Quads & Calves

Quads & Glutes

1. Back Squat – 8 reps – 4 sets (use barbell or dumbbells on shoulders)
2. Alternating Reverse Lunge – 8 reps each leg – 4 sets
3. Goblet Box Squat – 10 reps – 4 sets
4. Squat Calf Raise – 10 reps – 4 sets

5. Dumbbell Hip Thrusts – 12 reps – 4 sets

Superset with

6. Sumo Squat – 12 reps – 4 sets

Back Squat 

Position your feet shoulder width with your toes pointed slight outward, doing this will help force your knees out. You never want your knees to be caving in at any time. Sit back into your heels as you squat down. Brace your core and keep your chest up with your chin tucked, this will help keep your spine in aline and keep your back from arching. When placing the bar on your back you want to put it across your traps and shoulders, making sure you are in the center of the bar with your hands evenly placed on each side.

Alternating Reverse Lunge 

Holding a dumbbell in each hand step back with one leg so both your knees should be in about a 90° angle. When coming up you want to push through your front heel. The farther you step back the more you will be engaging your hamstrings and glutes and the closer your step back is the more you will be engaging your quads. As you can see when I step back my chest is slightly leaned forward, this is engaging also more glutes and hamstrings whereas keeping your torso more up right will engage more quads. This exercise should be performed very slow and controlled really focusing on keeping your core tight and pushing up through your heel.

Goblet Box Squat 

Position your feet about shoulder width apart with your toes pointed slightly out & push up through your heals with each each rep. Make sure your knees are in aline with your ankles and not caving in as you stand up and also be sure sit all the way down each time and not just be touching the bench(this is why you see me lifting my feet at the bottom). Hold the weight close to chest right under your chin.

Squat Calf Raise 

With your feet about hips width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, squat down as low as you can keeping your weight in your heels. As you come up from the squat you are going to go all the way up on your toes, squeezing your calves for a second before squatting back down.

Dumbbell Hip Thrusts

Place your feet hip width apart and not too far away from your body, when you press up it should make about a 90 degree angle. Place the dumbbell just below your hips and hold it in place with your hands through the exercise. Its very important to make sure you are not arching your back as you thrust up and also to not let it arch as you bring the weight down. I find it helps me to lift my toes a bit and really push through my heels to make sure I am isolating my glutes as much as possible.

Sumo Squat 

Position your feet in a wide stance a few inches outside your shoulders with your toes pointed slight outward, doing this will help force your knees out. You never want your knees to be caving in at any time, you also don’t want your knees coming over your toes. Sit back into your heels as you squat down. Brace your core and keep your chest up with your chin tucked, this will help keep your spine in aline and keep your back from arching. Hold the dumbbell with both hands in-between your legs and relax your arms.