Bodybuilders love working on their leg muscles as much as they do on their arms.
And getting those perfectly shaped quad muscles all comes down to more emphasis on certain exercises.
As a personal fitness coach, I work with many amateur and professional bodybuilders, and sculpting those teardrop muscles can become quite a challenge for my clients.
So, our team decided to pull in a few colleagues from the fitness industry to come up with and test out the ideal routine to make those teardrops pop.
Here’s what’s involved.
Quick Summary
- With some targeted vastus medialis exercises like the squat and leg press, you’ll make a big difference in the shape and physique of your legs.
- The teardrop-shaped muscle in the upper thighs is one of the best ways to show off all your hard work at the gym.
- You’ll also find that there are some great other benefits from achieving these muscle improvements.
How Do You Get Teardrop Quads?
The best way to get teardrop quads is to focus on a great exercise routine that includes leg extensions and leg presses.
The important thing to note is that it all comes down to low reps, heavy weights, and a slow movement to improve time under tension [1].
1. What Are Teardrop Quads?
The term Teardrop quads refers to the vastus medialis muscle (VMO) in the inner thigh that looks a bit like a teardrop.
It’s a very noticeable muscle when you’re standing and wearing shorts and is highly sought after by bodybuilders.
2. How Do You Activate VMO?
You activate the teardrop muscle by doing exercises that involve stretching the knee joint as if you’re going to kick a ball.
There are several ways to do this, using a quality Smith Machine or other dedicated leg machines for overall quad development.
Let’s dive into those exercises.
Exercises For Teardrop Quads
Here are four ways to exercise those quads and achieve great muscle shape:
1. Squat Exercise
Head to the squat rack and load up the bar with weights that will allow you to do a maximum of eight reps.
You can do either back or front squats depending on what you feel more comfortable with.
It’s also important to make sure that you do the reps with a full range of motion.
If you’re doing this at home without equipment, then modify it to single-leg movements by doing one-leg squats.
Read More: Various Squats
2. Wall Sit
This is one of the easiest bodyweight exercises you can do, but it’s great for achieving maximum tension and hypertrophy [2].
Imagine sitting down on a chair by squatting down and pushing your buttock against the wall.
Make sure you don’t end up with your feet pointing outward and maintain a right angle in your knees and hip joint.
3. Leg Extension
Head over to the recommended leg extension machine and set it up with a significant weight load.
With a greater load, you’ll find that your quads start to burn after just four or five reps, and that will mean you struggle with the eighth rep.
You do need to be careful not to put too much pressure on the knees to avoid injuries.
4. Leg Press
The leg press is a good alternative to squats for those that struggle with the confidence to maintain a good balance with heavy loads.
The vast majority of people will still get huge benefits from this machine, and you’ll make a big difference in that well-developed teardrop shape.
Try setting up with a wide stance to get a deeper range of motion from this exercise.
Benefits Of Strengthening The Vastus Medialis Muscle
The main benefit of strengthening the vastus medialis is the visual impact that it will provide.
You don’t want to end up with a big outer quad musmove from a lighter weight to a more impressive load in a squat exercise.
And the added strength will also provide a lot more knee stability to help you work harder and avoid injuries [3].
“Knee strengthening exercises do not affect the knee joint directly, but they strengthen the muscles surrounding it. Strong muscles in the legs can help provide support for the knees.“
- Gregory Minnis, DPT
Get More Out Of Your Leg Workout
If you start adding the above exercises to your leg workout days, you’ll find significant improvements in the growth of muscle fibers.
It’s all about making those inner cle and less defined teardrops.
You’ll also find that as your overall muscle size increases in your upper thighs, it will allow you to thighs burn by the end of your training session.
And to get a lot more out of your training, I suggest adding a high-quality pre-workout supplement.
These won’t give you superpowers overnight, but they can improve your strength and stamina enough to make a difference in your physique over the coming months.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285070/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950543/
- https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(14)00201-5/fulltext
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