Teardrop/Quad Training Part 2

January 8, 2011



In review, teardrops are the muscles that connect medially into the knee and extend diagonally connecting the vastus quadricep group. The outer sweep vastus lateralis mucle group gives the width in quads with separation. These two muscle groups are the hardest to develop and very challenging due to positioning of the legs with squats and leg press.

In this blog, the exercises performed are very intense with short rest periods and positioning legs and feet to target the specific groups. I don't recommend this for someone who is new to the sport without a trainer as the injury risk is high if performed incorrectly.

Calves: 45# plate seated single leg 100 each

Warm up knees: knee extension machine 30# set of 50

Hack Squats (reverse) with toes pointed forward and close to machine on sides of cage. Body is positioned in reverse of the machine so face touches the pad above hand rests. The squat is as low as you can go which will be about parallel due to cage stopping at bottom but you should feel it in the teardrops. This squat is very taxing because the teardrops are the only muscle group working.

4 sets Rest 1 minute between sets.

warm up with no weight x 12

45# both sides x 12

45# (2) on right and 1 on left x 12

45# (2) on right and #45 on left with #25 plate x 12

Immediately turn around in the hack squat/seated leg press machine and sit with feet very low on sled straight or if there are two inward side bars connecting the sled put toes on sled and feet on bars this works the teardrops.

Drop sets.

45# right and 45# (2) on left x 15 hold at top

45# right and 45# left x 12 hold at top

45# right x 10 hold at top

no weight x 8 hold at top

2 minute rest

Seated squat with feet close together and low. This targets the outer sweep the way feet are positioned.

Rest 1 minute between sets

170 x 8

180 x 8

190 x 8

200 x8

Large ball wall squat-narrow stance squat to just below parallel position x 15 and stop in squat position holding 1 leg up for count of 10, then holding the opposite leg up for count of 10 with body pushing into ball. Repeat x 4 with 30 second rest period between sets. This targets the teardrops.

Leg extensions with back in low postion and rested on large ball. Feet apart and turned slightly outward. 4 sets with 1 minute rest period between sets. The positioning with back rested on ball makes it harder due to the angle so not much weight is used. This isolates the teardrops.

55# x 15

60# x 15

65# x 15

70# x 15

Backward squats on smith machine feet together in front about a foot out from bar squatting to parallel position x 12. The positioning on this squat targets outer sweeps in thighs.

1 minute rest between sets.

25# plate each side

25# (2) each side

25# (3) each side

25# (4) each side

Wrist curls 4 sets x 15 20# db on bench.

This was one of the most difficult leg workouts I have done due to short rest periods and positioning of legs feet which targeted only specific muscle groups teardrops and outer sweeps. Needless, to say I shook for an hour afterward and felt like I had been run over with a truck on the legs very difficult to walk after this routine. Actually, there wasn't that much weight involved but the intensity was beyond all limits.

Happy taining days!