15 Best Quad Strengthening Exercises and Their Benefits

The quadricep muscles, commonly referred to as quads, are a group of four muscles in the front of the thigh. We need them to get up off a chair, walk, run, jump, and do many more activities. It is vital to include quad exercises in your workouts as they reduce the stress on your knees and improve your daily actions.

“Strong quads are the foundation for a powerful lower body, allowing you to push yourself further than you ever thought possible,” says Hannah Shine, Personal Trainer.

All athletes and fitness enthusiasts agree that strong quads are essential for good performance. So, are you ready to fire up those legs and build strong quads?

Grab a pair of shoes, and let’s begin to do some of the best quad exercises. But before that, let’s get into the basics of quad exercises and their benefits.

Workout Blueprint: Quad Strengthening Exercises

• Frequency: 3 to 5 times a week
• Benefits: Reduce knee stress and improve lower body movements and hip flexion.
• Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, barbell, box, leg extension machine, kettlebell, and a small exercise ball
• Space Required: Large area
• Assistance Required: Yes, for certain exercises.
• Who Should Avoid: Anyone with an existing injury, chronic knee joint pains, or who has recently undergone surgery.

What Are Quad Exercises?

Quad exercises target all the four muscles in the front of your leg: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. They help straighten the knees and raise the thighs. Strong quads allow you to do regular lower body movements with greater ease and improve hip flexion. Quadricep exercises need time, effort, and discipline to increase muscle mass and make the quads stronger.

You must be wondering how to check if you have weak quads before you start exercising. Keep reading to know more.

Why Do I Have Weak Quads?

If everyday activities like climbing stairs, standing up immediately after sitting, and running are difficult and painful for you, it could be a sign of weak quadricep muscles. Not challenging your quad muscles regularly can make them lose their strength and cause muscle loss. If your day involves sitting a lot, inactivity, or not doing enough muscle-building exercises, it may result in weak quads. Studies also suggest that quadricep weakness can worsen knee pain in patients with osteoarthritisⁱ  Most common form of arthritis that occurs when the protective cartilage at the end of bones wears down and causes joint pain. (1). So, you must include exercises for quads in your regular workouts to avoid such situations.

Keep reading to know all the other benefits of these quad strengthening exercises.

Benefits Of Quad Strengthening Exercises

Quad strength exercises not only help you get stronger quads but also offer benefits:

• They improve the extension of your knees, allowing you to do everyday activities easily.
• They reduce knee pain and functional disability in patients with osteoarthritis(2)
• These exercises improve athletic performance by strengthening the quads, leading to increased power and stability. This results in improved performance in sports like running, cycling, and jumping.
• They increase jump height, knee-flexion angle, and quadricep-spinal reflex excitability during jump landing (3).
• They improve the stabilityand balance of the body.
• They reduce the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis (4)

Did You Know?

Quadricep femoris muscles are the most voluminous muscles of the body (5).

15 Best Quad Strengthening Exercises

1. Bodyweight Squats

Squats are a bodyweight exercise that strengthen the core and lower body. To keep getting better, try to increase the depth of your squats with every session, making them more challenging. If you are wondering how to do squats correctly, focus on maintaining proper form to avoid injury. You can do this exercise anywhere, at home or the gym.

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your arms to the sides.
2. Engage your core, push your hips back as you slightly lower yourself, and clasp your hands at chest height.
3. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, pause for a second and then rise.
4. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Safety Tips

1. Keep your feet aligned with your knees to prevent strain on the knee joints and tendons.
2. Do not bend your back while doing squats.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Use a chair or box to squat down to maintain form.
• Intermediate: Add more depth to your squats.
• Advanced: Add a jump to add more resistance.

2. Step-Ups

This is a great at-home quad exercise that helps stabilize the knees and build quad strength to do all daily activities easily. This exercise helps you focus on one leg at a time and can help correct any muscular imbalances.

How To Do It

1. You can use a box or an elevated knee-high surface to do step-ups.
2. Put your left foot on the elevated box and step up, keeping your knee aligned with your ankle and not collapsing it inward.
3. While stepping up, push your right knee up until it is at the same height as your hips.
4. Step down without losing a single beat and step up with the opposite foot. Continue alternating feet this way for the entire set.
5. Do a set of 10-15 reps.

Safety Tips

1. Use a sturdy surface for doing step-ups.
2.  When using dumbbells, keep at least one hand free.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Step up on a low platform.
• Intermediate: Use a higher platform and hold light weights.
• Advanced: Use a high box and hold a barbell across your shoulders.

Quick Tip

While doing step-ups, keep your torso upright and avoid moving forward or pushing back your feet for support.

3. Lunges

Lunges are a powerful addition to your lower body workout as they help you with strength training and mobility. This quad exercise helps tone quad muscles as well as sculpt them. They can also be done at home with dumbbells.

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms on your sides. You can also hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Step forward with one foot and lower your body until your lower leg is perpendicular to the ground. The opposite leg should be parallel to the ground.
3. Hold for 10 seconds then repeat with the other leg.
4. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps for each leg.

Safety Tips

1. Avoid touching your back knee to the floor.
2. Try to keep your knees aligned with your toes.

A beauty and fitness blogger tried lunges to tone her quad muscles and shared her experience in her personal blog. She writes, “Lunges are also great for working the leg muscles and the butt. I like to do lunges with free weights in my hand to make it more challenging (i).”

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Place your lower leg on a raised surface.
• Intermediate: Hold dumbells in both your hands.
• Advanced: Hold a barbell or add a jump as you shift to another leg.

4. Wall Slides

This is one of the best quad-strengthening exercises for knee health that you can easily do at home. It helps improve the strength of your quads, calves, and glutes.

How To Do It

1. Stand upright with your back against the wall and feet about shoulder-width apart.
2. Bending your knees, slide down the wall until your knees make a 45-degree angle with the wall.
3. Hold for 10 seconds.
4. Slide up the wall and straighten your knees until you are fully upright.
5. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Safety Tips

1. Do not bend too much as it will put strain on your knees.
2. While sliding back up, lift yourself slowly.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Start the exercise with a seated position with bent knees instead of standing upright.
• Intermediate: Start with the upright position and increase the reps.
• Advanced: Use resistance bands for more tension.

5. Bulgarian Split Squat

This is one of the most effective exercises as it extends your range of motion and forces you to use more power and strength. It also helps improve your balance and coordination while engaging the core and building quads.

How To Do It

1. Stand a few feet away from the workout bench with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Place your left foot on the bench behind you and get comfortable.
3. Bend your right knee and let your left leg naturally bend forward.
4. Lower your body till your right quad is parallel to the ground.
5. Press through your right foot to straighten your legs and return to starting position.
6. Complete one set and alternate with your other leg.
7. Do a set of 10-15 reps for each leg.

Safety Tips

1. Ensure that your foot is not too far from the bench.
2. Do not rush to bounce up or down; do the squats slowly.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Use a lower step for your back foot.
• Intermediate: Increase the height of the bench and hold dumbbells.
• Advanced: Use a barbell or perform more reps.

6. Leg Press

This is the perfect exercise to increase muscle mass. It is also one of the most effective exercises for toned thighs, challenging your leg muscles and testing your resilience. This exercise is best performed in a gym setting.

How To Do It

1. Put your leg on the sled of the leg press, similar to your standard squat stance.
2. Pull the sled out of the rack, lower the safety bar, and bring the sled slowly towards your chest until your thighs are bent at a roughly 90-degree angle.
3. Press the sled up, pause, and repeat.
4. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

 Safety Tip

1. Wait to lock your knees until the sled is fully up.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Use light weights.
• Intermediate: Increase the weight as you build strength.
• Advanced: Perform single-leg presses or increase the number of repetitions.

7. Walking Lunges

This is a good exercise for strengthening the quadriceps, gluteus maximus, and hamstring muscles. You can perform this quad exercise with dumbbells as well to improve strength. Moreover, you may also add bodyweight hamstring exercises to your routine, which help build lower body strength without the need for equipment.

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips. If you are holding dumbbells, keep them on your side.
2. Place your right foot forward and lower your body until your right knee is bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Ensure your thighs are parallel to the ground and pause for a moment.
4. Step your left leg forward and repeat the same movement.
5. Continue walking while you lunge for 10-12 repetitions on each leg. Perform 2-3 sets.

Safety Tips

1. Avoid taking long steps to prevent putting strain on your knees.
2. Keep your posture upright while walking so your shoulders don’t feel wobbly.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Perform regular bodyweight lunges if you cannot do the exercise perfectly.
• Intermediate: Hold dumbbells or increase stride length for added difficulty.
• Advanced: Perform on an incline or increase the number of reps.

8. Barbell Back Squats

This is the ultimate leg workout that engages the core, activates every muscle in the lower body, and burns calories. It helps build more prominent and well-defined quadriceps and is also one of the most effective knee strengthening exercises when done correctly.

 How To Do It

1. Take the bar inside the squat rack with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend and hold the bar, letting it rest on your upper back.
3. Stand tall and take a few steps backward, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
4. Pushing your hips back, look down at the floor, and bend your knees to squat. Try to push your knees slightly outward.
5. When your hip creases below your knee, pause and push through your feet to rise again. Repeat.
6. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each.

 Safety Tips

1. Make sure your squatting posture is right before adding weights
2. Refrain from trying to squat very deeply with a barbell.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Practice with an empty bar and focus on your technique.
• Intermediate: Add weight gradually as your strength improves.
• Advanced: Add more weight or increase the reps.

9. Barbell Front Squats

This exercise helps develop muscle mass and strength. It helps in the overall improvement of your physical health and athletic performance as well.

How To Do It

1. Step up the barbell and rest it on your chest, near the neck.
2. Hold the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your fingers around the bar for support.
3. Lift your elbows forward, engage the chest muscles, unrack the bar, and step backward away from the rack.
4. Engaging your core and thigh muscles, lower your body in a squat position.
5. Push through the heel and rise again and repeat.
6. Do 3-4 sets of 1-5 reps.

Safety Tips

1. Focus on form and then add weights to increase strength.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Practice with an empty bar if you are a beginner.
• Intermediate: Add moderate weight.
• Advanced: Increase weight and use advanced techniques like pause reps.

10. Box Jumps

This exercise is an excellent addition to your lower-body workout to increase strength. It is a quad and hamstring exercise that also engages the core.

How To Do It

1. Stand in front of a box with your feet hip distance apart.
2. Get in an athletic stance with your arms on your sides.
3. Bend your knees, push your hips back, and swing your arms forward as you jump and land softly on the box. Ensure both legs land at the same time.
4. Step off the box, pause, and repeat.
5. Do 2 sets of 10-15 reps.

 Safety Tips

1. Choose a box of a lower height until you are comfortable with the movement.
2. Do not try this exercise if you have a knee, hip, or ankle injury.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Use a low box for the jumps. If you are still unable to perform them, opt for step-ups.
• Intermediate: Increase box height.
• Advanced: Wear a weighted vest or increase the number of repetitions.

11. Leg Extensions

This is a quad isolation exercise that directly targets the quad muscles and sculpts them, avoiding adding volume to other tissues. It is a great exercise for the legs and thighs, vitally stabilizing the pelvis without adding weight to the spine.

How To Do It

1. Get seated in the leg extension machine and adjust the back pad such that the back of your knees fits snuggly against the seat.
2. Select a weight and rest your hands at your sides.
3. Holding the support bar, lift the weight using your quad muscles until your legs are straight out.
4. Keeping the knees loose, lower the weight back to the start position.
5. Repeat. Do a set of 10-12 reps.

 Safety Tips

1. While using the leg extension machine, keep your knees loose and your back straight.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Use the leg extension machine at a low weight. Alternatively, try Bulgarian split squats that need no equipment.
• Intermediate: Increase weight and control reps with a pause at the top.
• Advanced: Perform single-leg extensions or increase the number of reps. You may also add more weight.

12. Goblet Squats

This is a good cardio exercise that engages the whole body. These squats help you perform daily movements with ease and increase your overall strength and endurance.

How To Do It

1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands on either side of the handles at chest height.
2. Look forward and engage your core.
3. Push your hips back and bend your knees in a squat position.
4. Lower down while keeping the weight at chest level.
5. Once your hips are parallel to the knees, pause for a few seconds.
6. Slowly stand back up and repeat.
7. Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

 Safety Tips

1. Keep your feet flat on the floor while doing squats.
2. Do not lift your heels while squatting.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Perform air squats without any weight until you perfect goblet squats.
• Intermediate: Increase weight and squat deeper.
• Advanced: Increase the number of repetitions.

13. Short Arc Quads

This exercise focuses on contracting the quadricep muscles and strengthening them. Make this exercise more challenging by adding a small 2-3 pound cuff weight to your ankles.

How To Do It

1. Lie on your back and use a yoga block or a small exercise ball to prop up your knees. (You can also do this exercise one knee at a time.)
2. Extend your bent knees upward slowly until they are straight.
3. Tighten your quad muscles with your toes pointed toward the ceiling.
4. Hold this position for 5 seconds.
5. Slowly lower your legs and repeat.
6. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Safety Tips

1. Ensure your hips are drawn down at the ground while you lift your legs.
2. Lift your legs slowly and steadily.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: If you are unable to perform the exercise, perform simple straight leg raises.
• Intermediate: Add light ankle weights to increase resistance.
• Advanced: Increase ankle weights or the number of repetitions.

14. Straight Leg Raises

This is the most straightforward exercise to get your quads working. It improves bad knees, mobility, and joint movement. You can also do this exercise with a resistance training band to make it more challenging.

How To Do It

1. Lie down on your back on a flat surface.
2. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and point the toes towards the ceiling.
3. Slowly lift the legs straight up by contracting the quad muscles.
4. Pause for 5 seconds and slowly lower your legs to the floor.
5. Relax and repeat.
6. Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.

 Safety Tips

1. The knees should be completely straight when you lift them up.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Bend one knee and take the other leg only as far as you can.
• Intermediate: Add ankle weights or resistance bands.
• Advanced: Use heavier ankle weights and maintain a slow, controlled motion.

15. Reverse Lunges

This exercise focuses on all the lower body muscles and helps improve balance.

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your core engaged.
2. Take a step back with the right foot, keeping the right heel above the ground.
3. Bend both knees to a 90-degree angle and sink into a lunge position, keeping your hips tucked in. Simultaneously, bend your arms and bring them together at the chest position.
4. Push through your feet to reverse the movement and return to the starting position. Repeat.
5. Do a set of 8-12 reps on each leg.

Safety Tips

1. Keep your core tight to avoid putting stress on your lower back.

Variations For Different Fitness Levels

• Beginner: Place your back leg on a box or bench behind you and perform split squats.
• Intermediate: Hold dumbbells while performing the exercises.
• Advanced: Increase the weight or add jumps as you shift to the other leg.

While quad-strengthening exercises are great for improving the strength of your lower body, some people should not be doing them. Find out more in the next section.

Who Should Not Do Quad Exercises?

Quads are one of the most powerful groups of muscles in the body. Injury to them can impair mobility. These muscles work in synergy, so damage to any one muscle can make the other muscles overwork, leading to tendon pathologiesⁱ  A group of inflammatory and degenerative tendon disorders that are caused due to trauma or overuse of tendons. and muscle strain. So, keep the following things in mind before you add these exercises to your workout routine:

• If you have weak quadriceps, do not try to perform challenging quad exercises. Weak quads can reduce gait speed and increase stance time. You can do targeted, easy exercises to build quad strength first.
• If you have a leg injury, chronic health condition, or have recently undergone surgery, or an injury after a sports performance, check with your doctor before including these rehabilitation exercises in your workout routine.

Infographic: 4 Easy Quad-Strengthening Exercises

The quadricep muscles are an essential group of muscles in the front part of the thighs that are involved in extending knees, raising thighs, walking, and running. So, quad-strengthening exercises are vital to increase quad strength and reduce pressure on the knees.

You can do some easy exercises to build your quad strength. Check out the infographic below to know more!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Are squats enough for quads?

While squats can help improve quad strength, it is better to include more exercises like lunges and leg presses to maximize your quad development.

Is it necessary to squat heavy?

No, you can start by doing lightweight squats and keep adding weights with each session to make them more challenging.

Do quad exercises work the glutes?

Yes, most quad exercises activate the glute muscles and help you get stronger legs.

Do quads grow faster than glutes?

Yes, quads have more capacity to grow as they work most of the time, so they get more stimulus and exercise to grow than the glutes.

How do you know if you are quad- or glute-dominant?

You can figure this out by being observant while doing squats. If your knees are the first body part to move while squatting, you are quad-dominant. If your glutes move first, then you are glute dominant.

Are quad exercises good for bad knees?

Some quad exercises, like short arc quads, lunges, and squats, are good for bad knees as they help improve knee stability and reduce knee pain.

Illustration: Best Quad Strengthening Exercises and Their Benefits

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Get ready to strengthen your quadriceps with these effective exercises! This comprehensive video guide will demonstrate the proper techniques to build stronger and more toned leg muscles.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Hannah ShineAFA Certified Personal Trainer

 

Hannah Shine is a highly qualified and experienced personal trainer with 6 years of experience. She has a Diploma in Nutrition and a certification as a personal trainer from the Australian Fitness Academy. She is currently the health manager of Hourglass Waist, a company that provides health and fitness services to individuals of all ages, races, and sizes.

Read full bio of Hannah Shine

Payal KarnikSenior Health & Wellness Writer

 

Payal Karnik is a senior health and wellness writer and a Certified Health and Nutrition Life Coach. She is a biotechnology graduate from the University of Mumbai with a keen interest in writing and a natural curiosity for science.

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Ravi Teja TadimallaCo-Editor-in-Chief

Ravi Teja Tadimalla is a Co-Editor-in-Chief and a published author. He has been in the digital media field for over a decade. He graduated from SRM University, Chennai, and has a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition & Research from Wageningen University.

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Sindhu KogantiSenior Health & Wellness Writer

Sindhu Koganti is a Certified Health and Nutrition Life Coach and has over 6 years of experience in writing on health and wellness topics. She has a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, and a diploma in nutrition from Fab Academy.

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