How Saquon Barkley became ‘Quadzilla’ and built the NFL’s most monstrous legs to become Eagles’ MVP favorite
Saquon Barkley is a beast of a running back. The Philadelphia Eagles star and NFL MVP favorite also has the quads to match. GettyBarkley has the Eagles heading toward the NFL playoffs again[/caption] Barkley’s gigantic legs strike fear into the most hardened NFL defender. His muscular pistons first made headlines during Barkley’s collegiate days at Penn State, when he set a number of school-records and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Fans quickly became fixated on Barkley’s herculean limbs and would often remark on them in real life. “I was in Newark airport, and I was walking to get my bags, and I had short shorts on, people were just looking at me, and I’m like ‘What the heck?'” Barkley once said. “I had a hoodie on, and I’m like, ‘What’s everyone staring at?’ And people were coming up and saying, like, ‘You’ve got some really nice legs.’ I think when it first started out, I was like, I don’t know why – it was males, females, everybody – and I’m just so caught off guard by it.” The Quadzilla legacy grew from there with New York Giants great Eli Manning marvelling at Barkley’s hulking 29″ quadriceps after seeing them in the flesh for the first time. “His quads are the size of my waist and whole upper body,” Manning said in 2018. “I’ve never quite seen anything like it. I don’t often stare at another man’s legs, but in that case, you just can’t quite help it.” Barkley quite literally went from strength to strength after being drafted second overall by the Giants in 2018. The tree-trunk thighed RB became a Pro Bowler in his debut season and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as his relentless routine in the gym started to pay dividends. The 6ft, 230lb star is blessed with God-given natural talent but his bulging biceps and shredded six-pack abs all came from hours in the weight room. x@espnEven Eli Manning had to stare at Barkley’s legs[/caption] instagram@saquonBarkley spends hours in the weight room[/caption] He also gave a shoutout to legendary NFL running back Bo JacksonInstagram@saquon With that said, Barkley prefers focusing on his lower body whenever he’s jacking up weight because he has to be as explosive as possible as a running back. Saquon rarely skips leg day and during the 2019 offseason created the ‘Quad Squad Quad Challenge’ to challenge fans. “A lot of people love seeing my workout videos and joke about my big quads and legs, so it’s fun to bring fans into that,” he said. The challenge consisted of a Lunge Hold (10 secs each leg), Squats (10 secs), Jump squats (10 secs), and Squat Holds (20 secs). But really that was nothing on the crushing lower-body exercises he does day-to-day that fuel his unique strength and speed. A typical leg routine for the Eagles star sees him start off with a set of Nordic hamstring curls – a favourite of Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill. Barkley will then switch things up with a variation of the Bulgarian split squat before finishing with an advanced box jump which involves single-leg explosion and a change of direction. The Quadfather also likes to incorporate a number of other punishing exercises into his regimen with two particular favourites being squats and hex-bar dead-lifts. He previously told Men’s Journal: “I’m able to squat 650-700 pounds. “I’m not doing it to put on weight or be a musclehead. Those 650-pound lifts are about helping me run through a 350-pound defensive tackle. “If I do a 405-pound power clean, that can make me explosive enough to make an NFL linebacker miss and help me jump over tacklers. “The more explosive you are, the higher you can jump and break out that speed-nabbing 70 to 80-yard touchdowns.” After missing a chunk of time in the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to injury, Barkley returned in 2022 for a Pro-Bowl worthy season. When the Giants lowballed him, Barkley took his talents — and quads — to Philadelphia. He is currently first in the NFL in rushing yards (1,499) and is tied with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson for first in average yards per carry (6.1). Powered by his massive quads, Barkley is set up for a big playoff run with the Eagles this season and rivals the Ravens’ Derrick Henry as the best running back in the league. talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
Saquon Barkley is a beast of a running back.
The Philadelphia Eagles star and NFL MVP favorite also has the quads to match.
Barkley’s gigantic legs strike fear into the most hardened NFL defender.
His muscular pistons first made headlines during Barkley’s collegiate days at Penn State, when he set a number of school-records and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
Fans quickly became fixated on Barkley’s herculean limbs and would often remark on them in real life.
“I was in Newark airport, and I was walking to get my bags, and I had short shorts on, people were just looking at me, and I’m like ‘What the heck?'” Barkley once said.
“I had a hoodie on, and I’m like, ‘What’s everyone staring at?’ And people were coming up and saying, like, ‘You’ve got some really nice legs.’ I think when it first started out, I was like, I don’t know why – it was males, females, everybody – and I’m just so caught off guard by it.”
The Quadzilla legacy grew from there with New York Giants great Eli Manning marvelling at Barkley’s hulking 29″ quadriceps after seeing them in the flesh for the first time.
“His quads are the size of my waist and whole upper body,” Manning said in 2018. “I’ve never quite seen anything like it. I don’t often stare at another man’s legs, but in that case, you just can’t quite help it.”
Barkley quite literally went from strength to strength after being drafted second overall by the Giants in 2018.
The tree-trunk thighed RB became a Pro Bowler in his debut season and was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as his relentless routine in the gym started to pay dividends.
The 6ft, 230lb star is blessed with God-given natural talent but his bulging biceps and shredded six-pack abs all came from hours in the weight room.
With that said, Barkley prefers focusing on his lower body whenever he’s jacking up weight because he has to be as explosive as possible as a running back.
Saquon rarely skips leg day and during the 2019 offseason created the ‘Quad Squad Quad Challenge’ to challenge fans.
“A lot of people love seeing my workout videos and joke about my big quads and legs, so it’s fun to bring fans into that,” he said.
The challenge consisted of a Lunge Hold (10 secs each leg), Squats (10 secs), Jump squats (10 secs), and Squat Holds (20 secs).
But really that was nothing on the crushing lower-body exercises he does day-to-day that fuel his unique strength and speed.
A typical leg routine for the Eagles star sees him start off with a set of Nordic hamstring curls – a favourite of Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill.
Barkley will then switch things up with a variation of the Bulgarian split squat before finishing with an advanced box jump which involves single-leg explosion and a change of direction.
The Quadfather also likes to incorporate a number of other punishing exercises into his regimen with two particular favourites being squats and hex-bar dead-lifts.
He previously told Men’s Journal: “I’m able to squat 650-700 pounds.
“I’m not doing it to put on weight or be a musclehead. Those 650-pound lifts are about helping me run through a 350-pound defensive tackle.
“If I do a 405-pound power clean, that can make me explosive enough to make an NFL linebacker miss and help me jump over tacklers.
“The more explosive you are, the higher you can jump and break out that speed-nabbing 70 to 80-yard touchdowns.”
After missing a chunk of time in the 2020 and 2021 seasons due to injury, Barkley returned in 2022 for a Pro-Bowl worthy season.
When the Giants lowballed him, Barkley took his talents — and quads — to Philadelphia.
He is currently first in the NFL in rushing yards (1,499) and is tied with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson for first in average yards per carry (6.1).
Powered by his massive quads, Barkley is set up for a big playoff run with the Eagles this season and rivals the Ravens’ Derrick Henry as the best running back in the league.
talkSPORT is your home of the NFL on UK radio, and you can stay up to date with all the latest from around the league via our dedicated ‘EndZone’ YouTube channel.
