Lol, deadlifts and squats gotten too easy for you? :glasses:

I do RDL's for the hams.

1. What's an "RDL"? Some type of lunge?

2. From what I've read/heard, if you're hitting quad problems when you squat, you should check your form first. Some common form problems:

a. If you're too vertical in the squat, it overloads your quads. Be sure you're hip angle is closed enough/your back is horizontal enough. If the bar is too high on your shoulders, it will cause your back to straighten. (Similar to the way a front squat causes your back to go vertical.
b. If your feet are too close together, it takes pressure off your hams and glutes, and therefore increases the workload on your quads. Make sure you take a wide-enough stance.
c. Make sure your feet are angled outward enough, and that your knees are pushed out over your toes. If not, you don't engage your adductors enough, which, again, leads to your quads having to do too much of the work.
d. Make sure you're looking down, not up, when you squat. Looking up is not only bad for your neck, it also tends to force the torso into a more vertical position, which takes pressure off your hams and glutes, and overloads your quads.

If you don't have a copy of 'Starting Strength' by Rippetoe, I highly recommend it. It's not only the most insanely anatomical disection of form you can imagine, but it's a great read, too.

From what I've read from guys like Louie Simmons and Dave Tate is that most people fail on a squat attempt because of strength in the posterior chain. A squat day might look like...

a. Back Squat 5 x 5
b. Good Mornings or RDL's 4 or 5 x 8-10
c. Back Hyperextensions 4 or 5 x 8-10

For the GM's and RDL's do them with a flexion in your leg, it'll almost look like you're doing a quarter squat when you're doing them. This will incorporate the hamstrings more and even the tension between the low back and hammies.

From what I've read from guys like Louie Simmons and Dave Tate is that most people fail on a squat attempt because of strength in the posterior chain. A squat day might look like...

a. Back Squat 5 x 5
b. Good Mornings or RDL's 4 or 5 x 8-10
c. Back Hyperextensions 4 or 5 x 8-10

For the GM's and RDL's do them with a flexion in your leg, it'll almost look like you're doing a quarter squat when you're doing them. This will incorporate the hamstrings more and even the tension between the low back and hammies.

Thanks for these suggestions. I may give this a try. I've decreased my working set to 3X5 and I'm squatting 2X per week, with the third workout incorporating 5 sets of weighted walking lunges with a small barbell (40 lbs) on my back. This is a surprisingly challenging exercise but what is good is that you can really concentrate on engaging your glutes and hams and reduce the emphasis on the quads.

Yeah no problem. I've noticed considerable improvement in my DL and Squat since doing GM's and Back Hypers.

Yes, Walking Lunges are rather great all around exercises I do like them a lot. I also found Reverse Lunges with a BB on my back to be challenging but more from a coordination standpoint.

From what I've read from guys like Louie Simmons and Dave Tate is that most people fail on a squat attempt because of strength in the posterior chain. A squat day might look like...

a. Back Squat 5 x 5
b. Good Mornings or RDL's 4 or 5 x 8-10
c. Back Hyperextensions 4 or 5 x 8-10

For the GM's and RDL's do them with a flexion in your leg, it'll almost look like you're doing a quarter squat when you're doing them. This will incorporate the hamstrings more and even the tension between the low back and hammies.

Thanks for these suggestions. I may give this a try. I've decreased my working set to 3X5 and I'm squatting 2X per week, with the third workout incorporating 5 sets of weighted walking lunges with a small barbell (40 lbs) on my back. This is a surprisingly challenging exercise but what is good is that you can really concentrate on engaging your glutes and hams and reduce the emphasis on the quads.

Yeah no problem. I've noticed considerable improvement in my DL and Squat since doing GM's and Back Hypers.

Yes, Walking Lunges are rather great all around exercises I do like them a lot. I also found Reverse Lunges with a BB on my back to be challenging but more from a coordination standpoint.

Good morning's scare the crap out of me. Afraid I'll pop a disc and shoot it across the room.

Agreed, which causes me to have great respect for the exercise and take it easy on the weight. I always try and err on the side of light with these for sure; no grinding out sets either. That doesn't mean I don't push it but I am careful.