Although I don’t see much interest in a muscle group as important as the legs, I think there are still also wise people interested in the subject. Today we are talking about the training of the quads (quadriceps), i.e., the front thighs, which are probably the point of attraction for most of us.
It is also quite natural if we look at the leg muscles to understand why most people focus more on quads training and neglect the femoral biceps.
The quads contribute much more to the general appearance of the legs and being a larger group, they respond more quickly and notably to training. Eh, even so, I will talk soon (in a future article) about femoral biceps training because it should not be disregarded.
Functions and tasks of the quadriceps muscle:
Photo Source: Samarpan Physiotherapy Clinic in Ahmedabad
The quadriceps is one of the most important leg muscles, helping you to have stability and flexibility. In this sense, they intervene in your daily activities when walking, running, jumping, cycling, getting up, or standing.
For this reason, it is important to train them to strengthen them and improve your mobility.
The quads are also known as the four-headed thigh extensor because they are the only extensor muscles in the knee joint. For this reason, it plays a crucial role in almost all movements in which the legs are needed.
A knee extension is necessary when walking or getting up from a sitting or lying position, but also when climbing stairs.
The quads also strengthen and supports the hip joint and has a significant effect on the rotation of the knee joint. This means that it also influences the movements that take place in the lower part of the legs.
Anatomy of the quads muscles:
The quadriceps muscle is the strongest and largest muscle in the body and is located on the front of the thigh performing the functions of knee extension and thigh flexion.
The quads consists of four distinct segments:
• Vastus Lateralis
• Vastus Medialis
• Vastus Intermedius
• Rectus Femoris
In the upper part, it is attached to the coxal bone and the femoral bone, and in the lower part, it is connected to the patella of the knee with the help of the quadriceps tendon.
The development of this muscle group is sometimes a problem for tall people, but there are answers to any problem.
It is possible to build quad muscles at home without equipment! Whether you are a man or a woman and whatever your level, it is possible to follow a training program without quads equipment with a few simple and effective movements.
Discover below my selection for the best 7 bodyweight exercises to build strong and sculpted quads that you can do anywhere.
1. Squats
2. Curtsy Lunges
3. Side Lunges
4. Single Leg Deadlift
5. Step Ups
6. Jump lunges
7. Wall Sit
1. Squats
One of the best exercises for your quads, whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose weight, Squats aren’t just great for your booty: They strengthen pretty much every muscle in your lower body, including your thighs, core, calves, glutes, and abs, assuming you do them right, of course.
How to do:
• First, stand tall with your feet spread shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your legs and lower your hips toward the floor, making sure to not let your knees collapse inward while you’re doing so.
• Return to stand while squeezing your glutes.
2. Curtsy Lunges
The Curtsy Lunge is a great exercise to stabilize your hips. The movement is a variant of a standard lunge, but you hold your lower body in the position of a curtsy for additional glute strengthening.
Targets: quads, adductors, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
How to do:
• Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and let your arms fall at your sides.
• Draw a semicircle with your right foot, moving it clockwise until it crosses behind your left foot. Keep your right toe tucked and clasp your hands together at your heart
• Lunge down as deeply as possible, hovering your knee a couple of inches off the floor.
• Slowly return to the standing curtsy position.
• Repeat the lunge on the other side.
3. Side Lunges
If you want strong and beautiful legs, a few lunges should not be missing from your workout, at the gym, or at home. The lunges shape and strengthen the muscles of the lower body, especially the quads, abductors, buttocks, and calves, significantly improving body balance.
Side lunges are a great way to bring variety to classic lunges and work the muscles from different angles.
How to do:
• Stand with your hands in front of your chest. Keep your legs apart and with the tip of your foot to be worked, facing outwards. This will be the starting position.
• Tilt your body towards the leg you are working on by bending your knee and hip. The other leg will remain in place, is only slightly bent.
• Return to the starting position by extending the hip and knee.
• Repeat the above steps but work the opposite leg.
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4. Single Leg Deadlift
The introduction of this exercise in the leg training program will bring other benefits in addition to those related to muscle mass. Improves balance, increases speed, and develops mobility.
Compared to the Standard Deadlift, the Single Leg deadlift requires more muscle control, thus engaging the secondary stabilizing muscles to keep your body in balance and control as you lift and lose weight.
By moving the entire weight on one leg, the movement adds a balance element that forces the back of the chain muscles to work harder to keep you still.
Accumulations are made on the background of fatigue, and a slightly more difficult exercise such as the Single Leg Deadlift is welcome in the middle of training.
How to do:
• Stand on your right leg with your left leg in the air behind you, keeping your shoulders back and your back straight.
• Lean forward with a slight bend in the knee, and rich your hands towards the ground, then return to the starting position.
• Always keep your back straight, down with a slow, controlled motion until you feel the stretch in your legs,
• You can also perform this movement with kettlebells.
5. Step Ups
Photo Source: Get Healthy U
Step-ups hit all the major muscle groups in your lower body. Quads support the weight of the action, but the movement also works the glutes, hamstrings, and calves. This means that with the improvement of your step-ups, you will also improve your endurance.
It is a movement that we make every day, going up and down the stairs. The movement must be performed in a slow and controlled manner.
This exercise can be performed with only your body weight (for beginners who have trouble maintaining balance) or we can make it more difficult by using weights (dumbbells in the hands, shoulder bar, or sandbag).
For step-ups you only need a box, bench, or platform. Make sure it’s not too big; just below knee height is the correct height.
How to do:
• On a higher bench/stepper or cube, step up with the right foot with the weight on the center of the foot, the hips are pushed back, and then rise and place the left foot on the bench, contracting the buttocks of the supporting leg.
• Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower yourself to the starting position by pushing your hips back.
6. Jump Lunges
GIF Source: Pinterest/ Spoteb.com
We return to the lunges chapter, but with a new method of execution: jump lunges. This exercise requires space to run and not injure yourself.
As a bodyweight exercise, the jump lunge is great for building strength and gaining power. It’s an explosive movement that improves your ability to change direction quickly.
Because this exercise relies on your quads to do much of the work, it’s best for people who have more developed leg muscles and are comfortable with more advanced leg exercises. If you’re just getting started in strength training or bodyweight exercises, you might want to consider easy alternatives like squats or wall sits.
How to do:
• Starting with your feet straight back, let one foot forward, pulling your back knee into a lunge position. Both knees should form angles of about 90 degrees on the last part of the movement.
• Return to the starting position and jump and explode in the air changing legs after detaching from the floor.
• Then land in the lunge position with the opposite foot forward.
• Repeat.
7. Wall Sit
An extraordinary exercise and at the same time a popular exercise for a very reasonable reason: Wall sit does a wonderful job because it works not only the quads but also the abdomen.
I don’t think that nobody can’t complain about this, given that the abs and legs are two groups we all want to highlight, especially the ladies.
How to do:
• Sit with your back to the wall and slowly move to the squat position. The back and head must always touch the wall.
• Slowly move your feet away from the wall to create the basic position of the squat – the knees are bent at a 90 ° angle, the toes are pointing forward and the thighs are parallel to the floor.
• You should stay in this position for at least 30 seconds. Place a dumbbell or kettlebell on your knees to make the exercise more difficult. Although it is not a dynamic type of squat (but isometric), it will require thighs and glutes muscles.
• Repeat.
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Last Thoughts:
A home training program should be balanced by not neglecting any muscle group.
Building strong quads isn’t just about looking good in a pair of jeans. It’s also going to make you a better athlete overall. Bodyweight exercises are extremely portable and can be done anywhere, so they’re great for folks who are on the go or who have a tough time fitting workouts into their schedules.
They’re also effective because they use your body weight as resistance, which means that you don’t need to worry about having access to gym equipment when you want to get in a quick workout.
And once you see how great it feels to have strong quads, I bet you’ll agree that they’re well worth the effort.
Recommended read:
Don’t neglect the warm-up! It is necessary to warm up before each workout. Don’t neglect the warm-up no matter where you are and the training program you want to follow.
Recommended read:
By performing these 7 bodyweight exercises, you will strengthen your quads. To do this well, I recommend a range of work between 8 and 10 reps, from 3 to 5 sets for each exercise, 2x / week.
The legs provide the basic strength that other muscle groups will use during training. Combined with a healthy enough protein-rich diet, you have every chance of getting results fast.
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