Quad Exercises

The Quadriceps, or “Quads” for short, are actually a group of four muscles located in the front of your thighs above the knee.

Some of the strongest muscles in the legs, the Quads are fundamental to your everyday movements. Acts such as simply walking or getting out of a chair are all powered by your quadriceps.

The quads are also connected to your knees- one of the most complicated muscle groups in your body. Your knees work overtime every day to support the weight of your entire body as your run, jump or walk.

So, strengthening your quads is instrumental to knee strength, performance, and long-term stability as our bodies age. No one wants to be that elderly person who can’t get out of a chair.

By forging stronger quads, we also protect our knee caps from injury when playing sports or engaging in other athletic activities such as weightlifting. As you can imagine, our quads are perhaps some of the most important muscles in our entire body.

Whether you are just getting started to strength training, or are a hardened veteran, it’s important to always include some heavy quad training movements in your workout routine. Some of the best are lunges, squats, and box jumps.

However, along with movements that work your lower back, correct form is paramount when performing any quad-training exercise.

Make sure to check out some of the video demonstrations below and talk to a staff member at your local gym before trying any of the movements out for the first time. Similarly, always start out with lighter weights until your muscles can get used to some of these movements.