Here is a very good article from
http://www.jaredzimmerer.com/blog/2015/3/29/legs-and-the-balanced-physiqueAbout the king exercise of mass building: the squat
For those in the iron game many of us know that the almighty squat is king when it comes to downright, hardcore strength and size. Many who have suffered with the problem of chicken legs have been able to overcome this debilitating problem with some hard squat routines. But, the question has to be asked, 'how often should I squat?' I am a fan of High Intensity Training so my first initial reaction would be once a week or possibly even every two weeks. But, I have also seen the evidence to squat three days a week if your goal is more leaning towards a powerlifting sort of training. Reg Park and Steve Reeves would squat three days a week, either on hard set or low reps and sets when they were trying to add on some size. For those of us who are interested in the classic physique, we must look at every exercise in terms of its effect on our symmetry, proportion and graceful appearance. Does this mean we don't want those monster legs we see on the Mr. Olympia stage today? Yes and no. The problem with this is that there isn't a blanket answer to this issue because it totally depends on your genetically given bone structure and how those legs will give you a balanced physique
The reason I bring this up is that I think that we have seen a major shift in the way we look at how legs ought to look. From the beginnings of bodybuilding all the way up until the late 70's and early 80's we saw legs which were part of a bigger design. They were meant to become part of a picture as a whole, not a feat and show in and of themselves. So, compare Arnold Schwarzenegger's legs to those of Dorian Yates and you will see the huge shift that took place. Arnold squatted, as did all of my heroes from the 30's and 40's, perhaps except for Vince Gironda. So while squat holds an eternal high place in the gym, we need to put the legs in proper perspective and how squat can effect the entire physique.
Squat is the surest and fastest way to add some size on to those quads, hips and glutes. The problem here is that one of those muscles in the hips. So, if our aim is a V-Tapered form starting with a tight waist and a broad, wide back, then widening the hips can be problematic. Squat can also increase total body strength and size as it truly is the king of exercises (although I could argue that deadlift is tied with it, but i won't go there now).
So, how do we keep from growing legs that throw the balance off all the while keeping a slender, tight waist. Well, first you'll need to consider that most of the legs that have become monstrous are a result of pharmacueticals. So, unless you plan to or are currently taking drugs, the risk of running huge, unbalanced legs is much slimmer. If you genetically have large quads, (first off, I'm jealous) you might consider a few quad lengthening exercises. These will be able to help you keep those thick thighs all the while adding a more aesthetic for to them. The best exercise for that would be the sissy squat:
The Sissy Squat
There is nothing sissified about the sissy squat. The basic move is to find a 3-4 inch elevation to rest your heels on. I use a pair of dumbbells. Then to have something to stabilize yourself, I use my TRX straps. Then lean back, almost as if you are doing the limbo, and focus the resistance on your quads.
Next, if you begin to see your waistline growing even though you are staying lean, this might be a result of squatting too regularly. So two exercises I suggest you perform in order to keep the thickness of your quads without the hip growth are leg extensions and heavy, supported, single-leg dumbbell lunges:
Leg Extensions
or
Single-Leg Dumbbell Lunges (Supported and using heavy weights)
Does this mean I am downgrading the squat? Absolutely not. What I hope to offer here is a thought process and vision into how you might see your exercise routines. What is this doing to my physique? How is this helping me reach my goal of the classic, Grecian Ideal of aesthetics and balance?
Should you squat? Absolutely. Should you do it and keep a blind eye on how your overall physique is being effected? Heck no.
