Erin Stern is a two-time Olympia Figure champion-turned-fitness-coach who, fortunately for us, is all about sharing her favorite exercises. In a recent Instagram post, the fit female from Florida revealed that her go-to move for building solid quads is the Spanish Squat. Thankfully, she took us through how to do it.
“Want better knees and a beautiful quad sweep? Add Spanish squats to your routine,” Erin Stern told her 370k Instagram followers in a recent post. The 2010 and 2012 Olympia trophy winner then took us through the process so that we could get our own pump going.
Benefits of the Spanish Squat
The Spanish squat is an effective exercise because it utilizes a resistance band to avoid strain on the knees and hips, while being a great isolating move for the quads. You will be heavily taxing the vastus medialis (in the inner leg, just above the knee) and the vastus lateralis (in the outer leg, almost half way up the thigh) for that Stern-like sweep.
How to Perform a Spanish Squat
“Secure a 30–50-pound band around a sturdy object at knee height,” began the buff beauty. In this case, Stern secured her band on a cable station. Facing the station, she then stepped inside the band and explained that the next step is to reverse until you feel tension. With her feet more than shoulder width apart, Stern stepped back so that the band could tighten and rest behind her knees. She then grabbed a dumbbell that was standing up, side-on, and raised it by clasping the top side.
Before going all out with her Spanish squats, Stern advised to warm up first. “Do a couple of partials to activate the quads and gauge tension,” she explained. Now ready to complete a full rep, Stern squatted while keeping the dumbbell at chest height. “As you squat, keep your chest up,” she explained of her perfect posture.
Once you reach the bottom of the squat, it’s time to rise back up. “When you come up out of the squat, actively push your knees against the band,” encouraged the coach. “Feel those quads burn!” she concluded, challenging you to try and replicate that stunning Stern-sweep.
Aim for 3 sets of 10-12 reps to get into the muscle building zone, starting with a light dumbbell, or purely your body weight, and then aim to increase the weight over time.
To follow Erin Stern on Instagram, click here.
