Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
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Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
Actually there are 5 'heads' to the quads as rectus femoris has a two heads - one has origin on the iliac spine and the reflected head originates on the acetabulum.
All the muscles of the quads are primarily knee extensors and insert at the patella. It is possible to stress specific muscles in the quads preferentially during during knee extension movement, but really questionable to what matter of degree. Even though you could put an EMG on the muscle and possibly stress the vastus lateralis slightly more (in theory), in reality you'd have to ask - what difference does it make? Is the small degree of preferential recruitment really important especially as you may have to sacrifice total motor units being recuited in all four muscles?
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
Well, rectus femoris is a (really weak) hip flexor, so you could do that (hip flexion) to work it in isolation.
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
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"Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Hobbes said:
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
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Marketing. Hip aductor machines are so much more sexy for the women folk than humping a bunch of iron onto your traps and squatting to get the same effect. And you don't have to vomit on your spandex bodysuit and leg warmers.
'least wise TBR tol' me so. And he is a god. Lower case, definitely.
Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
Well, rectus femoris is a (really weak) hip flexor, so you could do that (hip flexion) to work it in isolation.
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
However, in all fairness some people prefer variety of exercise selection. You need variety, although it can be achieved with two exercises by varying intensities, volume, etc. But some people just prefer to try new things and that is okay too.
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
However, in all fairness some people prefer variety of exercise selection. You need variety, although it can be achieved with two exercises by varying intensities, volume, etc. But some people just prefer to try new things and that is okay too.
I seem to get enough variety with one exercise. ;-) Volume goes up and down, weight goes up, effort varies....
Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
C'mon. You can't spend an hour in the gym several days a week just doing the three big ones. As I'm sure you also bench a pound or two 😉
Or. Do you just vary your squats by doing all sorts of box squats, bottoms up, front squats etc? Still it'd be hard to do so much compound exercises 😉
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Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
Well, rectus femoris is a (really weak) hip flexor, so you could do that (hip flexion) to work it in isolation.
Fine. That pretty much answers my question. Not that it'll do me any good, but as I said. I'm mainly curious. How about the heads on the biceps and triceps?
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Hobbes wrote: > Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question > why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would > need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average > weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
C'mon. You can't spend an hour in the gym several days a week just doing the three big ones. As I'm sure you also bench a pound or two 😉
Or. Do you just vary your squats by doing all sorts of box squats, bottoms up, front squats etc? Still it'd be hard to do so much compound exercises 😉
Actually I front squat, [censored], OH squat, clean and jerk and once every couple of weeks deadlifts. I also do high repetition bodyweight exercises. I will start doing deadlifts more often and switch to the so-called "Romanian" deadlift.
I also run sometimes and stretch. Martial arts. Sports. Etc.
In article <[email hidden]>, "Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> Hobbes wrote: >> Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question >> why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would >> need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average >> weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it. > > I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the > practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises > that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of > different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say > that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother > with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
C'mon. You can't spend an hour in the gym several days a week just doing the three big ones. As I'm sure you also bench a pound or two 😉
Or. Do you just vary your squats by doing all sorts of box squats, bottoms up, front squats etc? Still it'd be hard to do so much compound exercises 😉
Actually I front squat, [censored], OH squat, clean and jerk and once every couple of weeks deadlifts. I also do high repetition bodyweight exercises. I will start doing deadlifts more often and switch to the so-called "Romanian" deadlift.
I also run sometimes and stretch. Martial arts. Sports. Etc.
OK I get the picture. I suppose all I see in my gym is either bodybuilders or fitness freaks. The fitness freaks love the machines and the cardio park whilst the BB people just cannot wait to lay their hands on the 60 kg dumbbells, for all sorts of different exercises. 😉
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>Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question >why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would >need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average >weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it.
I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
C'mon. You can't spend an hour in the gym several days a week just doing the three big ones. As I'm sure you also bench a pound or two 😉
Why would you want to spend an hour in the gym? Some of my best workouts lasted fifteen minutes. Here's one: after setting two squat PRs in succession, somehow I just didn't feel like doing anything else.
Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four heads as the name implies. 1.. Rectus Femoris 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) 3.. Vastus Intermedius 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the other. So how does this apply to the different heads?
Well, rectus femoris is a (really weak) hip flexor, so you could do that (hip flexion) to work it in isolation.
Fine. That pretty much answers my question. Not that it'll do me any good, but as I said. I'm mainly curious. How about the heads on the biceps and triceps?
Biceps brachii is an elbow flexor and a forearm supinator, so you *might* work it a little harder with supinating dumbbell curls than you could with a barbell curl.
All three heads of the triceps are elbow extensors, but only the long head is a shoulder extensor and adductor, so you could probably work it in isolation.
All this cribbed off www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
In article <[email hidden]>, "Per Elmsäter" <[email hidden]> wrote:
> Hobbes wrote: > >> Unless you have a pathology and have lost recruitment I'd question >> why it was necessary. Possibly a very advanced bodybuilder would >> need this in order to get a certain shape, but for the average >> weight trainer I'm not sure why you would worry about it. > > I think I'm more curious than anything else. However on the > practical side I was probably wondering how the different exercises > that work the quads would affect them. Like why do a bunch of > different exercises if only one or two are sufficient? Let's say > that you'd go a long way just doing DL and squat. Why then bother > with all the other leg exercises that work the same muscles.
I don't. I squat and deadlift.
C'mon. You can't spend an hour in the gym several days a week just doing the three big ones. As I'm sure you also bench a pound or two 😉
Why would you want to spend an hour in the gym? Some of my best workouts lasted fifteen minutes. Here's one: after setting two squat PRs in succession, somehow I just didn't feel like doing anything else.
Well those are the days you spend in the juice bar afterwards telling everybody about them 😉 However I'm sure you spent many hours in the gym building strength for those PR's!
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> Some muscles have several heads. For instance the quads have four > heads as the name implies. > 1.. Rectus Femoris > 2.. Vastus Lateralis (Externus) > 3.. Vastus Intermedius > 4.. Vastus Medialis (Internus) > Do all exercises that work the quads work all the heads equally or > is it possible to work one head more than another. If the latter is > true, does anybody do this and why? I know you cannot work only > part of a muscle since a muscle fiber runs from one end to the > other. So how does this apply to the different heads? >
Well, rectus femoris is a (really weak) hip flexor, so you could do that (hip flexion) to work it in isolation.
Fine. That pretty much answers my question. Not that it'll do me any good, but as I said. I'm mainly curious. How about the heads on the biceps and triceps?
Biceps brachii is an elbow flexor and a forearm supinator, so you *might* work it a little harder with supinating dumbbell curls than you could with a barbell curl.
All three heads of the triceps are elbow extensors, but only the long head is a shoulder extensor and adductor, so you could probably work it in isolation.
All this cribbed off www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
Thanks a lot Mink!
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