Moirangthem Robi belongs to the serene land of Assam, he works in Indian Navy and has been overall bodybuilding champion in Air Force, Army and Navy combined. He has several titles to his credit including the recent one – a Silver in Amateur Mr. Olympia. At bodyandstrength.com, he showcases how he does his quad workout, which seems one of his favorites. His massive quads have been his special feature in bodybuilding competitions and the workout routine which gives them this status is a must to watch and follow.
Quads or quadriceps is the group of muscles located in the front of the thigh. Quadriceps Femoris contains four separate muscles: vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and the rectus femoris. Each of the three vastus muscles originates on the femur bone and attaches to the patella, or kneecap. These are partially covered by rectus femoris which also attaches to the patella. Unlike vastus, rectus femoris inserts into the hip bone.
Strength training for these muscles, more often includes squats and leg press. The isolation movement (targeting only quadriceps) is the leg extension exercise. In bodybuilding communities, this muscles is colloquially known as ‘leg triceps’. Let us have a look how Moriangthem Robi carries out these 3 proficient exercises together to develop big and impactful quads.
1. Squats (5 Sets X 12 to 15 Reps)
Adjust manageable weights to the barbell and lift it behind your neck with shoulders and elbows parallel to the ground. Stand with toes shoulder width apart. Robi says that he does his squats with his toes positioned slightly outward from his body instead of keeping them parallel to each other. In this way he can do the exercise with full range of motion, without any risk of injury. Robi now, bends down from the knee, taking his torso down to the level of his knee and then slowly comes back up. He inhales as he goes down and exhales as he goes up. He carries out 6 to 8 reps in a set and does 4 to 5 sets in off-season when he is not competing and otherwise, he does 12 to 15 reps in a set and does around 5 sets daily when is preparing to compete.
Variation: He placed a weight plate under his heels with his heels at least two inches apart and toes slightly outward, he squats all the way down and then comes back. This variation further adds pressure on his outer quads. This variation makes them more defined. He says not to lift heavy weight in this particular exercise and weight should be manageable for the maximum results. Use belt while doing this exercises as Robi does and if you decide to lift more weight, use two belts. Robi had a back injury and wearing belts makes it convenient for him to do squats with weight.
2. Leg Press (5 Sets X 15 to 20 Reps)
Robi does two variations on the leg press machine. In the first one, he keeps his feet towards the lower end of the press plate, keeping them shoulder width apart and then does the press exercise. In the second one, he keeps both his feet close to each other, his legs and knees parallel to each other, one or two inches apart. He carries out this leg press rather fast with higher reps. He says that these two variations done together give maximum pressure on hamstrings, glutes and quads, especially middle and outer quads.
3. Leg Extension (5 Sets X 10 Reps)
In the end, he goes to leg extension machine and does pushes up the leg extension bar in a sitting position.
He tips that in between the sets, you need to do a lot of stretching to keep your muscles ready, warm and aligned for a perfect shape. That’s what he has learnt from his seniors that the more you do stretching, the more muscle separation will be visible. Moreover, it reduces the chances of injury and exhaustion.
About The Author
He is an overall Mr. Iron Man and belongs to Manipur. An Indian Navy officer who has won several titles including Army, Air Force and Navy overall.
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