Quats!

quats are the main diet for the powerlifter, Olympic lifter, football player, track & field competitor and every other competitive athlete. But there are many assistant exercises that deliver that extra for squat strength and quad development. These assistant exercises offer coordination and balance to specific muscle groups to execute squat performance and quad development. So, whether that boost is strength, power, size, or a combination of them all, assistant exercises play a very important factor in the squat.
The squat is a strength and mass builder. Squat assistance exercises are done for shaping, and also strength. Let me explain. Bodybuilders are not interested in getting their squat to an all time max as a powerlifter is. Not all of them anyway. The competitive bodybuilder uses squat assistance exercises for shaping. But, the powerlifter is more interested in serious strength gains. Assistant squat exercises give an extra boost on all strength levels. Absolute strength, limit strength, starting strength and explosive strength. For those of you who are not referenced to these terms and those of you who need "strength" defined let me explain. Strength is the ability of the muscle to exert maximal force at a specific velocity.
Absolute strength constitutes a maximum amount of weight lifted like a "max" squat! Explosive strength is the max force exerted in a certain extension period of time. Limit strength is similar to absolute strength, which is the recruitment of musculoskeletal force generated for one all-out effort. Starting strength is the athlete's ability to "switch on" as many muscle fibers as possible in one instant. The ability to place an overload on the muscle that is being exerted with a heavier weight for maximum reps enables those muscles to get use to higher workloads.
There are many assistant exercises that can imitate the squat itself. Like placing your legs on the leg press or a hack machine with the same feet spacing you would for squatting. Assistant exercises can be box squats or reverse-hyper extensions, famed exercises performed by Louis Simmons students, step-ups, single leg presses, and many others. This is all good, but you ask why step-ups? Well, think about it. Step-ups are in all conventional terms a one legged squat. This specific assistant exercise will benefit you in gaining leg strength, the same as the single legged press would but with the added benefit of balance. Any individual who desires a good assistant exercise for squats should give single leg presses a try. I hope you realize that one leg can't press what both can, so, start off light increasing your weight each set until you get to a good working weight performing 6-10 reps on each leg. When doing leg presses or hack squats place your feet together and try 20-reps for each set. I recommend only 2-3 sets of those. They're pretty grueling! I am sure your legs will be ready to explode after all that.
The definition of the word "assistant" means: "assisting; helping; serves as a helper," - that's all an assistant squat exercise is - a helper. There are many different supplementary assistant exercises to implement in your squat training regiment. The best way to find out what is best for you is to first ask yourself what your goal is. Is your goal Strength? Size? Or both? Really, it doesn't matter because whatever assistant exercise you choose, done properly, over a period of time, will only spell out increases in strength, size, and shape. So, don't forget to take your supplements and give me one more rep!