Decades ago, guys used to do deadlifts by putting the bar behind them. This allowed for a very upright position, which meant a great degree of knee flexion had to happen in order to get into position. Due to the execution, the quads got a great deal of work.
To get the same effect, use the trap bar deadlift. To make it more of a quad movement, raise your heels:
Heels-Elevated Trap Bar Deadlift
Elevating your heels will automatically put you in a very upright position and create a mechanical position where the hips aren't as loaded as they would be with conventional deadlifts.
For those with bad knees or achy hips, this is a very joint-friendly exercise that can be used for both heavy progressive overload or high-rep death sets.
Now that the New Year is upon us, many people are looking for effective ways to regain the size and strength they might have inadvertently lost. After all, it's damn tough to stay on track with your training during the months when that jolly, red-suited fella who looks suspiciously like a wino shows up in the middle of the night. (No, I'm not talking about your Uncle Steve.)
Sticking points are much like those really talkative, naked old men in your gym's locker room: you'd rather avoid them! Nothing's more frustrating than making good progress overall but failing to improve on the "big lifts" (bench press, squat, deadlift, military press, etc.)