What do YOU have to do to get your quads sore?

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singitella
singitella Posts: 40
in Fitness and Exercise
Sitting here doing leg extensions with ankle weights. I did squats with weights yesterday and only my hamstrings are sore. That may have been because of the deadlifts. I had knee surgery a couple of years ago, so I don't want to lift too heavy. Also, lunges kill my knees, so my form is no good after a few.

For those of you who have been strength training for a while, what do you have to do to get your quads sore now?

Replies

  • lickmybaconcakes
    lickmybaconcakes Posts: 1,063 Member
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    My quads are one of those muscle groups that never seems to get sore (maybe it's all the cardio I do.)
    But in leg workouts I do 12-20 reps of: squats,deadlifts,leg press, calf raises and side lunges, and this seems to work for me.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    Soreness =/= good workout.

    That aside, yesterday I did squats and reverse lunges from a box and my quads are pretty freakin' sore today....
  • KelseyDawn84
    KelseyDawn84 Posts: 129 Member
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    Snowboard.

    It's pain with my pleasure. :wink:
  • deninevi
    deninevi Posts: 934 Member
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    Have you tried lunges with the back foot elevated? Or Bulgarian split squat with weight. Just regular -front or back barbell split squat, single leg squats,step ups with weight, walking lunges with dbs, jump squats, wall sits.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
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    Here is a great article for injury prone lifters. There are some suggestions for what to do instead of squats...

    http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/21_exercises_for_injury_free_mass
  • singitella
    singitella Posts: 40
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    You're right- I guess the better question is what do you do to feel like you're gaining muscle in your quads. I think I'll try changing it up more often. For a while, I was doing the same machines at the gym and the same step up/reverse lunge. I should get KenpoX out again!

    I just found my ankle weights today. I haven't used them in so long, maybe that'll do something for me. Muscle confusion, and all that.

    Thanks for the responses. I love this place!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    My quads stopped hurting once I started using better form. When my form was bad, I felt like crying every time I had to get into a seated position.... like sitting on the toilet. :sad:
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    If I want to get my quads REALLY sore I just hit them repeatedly with a ball-peen hammer until they are nice and bruised.

    if I want a good workout, I just hit the squats and I don't worry about tightness/soreness as it's not an indicator of progress.

    I also had knee surgery, and for that reason I -don't- do leg extensions. A proper squat is fairly neutral on your knee and the fucntional strength you gain in squats is useful for nearly everything you do, except maybe typing and beer pong....

    ...but the leg extensions put a lot of strain on your knee and are only useful for making you better at doing leg extensions.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    No matter how many times I do them, walking lunges (with 20lb dumbbells) KILL my quads.
  • SunLove8
    SunLove8 Posts: 693 Member
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    Squats!
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Squats on a Buso ball! The imbalance will make you use more muscles.
  • andy2486
    andy2486 Posts: 93 Member
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    Squats with a weighted bar, and lots of them with different intervals (i.e. Body pump squat tracks)
  • Pinoy_Pal
    Pinoy_Pal Posts: 281 Member
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    Back or Front squats and more volume. Fronts target the quads more. Then there's leg extensions.
  • Johnnyutah45
    Johnnyutah45 Posts: 11 Member
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    Try this workout using a Hack Squat machine:

    Take half of your max squat and do 10 sets of 5.
    Add an additional 2.5 lbs to each side every time you do the workout; shoot for 3 time a week.

    It supposed to be a 1 month program and it will kick your *kitten* the first week or so. If this doesn't make you sore, nothing will.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
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    Walking lunges with a 30lb vest kills my Quads

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