Suggestions for a good new exercise for chest and exercise for quads

Justlooking5

Justlooking5

Active member
Hello all. I am trying to decide what additional exercise to add for quad development and an additional chest exercise to change things up. I prefer free weight movements as I think I respond better to them.

For quads I am currently doing:
Front squats and leg press.... need a third exercise though. Have been doing barbell hacks but I don't think they are that effective. I don't want to do back squats right now.

For chest I am doing incline and flat barbell bench. Recently was doing incline and flat dumbbell bench. May add dumbbell bench back but was trying to think of another good mass builder (i.e., not flyes). Was thinking of doing decline dumbbell bench but 24 hour fitness has the most awkward decline bench. I don't have a spotter so I don't want to do decline bb. Any ideas? Rep for answers. Thanks
 
I mean there aren't many choices for quads. I would honestly recommend back squats I don't see why you wouldn't want to do them. if your back squats have been stagnant try using a different rep range or something, maybe peaking. getting your squat up will help your quads more than anything else other than sheer volume.

and for chest you should try wide grip spoto presses
 
My suggestions...

For Quads:
-Barbell Jump Squats. I know you said you don't want to back squat but I'm not sure if these count or not. I do them as Jamie Lewis recommends.
-Zercher Squat. I prefer using a Fat Bar or wrap a towel around the bar.
-Weighted Hill Sprints using a vest or some chains.

And Chest:
-Weighted Dips. Rings or Parallel Bars.
-Reverse Grip Bench Press. Try this in the Smith Machine first to get the form down then work your way up to using free weights.
-Close Grip Bench Press.

Hope that helps!
 
Crush grip bench - you'll get an intense contraction in the middle of your chest, I find myself rotating this exercise in a lot
Bulgarian split squat - they fing suck but are effective and burn like crazy, not just for quads but overall
 
imlee888 said:
I mean there aren't many choices for quads. I would honestly recommend back squats I don't see why you wouldn't want to do them. if your back squats have been stagnant try using a different rep range or something, maybe peaking. getting your squat up will help your quads more than anything else other than sheer volume.

and for chest you should try wide grip spoto presses
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Yeah, I have done backs squats for years with no apparent problems. I've just been reading some stuff about how there is no way to do backs squats without putting your spine in an unhealthy position:

John W. McClellan, MD, the study’s lead author and a pediatric and spine surgeon. “Even under the direct supervision of a trained physical therapist, a perfectly-executed squat lift with very little weight places the spine in a position that dramatically increases the risk of hard-to-heal stress fractures.
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Granted, this is referring to teenagers, but it's not the only article I've read. It's still not clear to me whether back squats are inherently bad for your spine. I know they used to say squats were bad for your knees, weightlifting made you muscle bound, etc. ... I don't think anyone really knows the answer to this.
 
Justlooking5 said:
Yeah, I have done backs squats for years with no apparent problems. I've just been reading some stuff about how there is no way to do backs squats without putting your spine in an unhealthy position:



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Granted, this is referring to teenagers, but it's not the only article I've read. It's still not clear to me whether back squats are inherently bad for your spine. I know they used to say squats were bad for your knees, weightlifting made you muscle bound, etc. ... I don't think anyone really knows the answer to this.
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I personally love back squatting HEAVY! And have yet to injure myself or even feel "off" as a result. I typically squat below parallel and even with heavy loads as long as I'm keeping myself right and tension throughout I'm typically good to go. I will say that I try not to overload the spine too often. Having done that before with squatting heavy to moderately heavy 3-4x a week plus standing calf raises with a bar on my back and DIY yoke walks I started suffering from debilitating tension headaches that would floor me for a couple minutes. My spine was fine however. So I simply moved things around so that if I load my spine only one day is truly heavy and maybe a second day is lighter but that's typically it. Plus lifting heavy contributes to bone density if that makes a difference.
 
I do miss back squats. I'll see what I think about it after some more reading. It's hard to get an answer when one group of credible online sources say they are bad, and another say they aren't.
 
Leg extensions.
Chest flies. Better for building pec size than presses.
 
imlee888 said:
Are the "credible sources" people that actually have done the movement ?
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Well, top level (NHL, NFL clients etc.) strength coach, MDs in the previous study posted, etc. I'm not taking a side on the issue because I'm not sure who is correct and I think no one really knows for sure at this point because it hasn't been studied that much.
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Bad squatting with a weak or poorly braced core is bad for your back. Good squatting with a good brace is incredible at building the musculature of the entire body. If you're worried about your back and are not required to back squat, don't do it. But with some research, attention to detail, and practice, you can do it safely.

Not a good guy to ask for pec development, but I'll cast another vote for Bulgarian split squats for quads. They're great and safer than leg extensions. (Though if I'm being honest, light and high rep back squats and front squats built my quads. And they are huge.)
 
What about front squats? They'll smoke your core and hammer your quads.

Also, holding a bar in front can force you to either maintain a neutral spine or drop the bar in my experience. Effectively making it difficult to do the exercise with a flexed spine. In addition, most people end up squatting a much lower weight than they would on back squats which could alleviate some of your concern.

edit: just realized these have been mentioned, but I'll leave this here because front squats are awesome.
 
I enjoy dips for chest and leg press for legs. I quit bench type presses so my triceps can catch up. I sneeze and my chest explodes along with my quads.
 
As everyone mentioned dips, thats a classic mass builder. Weighted dips will be very effective.

I personally love db press on incline. I get a great contraction. If you havent incorporated those, give em a shot.

For quads it might be obvious, but why not leg extensions? I know its basic and isolation, but it works!
I like to do negatives while my training partner is pushing down. Also sets of 50 and 100 with drops.
 
EMPIREMIND said:
As everyone mentioned dips, thats a classic mass builder. Weighted dips will be very effective.

I personally love db press on incline. I get a great contraction. If you havent incorporated those, give em a shot.

For quads it might be obvious, but why not leg extensions? I know its basic and isolation, but it works!
I like to do negatives while my training partner is pushing down. Also sets of 50 and 100 with drops.
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I agree that DB incline presses are fantastic, plus they feel more natural on the shoulder in my opinion.

I think the OP will have to decide, but I do cycling with my girlfriend outside of the gym for cardio. Its super hilly where we live so hill climbing isn't an option, you have to do it. My legs exploded from hill climbs.
 
Stationary Bike is good, but I get bored just sitting. At least on an actual bike, you get to look at stuff while you go. Plus the resistance on the road is completely different than a stationary, plus you also have gears to mess with. I'm biased lol!
 
Id say back squats for quads. Maybe add in some HIIT on a spin bike if possible.

For chest, some good ole BB bench press. Work on your set up/technique. I have messed with mine and it has made a major difference for me.
 
I decided to go with Bulgarian Split Squats for quads. Tried them for the first time yesterday and I actually liked them a lot. They seem to target your quads well and aren't as awkward as they seem like they could be.
 
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