Sample “Finisher” For Your Quads

There is more than one way to a skin a cat, when trying to improve a body part.  And I’ve found the quads have the most room for “mixing it up.”  For example, a couple years ago I went to a bodybuilding show back in California.  Branch Warren was the guest poser, and when he got asked the question, “what is your secret to such massive legs?” he looked out to the audience and said with authority, “HEAVY SQUATS.”

I’ve also heard stories of some of the legendary bodybuilders crediting high rep work to bring up their quads (i.e. sets of 25-50 reps).  I’ve found that a combination of high and low reps are optimal for maximal quad development.

And as I’ve gotten older, I now tend to shift my focus towards high(er) rep work for the quadzillas.  Now, that doesn’t mean ALL I DO is pump out sets of 20-25 reps.  But theses days I DO tend to do more sets consisting of 10 + rep sets, compared to sets under 10 reps.

The Two Main Reasons For This?

#1) My quads are as big, or bigger now than they’ve ever been, so high(er) rep sets are working better.

#2) Higher reps sets are generally safer than sets closer to your 1 RM (Rep Max).  For example, if you perform a set of 15 reps squats, it is safer than performing a much heavier set of 3 reps.

And more to point #2, I’m no longer a competing athlete, and performance (as far jumping higher and running faster) has taken a back seat to aesthetics and general health as my main focus.

An important note: If you are looking to build your quads in this fashion (higher rep sets and/or finishers like you’re about to see below), it won’t work very well if you haven’t FIRST spent years building up a decent level of strength. So, if you’re an 18 year old newbie and looking to better develop your quads, simply work on getting stronger in lifts such as back squats, front squats, bulgarian split squats, etc.  Building a base of strength gives you way more options as your “training career” evolves.  So, don’t skip steps.

Below is how I finished my leg workout the other day…

3 words… Quads. On. Fire!

So, in the end, I get to keep my joints healthy (because I’m not always going heavy), keep and even build leg size, and get some great conditioning work in.

So, IF you have already put in your time building a good level of strength, be sure to include some high rep sets and/or finishers for those quads!