Don’t be afraid to squat on your toes once in a while

[BeginnerGainz]

For everyone’s reading pleasure.

https://www.tomfurman.com/the-lost-basic/

After toying around with BW leg extensions and sissy squats, I’ve determined my legs really aren’t as strong as they could be.

So today, after doing my trap bar deadlifts (strap and belt less, of course) and my leg presses, I decided to superset my lying leg curls (glutes off pad to bring them into the movement) with deep knee bends on my toes and damned if I didn’t experience a stimulus I never felt before. My quads have never been this sore and that includes after 4+ plate deficit deadlifts and 3+ plate SSB squats.

So if your goal is bodybuilding or just strengthening the quads beyond what regular squats can, maybe try adding some heel elevated close stance squats, Hindu squats or sissy squats as part of your routine.

[jaxqen]

From the title, I thought that you squated only on your toes, with your heels lifted in the air, without a heel support.

I agree, narrow stance with the heels elevated is better for quads.

[Ironface]

From the title, I thought that you squated only on your toes, with your heels lifted in the air, without a heel support.

This lmao. Like barbell hindu squats. My knees shrieked in terror.

If what you’re referring to is more along the lines of Platz squats (narrow stance, feet forward, heels elevated) then yeah, they’re great for quads

[jk202]

I agree, narrow stance with the heels elevated is better for quads.

What makes you think narrow stance is better for quads?

[AndyBendy]

What makes you think narrow stance is better for quads?

I think the wider the stance, the more glutes help (and hamstrings to a degree).

[jk202]

I think the wider the stance, the more glutes help (and hamstrings to a degree).

Provided the mobility is there, I would say it's fine. But the thing I see a lot (A LOT) of people trying to bias "more quad" with stuff like feet touch/narrow stance, and all they really end up doing is limiting ROM and load. Even worse, it forces some people, depending on their structure, to squat with MORE hips and less knee flexion

Biggest thing to focus on with quads is getting full knee flexion. For some, a bit wider stance maybe prudent to achieve that.

This is a good post on that imo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxdMVP6j..._web_copy_link

[jaxqen]

What makes you think narrow stance is better for quads?

You are the last guy I expected to ask this since I've learned it from you, actually.
And then I tried it. heels elevated squat.

By 'narrow' I don't mean 'very narrow' but not as wide as the conventional squat.
I may be wrong, but in your videos your stance was not a wide one.

[Ironface]

What makes you think narrow stance is better for quads?

More knee travel?

Pure speculation here, I have no idea

[AndyBendy]

Provided the mobility is there, I would say it's fine. But the thing I see a lot (A LOT) of people trying to bias "more quad" with stuff like feet touch/narrow stance, and all they really end up doing is limiting ROM and load. Even worse, it forces some people, depending on their structure, to squat with MORE hips and less knee flexion

Biggest thing to focus on with quads is getting full knee flexion. For some, a bit wider stance maybe prudent to achieve that.

This is a good post on that imo
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxdMVP6j..._web_copy_link

Exactly. The problem with the narrow stance for most people is the lack of flexibility. That lack of flexibility also prevents them from going deeper.

Something I've seen in Tom Platz' narrow squats is that he has insane flexibility. He goes even deeper than other people go on wider stance. Also the Hack Squat helped him, true, but he still had amazing flexibility (pretty much like me and pendulum squat. My flexibility and depth on regular squats are very bad, but on the pendulum squat, I can go really deep, wide or narrow)

[jk202]

You are the last guy I expected to ask this since I've learned it from you, actually.
And then I tried it. heels elevated squat.

By 'narrow' I don't mean 'very narrow' but not as wide as the conventional squat.
I may be wrong, but in your videos your stance was not a wide one.

I don’t think so. I mean maybe compared to a PL squat; but I’m definitely outside shoulder width on squats and hacks. Even wider on hacks because you can’t rely on hips at all. That’s where I see people poop the bed most: they try to hack squat like Tom Platz with no where near the mobility of platz lol

https://imgur.com/a/BQaF0tf

https://imgur.com/a/xppXrFK

[MyEgoProblem]

Here is a good read for a lot of you.. From Gnucks

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.str...nce-width/amp/

I feel more quad bias with heels on high elevation.. Mostly tho, because I have very limited dorsiflexion and my regular squatting my knees can only reach around the start of my toes. (NOTE. Never shy of depth and its never a reason to not hit depth)

I will say, when people do this kind of thing the first time they get ultra sore... As they have given them selves grade 1 tears (muscle pulls) that are mistaken due 'just bad doms' from over stretching in ways they never load.

Usually right over the quad tendon and obove

Start easy on this stuff..

[jaxqen]

I don’t think so. I mean maybe compared to a PL squat; but I’m definitely outside shoulder width on squats and hacks. Even wider on hacks because you can’t rely on hips at all. That’s where I see people poop the bed most: they try to hack squat like Tom Platz with no where near the mobility of platz lol

https://imgur.com/a/BQaF0tf

https://imgur.com/a/xppXrFK

Thanks, the photos helped.
Yes, I little wider than I thought. I've seen the video from the profile, maybe that's why I thought it was more narrow.

[BeginnerGainz]

This lmao. Like barbell hindu squats. My knees shrieked in terror.

If what you’re referring to is more along the lines of Platz squats (narrow stance, feet forward, heels elevated) then yeah, they’re great for quads

Lol no, more like a Hindu squat but you don’t drop to the bottom, you control it all the way down (I used something to keep a hand on for support) and did them unloaded.

In time I might hold a 45 lbs plate and eventually be able to do a full on sissy squat.

From the title, I thought that you squated only on your toes, with your heels lifted in the air, without a heel support.

I agree, narrow stance with the heels elevated is better for quads.

No you read that right, I did it with no heel support but next time I’m probably gonna have a platform under my heels and hold a plate while I do them.

[jk202]

but next time I’m probably gonna have a platform under my heels and hold a plate while I do them.

That sounds like a better plan imo

[jademonkey]

I sometimes do barbell hack squat, same idea. Heel elevated, torso upright. Less than 100 lbs burns like hell.

[GeneralSerpant]

I think raised heels loosens up the hamstrings, forcing the quads to grip the floor harder to account for energy leaks at the glute hams. Putting the heels down though tightens the hamstrings and makes the quads work harder to maintain rigid tension at the knee the deeper you go. Pretty sure it's mostly about the hamstrings getting thin in both cases.

Raised heels is like trying to run on dry sand whereas squatting deep is like needing big traps to do deadlift right.

[Xpiro]

Exactly. The problem with the narrow stance for most people is the lack of flexibility. That lack of flexibility also prevents them from going deeper.

Something I've seen in Tom Platz' narrow squats is that he has insane flexibility. He goes even deeper than other people go on wider stance. Also the Hack Squat helped him, true, but he still had amazing flexibility (pretty much like me and pendulum squat. My flexibility and depth on regular squats are very bad, but on the pendulum squat, I can go really deep, wide or narrow)

Conversely, I can barely squat below parallel with a wide stance under load but have no problem hitting A2G (assuming load isn’t too great, but even then it’s still deeper) with narrow. Wide stance = hips hella tight, bordering on painful the lower I get. The closer my feet are together, the more natural depth feels to achieve. It hardly makes sense to me that most people struggle with a narrow stance.

[bLinkMoore]

Good way to fuk up ur knees but judging by ur avi u dont even lift lol so stop spreading dumb lifting advice

Been so long since I negged someone, I almost forgot it was a thing! Thanks for reminding me...


I'm a huge fan of sissy squats. With gym closures, it's been really tough to get any kind of good leg exercise in without weights--a few sets of 15 and my quads are BURNING.

[MyEgoProblem]

Conversely, I can barely squat below parallel with a wide stance under load but have no problem hitting A2G (assuming load isn’t too great, but even then it’s still deeper) with narrow. Wide stance = hips hella tight, bordering on painful the lower I get. The closer my feet are together, the more natural depth feels to achieve. It hardly makes sense to me that most people struggle with a narrow stance.

Im the complete opposite 👌

Hip morphology.. Hip socket and femur shape can vary sooo much.

[BeginnerGainz]

Been so long since I negged someone, I almost forgot it was a thing! Thanks for reminding me...


I'm a huge fan of sissy squats. With gym closures, it's been really tough to get any kind of good leg exercise in without weights--a few sets of 15 and my quads are BURNING.

Hmm comment is gone already....

Must’ve been a ******* troll alt from the misc I absolutely ethered at some point. Just lol.

[SuffolkPunch]

I'm a huge fan of sissy squats. With gym closures, it's been really tough to get any kind of good leg exercise in without weights--a few sets of 15 and my quads are BURNING.

Me 2

It's good for one of the heads of the quad (the bi-articulate one) to isolate movement at the knee - sissy squats is great for this. I kinda got leg extensions with bands working but I feel like sissy squats are just flat out better.