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The quadriceps muscle of the thigh is located in the front of the thigh and consists of the rectus and large muscles: lateral, medial, medial. Exercises for the quadriceps muscles should be performed so that the legs are strong and strong, and that they look beautiful. Check the functions of the quadriceps and which exercises are best for strengthening it.

The quadriceps muscle of the thighhas a number of functions in our body: it maintains the correct figure, carries the weight of the body, and helps with daily activities such as walking, squatting, and running. Strong leg muscles also support our joints, which are exposed to many injuries.

The quadriceps muscles are especially important for the he alth of our knees. To understand how they function and why they are so important, you should get to know their structure.

Contents:

  1. Quadriceps muscle of the thigh - structure and trailers
  2. Quadriceps - Features
  3. Home exercises for the quadriceps muscle
  4. Stretching the quadriceps muscle

Quadriceps muscle of the thigh - structure and trailers

The quadriceps are the front muscles of the thighs. More specifically, it also includes the tailor's muscle, which is responsible for turning the thigh outwards. Its initial attachment is on the hip bone and its fibers run diagonally downward where the muscle ends at the tibia.

However, the most important front thigh muscles are the quadriceps. They consist of 4 heads:

- rectus femoris( rectus femoris ) - its initial attachment is located on the hip bone. It is used to work in the hip and knee joints (marked in the picture).

- voluminous muscles- work only in the knee joint. Their initial attachments are on the femur and the final ones are around the kneecap. This group consists of:

  • extensive intermediate muscle ( vastus intermedius ),
  • medial extensive muscle ( vastus medialis ),
  • large lateral muscle ( vastus lateralis ).

Quadriceps - Features

The quadriceps muscle is the strongest extensor of the knee and its functions are as follows:

  1. Straightens the lower leg at the knee joint.
  2. Flexes the hip joint (lifting the leg forward).
  3. Stabilizes the knees.

Now that you know the structure of the front thigh muscles, it is probably easier for you to imagine how important they are in everyday functioning. Thanks to them, you can run faster, jump higher, and do exercises such as squats, laps and lunges more effectively.

When discussing the structure and functions of the quadriceps muscles, it is worth stopping longer on the end trailer of all his heads. Why? Each of them intertwines with the patellar ligament and somehow circumscribes it. Thanks to this, it stabilizes the knee by tightening the knee joint capsule. This is an extremely important function of the muscle that is often forgotten.

Home exercises for the quadriceps muscle

It is worth noting at the beginning that the most effective leg exercises are those performed without the help of machines. They engage large muscle groups, thanks to which almost the entire body works, while during training on the machine, we isolate the muscles and often exclude many muscle groups from work. However, if you are a professional, it is also worth exercising on machines, but when training the quadriceps muscles, it is not advisable. Choose between dumbbells, barbells or your body weight.

If you care about recreational training, you can do the following exercises without any equipment.

1. Quadriceps exercises: squat

If you are doing strength training, do a squat with the barbell on your collarbone in front of your chest, as this distributed weight builds up the front part of your thighs the most. On the other hand, a squat with a barbell held low on the shoulders (low bar) will be recommended for people who want to strengthen the gluteal muscle.

The squat begins with the correct positioning of the feet hip-width apart or a little wider. Place the feet parallel to each other. We tighten the abdomen by tilting the pelvis (i.e. we also tighten the buttocks). We eliminate excessive bending in the lumbar region, pull the shoulder blades together, thus sticking the chest slightly forward. The head stares straight ahead.

The movement begins with the bend in the hip joint, i.e. pushing the hips backwards, keeping the spine in one line. Then bend your knees, rotating them gently outward so that they do not run towards each other. We do not change the position of the feet!

How to do a squat correctly to strengthen the quadriceps muscles? See the advice of the physiotherapist, Dr. Ryszard Biernat

2. Quadriceps exercises: laps

They are definitely a better version than lunges, because they put less strain on the knee joint. During a lunge, when you lift your leg up in front of you, the knee joint is loose, and when you step on the active leg, it is strongly tense and strained, which forces it strongly. Of course, this applies mainly to heavy-duty exercises, but it is worth remembering. Laps are more beneficial for the knees because when you bend your leg back and take it back, the knee joint remains tense all the time and is not subject to sudden pressure.

Remember to keep your pelvis level when making bends and not allow it to tilt down either side.

To properly perform this quadriceps exercise, you must adopt the correct posture, exactly as you were before doing the squat. Then bring your leg back so that you more or less put it on your toes. Then, maintaining the correct posture, bend your legs to the ground, but not to touch the ground with your knee, and return to the starting position.

The laps can be done alternately or with one leg. If you care about endurance, aerobic or fitness training, you can choose any option, but if you train for muscle mass, it is worth lunging first with one leg and then the other. You will put more pressure on the muscle, which will result in faster and better blood circulation, thanks to which it will grow.

3. Exercises for the quadriceps muscle of the thigh: entering the elevation

This exercise is great for many reasons. Climbing the step is a natural movement of our body, we can do it anywhere: on the stairs, climbing the chest in the gym or on the step during fitness training. It all depends on the effects we want to achieve. The higher the entrance, the harder the thighs, including the quadriceps, work.

Remember, however, that the obstacle in front of you allows you to enter freely without too much difficulty or straining your knees.

Each variant of the exercise can be performed with a load. If you choose dumbbells, keep them at the sides of your body, and if you choose a barbell, you can hold it behind your head or in front of you.

4. Quadriceps exercises: leg raises

This is not the most effective exercise for the front muscles, but is a great alternative for people who cannot squat and lap.

Adopt an upright posture and simply pulse the extended leg up to approximately hip level. You can perform the exercise with or without weights. Remember, however, that it works during its performancemainly the hip flexor, and the quadriceps accompany it.

5. Exercises for the quadriceps muscle of the thigh: chair

Another good replacement for weight training. We stand by the wall in a position literally as if we were sitting on a chair and we endure for several or several dozen seconds.

This is a static, isometric exercise in which the quadriceps do not stretch or contract, but remain in a fixed position. Therefore, by doing them, we will not build a substantial muscle mass, but this is not all about it. This position resembles a squat, thanks to which the thigh will gain more strength and it will be easier for us to perform classic squats or lunges.

Don't do that

The he alth of the knees while working on the quadriceps is extremely important! See what exercises to avoid

Exercising for the quadriceps is quite exhausting for our body, but it has many benefits. Of course, you need to know which ones to choose and how to perform them. There are exercises for the thighs that are not the best for our he alth and that should be avoided.

  • Do not bend your legs while sitting on the machine- the basic mistake here is the sitting position. By exercising in this way, we do not activate the rectus muscle of the thigh, which is responsible for the stabilization of the leg, and the gluteal muscles, which are extremely important for the lower limb and hip. In addition, the movement that is performed has a negative effect on the knee joint, is unnatural for it and may overload it, which causes the joint destabilization.
  • Do not do sumo squats with toes pointing outwards- they are unfavorable when our toes are pointing outwards, not parallel to each other. Then our hip joint is damaged and excessive friction, which can lead to injury and pain, and the knees work in the wrong movement. In addition, the sumo squat is only an auxiliary exercise for the trapezius muscles, because it primarily activates the buttocks and the inner part of the thighs.

Stretching the quadriceps muscle

Stretching after training is extremely important for tired muscles:

  • helps in faster regeneration,
  • calms down and allows the body to return to normal,
  • oxygenates the muscles and ensures better blood supply, and therefore also their growth,
  • improves joint mobility.

Stretch dynamically before training, and statically after training, keeping each position for a minimum of 20 seconds.

Here are some exercises to stretch your quadriceps:

  1. Stand on one leg, from the back, grab your ankle and press your heel into your buttock, keep your knees parallel.
  2. Sit on your knees on your thighs and lean over so that you are sitting on your buttock, with one leg moving backwards and the other leg gently forward, keep them bent. Grab your back ankle and stretch your thigh.
  3. Stand on one leg, bend the other leg and put it on the straightened thigh. Hold your leg with your hands.
  4. Sit on your knees on your thighs and visit one leg back until it is straight, at the same time bend the other leg slightly and walk forward with it. In this position, use the front thigh muscle of the back leg to touch the mat. Now, gently tilt your torso forward while stretching your muscles.

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Category:

Thighs and buttocks