Widowmaker exercises for quads

[TFM]

Hi.

I've been having great success with doing a close/low leg press as a widowmaker for my quads in this leg press machine at the gym.

But now they're removing it, and this machine is just totally perfect for me.
The contact you get in the quads because of the position you're sitting in, and the ability to do a full range motion with A LOT of weight in this machine is superb!

Just smashing out 20-30 reps !!

So I'm kinda lost here on what to do now. Could probably use the leg extension machine, but you can't really put a lot of weight on there.....and my knees dont like it.

So anyone got any tips for quad widowmaker exercises ???

[slide]

What's wrong with squats, smith squats, hacks, front squats, etc....for WMs? I'm sure there are more, but those are right off the top of my head...

-s

[TFM]

Nothing wrong, but I'd like the widowmaker to be specific for the quads, and not so much glute/ham.

It not that easy to do 20-30 reps with good form with e.g BB Back Squat, front squat - and just target the quads with this extreme contact. If you'd try the machine you'd know what I was talking about. I've done BB/Smith squats before as a WM, but certainly doesn't work as well as the close/low leg press.

I probably need to try out a few new exercises and tweak it into something I can use.

Really appreciate feedback here so just fire away. The more the better.

[bicep_grind]

i had great success with doing smyth somersault squats, they target the outer sweeps pretty good with no glute/ham/lower back involvement.

i used to hit what exercise i was doing with a widowmaker...bb squats, leg press etc...what ever it was. but once i hit 290lbs and my knees were bothering me more than my breathing - Dante suggested i did a wm on something else like a hack or something more isolating or different from the main compound exercise i was doing.

Matt

[mentalflex]

Close stance Smith Squats
Close Stance Front Squats
High Bar Close Stance BB Back Squats
Heel Elevated BB Back Squats (heels elevated on 10lb or 5lb weights)
Hack Squats and Close Stance Hack Squats
Sissy Squats
Hack Sissy Squats like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpwRbl3E_LE
Smith Sissy Hack Squats a la Doc Stevenson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a9KJVHmVig

Have fun with those lol

[bicep_grind]

man those tom platz style hack sissy squats absolutely thrashed my knee caps.

doing them feels fine but the next few days after is just goddamn painful.

try at your own risk!!

Matt

[mentalflex]

Widowmaker exercises for quads

man those tom platz style hack sissy squats absolutely thrashed my knee caps.

doing them feels fine but the next few days after is just goddamn painful.

try at your own risk!!

Matt

My girl and I did them on thanksgiving day with forced reps after each of the 4 sets (5 forced, 10 forced, 15 forced and 20 forced) and then finished off doing a drop set on them. These didn't ness up our knees but sweet baby jesus dud they ever shred out quads. We were gimping around all day lol

[0001Delta]

You can also use the smith machine as a leg press, if it's not one of those angled smiths.

Use a band or towel to secure the bar and prevent it from rotating, place the safety pins/catches on a height you can get under the bar and use it just like a leg press.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha9Zw2f2Uko

[theVirus]

You can also use the smith machine as a leg press, if it's not one of those angled smiths.

Use a band or towel to secure the bar and prevent it from rotating, place the safety pins/catches on a height you can get under the bar and use it just like a leg press.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha9Zw2f2Uko

It still will be dangerous! How can you be concentrated on a exercice and focus of you dont feel safe at 100%! Ever tryed reverse hack squat? Great exercice, safe!
The more you get deeper he more it involves glutes and Hams.

[homonunculus]

It still will be dangerous! How can you be concentrated on a exercice and focus of you dont feel safe at 100%! Ever tryed reverse hack squat? Great exercice, safe!
The more you get deeper he more it involves glutes and Hams.

It's actually easier than it looks to do those smith vertical leg presses.

-S

[martin_h]

Your youtube vid of them cleared it up for me Homon. Made me feel at ease and not panic thinking I was going to be one of Henry the VIII's wives!!

[theVirus]

Your youtube vid of them cleared it up for me Homon. Made me feel at ease and not panic thinking I was going to be one of Henry the VIII's wives!!

I Will give it a try in one of my blasts.

[armoredvan]

Buy an Ironmind hip belt and use it for your two straight sets or your WM. That thing thrashes the quads like nothing else.

I've also found that foam rolling the quads and stretching them really thoroughly BEFORE your session will allow you to include exercises that currently kill your knees. I believe it's due to the patellar tendon pulling the patella up slightly out of its proper position and rolling/stretching allows the patella to ride in its proper location.