Finally gave up on quad injections after 8 years, scar tissue made it feel like cement

[Davo]

Same experience here. Quads felt like concrete after about year eight. Switched fully to delts and glutes in 2022 and haven't looked back. The delt injection took about three weeks to feel natural but now it's second nature. 1 inch 23g for rear delt, never had an issue.

[Jock]

Anyone still pinning quads after ten years either has better luck than me or hasn't noticed the scar tissue yet. Delts and glutes. That's it. Anywhere else after that much time is just asking for problems.

[FLbodybuilder]

The scar tissue issue with long-term quad injections is well documented. Quads are more susceptible than glutes because of the higher density of fascial layers between the muscle groups. After 25 years I rotate through rear delts, ventroglutes, and dorsoglutes only. The argument for quads was always about ease of access without a partner - but once you master the other sites there's no reason to come back. L-carnitine abscesses from quad injections are a real risk, the compound is more reactive than typical AAS carrier oils and the tissue responds differently.

[CaliBro]

Gave up quads about two years in honestly. Even early on I had more PIP from quads than anywhere else. Rear delt is my daily driver now. Small volume per site but if you're pinning twice or three times a week you can spread it out no problem.

[Chi Guy]

I know guys who've been pinning for 30 years and their quads are basically nonfunctional as injection sites now. Scar tissue is cumulative and irreversible. Moved to ventroglutes and rear delts years ago and tell everyone who asks to make the switch earlier rather than later. 1.5 inch 23g for ventroglute, 1 inch 25g for rear delt. Never failed.

[Mick AU]

Mate, quads are where I started back in 2008 and where I should have stopped in 2010. Took way too long to figure out why every leg day felt like being stabbed. Ventroglutes changed everything. Bigger volume, easier to hit, less scar tissue in my experience over 15 years. Reckon I'd still be limping if I hadn't made the switch.

[BERLINER]

I document my injection sites in a rotating schedule and have done so since my first cycle. The quad sites were removed from my rotation after four years due to measurable firmness at the injection site confirmed on palpation. The compound hardness is not reversible. Rear delts now take 80% of my injections, ventroglutes the remaining 20%. I will not return to quads.

[FrankfurtFit]

I made the same mistake. Quads for the first seven years because that is what I was taught. After year five I could feel the resistance when pushing the plunger. A physiotherapist I saw for a knee issue noted unusual tissue hardness in both vastus lateralis muscles and asked about my injection history. The look on his face said everything. I use only rear delts and ventroglutes now.

[Dutchman]

The fibrotic response to repeated intramuscular injections in the vastus lateralis is a recognized medical complication. Volume per injection compounds the issue as larger volumes cause greater mechanical disruption to the tissue. Maximum 1ml per quad site in a pinch, preferably zero after several years of use. The pharmacokinetics are identical from a well-perfused ventroglute compared to quad so there is no argument for continuing to use damaged tissue.

[SWE LIFTS]

Switched from quads to delts and ventroglutes about three years ago. Recovery from leg sessions improved noticeably after the switch, which tells you something about what the scar tissue was doing to muscle function. On needle size - 1 inch 25g for rear delt works well. I tried 23g for a while but 25g is smooth enough at body temperature and causes less bruising for me.

[SydneyFit]

Only been pinning for two years and already noticed the quad on my right is more resistant than my left from doing it more often. Good reminder to rotate properly. Just started doing rear delts and it's honestly much easier than I expected. Smaller muscle but hitting it correctly is quick once you get the angle right.

[Beantown Rick]

Pinned quads for 8 years and the last 12 months the resistance has been getting worse every cycle. Pushing the plunger last week felt like injecting into concrete even with everything done correctly - needle placement, warmed oil, slow injection. Switched to rear delts and glutes exclusively last month and the difference is ridiculous. Not sure why I held on to quads for so long, probably just habit at that point. Anyone else hit the wall with a site and make a permanent switch?

[Geoff K]

Made the same switch about 3 years ago after 10 years on quads. First few delt shots felt awkward and I was convinced I was doing it wrong. Within a month it just became normal. Now I genuinely can't understand why I stuck with quads as long as I did - pip is lower, injection is faster, and you don't need to tie yourself in a knot to reach. The resistance you described in the quad is exactly what mine felt like toward the end. It stops being subtle and becomes unmistakably wrong.

[GODZILLA]

Good practical thread. The delt switch is always worth it once you commit to it - takes a session or two to feel natural but most guys don't go back. Rotating sites properly from the start would save a lot of people years of scar tissue issues.

[BIGDADDY]

Made the switch from quads to delts and glutes years ago. Never went back. Site rotation matters more the longer you have been pinning.

[squirms]

Yes made the same change some years ago. Always pinned high upper outer but towards the end didn't feel right. Have been sticking to glutes and ventroglutes. Rarely pin more than 3xs per week so rotate. Previously did delts but concerned about obvious scar tissue build up there

[AucklandA]

gave up quads about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. pushing the plunger into scar tissue that's built up over years is a horrible experience and you don't fully realize how bad it's gotten until you switch to delts and feel the difference. mid delt with a 1 inch 23g is so smooth now it barely registers. the transition feels awkward for the first couple of sessions then it just becomes normal. anyone still injecting quads after 10 plus years is either stubborn or hasn't tried delts seriously.

[TEXMEX]

Made the switch fully to delts and glutes about 3 years ago after the same experience. Quads were fine for years then one day it just felt like pushing through concrete no matter how slowly you went. Rear delt is now my go-to, 1 inch 23g, way more comfortable than I expected once you get the angle right. Haven't touched a quad since.

[Beantown Rick]

Made the switch around 38 myself. Spent a few months doing 1cc each side in upper outer glute, alternating left/right every pin, and the difference in comfort vs the cement quads was night and day. Mid delts get the prop and short ester stuff at 1ml max, glutes take the heavier ester volume. Once you stop pushing 2-3cc into one site every week the bruising and lumps stop too.

[Geoff K]

Same path. Switched fully to ventrogluteal and delts at 42 and never looked back. The ventroglute is criminally underused, way less nerve risk than dorsal glute and you can hit it easy in the mirror. For the existing scar tissue some guys swear by warm compresses and slow rolling on a lacrosse ball but realistically once it is there it is there, just stop loading more on top.

[GODZILLA]

This is one of the most common things we hear from long-term members. The scar tissue issue with quads is real and it compounds over years. Delts and upper glutes are genuinely more forgiving sites for sustained long-term use. Good thread to have documented here for anyone doing a search on injection site rotation.

[AucklandA]

Made the same switch about 3 years ago. Quads were fine for the first 5 or 6 years then gradually felt worse every cycle until pushing the plunger was genuinely an effort. Moved entirely to delts and glutes and haven't looked back.

One thing worth adding for anyone making the switch - rear delt takes about 3-4 pins to feel comfortable. First couple of times it feels awkward reaching back there and you're second-guessing your placement. After a month it becomes the easiest site you've got. 1 inch 23g, slow push, done in under a minute. The quad calluses stay around for a while but the actual discomfort goes pretty quickly once you stop using them.

[BIGDADDY]

Quads are a young man's game. Switched to glutes and delts years ago and never looked back.

[TEXMEX]

Made the switch about 3 years ago and haven't looked back. Rear delt is my go-to now - 1 inch 23g, rotate left and right, zero issues. The first few sessions felt awkward trying to reach the spot but after a week it's second nature. Quads just aren't worth it once you've got scar tissue building up, the resistance alone tells you it's time to stop.

[Beantown Rick]

What gets me is how gradual the buildup is - you don't notice it until one session the quad just fights back and you're sitting there wondering if you pinned wrong. Switched to rear delts about 4 years ago and haven't looked back. The 1 inch 23g works fine for everything except guys with more tissue sitting over the delt, then you need the 1.5 inch or you're hitting sub-q half the time and wondering why the compound isn't absorbing right.

[Geoff K]

Same thing happened to me around year 6, right quad started feeling like there was a wall halfway through the plunger. Switched to mid delt and rear delt exclusively and honestly the whole process is easier now. 1 inch 23g for the delt, sometimes 1.5 inch for the rear delt depending on what I'm running - no more of that grinding resistance you get from a scarred site. Never going back. The only thing I miss about quads is nothing.

[GODZILLA]

Quad abandonment at some point is almost universal for long-term users. The resistance issue is well documented and it does not improve with time - once the scar tissue builds up it stays. Mid and rear delts are significantly more comfortable for most people and the volume capacity is adequate for standard weekly doses. Good discussion in here.

[AucklandA]

Made the switch to rear delts about 3 years ago and the only regret is not doing it earlier. 1 inch 23g handles most compounds fine, only go to 1.5 if the shoulder is carrying more tissue. The first few sessions feel awkward with the angle but it normalises fast. Quads now only for emergencies and honestly I'm not sure what that emergency would be.

[emperorcaliano]

I personally rotate between:
-glutes
-delts
-quads (Low and high)

[TEXMEX]

Low quads do hold up a bit better than the standard mid-sweep placement, there is less direct buildup in that outer area. High quad is a different angle but the tissue is thinner there and you feel it quicker when scar tissue starts forming. I gave up quads entirely about 3 years ago and haven't missed them. Delts a few times a week, glutes the rest, no dramas since.

[BIGDADDY]

Quads are the first to go. Once the scar tissue builds up there's no recovering the site. Delts and glutes are where long-term guys end up for a reason.

[Beantown Rick]

Made the full switch to rear delts and glutes about 3 years ago and never looked back. Quads just got to the point where even placing the pin right you'd hit resistance halfway through the plunger. Shorter needles in the delt took a session or two to get comfortable with but now it's the easiest injection I do. 1 inch 23g works fine if you're reasonably lean. Anyone still using quads as their main site after 10+ years of regular pinning is either very lucky or hasn't noticed how much harder it's getting.