Rather than starting this article
off with a riddle (like what's black and white and red all over?...
a newspaper), I've decided to the take the suspense completely out
of it!
My VERY favorite leg exercise for
really hitting the thighs HARD is not a new exercise...it may not
even seem to you to be all that great of an exercise at first glance.
But when I tell you how to do it FOR REAL, you're going to LOVE
the results you get with it.
The exercise
is the Dumbell Split Squat and it's going to change the
way you look at dumbell leg exercises forever!
Here's what it is:
To honest, it looks almost exactly
like an incomplete dumbell lunge. In fact, you may have even done
it before thinking it WAS a dumbell lunge.
The big difference is this...when
you do a regular dumbell lunge, you start in a standing position
holding two dumbells in your hands. You take a step forward with
one leg then drop down into a lunge position. From there, you push
yourself all the way back up to the standing position then repeat
with the other leg (stepping forward then pushing all the way back
up).
When you do a Dumbell Split Squat,
you START in the split position (which looks like the bottom of
the lunge) and STAY there. You just move your body up and down,
keeping your feet exactly where they are on the floor. No standing
up, no stepping forward.
This is a key difference. It takes
away many of the balance problems you find with lunges...it also
takes away almost ALL of the knee stress that you might experience
with lunges (when you step forward, your knee has to absorb all
the momentum of not only your body but the weight of the dumbells
moving forward).
When you plant your feet, you can
keep your balance MUCH better. When you don't step forward, your
knees don't take that stress from the forward momentum.
The Dumbell Split Squat is also ideal
for home workout situations in that you only need a couple of dumbells
to get an AMAZING leg workout.
Now, these
are some great benefits but do you want to know what REALLY
makes this my favorite leg exercise for hitting the thighs hard?
Simple...it gives you the ability
to absolutely DESTROY your quads without mercy. It does this by
having the resistance very close to the ground at the hardest part
of the exercise (the bottom of the rep).
Basically, this means when you're
doing the split squat, if you get to the bottom of the rep and can't
push yourself back up, your dumbells are only an inch or two from
the floor! All you have to do is set them down and you're done.
The practical upshot of this simple
feature is that you can perform the exercise until your legs ABSOLUTELY
GIVE OUT. When you're doing a barbell squat, you can certainly work
your legs extremely hard but it's tough to push them to the absolute
limit - you always have to get the bar back to the racks before
you're done.
With practice and time, you can build
up to some VERY heavy dumbells with this exercise (I've gone as
high as a pair of 150 lb dumbells for reps).
This exercise puts less stress on
the lower back and will work every major muscle group in your entire
lower body. Believe me, you'll feel this one in the morning.
How To Do It:
First, pick two light to moderate
weight dumbells the first time you do the exercise. You can definitely
work up in weight as you work with the exercise more, though. It's
important to learn the technique properly before moving on to more
weight.
Set the two dumbells on the ground
about 6 inches apart. Set your left foot in between but a little
forward of the two dumbells. Now set your right foot back about
two feet or so and assume a lunge position, kneeling on your right
knee. Your right foot should NOT be directly in line with your left
foot. When you place your right foot down, set it a little out to
the side.
What this does is increase your base
of support and make the exercise more stable and allowing you to
generate more power. If you set your right foot directly in line
with your left foot, you'll be spending most of the exercise trying
not to fall over.
Keep your abs and lower back tight
and make sure you keep an arch in your lower back here. Lean forward
and reach down and grasp the two dumbells. Bring your torso back
to vertical, picking up the dumbells off the ground.
This is the bottom position of the
exercise. Now, push yourself up with your left thigh. Don't stand
up to vertical...just straighten that front leg, keeping your front
foot planted firmly on the ground.
It's important to do your best to
keep your upper body VERTICAL as you do this exercise. Some forward
lean is natural, especially as you get to using heavier weights,
but not so much that you're falling forward.
Be sure you don't utilize a forward
and back, lunging type of movement, as may be the tendency if you're
used to doing regular lunges. This is very much an up and down type
of movement.
Perform your target number of reps
with your left leg forward. Push yourself hard! If you have to bail
out on the exercise, all you need to do is set the dumbells on the
ground at the bottom.
At this point, you can either take
a rest period or immediately switch to the other leg in front -
I prefer to go right to the other leg in front with no break. Do
as many reps as you can with the other leg now.
Note that you most likely will not
get as many reps with the other leg...no matter which leg is in
front, the rear leg is also doing a lot of work. So if you start
with the left leg in front, the right leg is still doing work. When
you switch legs, the right leg will already be tired from the previous
set.
Because of this, it's important to
always switch which leg you start with on successive sets. Start
with your left foot forward on your first set, then on your next
set, start with your right foot forward. This will ensure a balanced
workload.
This exercise allows you to basically
"leave it on the floor." Because you can just set the
dumbells on the floor, you can push your legs to the point where
they can hardly keep you standing. That's my idea of a good leg
workout!
In the following video, you'll also
see a slightly different technique that I use to get very heavy
dumbells into position for the exercise more efficiently. It involves
setting the legs near the top position first THEN picking up the
dumbells. It's a more advanced move that should only be attempted
by those with a strong lower back.
Nick Nilsson is the Director
of Online Operations for Staley Training Systems. He has
a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been
inventing powerful new training techniques for more than
17 years.
Nick is the author of a number
of bodybuilding eBooks (listed below) all available by clicking
here and has written for a variety of publications
including Men's Fitness, Reps, Musclemag, Bodybuilding.com
and many others. He can be contacted at nick@staleytraining.com.
