I feel like I’m not working my quadriceps with barbell squats.

If you’re not feeling your quadriceps engaging during barbell squats, here are a few adjustments and tips to help target the quads more effectively:

1. Adjust Your Stance

• Narrower Stance: Bring your feet closer together (hip-width apart or slightly closer). A narrower stance emphasizes the quadriceps more than a wide stance.
• Feet Position: Make sure your toes are pointing slightly outwards (100 degrees). This allows for a more natural squat and better knee tracking, which can help engage the quads.

2. Focus on Depth

• To target the quads effectively, aim for a squat depth where your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below parallel. This increased range of motion puts more tension on the quadriceps.
• Avoid going too deep if it causes you to lose form or shift the work to other muscles like the glutes or lower back.

3. Shift Your Center of Gravity

• Keep Torso Upright: An upright torso during squats increases the emphasis on the quads. A forward lean shifts more of the workload to the glutes and lower back.
• High-Bar Position: If you’re doing low-bar squats (where the bar sits lower on the back), try switching to a high-bar squat (bar rests on the upper traps). The high-bar position encourages a more upright posture, leading to greater quadriceps activation.
• Front Squats: Consider doing front squats where the bar is placed across the front of your shoulders. This position naturally forces a more upright posture and puts a greater emphasis on the quads.

4. Foot Pressure

• While squatting, focus on keeping pressure on the ball of your foot and mid-foot rather than shifting the weight to your heels. This pressure shift increases quad activation. However, ensure your heels stay planted on the ground to maintain balance and proper form.

5. Knee Tracking

• Make sure your knees are tracking over your toes throughout the movement. A common cue is to think about pushing your knees slightly forward and outward as you squat. This forward knee travel can help increase the engagement of the quads.

6. Change the Tempo

• Slow Eccentric Phase: Slow down the descent (eccentric) part of the squat to 3-4 seconds. This increased time under tension on the quads can help you feel the muscles working more.
• Pause at the Bottom: Adding a pause at the bottom of the squat can force your quads to work harder to push out of the “hole” of the squat.

7. Try Different Squat Variations

• Goblet Squats: Holding a weight in front of your chest forces an upright posture and shifts the load more onto the quadriceps.
• Hack Squats: Machine hack squats or barbell hack squats can significantly target the quads by altering the angle and line of resistance.
• Elevated Heels: Elevate your heels by placing a small plate or wedge under them. This position mimics the effect of using squat shoes and shifts more of the work to the quadriceps.

8. Pre-Activation

• Before squatting, do some quad-specific activation exercises like leg extensions or sissy squats. This can “wake up” your quads and make them more responsive during the squat.

9. Check Your Form

• Record yourself squatting from different angles to analyze your form. Look for excessive forward lean, knees caving in, or improper bar path, which can indicate that other muscle groups are taking over.

Summary

Try narrowing your stance, elevating your heels, keeping an upright torso, and focusing on slow, controlled movements. Additionally, front squats or other quad-focused variations can help shift more of the workload onto the quadriceps. Small tweaks can make a significant difference in muscle engagement!