The squat is certainly the top bodybuilding movement if your goal is to add as much muscle to your frame as possible in a short period of time. However, while many people train their hardest, they often miss out on a great deal of opportunities to garner more success from their squatting. Here are a few techniques for improving your squat effectiveness.

Stripping

No, this section isn’t about how you can make money working in the evenings. Rather, it is a technique which can allow you to deliver a great deal of blood to the thighs. Begin by completing a standard set of squats – about ten repetitions. Once you’ve completed them, have your training partner immediately remove 20 to 40 pounds from the bar. After the 5 to 10 seconds this will take him, immediately complete another 8 to 10 repetitions. Repeat the process again. You will have completed 24 to 30 squats, with varying weights. Your slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers will be stimulated, and it’s very likely you will have maximum blood flow to the legs from this single super-set alone! Load the bar with a series of 25s and 10s, making stripping in small denominations easier. You don’t want your partner(s) to have to “make change” by removing a 45-pound plate and then adding back a few 10-pound plates. Keep the wire weight collars on the very end of the bar for this movement. The presence of a spotter should ensure you don’t let the plates slide too far, or that you don’t drop the barbell.

Flexing

At the conclusion of your first set of squats, flex your thighs as hard as you can for the entire duration of the break. This will draw a significant amount of blood into the thigh, and will also deliver new separation and definition in the legs. You’ll definitely see cuts and shape you did not see before. And, when your next set of squats arrive, you’ll be floored at how much harder it is to complete the next set with the same amount of weight you used before the flexing began. At your next bodybuilding contest, the new grooves in your thighs will be evident to all.

Pre-Exhaust

Before beginning your set of squats, complete a huge set of 30 repetitions on the leg extension machine. Immediately jump to the squat rack, and you’ll experience something you have never seen before. Your blood will be flowing to new areas of the quadriceps which don’t see much action! This will aid in definition, and also help to improve overall leg mass.

Complementary training

Complete one set of squats, then immediately jump to the still-legged deadlift area to stimulate your hamstrings. When you return to the squat rack for set two, you’ll notice your calves, hamstrings and glute burning much more than you remember. You’ll also discover they will absorb much more of the workload for every set of squats for the remainder of the workout. This method will not deliver new etching to the thighs. Rather, it helps with overall leg mass and squat strength.

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