Can squats with high reps and low weight lead to an increase in thigh size?

For most gym-goers, the squat rack is nearly an absolute necessity when it comes to working out. 

This is among the most well-liked exercises in which your prime movers will be the thigh and glute muscles. 

But here is the question: do high reps, low weight squats even build up thigh size? 

In this article, we cover how such training works to build muscle and give some tips on how to optimize your workout to make your thighs big.

A- Muscle Growth: Hypertrophy vs. Endurance.

First, before going into the details regarding squats, a little background is in order concerning the two major goals of resistance training: hypertrophy and muscle endurance.

A1-What is Hypertrophy?

Hypertrophy is simply a term used to describe larger muscles developed through any form of strength training. 

The nature of this usually involves higher weights for fewer repetitions, roughly between 6 to 12 reps. 

In fact, the idea is to overload your muscles enough to cause them to grow.

A2-Muscle Endurance Explained.

On the other hand, muscle endurance is the ability of a muscle to sustain prolonged exercise over time. 

Training for endurance generally involves high repetition, typically 15 or more, done with lighter weights. 

Excellent for stamina and firming up, it does little to anything for the size of the muscle.

B-The Role of Squats in Thigh Development.

Squats are arguably one of the best exercises that target the lower body, focusing on quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. 

It not only helps to build strength but is also functional movements in nature and mimics day-to-day activities. 

But what happens when you use high reps and low weights for squats?

C- High Reps and Low Weight: What to Expect?

By doing high-repetition, low-weight squats, the focus your body places is majorly on muscle endurance. 

This kind of training can result in the following:

-Improved Muscle Tone: 

Your muscles may be more toned and defined, which is a plus for those desiring to have an better-looking physique without increasing too much in size.

-Increased Stamina: 

You will probably feel that you have more stamina, as it is easier to execute your daily tasks or just spend more time in the gym.

-Greater Stability of the Joints: 

This type of training can improve stability at your joints and minimize injury risk.

C1-Limitations of High Reps for Muscle Size.

Although high reps, low weight has its benefits, this is not the best choice to develop thigh size.

Why?

-Inadequate Resistance: 

Any tissue development needs a strong enough stimulus to adequately disturb muscle fibers. 

Simply using lighter weights for higher repetitions does not create the needed tension to actually stimulate hypertrophy.

-Insufficient Tear of the Muscle: 

Muscle growth, in theory, is based on the micro-rupture of the muscle fibers during training and their further rebuilding and growth in size during rest. 

High-rep sets can be less effective for this kind of micro-trauma compared to heavier lifts.

D- Maximizing Your Workout for Thigh Size.

If your primary goal is the development of thigh muscles, try incorporating the following techniques into your workout.

- Focus on Progressive Overload.

Progressive overload refers to a gradual increase in the intensity of workout or weight lifted continuously over time to challenge the muscles further. Here's how you can apply it:

- Start with a Comfortable Weight: Begin with weights that you're comfortable lifting for 6-12 repetitions.

- Gradually Increase: Once you can do the higher end of that rep range with good form, you should increase the weight by 5-10%.

-Tweak the Rep Ranges. Hit 6-12 reps per set for hypertrophy. That range will give you serious stimulation of muscle growth. 

You can combine your squats with other compound exercises for greater efficiency in the lower body workout routine.

E- Add in Compound and Isolation Exercises.

Other than squats, make your workout routine varied by adding in:

- Deadlifts: Deadlifts can be great for your general strength of the lower body, considering they recruit several large muscle groups in one go.

- Lunges: Help target your quads, hamstrings, and glutes from different angles.

- Leg Presses: Excellent for heavy lifting without putting pressure on your lower back.

- Leg Extensions and Curls: Their isolated movements further hit the quadriceps and hamstrings, respectively.

F- Prioritize Nutrition.

Success in your muscle-building quest entirely depends on what you feed your body, focusing on a positive caloric balance and adequate protein intake. 

To create the necessary fuel for muscle development, ensure that you consume more calories than you expend and aim for a protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on your specific goals. 

Furthermore, the recovery phase is crucial for muscle gain, so prioritize rest days to allow your muscles to recover and integrate quality sleep hygiene by aiming for 7-9 hours of restorative sleep each night, as this is when your body repairs and grows muscles.

G- Conclusion.

While high rep low weight squats do a great job of increasing muscle endurance and firming up the thigh muscles, no great size can be built up from this. 

If maximum growth is to be achieved, then progressive overload must be put into place, exercise variation, correct nutrition, and recovery emphasis are also crucial. 

Keep in mind that every single person's body reacts differently to any given training stimulus; hence, it takes a lot of consistency and patience.

Ready to unleash the beast on the lower body? 

Integrate heavier weights into multiple exercises, starting today. 

Join a fitness community, share your progress, and together let's build those thigh muscles!