13/05/2026
1st 30/7/24
This variation of the leg extension is a great way to overload the quads and give it a nice change of stimulus. For the eccentric phase with the single leg make sure you’re not in full knee extension (locked out) have a slight bend before all the weight on the single leg.
2nd 14/3/24
This breathing technique is a great way to improve expansion in the front of your ribcage. Especially if you feel compressed in your chest. I like giving this technique to people that struggle to diaphragmatically breath as they will find it very hard to get expansion in the upper region of the ribcage (roughly ribs 4 - 1). Make sure you perform a slow exhale so the ribcage has been pulled down by feeling abs especially your obliques. As you inhale, keep tension in the abs and imagine air is travelling up the ribcage slowly to pretty much your collarbones. Start with a 5 second exhale - 2 second hold with the tongue on the roof your mouth and last 5 second inhale.
6th 03/05/26
As heel elevation increases, your torso stays more upright. This puts your quads in a more lengthened position at the bottom of the squat, increasing the eccentric demand and training them through a greater range of motion. Both are key drivers of hypertrophy.
An upright torso also makes it easier to maintain a neutral spine and keep your ribcage stacked over your pelvis reducing load on the lumbar spine and increasing the chance of more shortened (contracted) abdominals. This isn’t to say squatting with no heel elevation is wrong it’s simply a comparison to show how a small change in setup can shift the stimulus quite significantly.
