Best Quadriceps Strengthening Exercises

Table of Contents

Target Details for Quadriceps Muscle Workout

Body Part: Legs

Target Muscle: Quads

The quadriceps muscles are essential for a serious body builder to build a symmetrical muscular balance between the upper and lower body, and this can be achieved by performing quadriceps strengthening exercises, which can be practiced at your home.

So for you, Why do you want to gain huge quad muscles? Do to get a great looking body shape! To better assist you in sports such as cycling or running! To develop a strong leg to save you from future injuries? For legs that fit perfectly in jeans! Or on the other hand, to have a strong body?

In fact, all these questions are interrelated and connected. In 4 minute in the section below you’ll find out what we’re talking about and cover those questions with the best quad strengthening exercises.

Quads Muscle Anatomy

The function of the quads are strong muscles responsible for extensors of the knee joint. It is crucial to the movement’s activities. In addition, its main function is knee joint.

It is the powerful muscle in the human body when built, and is located in the anterior chamber of the thigh.

Quads Muscle Function

The Quad “Quadriceps” is a powerful, massive group of muscles that are involved in movement and propulsion. It is located in the front of the leg with its main function of extending the leg at the knee and flexing the hip.

In fact, you use the quads as you straighten the knee bend.

Although the quads are sometimes an accessory or afterthought for leg days, the muscle is still a major key to a strong, shape and stretch lower body.

Quads Structure

The Quad is consists of (4) distinct muscles in the front of the femur. The name quadriceps muscle is derived from the four-headed muscle structure:

The Rectus Femoris, Located in the middle of the thigh, it is the only quadriceps muscle involved in hip flexion.

The Vastus Medialis, or Teardrop muscle, Which is located on the inner part of the leg through the knee.

The Vastus Lateralis, It is located on the outside of the upper leg.

The Vastus Intermedius, It lies between the vastus lateralis and the vastus medial in the anterior part of the upper leg.

Safety Equipment

Before starting, it is highly recommended to wear knee pads to avoid any kind of tissue damage or bone dislocation. As in the Quad exercises, the pressure and high stress will affect the knees area and often require wearing these safety gears.

Do You Need a Warm-Up?

Warm-up and stretching are an important part of every body part exercise. According to a study, the warm-up should mimic the expected exercise by pumping those muscles. We can do high knee slaps to warm up our quads.

Stand straight with hands pointing toward the ceiling. Then lift your right knee up and gently slap it by lowering your right hand. Switch sides, by repeat the steps with the left knee as well.

Other useful details for Quadriceps Stretches and Warms-Up.

Leg Extension

My favorite is the leg Extensions, However, when performed incorrectly, they can damage the knee joint. Leg extensions are not meant to be done with a heavy weight, but a variety should be made in a lighter weight and size.

The goal here is to exhaust your quads beforehand and flood your knees and muscles with as much blood as possible. This will warm you up and improve your mind-muscle connection.

Best Quadriceps Strengthening Exercises

1: Body Weight Squat (Quads)

(Equipment: No equipment required. Body Only)

By quads, we basically mean a squat. Covers the muscles of the front and side legs. Thigh strength and muscle development is an important part of our bodies, but one that is often neglected by most of us.

There are many exercises that can be considered as quads. The best set of leg exercises are leg presses and squats. You can do squats at home. For this exercise just follow these simple steps.

How to do Quads?

Stand with the back straight, feet shoulder width apart.
Slowly Bend your knees slightly, by make a 90-degree angle, with your feet shoulder width apart, and your knees aligned over your ankles. Don’t forget to keep your back straight, otherwise you will end up with back pain.
You may lose balance, so you should lean slightly forward to maintain balance.
Gently return to the starting position, by fully extending your legs.

The primary muscles affected by these quad building exercises will be the gluteus maximus and the quadriceps, and the secondary muscles will be the hamstrings.

Here’s a tip for readers, the movement of this exercise is like sitting in a chair.

Repetitions

You can follow this quad exercise in (3) sets with 10, 8 and 6 repetitions and (1-2) minutes rest as recommended.

2: Barbell Front Squat

(Equipment: a Barbell, different Plates)

How to perform?

Stand-up straight on front of a Barbell.
Place a rod on a rack at shoulder level. You don’t have to pick heavy weights if you like, because in return you will want higher repetitions.
Step under the barbell, resting on the shoulders, then place your fingers under the barbell so that it rests on the palms of the hand, with the elbows pointing forward.
Remove the weight from rack and carefully step back. Your feet should be parallel to shoulder width.
Begin by squatting down as you inhale by pushing your butt back at the same time.
Keep your back straight with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, while Keep your feet flat on the ground. Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor, and pause for two seconds in this position.
Exhale while pushing your body back straight to the starting position by fully extending your legs, keeping your torso straight.

Repetitions

You can do this exercise for 4-5 reps, in 3 sets

3: Wall Sits with a Ball

(Equipment: a Swiss Ball)

How to perform?

Place a Swiss ball on the wall and place the middle of your back against the ball.
Cross your hands by touching your right hand to your left shoulder and your left hand over your right shoulder.
Slowly sliding until your thighs are parallel to the floor at a 90-degree angle. Then he held this position for a while.
Make sure your torso is straight.
Slowly return to the starting position. Slide up by straightening your knees.

Repetitions

Repeat 3 times in 3 sets, rest for a minute.

4: Diagonal Walking Lunges

(Equipment: Pair of Dumbbells)

How to Perform?

Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
With these quad exercises, come out diagonally with the left leg forward, and lower your torso down by pushing your right foot back until your back knee almost touches the ground.
Keep your front thigh parallel to the floor.
Switch legs, by stepping forward with your back right leg, then step out to the side again, creating a zigzag pattern. Put your left leg back
Return to starting position with a straight trunk.

A diagonal step, no more than a natural step, but more extended relative to the front or back leg

Repetitions

Repeat 4 times in 3 sets, with 1 minute rest.

5: Leg Press Machine

(Equipment: a Leg Press Machine, a pair of knee pads for support)

Precaution Required!

For the safety purposes of the leg press, before when reloading the weight, always make sure to lock the platform properly.

How to do Leg Press?

When you start using the leg press machine, simply sit on the bench and place your legs on the machine stand. The width of the legs should be equal to the width of the shoulders for better balance, and ensure straight your back.
Second, lower the safety bar lock of the leg press while holding the properly weighted platform and extend the legs as far as possible. Before removing the safety bar, check the weight of the platform by only pushing it to avoid any mishap or any surprise weight, this is the starting position.
While inhaling, allow the platform to descend and make sure your upper and lower legs form a perfect 90-degree angle. If the angle is not 90 degrees, then it is incorrect motion.
Then push the platform weights back to the starting position with the help of your heels and quadriceps as you exhale.
Don’t forget to lock the safety bars before removing your legs from the platform deck for a home leg workout.

Repetitions

Recommended to perform 6-8 reps in 3 sets.

5: Sissy Squat Machine

(Equipment: sissy squat Machine)

With this versatile value Leikefitness Sissy Squat machine, you can perform many exercises for the main muscles of the body, not only the quads, but also the abdominals, glutes and back.

How to perform exercises on this machine?

In fact, it depends on your target muscles, and to start the quads exercise, you just have to put your feet under the lower pillows to stabilize the body, and support your thighs over the upper ones and then start the exercise, by raise up and then lowering your body.

More details and valuable features about it in this article Leikefitness Sissy Squat machine.

Benefits of Quadriceps Workout

There are many benefits of quad exercises at home, which target the lower body. Here is a list of the main benefits:

Quads exercise not only helps in getting toned legs but also helps in building the muscles of the body by creating an anabolic atmosphere in our bodies.
You will become more efficient in burning calories by doing quad building exercises.
Quads exercises help improve the flexibility of our joints and bones as over time our legs.
The effort required for the quad will strengthen the heart muscles and enhance lung capacity.
If you ever feel a dead leg, numbness or tingling, it could be a sign of poor blood circulation in the body. The quads help stimulate blood circulation in our bodies.
Another amazing benefit of Quads is that they help remove waste from the body, while providing nutrition to all the important joints and tissues in the body by performing the best quad exercise.

Quad Muscle Injury

If you have had knee pain for any length of time, your doctor can advise you to avoid exercises that cause this pain such as movements such as squatting, running, and jumping.

The quads often become weak after an injury or surgery on the lower leg or thigh. For this reason, it is important to know how to strengthen this muscle group for a full recovery and before that happens.

Quad for Sports and Daily Life

In everyday life, Quad help you walk, get up from a chair, go up stairs and squat. It support you in sports like marathon sprinting and basketball jumping. If we talk about running, improving your performance and preventing a training injury, you need to do a lot of quad strengthening exercises.

Strong Quad muscles will not only help improve speed but will also provide better stability to your joints and reduce ligament wear.

The quads are a large muscle group that can drain its energy quickly.

One of the favorite sports that naturally develops the best quad-strengthening exercises is cycling. Cyclists are known to have huge thighs that lead you to climb mountains summit or run to the finish line.

Building larger quads builds your resistance to exhaust and improves pedal punch. But this does not mean that cycling is an alternative to exercises for the legs, it supports these muscles but is not the main exercise routine.

On the other hand, it is recommended to add bike exercises to your workout plans to support and sculpt the quad muscles as quickly as possible to get the quads of your dreams.

Challenge enough to Boost your Body to Next Strength level!

There’s (lots) more! In the next article, you’ll tackle different Muscles workouts.

You will be pleased to see more muscle building results over time.