7 Best Exercises to Work Your Quadriceps Muscles

Quadricep muscles are responsible for hip flexion and extension at the knee joint, allowing you to straighten out the knee. These muscles are required in almost all daily activities, such as walking, running, sitting, getting up, etc.

Strengthening your quads will help reduce stress on your knees and improve the stability of your kneecaps. It will also help protect your knee joint from injury, improve balance and stability, and help boost your overall athletic ability.

Best Exercises to Work Your Quadriceps Muscles

1) Squat Jump

We all know that traditional squats are a great exercise to challenge your lower body and core, especially your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. However, with the squat jump, you are also adding a cardio component to the bodyweight squat, which will help you burn calories faster and also increase your stamina.

Here's how you can do a squat jump:

Stand upright with your spine straight, feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands in front of your shoulders.
Squat, as in try to sit down on an imaginary chair behind you, pushing your hips back. Push down through your feet to generate power, keep going until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor.
At this point powerfully jump up and land on your feet softly, with a slight bend in your knees, to complete one rep.

2) Walking Lunges

Lunges are a simple and effective exercise to target your legs. The quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core are strengthened in this exercise. By performing walking lunges, you will give the normal lunge an upgrade which will help challenge your quadriceps even more.

Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart; you may keep your hands on your hips. If you are holding dumbbells then keep them at your sides.
Step forward with your right foot and sink down to the floor until your front knee is at 90 degrees and your left shin is parallel to the floor.
Pause briefly before taking a lunging step forward with your left foot.
Continue alternating sides as you lunge forward and keep walking for a minimum count of 10-12 steps. Then return back.

3) Step Up

The step up is a great exercise for your entire lower body, but it really packs a punch to your quadriceps. This is because your quadriceps also work to balance your entire body in the step-up position.

Here's how you can do a step up to work out your quadriceps:

Stand upright facing the box you are going to step up on.
You may hold a light dumbbell in each hand or no weight if just starting out. Keep your arms at your sides.
Place your right foot on the box and generating power through your front leg and spine, step up with your right foot. Make sure that your back is straight and does not bend.
Bring your left foot to meet your right foot on top of the step, and then step down with your left foot. Bring your right foot down next to your left foot.
Repeat for desired number of reps, leading with the right foot.
Now lead with your left foot and repeat for the same number of reps.

4) Bulgarian Split Squat

This is an intermediate level exercise that strengthens your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors and calves.

Here is how you can perform a Bulgarian split squat:

Stand about two feet in front of a bench or chair that is level with your knee. Keep your feet hip-width apart, your chest and eyes pointing straight ahead, and your shoulders back.
Place your left foot on the bench behind you, keeping the ball of your foot in contact with the bench and your heel raised.
With a straight back, lower the left knee towards the floor. Stop right before it touches the floor; your right shin will form a 90-degree angle with your thigh such that your thigh is parallel to the floor.
Pause briefly, then return to the starting position. This completes one rep.

5) Box Jumps

Box jumps are a great exercise to help increase power and strength in your legs. They target all of your lower body muscles and your core, and will serve to strengthen your quadriceps and hamstrings.

Stand upright with a box in front of you, your feet should be hip-distance apart.
Assume an athletic stance with your knees slightly bent and arms at your sides.
Now, bend your knees and push your hips back while swinging your arms behind you. Jump straight into the air ahead of you, landing softly on top of the box. Use both your feet, and they should land together on top of the box at the same time.
Now step off the box and rest for a brief moment before the next repetition.

6) Lateral Lunges

This exercise strengthens your quadriceps and inner thighs.

Here is how you can perform lateral lunges:

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your arms in front of you for balance.
Now take a big step to the right at the same time pushing your hips back, bend your right knee to assume a squat position.
Squat as far as is comfortable for you; your aim should be to make your thigh parallel to the floor.
Return to the standing position and repeat with your other leg.

7) Single Leg Raise

The single leg raise is a great exercise to target your rectus femoris, which is the part of your quadriceps that crosses your hip joint.

Here is how you can perform a single leg raise:

Lie down on your back with your legs straight out in front of you and your hands at your sides on the ground. Now bend your left knee so that your left foot is flat on the floor.
Contract your core and keep your right leg straight; now raise your right leg until your thigh reaches the height of your left knee.
Return your leg to a few inches off the floor and rest for a brief moment before performing the next rep. Then switch legs.

Performing these 7 exercises will not only give you stronger quadriceps but also allow you to burn fat from the lower body, getting into better shape, all the while increasing your lower body strength.

Edited by Sabine Algur