Is the Squat ENOUGH for Leg Growth?! (Research Overview)

Is the squat enough for maximizing leg growth? The squat is probably the most popular lower body exercise.

Could you only squat for the rest of your career and maximize leg growth?

QUADS

Fonseca et al. gives us an interesting insight.

49 untrained men were split into 4 groups. Group 1 performed the back squat only. Group 2 performed a variety of leg exercises. Group 3, like group 1, performed the back squat only, but they used a variety of rep ranges. Group 4, like group 2, performed the same variety of leg exercises, but they used a variety of rep ranges throughout.

Cross-sectional area of the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis , rectus femoris, and vastus intermedius was measured before and after for all groups.

The groups that varied their exercises (2 and 4) experienced significant all quadriceps muscles. Group 1, did not experience significant growth of the vastus medialis and rectus femoris, while group 3 did not experience significant growth of the rectus femoirs.

This study suggests that a variety of leg exercises is likely better for overall quads growth.

Another study by Kubo et al study adds to this.

17 untrained men performed either squats with 140 degrees of knee flexion or squats with 90 degrees of knee flexion. Both groups trained twice per week for 10 weeks. Neither group experienced significant growth of the rectus femoris.

The rectus femoris is the main muscle of the quadriceps that is poorly trained with the squat. During the squat, the rectus femoris actually remains at a fairly constant length and therefore hardly contracts.

Leg extensions and reverse nordic curls have been documented great at growing the rectus femoris

HAMSTRINGS

The hamstring muscles also cross the hip joint and knee joint.. During the squat, the hamstrings seem to remain at a fairly constant length and therefore hardly contract.

Returning to the Kubo et al. study, neither the group that squatted with 140 degrees of knee flexion or the group that squatted with 90 degrees of knee flexion experienced significant hamstring growth.

Another study by Bloomquist et al. measured hamstring cross-sectional area at multiple regions. One group squatted to 60 degrees of knee flexion and another group squatted to 120 degrees of knee flexion.. Overall, there was very minimal growth in all measured regions.

So, hamstring specific exercises are very much necessary.

GLUTES

In the Kubo et al. study, gluteus maximus volume was also measured. They found that the group that squatted with 90 degrees of knee flexion experienced minimal growth, but the group that squatted with 140 degrees of knee flexion, experienced substantial growth.

So, with around shoulder width stances, deeper squats seem to be important for growing the gluteus maximus.

Also, wider stance squats might be favorable for the gluteus maximus.

EMG research suggests wider squat stances induce high gluteus maximus electrical activity.

So, does this mean the squat can be enough for glute hypertrophy?

It's probably still a good idea to involve other hip extension exercises like deadlifts or hip thrusts. These are probably useful to target regions of the glutes the squat may understimulate.

Also, the other regions of the glutes (gluteus medius and minimus) are involved in hip abduction, therefore to sufficiently hypertrophy these muscles, hip abduction exercises like a cable hip abduction are likely necessary.

ADDUCTORS

Returning to the Kubo et al. study, adductor volume was measured. The group that squatted with 90 degrees of knee flexion experienced minimal growth, whereas the group that squatted with 140 degrees of knee flexion experienced significant growth.

The adductor magnus is likely responsible for this. Research suggests this muscle plays a significant role in hip extension during the squat.

The squat alone is still probably not enough for overall adductor growth. The other muscles of the adductors are involved in hip adduction, so performing something like a cable hip adduction is likely necessary to significantly grow the overall adductors.

Calves

Most know that squats aren't going to significantly grow the calves.

The calves consist of the gastrocnemius and soleus.

Both these muscles are involved in plantar flexion. So, standing and seated calf raises are exercises that would heavily recruit them.

CONCLUSION
The squat is a great exercise for growing a lot of your leg muscles. But other leg exercises are still necessary to stimulate muscle groups that squat may understimulate or not target at all.
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References:
Fonseca et al. - https://bit.ly/32F36jt
Mccaw et al. - https://bit.ly/3luDLRX
Paoli et al. - https://bit.ly/3lxhUsU
Kubo et al. - https://bit.ly/34O8xPK
Bloomquist et al. - https://bit.ly/32V3Zof
Ema et al. - https://bit.ly/34JeZHI
Alonzo-fernandez et al. - https://bit.ly/34N3iQ9

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