Q: I have great legs – everyone says so. However, I want more meatiness near the knee joint. I have such tiny joints and the more muscles I have near those joints, the better. How can I do this? I have been training for years and have done well, but not gotten as much near the knee as I could have?
A: Hitting the lower quads is tricky, because the work you do can be truly compromising for the knees. I’d do a good deal of pre-exhaustion work, or a regular regimen of supersets. Mostly, I’d do extensions immediately followed by Smith Machine Front Squats with my heels elevated on a board. Bodybuilding hack squats with the heels up on plates are a good choice to place emphasis on the muscles just above the knee joint. But truly, front squats are the most beneficial, in addition to leg extensions leaning forward over the top of them. The other key is to always push the weight from your toes and ball of the feet.