You Don't Know Squat!

Of all the gym cliches that are worthy of repeating, the chicken-leg stereotype truly stands the test of time. I've been in the gym environment for 22 years...and for 22 years I have seen the same perplexing craftsmanship: a stunningly, beautifully, chiseled upper body being supported by little wooden pegs, looking as though they belong to my grandmother.

Gym bunnies, beware! Few things are as unappealing to the discriminating eye as an unbalanced body - my clients often joke with me that I am far too harsh on those whose calfs are not viewable from front-on...oops: my weakness revealed. Lower-leg aside, the best way, the most effective way, to an impeccably sculpted quad-ham-rump is with the squat. There is no escape route, no magical potion, no gift to the gym god, that will allow you to have what you want without the squat.

To that end, here are some points on taking that squat to the next squa-tastic level:

1. Pause for growth - as you lower yourself down as usual, stop at the bottom and hold for 1-2 seconds, then explode up to the standing position. Watch

2. Lift more weight - by placing the bar lower on your back, where the posterior delts create a shelf on your back, you will be able to handle more poundage. Make sure to take a wider stance and watch your squats graduate from regular to POWER.

3. Fast, faster, faster - move the weight back to standing position as fast as possible requires more muscle fiber recruitment.

4. Rep it up - don't be afraid that more reps, less weight will leave you with under developed rump. Sometimes, pushing a lighter weight for a count of 20 reps will help you to break thru plateaus by tapping into new muscle fibers. Try picking a weight that you can easily squat for 12 reps and then dig into your inner sanctum of strength and will to push out another 8 - it's perfectly fine to pause at the top of the motion and rest for a few moments before going back down.

Now, go deep or go home - for big legs are the new black.