Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

66 Elite Physique
a
b
FIGURE 5.4 Deadlift with (a) angled shins for quad emphasis and (b) vertical shins for hip emphasis.
From a programming standpoint, both quad- and hip-emphasis exercises have
their place to ensure complete development of the lower body musculature.
That is why you’ll often see a hip-emphasis exercise in one workout followed
by a quad-emphasis exercise in the next workout in chapters 8 and 9. However,
if you have cranky knees, an exercise that emphasizes the hips more than the
knees might prove to be a better programming option, as opposed to skipping
a lower body exercise altogether, which will impair your results. For example, if
a forward lunge is programmed in a workout, you can replace it with a reverse
lunge to spare your knees. Conversely, if you want more quadriceps development,
you can adjust the technique of any hip-emphasis exercise to have a greater quad
emphasis, as covered earlier. Now let’s move on to two- and one-leg exercises.
Two-Leg Versus One-Leg Exercises
The logic of one-leg strength exercises is impeccable: Most actions in sports—from
running and jumping to throwing and kicking—are produced with force generated
by one leg, while the other acts in support. But because the exercises are
hard to teach or supervise, especially in a group setting, and because their benefits
aren’t as easy to quantify as those of bilateral exercises like squats and deadlifts,
they’re sometimes an afterthought in strength and conditioning programs.
As a general rule, two-leg exercises such as a traditional squat or deadlift are
mastered before incorporating one-leg versions of the same movement. Indeed,
a one-leg version of a squat or deadlift requires considerably more balance and
coordination (i.e., neural activation) to get the technique dialed in. That is one
reason it’s such a valuable addition to any training program. The other reason
is arguably even more important: One-leg exercises reduce compression stress
through the spine.
Before we move on it’s important to clarify what I mean by a one-leg exercise.
Ostensibly, it means that only one leg is on the ground throughout the entire