By Mike Simone Men's Fitness
Ever looked down at your legs and wish you had some more size and definition in your thighs? The VMO, or vastus medialus is the muscle in your lower quad that, when fully developed, will not only create an impressive teardrop-shaped cut just above your knee, but also helps with stability around the knee. We asked personal trainer Alfonso Moretti, owner of Angry Trainer Fitness, his tips for getting the "teardrop."
1 Quarter Squats
Prepare yourself in the traditional squat position, but instead completing a full repetition, only come up a quarter of the way, return back to the bottom, then perform a full rep. Of the four quadriceps muscles, the vastus medialus is recruited more when “coming out of the hole,” so you’ll work it twice as hard with each rep.
Shoot for 20 one and a quarter reps.
Increase the Intensity: Try two quarter reps before completing a full rep.
Skater Lunge
Standing upright with a shoulder-width stance, step your right leg behind and across your left leg about a shoulders distance away. Then squat down by bending both legs and touch the floor with your right hand. As you stand return back to the start position.
Shoot for 15–20 reps per side.
Increase the Intensity: Try alternating side to side for 30 seconds and add a clip and a little jump in the transition.
Small Lunges
Here’s an awesome version of forward lunges that, due to positioning, hits the "teardrop" big time. Standing in a low squat position, lunge forward and slightly out to the right side with your foot landing pointing straight ahead. Then, return back to the low squat starting position and lunge forward again, but to the left. Return back to the low start position again and repeat.
Shoot for 15 lunges on each leg. Remember to stay low the entire time!
Increase the Intensity: Keep the form exactly the same, but add a burpee in between after every two reps!
Source: http://www.mensfitness.com/fitness/g...above-the-knee
