Brandon Curry, the 2019 Mr. Olympia title and two-time Arnold Classic victor, has few weaknesses in his physique. Despite his credentials, judges and experts would like to see improvement in his lower body development.
Curry, preparing to compete at the 2025 Arnold Classic in Columbus, OH, from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2025, has been hard at work making those improvements. One exercise he frequently trains is split squat lunges using a belt squat machine instead of a dumbbell or barbell.
“That position has a lot of stability, so there is no need to worry about balance,” Curry explained. “Hold on, and tension is pulling from the hip. So, no spinal load.”
Curry executes the movement in the video below, sharing why he prefers this variation:
When done correctly, Curry said split squat lunges are challenging on the quadriceps and easy on the rest of the lower body and spine. Does loading from the hip help develop the legs more than the spine? Research in 2019 determined that the demand on the quadriceps when performing belt squats is comparable. (1)
Weight on the hips stimulates the glutes but is less effective for that muscle group as traditional barbell squats with the load on the back of the shoulders. Single-leg squats work the hamstrings. The hamstrings could be activated to a greater degree with the weight on the hip instead of the back. (2)
Lifters may be better off performing barbell squats for overall lower body hypertrophy, but Curry’s variation is a smart option if the goal, specifically, is keeping the load off the spine.
Curry hopes his training alterations pay off when he steps onstage for pre-judging and finals of the 2025 Arnold Classic. He will attempt to win his third Arnold Classic (USA) title and the $500,000 first-place check to clinch qualification for the 2025 Mr. Olympia contest.
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References
- Evans, T. W., McLester, C. N., Howard, J. S., McLester, J. R., & Calloway, J. P. (2019). Comparison of Muscle Activation Between Back Squats and Belt Squats. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33 Suppl 1, S52–S59. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002052
- Ford KR, Nguyen AD, Dischiavi SL, Hegedus EJ, Zuk EF, Taylor JB. An evidence-based review of hip-focused neuromuscular exercise interventions to address dynamic lower extremity valgus. Open Access J Sports Med. 2015 Aug 25;6:291-303. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S72432. PMID: 26346471; PMCID: PMC4556293.
Featured Image: @brandon_curry on Instagram
