Quad Exercises for Women | How to Get a Sexy Toned Legs?

Target Muscle Details (Quads Workouts for Women)

Body Part: Legs

Target Muscle: Quads

The only way to build a big quads like the one pictured is by following quad exercises for women.

Also known as the Quadriceps muscle, this muscle is responsible for many of the daily routines of our lives, including walking, running, and lifting objects, these are just a few important examples.

To make sure you can perform these movements without injury, be sure to start doing quad strengthening exercises to support your legs, increasing the stability, speed and strength required to perform such activities.

In addition, to ensure that the quads are balanced, it is important to workout the posterior muscle chain that rests on the back of your legs, such as the hamstrings to ensure leg muscle work efficiently and improve overall body movement.

To stimulate and increase the size of these muscles, it is necessary to ensure the exercises by extending the knees, through different levels of challenging resistance.

How can your muscles reach the massive strength and increase in size that you really want your muscles to achieve!

When you maintain consistency and stick to your workout plans, you’ll build strong, toned quads, and the shape you dream about. You can reach this level by setting and focus on your daily exercise goals.

Now let’s start by highlighting and discussing what are the important things to be aware of, the benefits and functions of gaining quads muscles?

Quads Muscle Function

The main primary function of the quad muscles is to bend, provide straighten and support to your knees. It is a strong muscle in the lower body that is attached to the upper part of the knee joint and acts as resistance against bending the knees like squats or any body weights.

One of the Bulk Quad muscles known as (the rectus femoris) is responsible for rotating the hips. More over Quads work in harmony with other extensions of the leg muscles, such as the hamstrings and thighs, to promote effective movement, running, squatting, and balance.

Quads Muscle Structure

The function of the quads are powerful muscles that responsible for the extensor of the knee joint, which it is crucial to the movement’s activities. In addition, the other main function is for hip flexion.

There are 4 muscles, 3 of which are in the femur (thighbone) and 1 in the pelvis:

Vastus Medialis, on the inner front part of the femur.
Vastus Lateralis, on the outer front of the femur.
Vastus Intermedius, located between the muscles of the Medialis and Lateralis.
The fourth muscle, the Rectus Femoris, is located on top of the vastus intermedius and goes down to the middle of the thigh. It originates in the anterior part of the pelvis below the anterior superior iliac spine (part of the hip bone) “Check the image below, it shows an anatomy diagram of the quads”.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Quads Workout

There are many benefits to quads exercises that target the lower body and major leg muscles. Here is a list of the main benefits:

The quadriceps muscle is powerful, it applies stability to the knee joints.
Avoid the legs from any possible various injuries.
Provides assistance and support while walking or running. In addition to other activities including riding a bike, thus increasing the ability for lifting weights and developing more muscles.
Maintaining strengthening of the quads is essential to maintain their flexibility.
Helping you burn more fatty tissue or any waste in your leg muscles.
The quad muscles get progressively weaker with age, if they do not participate in any exercise during their early life, it will eventually become difficult to stand, use the lower stairs and get up from a chair.

Quadriceps Safety Equipment

Before starting the exercise, it is recommended to wear knee bandages to protect your leg from any tissue damage or dislocation of the knee. As it is part of the goals of the quad exercise to get a strong leg, this is done by performing high pressure exercises and this will increase the tension that will affect the knees area.

How do you Stretch your Quadriceps?

The stretching and warm-up exercises are a signal to stimulate and engage the quads muscles so you’re ready and running for your next workout. This is the most effective way to maintain the flexibility of the quadriceps muscles and increase their range of motion.

In order to prevent your leg from any possible injury. Below are my best and most preferred types of quad stretches, which are practical and you can use them for warm-ups:

Dynamic Stretches: You can do any of the aerobic exercises such as walking on a treadmill or any favorite place in your area.
Static: This is a simple stretching. You can start by standing near a stationary table, then grab one foot with one of your hands and lift it up. Then slowly pull your foot toward your butt, and you’ll begin to feel a stretch in your quad. Hold for 15 seconds, then release your hand and repeat by switching to the other leg.
Prone Stretch: The steps are as follows:

- lie on your stomach.
- Raise your upper body by placing your forearms flat and parallel to the floor. The forearms and biceps will form 90 degrees (cat pose). Keep your head looking forward.
- Bend one knee behind your back as far as possible toward your head.
- Hold the position for 20 seconds.
- Return, by lowering your leg to be flat to the floor.
- Switch to another leg and repeat the same steps.
- Repeat the exercise 4-6 times for each leg.

The Frog Pose:

- Begin by lying on your stomach on a Mat or on the floor.
- Start by raising your upper body by supporting your upper body with your elbows.
- Bend your knees and put your feet behind your back, then raise your upper body a little by grabbing each hand with the foot behind your back. You will feel contracted on your quads at this moment.
- You can increase the tension in your thigh muscles by pulling your feet forward with your hands, and extra raising your torso off the ground.

For other helpful details, click on Quad Stretching and Warm-up Exercises.

Quad Exercises for Women with and without Equipment

1: Leg Extensions

(Equipment: Leg Extension Machine)

This is an isolation exercise, it works on one joint which is the knees, and it will not be as hard on the knees if the exercise is done correctly. You can still work on the exercise if you can’t reach the machine by sitting in a home chair with weights on your feet or using resistance bands.

How to perform Leg Extensions?

Select the appropriate weights and load them into the machine, until you feel comfortable and challenging at the same time.
Sit on the leg extension machine, then secure your legs by placing your feet under the rotary leg clamp pads, and grab the handles at your sides for support during the exercise. This will be the starting position.
Begin to contract your quads as you raise the bar pads to the ceiling using your legs, your legs will be parallel to the floor. Keep your knees unlocked.
Slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
Then repeat 4-6 times in 3 sets.

2: Squat Workout

(Equipment: Body Only)

The squat is a strength exercise and an effective exercise for the quad and the body in general. It improves blood circulation, and is useful in losing weight by getting rid of fat and developing correct body posture.

How to perform Squat?

Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than your hips and your toes pointing slightly outward.
Raise your arms and cross them in front of your chest, providing balance during the exercise, this will be the starting position.
Begin by bending your knees and lowering your hips, as if you were sitting on a bench, so that your quads are parallel to the floor. Make sure to keep your back slightly forward but straight, and hold the lower position for 2-4 seconds.
Once your hips reach the lower level, straighten your legs to gradually return to the starting position.

3: Lunges Exercise

(Equipment: Body Only)

This exercise is simple but effective, it covers the essential body parts and keeps you in balance. It also has a beneficial effect on the hamstring muscle.

How to perform Lunge?

Stand with your back straight, feet hip-width apart, the starting position.
Take a step forward with your left leg, keeping your spine perpendicular to the floor, and bend your right leg to be behind you with your knee at 90 degrees and pin your toes on the floor and then start lowering your body toward the floor, making the lower leg parallel to the floor.
Hold this position for a few seconds.
Raise your torso by returning straight to the starting position.
Switch and repeat with another leg.

4: Straight Leg Raises

(Equipment: a Mat)

It’s another simple exercise way for strengthening the quad muscles.

How to perform Straight Leg Raises ?

Lay your back on a soft Mat.
Bend your left knee at a 90-degree angle and place your foot flat on the floor.
Set your right leg fully extended with the knee straight on floor.
Now slowly raise the right leg to a level of 45 degrees from the floor and squeeze the quadriceps. Pause in this position for 6 seconds.
Then slowly come back by lowering your right leg to the floor.
Rest for 5 seconds and repeat 11 to 12 times.
Switch legs, then repeat the same steps.

5: Wall Slides

(Equipment: Body Only)

Wall slides exercise work on a variety of muscles, including the quads, calves and glutes muscles.

How to perform Wall Slides?

Stand with your body straight and your back against the wall, and your feet at shoulder width apart. Keep your arms straight by your side and palms facing the wall during the entire movement of the exercise.
Gently bend your knees, by sliding your back down the wall, until your knees are bent at a 45-degree angle. (Bending over than this angel, can strain the knees) Pause this pose for 6 seconds.
Reverse the movement, by gradually straightening your body and your knees by gently sliding your back across the wall up until your body is completely straight and your legs are fully extended.
Repeat the exercise (8) more times.

Using Quads for Daily Sports

The quads are for everyday life, they help you walk, stand up from a chair, climb stairs and squat. It support you in many different sports such as sprinting in a marathon or jumping in basketball.

If we talk about running, to improve your performance, better joint stability and avoid training injury, you need to perform a plenty of strengthening exercises for the quad legs.

One of the popular sports that naturally develop the quads is cycling. Cyclists are known for having huge quad muscles.

Conclusion

I Hope the Quads workout was helpful for you, if you have any Questions, or want to leave your own personal feedback, Please submit your comment below. I would Love to Help You.

Challenge enough to Boost your Body to the Next Strength level!

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

You’ll be happy to see more muscular results over time.