is too much fluff and not enough hard core stuff. For the most part, deep squats below parallel will bring into action all of the muscles of the leg. Doing adductor/abductor machines do not maximally work the intended target areas other than creating hypertrophy of the machine manufacturers pocketbook from the club who purchased it.

Peterson Step Ups, along with box step ups can be great additions to the total leg training program and effectively bring up any lagging area, if that is the case.

Diet, along with proper nutrition will bring out the defintion so that you can see where you are in any particular muscle group, as far as what is lagging and what is on target.

For information on Peterson Step Ups, you can access drsquat.com for that. You can also see a lot of these exercises on either video or photo at http://www.weightliftersunited.com

have a strong and healthy day.