Are Your Quads Showing?

[ricepower]

Ive always held a fair bit of fat on stomach, hips and thighs and never been a muscular person so when beginning training with stronglifts with the intention of putting on weight I never expected this to happen..

Squatting 3x week has built up my quads to the extent that they are now poking through surface fat whenever they are tensed strongly. I can see all 3 of the big ones, vastus medialis, lateralis & rectus femoris! I reckon by the time I am up to 1.5bw squat they will be on show permanently.

I found squatting built up bulk mostly on the outer sides (vastus lateralis) which eventually led to knee tracking problems, so I started doing reverse lungs & VMO dips regularly which has managed to build up much needed medialis (inner thigh near knee) which helps knee track better and lockout too.

I know there are many people who just have showy leg muscles without even training, but for someone like me this is a massive surprise. And if you hadnt guessed by my username, I eat plenty of carbs unapologetically.

Anybody else had similar results?

[MaritimeMass]

My legs are 24" and feel like rocks since squating for 6 months

[Shoke]

My legs are 24" and feel like rocks since squating for 6 months

are you sure their only 24"??? i mean, arnold's biceps were 24"...

[MaritimeMass]

haha yes im close to being sure, when you build up a house from oak size is not what matters

[Rugger]

My legs are freaky huge, I've been able to see three clearly differentiated muscle groups on my quads after my first couple months of training. I love it.

[David]

For the first time in my life I have that curve on the outside of my thighs. Talk about motivational! Started noticing it after doing the 3xweek squats.

[oggynosh]

My legs are freaky huge, I've been able to see three clearly differentiated muscle groups on my quads after my first couple months of training. I love it.

That's one of my goals hehe

[wade]

For the first time in my life I have that curve on the outside of my thighs. Talk about motivational! Started noticing it after doing the 3xweek squats.

I'm starting to get this too...fantastic! May have to go buy bigger jeans!

[oggynosh]

hahah...that's right..

[nomercy89]

Squatting 3x week has built up my quads to the extent that they are now poking through surface fat whenever they are tensed strongly. I can see all 3 of the big ones, vastus medialis, lateralis & rectus femoris! I reckon by the time I am up to 1.5bw squat they will be on show permanently.

I found squatting built up bulk mostly on the outer sides (vastus lateralis) which eventually led to knee tracking problems, so I started doing reverse lungs & VMO dips regularly which has managed to build up much needed medialis (inner thigh near knee) which helps knee track better and lockout too.

I've noticed improvement as well. One of my friends even mentioned that my legs are getting bigger which must mean they're getting stronger .
Wanted to ask, what do you mean by "knee tracking problems"? Thanks.

[ricepower]

I was referring to the tracking of the patella (kneecap) it is extremely common for its motion to be disturbed by imbalanced muscles.

Doing regular back squats tends to build up muscle on outer thigh which pulls patella outwards. Doing single leg exercises tends to build up inner and outer muscle more evenly, if you play around with the range of motion and provide the right stability challenge you can focus most emphasis on the inner muscle specifically. I do these type of exercises regularly to help with my knees.

[JasonLB]

I was referring to the tracking of the patella (kneecap) it is extremely common for its motion to be disturbed by imbalanced muscles.

Doing regular back squats tends to build up muscle on outer thigh which pulls patella outwards.

I had the same problem, but I started foam rolling the shit out of my IT band and quads every night (which was INCREDIBLY painful for the first week or so) and problem solved.

[Portillo]

Someone post a pic of there quads! Mine look bigger than before i started squatting, but nothing freaky, yet.

[nomercy89]

I was referring to the tracking of the patella (kneecap) it is extremely common for its motion to be disturbed by imbalanced muscles.

Doing regular back squats tends to build up muscle on outer thigh which pulls patella outwards. Doing single leg exercises tends to build up inner and outer muscle more evenly, if you play around with the range of motion and provide the right stability challenge you can focus most emphasis on the inner muscle specifically. I do these type of exercises regularly to help with my knees.

Now that's something I had no idea about! When do you think single leg work should be performed, ie, after reaching a certain weight based on your height/weight? Or should it be done to complement the normal working out all the time? I'm not sure if Mehdi addresses single-leg work in his blog, I'll have to go back and check. What kind of single leg exercises are you referring to ricepower? Like pistols?
Thanks for the insight though.

[itsbruce]

I was referring to the tracking of the patella (kneecap) it is extremely common for its motion to be disturbed by imbalanced muscles.

Doing regular back squats tends to build up muscle on outer thigh which pulls patella outwards. Doing single leg exercises tends to build up inner and outer muscle more evenly, if you play around with the range of motion and provide the right stability challenge you can focus most emphasis on the inner muscle specifically. I do these type of exercises regularly to help with my knees.

On the subject of moving kneecaps, just the other day I sat down, looked down and thought "Christ! My kneecaps are pointing inwards!" In fact, it was my quads - specifically, the lower end of my vastus medialis, which is now as prominent as my kneecap when I'm sitting.

When I stand up, that is hidden but then I have this prominent corner on the other side where my vastus lateralis ends. This is definitely a new shape to be, for me.