Quadriceps exercises in the gym

The thigh muscles are one of the largest muscles in the human body. The more developed these muscles are, the more resilient a person is and the higher the degree of physical readiness in general. By performing exercises with the legs, a person directly affects the hip joints, having a positive effect on the general condition of the genitourinary system, unloading the knee joints. This happens if classes are carried out in the gym. Exercises in the gym are attractive because you can load only certain muscle groups by choosing one or another sports equipment.

Anatomy and purpose of the quadriceps

The basis of the thigh muscles is the quadriceps muscle, consisting of 4 muscles distributed evenly. During physical activity, all efforts are evenly distributed to all muscle bundles, that is, to the entire quadriceps. This muscle group performs the following main functions:

This muscle group is capable of holding the human body in an upright position. It supports the human body while standing, preventing the knee joints from giving way.
During movement (running or walking), the quadriceps tends to be responsible for the correct flexion and extension of the knee joint, correctly distributing the entire load. At the same time, it makes it possible to tilt the pelvis in different directions, as well as pull the knees towards the stomach.

What is your goal?

Before you start squats, you need to decide for yourself what you want to achieve. After all, the final result depends on it. If you want to get rid of subcutaneous fat and give your buttocks more definition, then the emphasis should be on repetition. In other words, the more times you can squat, the better. This program is perfect for this.

If you want to increase the volume of your buttocks and thighs, then you need to perform squats with additional weight (barbell, kettlebell, dumbbells). The number of repetitions can vary from 12 to 20, 3-4 approaches. It takes significantly longer to recover from training with additional weights than from a lot of repeated training. Therefore, you need to squat no more than 2, maximum 3 times a week in order to fully recover.

To sum up, we can say with confidence that pumping up your buttocks at home is quite possible. To do this, you just need to decide on your goals, make a schedule and start squatting.

Quadriceps structure

The femoral part of the muscle is its lateral surface and takes part in all forms of movement in which the legs are involved. It is the most circular component of this muscle bundle. It is also called the lateral muscle.
The inner part of the thigh is formed by the vastus medialis muscle. In shape it resembles a certain roundness on the inside of the knee. The medial muscle is also designed to allow normal flexion and extension of the knee.
Between the medial and lateral muscles is the vastus intermedius muscle, which partially extends beyond the edges of these two muscles at their junction with the knee. Mainly used when jumping and running, as well as during squats.
On the front of the thigh is the rectus muscle, which is part of the quadriceps complex. It is longer and forms the anterior semicircular part of the thigh. It is interesting in that it is not attached to the femur, but is actively involved in the flexion and extension of the legs.

The quadriceps consists of different muscle groups, which are characterized by the speed at which different exercises are performed: slow and fast muscle fibers. As a result, exercises should have both strength and aerobic loads.

What is important to know

When performing squats, your back is always kept straight with a slight arch in the lower back.
The knees are always bent in the direction of the toes. You just need to make sure that your knees don’t go beyond your toes. In this position, strong, traumatic pressure is created on them.
During squats, do not lower your head down. The gaze should be directed strictly in front of you or slightly higher.
When doing squats, try to place your body weight on your heels and the outside of your feet. This will put more strain on the buttocks.

Basic quadriceps exercise

The development of this muscle group is based on the use of basic exercises that contribute to the development of strength and endurance of the athlete, associated with an increase in the volume of muscle fibers.

Squats

Refers to one of the main exercises widely used by athletes. This exercise increases the functionality of the quadriceps and also helps strengthen the muscles of the buttocks. In this process, the muscles of the back, abs and back of the thigh are involved. The effectiveness of the exercise depends on the optimal load, otherwise the exercise can lead to serious injuries if you do not start with light weights while practicing the squat technique. The technique is as follows:

The bar of the bar should not be located in the neck, but on the back of the deltoids and trapezius.
Keep your back straight and your shoulder blades pulled together so that the weight of the barbell is evenly distributed. The chin is directed upward so as not to provoke forward bends, which overload the lower back and can lead to injury.
To maintain balance, your feet are positioned wider than your shoulders and your toes point to the sides.
The exercise begins with moving the pelvis back, as if you need to squat.
The knees of the legs should be fixed when the back of the thigh is parallel to the floor, but it can be lower. It all depends on the athlete’s level of preparation and the task at hand. The lower the squat, the more effectively the muscles are trained.
You should rise from a squat without sudden movements, maintaining balance. When the highest point is reached, the legs do not straighten completely, but remain somewhat bent, in order to avoid injuries to the knee joint.

When doing these exercises, you should not get carried away with maximum loads. For proper quadriceps development, it may be better to replace the barbell squat with regular front squats, but also with a barbell.

Front Squats

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but the bar has a slightly different arrangement, which strengthens the quadriceps more. The technique for performing this exercise is as follows:

The grip is performed with straight arms located slightly wider than the shoulder.
The bar is located on the front of the shoulders.
The arms are bent, and their upper parts are parallel to the floor.
After fixing the bar in this position, a squat is performed, the technique of which is similar to the previous one.

Hack squats

Hack - a simulator designed to strengthen the quadriceps, while exercises on it reduce the load on the spine. The lower back is located on a movable base, the arms are held on the handrails, and the legs are on an inclined plane. By changing the width of the feet, you can shift the load relative to the lateral part of the hips.

When performing the exercise, do not rush and do not make sudden movements.
When reaching maximum load, it is not recommended to fully extend your knees.
The entire load should fall on the quadriceps.
You should not spread your knees beyond the line of your toes.

Leg press on the machine

The main exercise that actively works the legs, but at the same time removes all the effort from the back. If the feet are placed as close to each other as possible, then the quadriceps also take part in the work.

To avoid stress in the back area, the lower back should be pressed tightly against the seat.
In this case, you should make sure that your knees do not fully extend and also touch your chest at the final stage of the exercise.
If the feet are spread slightly wider, the inner rays of the thigh muscles will work more.

Lunges

Lunges can be performed with various sports objects, such as a barbell or dumbbells. This exercise is also done in the Smith machine. If you constantly alternate the options, you can achieve maximum effect. The effect will increase even more if this exercise is alternated with other exercises, such as squats.

The feet should be parallel, but slightly wider than the hips.
In this case, wide steps are taken, and the leg bent at the knee joint should form a right angle in relation to the floor.
The position of the knee must be controlled: it must be motionless and not “walk” from side to side.
The knee of the back leg is located as close to the floor as possible, but does not touch it.
When coming out of a lunge, the quadriceps works as much as possible.

When using a barbell, you should strictly follow the barbell technique described above in the text under the subheadings “barbell squats.” If dumbbells are used, then the arms are parallel to the body and are motionless.

Why is it important to protect the ChMB

If you just look at the dimensions of the tasks performed, as well as the structure of this muscular zone, it becomes clear that its injuries threaten colossal health problems.

The greatest danger comes from tendon rupture. Indeed, in this case, contact with the patella will be completely excluded. A rupture is possible with a sharp impact, usually a landing after a high jump.

But even if the ligaments are not torn, the danger still remains. This is inflammation. Any disorders of the circulatory system can lead to such adverse consequences.

Without a medical diagnosis, it is difficult to determine the severity of the injury. Of course, there is an opinion that if a rupture occurs, then a kind of click is clearly heard. But the damage in any case is associated with serious injury and severe pain. And in such a situation, it is often simply not possible to catch some kind of sound effect. Therefore, if you suspect an injury in this area, you should immediately go to the doctor. You shouldn’t rely on “maybe”. After all, the situation can get worse with every meter passed. And if signs of edema appear, then it is simply unsafe to delay. After all, theoretically, you can lose mobility forever.

Isolation exercises for quadriceps femoris

This type of exercise is applied to a single muscle to make it look more attractive, but it cannot increase muscle mass or develop strength and endurance.

Leg extension exercises on the machine

If it makes sense to work the front part of the quadriceps, then this is exactly the exercise. Since most of the load is placed on the knees, you should not place too much weight.

The legs are extended until they take a parallel position relative to the floor.
The lower back is supported directly on the seat.
Movements should be carried out at a slow pace, without the appearance of inertia, which will minimize all efforts.
The maximum number of repetitions should be performed.
After the exercise, a burning sensation should appear within the muscle.

Single leg press

To perform an isolated load on the quadriceps, you can perform a single-leg press. When performing this exercise on a machine, one leg is removed.

Participation in sports

The CMB is actively involved in a number of different sports. These are both team and individual disciplines. To some extent, any view appeals to our review muscle. After all, you will have to walk almost everywhere. But it works most intensively in the following options:

Race walking. Naturally, the integration here is obvious. After all, the entire range of techniques used in the discipline is based on CMB. Only fast dynamics are excluded, but the impact of strength and endurance remains.
Running and skiing. This is an explosive application of force, usually more powerful than the previous point. But also more short-term. Although, if we talk about skis, tests for long time periods are provided. But in a sprint, a much more important parameter is the sharp dynamic application of forces with maximum acceleration.
Jumps of all kinds. There are two main factors here. The first is acceleration, which is to some extent similar to sprinting. This means that it provides for all the same aspects. The second is a push. And he, by the way, is the most dangerous. Increased likelihood of injury if the participant is not adequately prepared.
Football, basketball, hockey. Especially the first option, since it involves hitting the ball. And this is a sharp extension of the limb. And to a specific point. Improper execution often causes serious injury. Especially among inexperienced amateurs.