10 Best Conan's Wheel Alternatives for Quad Strength

Original Exercise: Conan's Wheel

Primary Muscle

Quadriceps

Equipment

Other

Difficulty

Advanced

Type

Compound

Secondary Muscles: Abdominals, Biceps, Calves, Forearms, Lower Back, Shoulders, Traps

How to Perform Conan's Wheel

1. With the weight loaded, take a zurcher hold on the end of the implement. Place the bar in the crook of the elbow and hold onto your wrist. Try to keep the weight off of the forearms.
2. Begin by lifting the weight from the ground. Keep a tight, upright posture as you being to walk, taking short, fast steps. Look up and away as you turn in a circle. Do not hold your breath during the event. Continue walking until you complete one or more complete turns.

Pro Tips

• Category: Strongman
• Movement type: Compound

Best Conan's Wheel Alternatives

Best Match

1. Elevated Back Lunge

64.4% Match

Quadriceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Position a bar onto a rack at shoulder height loaded to an appropriate weight. Place a short, raised platform behind you.
2. Rack the bar onto your upper back, keeping your back arched and tight. Step onto your raised platform with both feet. This will be your starting position.
3. Begin by stepping backwards with one leg. Descend by flexing your hips and knees until your knee touches the floor.
4. Pause, and extend through the hips and knees to rise up, returning all the way to the starting position before alternating.

2. Dumbbell Single Arm Overhead Carry

60.9% Match

Delts Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand.
2. Raise the dumbbell overhead, fully extending your arm.
3. Engage your core and keep your back straight as you walk forward, maintaining the dumbbell overhead.
4. Continue walking for the desired distance or time.
5. Switch hands and repeat the exercise.

3. Dumbbell Step Ups

59.7% Match

Quadriceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand up straight while holding a dumbbell on each hand (palms facing the side of your legs).
2. Place the right foot on the elevated platform. Step on the platform by extending the hip and the knee of your right leg. Use the heel mainly to lift the rest of your body up and place the foot of the left leg on the platform as well. Breathe out as you execute the force required to come up.
3. Step down with the left leg by flexing the hip and knee of the right leg as you inhale. Return to the original standing position by placing the right foot of to next to the left foot on the initial position.
4. Repeat with the right leg for the recommended amount of repetitions and then perform with the left leg.

4. Car Deadlift

55.9% Match

Quadriceps Other Advanced Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. This event apparatus typically has neutral grip handles, however some have a straight bar that you can approach like a normal deadlift. The apparatus can be loaded with a vehicle or other heavy objects such as tractor tires or kegs.
2. Center yourself between the handles if you are a strong squatter, or back a couple inches if you are a strong deadlifter. You feet should be about hip width apart. Bend at the hip to grip the handles. With your feet and your grip set, take a big breath and then lower your hips and flex the knees.
3. Look forward with your head, keep your chest up and your back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward. As the weight comes up, pull your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward.
4. Lower the weight by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor.

5. Box Squat With Bands

52.4% Match

Quadriceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Begin in a power rack with a box at the appropriate height behind you. Set up the bands on the sleeves, secured to either band pegs, the rack, or dumbbells so that there is appropriate tension. If dumbbells are used, secure them so that they don't move. Also, ensure that the dumbbells you are using are heavy enough for the bands that you are using. Additional plates can be used to hold the dumbbells down. If more tension is needed, you can either widen the base on the floor or choke the bands. Typically, you would aim for a box height that brings you to a parallel squat, but you can train higher or lower if desired.
2. Begin by stepping under the bar and placing it across the back of the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your elbows forward, attempting to bend the bar across your shoulders. Remove the bar from the rack, creating a tight arch in your lower back, and step back into position. Place your feet wider for more emphasis on the back, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings, or closer together for more quad development. Keep your head facing forward.
3. With your back, shoulders, and core tight, push your knees and butt out and you begin your descent. Sit back with your hips until you are seated on the box. Ideally, your shins should be perpendicular to the ground. Pause when you reach the box, and relax the hip flexors. Never bounce off of a box.
4. Keeping the weight on your heels and pushing your feet and knees out, drive upward off of the box as you lead the movement with your head. Continue upward, maintaining tightness head to toe. Use care to return the barbell to the rack.

6. Box Squat With Chains

51.9% Match

Quadriceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Begin in a power rack with a box at the appropriate height behind you. Typically, you would aim for a box height that brings you to a parallel squat, but you can train higher or lower if desired.
2. To set up the chains, begin by looping the leader chain over the sleeves of the bar. The heavy chain should be attached using a snap hook. Adjust the length of the lead chain so that a few links are still on the floor at the top of the movement.
3. Begin by stepping under the bar and placing it across the back of the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your elbows forward, attempting to bend the bar across your shoulders. Remove the bar from the rack, creating a tight arch in your lower back, and step back into position. Place your feet wider for more emphasis on the back, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings, or closer together for more quad development. Keep your head facing forward.
4. With your back, shoulders, and core tight, push your knees and butt out and you begin your descent. Sit back with your hips until you are seated on the box. Ideally, your shins should be perpendicular to the ground. Pause when you reach the box, and relax the hip flexors. Never bounce off of a box.
5. Keeping the weight on your heels and pushing your feet and knees out, drive upward off of the box as you lead the movement with your head. Continue upward, maintaining tightness head to toe.

7. Farmer's Walk

51.8% Match

Forearms Other Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. There are various implements that can be used for the farmers walk. These can also be performed with heavy dumbbells or short bars if these implements aren't available. Begin by standing between the implements.
2. After gripping the handles, lift them up by driving through your heels, keeping your back straight and your head up.
3. Walk taking short, quick steps, and don't forget to breathe. Move for a given distance, typically 50-100 feet, as fast as possible.

8. Box Squat

51.1% Match

Quadriceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. The box squat allows you to squat to desired depth and develop explosive strength in the squat movement. Begin in a power rack with a box at the appropriate height behind you. Typically, you would aim for a box height that brings you to a parallel squat, but you can train higher or lower if desired.
2. Begin by stepping under the bar and placing it across the back of the shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and rotate your elbows forward, attempting to bend the bar across your shoulders. Remove the bar from the rack, creating a tight arch in your lower back, and step back into position. Place your feet wider for more emphasis on the back, glutes, adductors, and hamstrings, or closer together for more quad development. Keep your head facing forward.
3. With your back, shoulders, and core tight, push your knees and butt out and you begin your descent. Sit back with your hips until you are seated on the box. Ideally, your shins should be perpendicular to the ground. Pause when you reach the box, and relax the hip flexors. Never bounce off of a box.
4. Keeping the weight on your heels and pushing your feet and knees out, drive upward off of the box as you lead the movement with your head. Continue upward, maintaining tightness head to toe.

9. Bear Crawl Sled Drags

51% Match

Quads Other Intermediate Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Wearing either a harness or a loose weight belt, attach the chain to the back so that you will be facing away from the sled. Bend down so that your hands are on the ground. Your back should be flat and knees bent. This is your starting position.
2. Begin by driving with legs, alternating left and right. Use your hands to maintain balance and to help pull. Try to keep your back flat as you move over a given distance.

10. Barbell Side Bent V. 2

50.4% Match

Abs Barbell Beginner Isolation

How to perform this exercise

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with both hands, palms facing down.
2. Keep your back straight and core engaged throughout the exercise.
3. Slowly bend your torso to the right side, lowering the barbell towards your right knee.
4. Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the movement on the left side.

Why You Might Need a Conan's Wheel Alternative

You might swap Conan's Wheel for equipment, injury, or preference reasons. The wheel creates sustained anterior loading and continuous knee extension; shoulder, wrist, or core issues can make it impractical. Alternatives like landmine or front-loaded squats preserve the upright torso and knee torque without overhead stress. Bulgarian split squats or single-leg variations reduce spinal load while increasing unilateral quad recruitment and balance. If you lack heavy implements, slow-tempo hack squats or lunges increase time under tension. Technique cue: maintain an upright torso, track the knee over the toes, and use a controlled 2–3 second eccentric to prioritize quadriceps activation and safe biomechanics.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute based on equipment, mobility, and training goal. For max load capacity pick landmine or Zercher setups—they let you load the anterior chain while keeping trunk upright and maximizing knee-extension torque. For unilateral strength and imbalance correction choose Bulgarian split squats or rear-foot-elevated variations—pause at the bottom to increase quad time under tension. If knee pain or limited range is an issue, shorten depth and emphasize controlled eccentrics. Technique cue: load through the midfoot, keep knees tracking over toes, and limit forward trunk lean to retain quad-dominant mechanics. Progress via load, reps, or slower eccentrics depending on hypertrophy or strength aims.

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