How to Work on Your Quadriceps
The four muscles at the front of your thigh, known as the quadriceps, support the knee and power you through jumping, running, walking and squatting. Athletes work these muscles to develop leg strength and prevent injury by taking pressure off the knee joint. Bodybuilders and fitness competitors target the quadriceps to develop cut, defined thighs. Work these muscles with classic lower body exercises.
Do barbell squats. Place a barbell across the back of your shoulders, or back into a heavy barbell placed at shoulder height on a rack. Stand with your feet hip distance apart or just slightly wider, toes pointed forward. Hold the barbell's shaft with your hands as you engage your abdominal muscles. Bend your knees and send your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair. Lower until your thighs are close to parallel to the floor, keeping your knees behind your toes and your back straight. Pause for a count or two and then straighten your knees and hips to complete one repetition.
Perform rear dumbbell lunges. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow your arms to hang by your sides. Step back two feet with your right leg and bend your left knee until the thigh is parallel to the floor -- a longer step backwards emphasizes your glutes rather than your quads. Keep your shoulders balanced over your hips and bend the right knee until it almost touches the floor. Step the right foot forward and then repeat with the left leg, stepping back to complete one repetition.
Execute step-ups onto a weight bench. Place a barbell across the back of your shoulders or hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow the arms to hang alongside your body. Stand about six inches in front of the long edge of the bench. Lift your right leg and place the sole of your foot directly on the surface; do not let your heel hang off the edge. Use the strength of your right leg to step all the way up onto the surface of the bench and bring your left foot next to your right. Step down with your left foot, controlling the descent using the muscles at the front of the right thigh. Lower the right leg back so you are standing with feet together back on the floor. Keep your abs engaged and torso upright throughout the exercise. Do all the desired repetitions with the right leg and then repeat with the left leg leading.
Perform at least one set of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise two times per week on nonconsecutive days. Choose a weight that makes the last couple of repetitions in each set feel challenging to complete with good form. Once you have been targeting the quads for a few weeks, add a second and third set for slightly greater results. When you feel you can do 12 repetitions easily with a selected weight, add 5 to 10 percent more weight to continue to challenge your quad muscles.
- If you feel pain in your knees or hips, stop the exercises immediately. You may come across the leg extension machine at your local gym. This machine isolates the quadriceps muscles, but puts stress on your knees and can lead to injury. Stick to squats, lunges and step-ups for more functional and safe quad training.
- If weight training is new to you, master the exercises using just your body weight before adding dumbbells and barbells. Before doing the quadricep workout, warm up with five to 10 minutes of light cardio activity, such as brisk walking or cycling. Finish your warm-up with a few minutes of dynamic movements such as high knee lifts, unweighted walking lunges and jumping jacks.
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