Each quad exercise that I have listed below primarily works your quads, also known as quadriceps or the front of thighs. You may also receive some benefit in your glutes and hamstrings as well.
Our quads are a powerhouse of strength. Women tend to be stronger in their legs than their upper body. Men are typically reverse. While the quad exercises below will not knock your socks off, they are extremely effective. Almost everyone has heard of squats and lunges, but let me show you a few variations on those old standards.
Quad muscles are to be worked when you work the rest of your lower body.
Choose Your Favorite Quad Exercise
Squat
Start- Begin with your feet directly under your hips and hands by your sides.
Go For It- Keeping the majority of your body weight on the heels, begin to sit down as though sitting on a chair. Keep your back as upright as possible. Go as low as you feel comfortable, pause, and return to start.
Tips and Techniques-
– Inhale as you squat down. Exhale as your lift back to start.
– Don’t allow your knees to extend past your toes. If it does, move your body weight back on your heels more.
– Only allow the knees to bend to a 90 degree angle. No lower.
– Pause slightly at the bottom of your squat. This makes the quad exercise more intense.
– You can add free weights to increase the intensity.
– Go for the quad busting Goddess Pose! Squat down as described above, but hold the squat for 10-30 seconds. Just remember to breathe!
– Try a one-legged quad squat. Place your left foot on your right knee. Squat down as described above. Keep your balance! This quad exercise is NOT for beginners.
Jump Squat
Start- Begin with your feet separated and hands where you feel most comfortable.
Go For It- Keeping the majority of your body weight on the heels, begin to sit down as though sitting on a chair. Go as low as you feel comfortable, pause, and then jump up into the air.
Tips and Techniques-
– Inhale as you squat down. Exhale as your jump into the air.
– Don’t allow your knees to extend past your toes. If it does, move your body weight back on your heels more.
– Only allow the knees to bend to a 90 degree angle. No lower.
– Pause slightly at the bottom of your squat. This makes the quad exercise more intense.
– This is not a good quad exercise for anyone that is new to exercising.
Lunge
Start- Begin with your feet directly under your hips and hands by your sides. Take one step forward with your left leg.
Go For It- Take your back knee down so it almost touches the floor. Pause for a second and lift back to start.
Tips and Techniques-
– Inhale as you lower your back knee. Exhale as your lift back to start.
– Don’t allow your front knee to extend past your toes. If it does, separate your legs a bit more.
– Only allow the front knee to bend to a 90 degree angle. No lower.
– You can add free weights to increase the intensity.
– Remember to do the other leg as well! If we did 12 reps with our right leg in front… we need to do 12 reps with our left leg in front.
Lying Side Leg Raise
Start- Begin by lying on one side. Keep your body as straight as possible. Place your hands where they feel most comfortable.
Go For It- Begin to lift your top leg into the air. Pause at the top for a second and slowly lower back to start.
Tips and Techniques-
– Exhale as you lift your leg into the air. Inhale as you lower it back to start.
– This will work the outside of your thigh. This muscle is called the abductor muscle.
– This quad exercise typically needs to be done for a longer rep range than most exercises. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
– To increase the intensity, hold for a 10 second pause at the top of the lift.
– You can also place a stability ball or a medicine ball on the side of your top thigh. Just having this additional weight to lift over the rep range can tire you out. Another simple way to rev up the intensity level.
– Remember to do the other leg! If you did 24 reps on one side, do 24 reps on the other leg. Balance is a beautiful thing!
One Legged Squat
Start- Begin with your feet directly under your hips and hands by your sides. Lift your left leg so that it is behind you.
Go For It- Keeping the majority of your body weight on the heels, begin to bend the front knee. Keep your back as upright as possible. Go as low as you feel comfortable, pause, and return to start.
Tips and Techniques-
– Inhale as you squat down. Exhale as your lift back to start.
– Don’t forget to do the other side.
– Don’t allow your knees to extend past your toes. If it does, move your body weight back on your heels more.
– Only allow the knees to bend to a 90 degree angle. No lower.
– Pause slightly at the bottom of your squat. This makes the quad exercise more intense.
– You can add free weights to increase the intensity.
– Keep your balance! This exercise is NOT for beginners.
Adductor Squeeze
Start- Begin by laying on your back. Knees are bent to 90 degrees. Place a ball between your knees.
Go For It- Simply squeeze the knees together. Pause for a second. Release back to start.
Tips and Techniques-
– I tend to do this quad exercise faster than other exercises. I will also do it longer. I like to squeeze, and relax as fast as possible and go for about 80 reps.
– Experiment with different speeds and reps.
– You want to feel this quad exercise on your inner thighs.
Work those quads! You will soon see that they are the most favorite or hated part of most people’s program. How you work them is up to you. Try each quad exercise and choose the one that feels best to start with.
I just want you exercising. Our legs take a beating each and everyday. Make them stronger with each quad exercise and they will reward you in more ways than one.
Oh, how could I forget? To build strength around your knees, I recommend strengthening the muscles around them. Makes sense, right? Quads are the guys right above the knee cap. How awesome would it be to have less knee pain?
Switch your quad exercise regularly.
